Wrestler Absolute Andy has died aged 40 after a long health battle.
The German star, real name Andreas Ullman, became a mainstay in wXw after since his debut in 2005, and faced the likes of AEW’s Bryan Danielson, WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett, GUNTHER and NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov during his career.
In March 2018, he won the prestigious wXw 16 Carat Gold Tournament, and later beat the latter for the Unified World Wrestling Championship.
Throughout his run with the company, he also held the wXw World Heavyweight Championship and Shotgun Title, while he also had several runs with the tag championships.
The heartbreaking news was announced by wXw with a touching tribute on the company’s X (Twitter) account.
They hailed him as ‘one of the most distinguished wrestlers’ in their history.
‘Absolute Andy is undoubtedly one of the most renowned and beloved wrestlers in the German-speaking world,’ the promotion continued in the statement translated from German.
‘The day before yesterday, Andy lost his lengthy battle with illness and passed away peacefully in the presence of his wife.
‘We send our deepest sympathies to his family and friends during this difficult time.
‘We request that you respect their privacy until we can all come together in the wXw ring to pay tribute to Andy, honoring his remarkable life and career.’
Fans and fellow wrestlers have paid tribute following the tragic news, with current Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER among them.
In a post translated from German, he wrote: ‘Thanks for everything, Andi!’
‘No words. This is a sad day. Thank you for everything Andy,’ Ilja added, while his fellow NXT wrestler Joe Gacy tweeted: ‘Very sorry to hear, my thoughts are with his friends and family.’
Former NXT UK star Sha Samuels wrote: ‘First met Andy around 2007/8. Lovely man. He was a great professional at shows and always enjoyed working with him. Love and condolences to his family and friends❤️ R.I.P Andy.’
And independent wrestling veteran Chris Hero said: ‘Crushed to hear of the passing of Absolute Andy. I remember Andy’s first wrestling camp in the Sauerland & I had the privilege to share the ring with him many times after.
‘Andy was always a friendly face, always worked his ass off & meant a lot to a lot of people. RIP my friend.’
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