Travis Orndorff, the son of ‘Mr. Wonderful’, made the announcement of his father’s passing on Instagram.
Paul Orndorff, known as ‘Mr. Wonderful’, has died at the age of 71. His son, Travis, made the announcement via Instagram on Monday afternoon.
Orndorff was suffering from dementia and they believe this was caused by constant blows to the head that resulted in chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
“It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of my father, Paul Parlette Orndorff Jr. . He is better known as “Mr. #1derful” Paul Orndorff. Most of you will remember him for his physique. Many will remember his intensity. But if I could only get you to understand and see his heart. He will always be Pop, Paw Paw, and Daddy at home. And as much as many of you hated him as a wrestler, he absolutely loved you for it. He was an amazing father that showed me more love than I ever deserved. I love you Daddy. “
Paul Orndorff was passionate about this cause. In 2016, he joined a class action suit against the WWE. This said that wrestlers suffered “long term neurological injuries.” The suit was dropped in 2018. Travis announced that a donation page is available in his Instagram bio for funeral expenses.
Paul Orndorff was born in Brandon, Florida and was a standout football player at the University of Tampa. He was drafted in the 12th round by the New Orleans Saints but never made it to the NFL. Orndorff joined the then WWF in 1983 and saw immediate success.
On January 23, 1984, Orndorff defeated Salvatore Bellomo and this quickly put him in the spotlight. Most famously, Orndorff had a feud with Hulk Hogan and the two even met during Wrestlemania I. Hogan and Mr. T defeated Orndorff and his manager, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. Along with Hogan, Orndorff had other famous feuds with wrestlers such as Jerry Lawler, Ted Dibiase, and Jake “The Snake” Roberts.
Hogan took to Twitter to make a statement on the devastating news.
“Just got slammed with the Paul Orndorff news,” Hogan wrote on Twitter. “RIP, my brother. Love you and thank you for always making me fight for everything in our matches. Heaven just got even more Wonderful.”
Paul Orndorff briefly retired in 1988 after suffering an arm injury. He made a return to wrestling in 1990 when he began competing in WCW. He became the Television Champion in 1993 and was a two-time WCW Tag Team Champion along with Paul Roma.
After his wrestling days, Orndorff began training other competitors for WCW’s Power Plant. As a trainer, Orndorff had a hand in the success of stars such as Goldberg, Stacy Keibler, and Mark Jindrak.
Paul Orndorff enjoyed a successful career at the highest level and was one of the top stars in the WWE during his time.
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