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 death at the age of 33.

Profile

Height: 5'8" (172.7 cm)
Weight: 225lbs (102 kg)
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 AKA Jimmy Shoulders, 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. While in high school, he met Tammy Lynn Sytch, who he would marry several years later.

Candido debuted in the World Wrestling Association, a promotion operated by his trainer, Larry Sharpe. After winning several titles, he moved on to Smoky Mountain Wrestling, where he had his first real success, winning the Television, United States Junior Heavyweight and Tag Team titles. He was managed by his wife, then known as "Tamara Murphy Fytch". At the same time, Candido also worked for Eastern Championship Wrestling. At just 22, he won a tournament to become the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

The World Wrestling Federation signed Candido and his wife in 1995 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 at Wrestlemania XII in a tournmanet final against their nemeses, The Godwinns. Candido left the Federation in 1996, possibly because of friction between himself and the Clique. He later claimed that both Pritchard and himself disliked the gimmick.

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, with the champions constantly bickering with one another. Tammy left the WWF soon after Candido, and followed him to ECW, resuming her position as his manager In addition to being a performer, he was also the travel agent of the company, responsible for booking plane flights.

Candido, along with Tammy, was released from ECW in October, 1999 as a result of their drug abuse. Candido appeared briefly with Xtreme Professional Wrestling before signing with World Championship Wrestling 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 containing Nubain 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. Candido and Tammy's well-known history of drug abuse did not help their case.

Candido then wrestled for numerous independent promotions and toured Japan, winning several regional titles. At one point he and Tammy relocated to Puerto Rico to work for the World Wrestling Council. In January 2004 he gave up drugs after his addiction to Somas led to him suffering a heart attack.

Candido's career underwent something of a revival in early 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. Candido had had meetings with WWE official Jim Ross in 2004, and had speculated that a succesful tenure in TNA could lead to his being rehired by the WWE.

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.

Despite his many personal problems, Candito will be remembered as a kind man and will be missed by his friends and family.