WWE legend and Hall of Fame star Paul Orndorff has died at the age of 71, his son Travis confirmed on Monday July 12th.
Paul Orndorff joined WWE in 1983 and was given his “Mr. Wonderful” nickname by his then-manager “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.
Hulk Hogan, Paul’s most famous opponent, took to Twitter to share his condolences and sadness over the news of Paul’s death. He wrote:
“Just got slammed with the Paul Orndorff news, RIP my brother, love you and thank you for always making me fight for everything in our matches, heaven just got even more Wonderful, love U4Life HH.”
Paul Orndorff passes away at the age of 71
On July 12th, Paul Orndorff’s son Travis shared the news with fans that his father had passed away. Taking to Instagram to speak about his father’s legacy, Travis wrote, in part:
“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.”
He continued on to say:
“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.”
Travis has also set up a GoFundMe to cover Paul’s funeral expenses.
What happened to Paul Orndorff’s arm?
In the late 1980s Paul suffered an arm and neck injury during his feud with Hulk Hogan. The injury was left untreated for too long, and the nerve damage resulted in the atrophy of his right bicep.
Despite working tirelessly in rehab, Paul’s injured arm appeared smaller than the other one.
In July 2016, Paul Orndorff was named in a class action lawsuit filed against WWE which alleged that “WWE placed corporate gain over its wrestlers’ health, safety and financial security, choosing to leave the Plaintiffs severely injured and with no recourse to treat their damaged minds and bodies.”