Zoneboy
12-30-2009, 08:47 PM
Steve Williams, a former Lakewood High School star athlete who rose to fame as professional wrestler "Dr. Death," died late Tuesday night in Denver after a long battle with throat cancer. He was 49.
Williams was a well-known pro wrestler during the 1980s and '90s. Word of Williams' passing rippled through the pro wrestling world Wednesday, with current stars Kevin Nash and Chris Jericho, among others, posting condolences to Twitter.
Williams gained the "Dr. Death" nickname after he wore a hockey goalie's mask to protect a broken nose during a wrestling match at Lakewood. The crowd responded by chanting "Dr. Death."
A two-time state Colorado prep wrestling champion and football player at Lakewood, Williams went on
Current OU wrestling coach Jack Spates described Williams as "one of the greatest athletes that the University of Oklahoma has ever produced."
Williams was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2003 and was told he had six months to live. A 2005 surgery removed a tumor, along with his voice box and larynx.
"I knew my choice was either to live or to die," Williams told The Denver Post in 2008. "I decided I was going to fight. God became my tag-team partner."
Earlier this year, friends were helping Williams raise money for an artificial voice box.
"I'm hoping by Christmas. It would be a heck of a Christmas present," he said then, after he'd been cancer-free for four years.
Former Lakewood football coach Pete Levine remembered Williams as a giant but friendly athlete.
"Because of his physical presence and his demeanor, he could be frightening if you didn't know him," Levine said last year. "His battle with cancer was about as harrowing as any battle could get
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14095501
Williams was a well-known pro wrestler during the 1980s and '90s. Word of Williams' passing rippled through the pro wrestling world Wednesday, with current stars Kevin Nash and Chris Jericho, among others, posting condolences to Twitter.
Williams gained the "Dr. Death" nickname after he wore a hockey goalie's mask to protect a broken nose during a wrestling match at Lakewood. The crowd responded by chanting "Dr. Death."
A two-time state Colorado prep wrestling champion and football player at Lakewood, Williams went on
Current OU wrestling coach Jack Spates described Williams as "one of the greatest athletes that the University of Oklahoma has ever produced."
Williams was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2003 and was told he had six months to live. A 2005 surgery removed a tumor, along with his voice box and larynx.
"I knew my choice was either to live or to die," Williams told The Denver Post in 2008. "I decided I was going to fight. God became my tag-team partner."
Earlier this year, friends were helping Williams raise money for an artificial voice box.
"I'm hoping by Christmas. It would be a heck of a Christmas present," he said then, after he'd been cancer-free for four years.
Former Lakewood football coach Pete Levine remembered Williams as a giant but friendly athlete.
"Because of his physical presence and his demeanor, he could be frightening if you didn't know him," Levine said last year. "His battle with cancer was about as harrowing as any battle could get
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14095501