Former WWE wrestler Black Bart has died aged 76.
The professional wrestler, whose real name was Richard Harris, was diagnosed with cancer in 2022 and recently had to stop his chemotherapy after his insurance ran out.
His wife Linda announced the news on social media saying: “You might know him as Black Bart but to me he was my husband Ricky. He left us this morning. He was pronounced at 5:26 this morning. He is Resting In Peace.”
He stopped his treatment in December 2024 after his insurance stopped covering it, while his wife said at the time that he didn’t ‘want any more chemo’.
She said: “He feels that it’s doing more damage than good and I have to back him up on that. He is completely in God’s hands now.”
His 27-year career began in the ring in 1975. After he retired in 2002 he started to help train wrestlers of the future.
Former WWE Champion John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield was his most famous student.
JBL went onto become a main eventer and Hall of Famer, having transitioned into a commentator role on SmackDown.
He paid a heartfelt tribute to his mentor as he shared a photo of them together smiling.
He wrote: “Black Bart took me under his wing and taught me how to be a professional wrestler. We were tag champs in Texas-but we were also just buddies.
“We sat together in the dressing room while Bart spit in his trashcan and constantly joked about everything. Bart meant the world to me. I love you big brother. RIP.”
Over his career, he wrestled in promotions like Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, Georgia Championship Wrestling, and Championship Wrestling From Florida.
He joined WWE, then WWF, in 1990, going onto make several appearances over the next year, in between stints with World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
