Michael "Mike" Bell (March 18, 1971 â€" December 14, 2008) was an American professional wrestler who worked for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) as Mike "Mad Dog" Bell. He was the brother of Mark Bell and Chris Bell (director of the 2008 documentary, Bigger, Stronger, Faster), and the 2015 follow up documentary, Prescription Thugs, in which Mike Bell's life and death by prescription drugs are explored.
Professional wrestling career
Bell worked as a jobber for WWE (then-named, the World Wrestling Federation, or, WWF) during the early-1990s, even performing on its flagship TV show, Monday Night Raw. Like many jobbers of that era, Bell worked on a match-by-match basis for the WWF, never being under continuous contract with the promotion. Bell later worked with the original ECW, including performing at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center.
Bell was well known in the wrestling community for a 2001 incident with Perry Saturn during a videotaped WWF dark match. Bell botched a snapmare armdrag of Saturn, causing Saturn to land on the mat headfirst. Saturn legitimately attacked Bell in retaliation for this perceived lack of professionalism and in-ring ethic, at one point tossing Bell out of the ring and causing Bell himself to land on his head on the safety mat. Neither performer sustained serious injury, and both were able to resume their respective roles and finish the match as planned, without most spectators realizing what had actually happened.
Personal life
Bell, who had a history with substance abuse, was featured in the documentary Bigger, Stronger, Faster along with his two brothers.
Bell can also be seen in Prescription Thugs, a documentary created by his brother about prescription drug abuse in America.
Death
On December 14, 2008, he was found dead at a rehabilitation facility in Costa Mesa, California. It was ruled that he died of an inhalation-induced heart attack brought on by an accidental inhalation of difluoroethane in Dust-Off. Bell was 37 years old.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Mid-Hudson Bridge (Bridging fallaway slam)
- Nicknames
- "Mad Dog"
Championships and accomplishments
- Ultimate Pro Wrestling
- UPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
See also
- List of premature professional wrestling deaths
References
External links
- Mike "Mad Dog" Bell Obituary
- Mike Bell on IMDb
- Mike Bell's profile at Cagematch.net