Chris Candido - Misplaced Pages

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Chris Candito (March 21, 1972 - April 28, 2005) aka Chris Candido or Skip was a professional wrestler best known for his participation in a World Wrestling Federation tag team known as The Bodydonnas with Zip (Tom Prichard) and for his wife/valet Sunny.

He was most successful during his tenure with Extreme Championship Wrestling, although he he had a short stint in World Championship Wrestling in 2000. He worked for Total Nonstop Action before his shocking and untimely death at the age of 33.

Profile

Height: 5'8"
Weight: 225lbs
Birthday: March 21, 1972
Hometown: Spring Lake, New Jersey
Trained By: Larry Sharpe
Professional Debut: 1986
Previous Identities: Bodydonna Skip, Skip, Chris Candido, "Hard Knox", "No Gimmicks Needed", "Mr. Charisma"
Previous Manager(s): Sunny, Cloudy, Sonny Blaze
Finishing/Signature Move(s): Diving Headbutt, New Jersey Jam, Blonde Bombshell (Powerbomb from the top rope), Suicide-plex

Career

Chris Candido started wrestling at the age of 16 on the independent wrestling circuit. He had grown up loving professional wrestling due to his grandfather, "Popeye" Chuck Richards, being a wrestler.

Chris's first real success was in Smokey Mountain Wrestling, where he won the Television, US Junior Heavyweight and Tag Team titles. He was managed by his wife, then known as "Tamara Murphy Fytch".

The World Wrestling Federation signed Candido and his wife and renamed them "Skip" and "Sunny" respectively, giving them the characters of a fitness obsessed couple. Though Candido's success was overshadowed by the popularity of Sunny, he eventually gained a tag team partner, Zip (Tom Pritchard, and went on to win the WWF tag team titles. The team competed at Wrestlemania XII against their nemeses, the Godwinns. Candido eventually left the Federation, possibly because of friction between himself and the Clique.

As part of Extreme Championship Wrestling, Candido was a member of the Triple Threat which consisted of himself, the leader, Shane Douglas, and Bam Bam Bigelow. Candido also enjoyed a seven month tag team title reign with Lance Storm.

Candido wrestled briefly for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 2000, competing (and winning gold) in the cruiserweight division. He was part of the New Blood, the stable formed by Eric Bischoff to oppose the older, more powerful wrestlers dominating the promotion. Candido left WCW in late 2000, allegedly as a result of drug abuse by his wife, Tammy Lynn Sytch. A syringe was found in the women's restroom and Kimberly Page told management that it was Tammy's. Tammy volunteered to a drug test and passed, but they still let her go. Candido left with her. It didn't help matters that Chris and Tammy had a well-known history of drug abuse in the past.

Candido then wrestled for numerous independent promotions and toured Japan, winning several regional titles.

Candido's career had underwent something of a revival in 2005, as he was hired by Total Nonstop Action, the second largest wrestling promotion in North America. He regularly competed in six man tag matches with his allies, The Naturals.

On April 24, 2005 at the TNA PPV Lockdown, Candido fractured both his tibia and fibula and dislocated his ankle when Sonny Siaki landed awkwardly on his leg. He underwent surgery on April 25 to have steel plates and screws inserted into his leg, and was expected to be sidelined for approximately six weeks. Unfortunately, on April 28, 2005, Candido passed away at the age of 33. The cause of his death was a blood clot due to complications from the surgery.

The tragic death of Chris Candido was met with grief from fans and wrestlers alike. Candido will be remembered for his good humour, his excellent physique, his talents and achievements in the ring from an early age and his inspirational victories over the personal issues that threatened his career.