Former ECW Superstar’s real name was Jonathan Rechner
Balls Mahoney, a professional wrestler whose real name was Jonathan Rechner, died Tuesday. He was 44.
His death was confirmed by Johnny Candido, the brother of the late Chris Candido, who simply said: “he died suddenly.”
Mahoney was an original ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) personality and wrestled in the company until it folded after being bought by the WWE. He had been wrestling independently since being released by the WWE in 2008.
Also Read: WWE 'Monday Night Raw': 9 Things You Didn't See on TV
He is best known for his appearances with ECW during the late 1990s and early 2000s, when he was a three-time holder of the ECW Tag Team Championship.
The WWE expressed grief over Mahoney’s death in a tweet Tuesday: “WWE is saddened to learn of the passing of ECW Superstar Balls Mahoney.”
Also Read: WWE Superstar John Cena 'Can Only Hope' for an Entertainment Career Like The Rock's
Born in Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey, Mahoney died the day after his 44th birthday.
He is survived by his wife and son, Chris, who was named after fellow wrestler Chris Candido, who died in 2005.
13 Wrestlers Who Body Slammed the Acting World (Photos)
-
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson-This former WWE champ has a massive movie career, most recently starring in "Furious 7" and "San Andreas."
Universal Pictures
Andre the Giant-The gentle giant delighted fans with his portrayal of Fezzik in "The Princess Bride."
20th Century FoxHulk Hogan-One of the most popular wrestlers in history appeared in "Mr. Nanny," "Suburban Commando," and "Rocky III."
New Line CinemaRoddy Piper-This notorious wrestling bad boy came to chew bubblegum and kick butt in John Carpenter's 1988 film "They Live."
UniversalLou Albano-This WWE Hall of Famer portrayed video game plumber Mario in the "Super Mario Bros." TV show.
Dakota PicturesNathan Jones-The former wrestler appeared in "Mad Max: Fury Road" and Jet Li's "Fearless."
Warner Bros.Jesse Ventura-This wrestler and ex Minnesota governor didn't have time to bleed in Schwarzenegger vehicle "Predator."
20th Century FoxDiamond Dallas Page-This superstar has appeared in numerous films, including the 2005 Rob Zombie film "Devil's Rejects"
Boundless PicturesSteve Austin-The face of the Attitude Era has appeared in "The Longest Yard," "The Condemned" and "The Expendables."
Millennium FilmsDave Bautista-This wrestler recently broke out with his role as Drax in the megahit "Guardians of the Galaxy"
Marvel StudiosChris Jericho-The Ayatollah of Rock 'n' Rollah appeared in "MacGruber" and currently stars in the web series "Nothing to Report."
Anxiety Island EntertainmentTom "Tiny" Lister-Most famous for his role as Deebo in "Friday," enjoyed a stint as a pro wrestler in the late '80s.
New Line CinemaTriple H-WWE's executive vice president tried his hand at acting in "Blade: Trinity" and "The Chaperone."
New Line Cinema
Previous
;
Next
1 of 13
Hulk Hogan, Dwayne Johnson, and Roddy Piper have all flexed their muscles in movies and TV shows
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson-This former WWE champ has a massive movie career, most recently starring in "Furious 7" and "San Andreas."