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In a heartbreaking incident, WWE legend, Darren Drozdov aka Droz passed away at the age of fifty-four. He also played for the National Football League (NFL) with New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, and Denver Broncos. The news of his demise shook the WWE world to their core, including Dwayne Johnson who penned a heartfelt note in remembrance of the wrestler.
Dwayne Johnson took to Twitter to share a few words for the former WWE legend who despite not having wrestled since 1999, managed to maintain a strong fan base. In 1999, a wrestling match turned Darren Drozdov’s world upside down as it left him paralyzed. Just like Dwayne Johnson, everyone related to the wrestling industry, including the fans, will never be able to forget the man.
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Dwayne Johnson Pays Tribute to Darren Drozdov
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Darren Drozdov took his final breath on June 30, Friday at the age of 54. According to Deadline, the wrestler passed away due to natural causes. Drozdov’s family expressed their gratitude for everyone who showed them love and support throughout the years. Their statement reads,
“There are no words to convey the deep sense of loss and sadness we are feeling right now. We would like to extend our deepest appreciation to everyone. All of his fans, teammates, colleagues, and friends for all the love and support he received over the years. You all gave him meaning, purpose and something to live for. He loved each and every one of you and cherished the conversations, notes, and letters he received. His faith in humanity never faltered, so know that for all the love you’ve shown him, he loved you back.”
Dwayne Johnsonalso spared a few words in memory of the legend. Sending love and strength to his family, Johnson recalled how the two of them would have conversations about football and fishing.
Man I’m so sorry to hear one of our ring brothers has passed away.Darren Drozdov aka Droz.We wrestled on a lot of cards together. Such an awesome dude. Great personality and great wrestling talent. We always talked about football and fishing. Sending love, strength, mana and…
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock)July 09, 2025
While Drozdov is no longer among us, the mark he left on the wrestling industry will never fade away.
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The Infamous Match That Got Droz into WWE’s PSA
Things quickly went south for Drozdov in the 1999 match against D’Lo Brown at the SmackDown taping. On October 5 of the year, his wrestling career came to an abrupt end. This happened due to a freak accident when Drozdov landed on his head and ended up breaking two of his neck vertebrae.
The wrestler was quickly rushed to the hospital for surgery to stabilize the pressure on his neck. This left Drozdov with almost no movement below the next. Later on, he regained some movement in his upper body and arms. The wrestler held no ill feelings toward Brown. This particular pre-taped match was never shown to the public. However, a short clip of the wrestler being taken out of the ring on a stretcher was added to WWE’s‘Don’t Try This at Home’public service announcement.
While this was a career-ending match for the wrestler, he continued to contribute to WWE as a columnist and writer for the company.
The world sure has lost an incredible personality. May his family and friends find the strength to deal with the unfortunate situation and may Drozdov rest in peace!
Source:Twitter | Dwayne Johnson
Mishkaat Khan
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2256
A connoisseur of all things horror, fantasy, and the occasional chick flick, Mishkaat has been penning pieces for FandomWire since 2022. She started off as an intern and has worked her way up to a Senior Writer with over 2000 articles to her name.Outside of entertainment, she has also written well-researched medical content as a freelance writer and has experience in social media management.When not writing, you can find her relaxing with a romance novel and a tall glass of iced coffee in her hand or watching re-runs of ‘Supernatural’ and ‘The Office.’
