Chris Candido

Early life

Candito was the grandson of "Popeye" Chuck Richards, a wrestler for the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) from 1966 to 1974, as the WWF was known prior to 1979. He started training at age 14 with Larry Sharpe and wrestled for Sharpe's World Wrestling Association.

While attending Red Bank Catholic High School, he met and fell in love with Tammy Lynn Sytch, and the two began a lifelong relationship. Sytch would later become his valet.

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1986–1992) As a teenager, Candito and his friend Jonathan Rechner began working for independent professional wrestling promotions in New Jersey, setting up the wrestling rings. Candito and Rechner trained to wrestle at Larry Sharpe's Monster Factory in Bellmawr, New Jersey, with Candito making his debut in 1986.

Smoky Mountain Wrestling (1992–1995) Championship reigns (1992–1994) In 1992, Candido and Sytch (billed as "Tamara Fytch") were signed by Jim Cornette for his Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW) promotion. which had been vacated by Shane Douglas and ECW that August when Douglas won it in a separate tournament. Candido's reign came at a time when exposure for the National Wrestling Alliance was limited, as there was no national television outlet for the organization's remaining affiliates. His title defense matches were mostly held in SMW and on the independent circuit. Candido dropped the title to Dan Severn on February 24, 1995.

In late 1994, Candido formed a tag team with Boo Bradley (a parody of the To Kill a Mockingbird character Boo Radley). At "Christmas Chaos" on December 28, 1994, Candido attacked Bradley after they lost a bout to Tracy Smothers and Cactus Jack. In a controversial angle, Fytch kidnapped Bradley's pet cat, Boots, and brought a bag supposedly containing the cat to the ring, which Candido then leg dropped, (kayfabe) killing Boots. The angle led to a feud between Candido and Bradley, which culminated in a loser leaves town dog collar match at Sunday Bloody Sunday II on February 26, 1995, that was won by Bradley. This marked Candido's final appearance in SMW before he and Fytch joined the World Wrestling Federation.

In July 1995, Candido began feuding with Barry Horowitz, a career jobber, after Horowitz scored an upset victory over him on an episode of WWF Wrestling Challenge using a roll-up while Candido performed push-ups. Candido faced Horowitz in a bout at SummerSlam on August 27, 1995, with Horowitz once again defeating Candido.

In late-1995, the portly Rad Radford joined Candido as a "Bodydonna in training". At Survivor Series on November 19, 1995, "The Bodydonnas" (Candido, Tom Prichard, Radford and The 1-2-3 Kid) teamed together to defeat "The Underdogs" (Horowitz, Hakushi, Bob Holly and Marty Jannetty), with Skip personally eliminating Bob Holly with a schoolboy rollup, but getting pinned by Jannetty with a top-rope powerbomb. On the December 23, 1995, episode of WWF Superstars of Wrestling, Sunny "fired" Radford after he and Candido lost to WWF World Tag Team Champions The Smoking Gunns. On the January 6, 1996, episode of WWF Superstars of Wrestling, Candido defeated Radford with the assistance of Prichard, who had been repackaged as Candido's cousin, "Zip". Skip and Zip began teaming together as The Bodydonnas, with Sunny as their manager.

On January 21, 1996, at the Royal Rumble, The Bodydonnas unsuccessfully challenged The Smoking Gunns for the WWF World Tag Team Championship. In February 1996, The Smoking Gunns forfeited the WWF World Tag Team Championship after Billy Gunn sustained a neck injury. The Bodydonnas won a tournament for the vacant titles, defeating The Godwinns on March 31, 1996, in the finals of the WrestleMania XII pre-show, after Sunny ran interference. They held the titles until May 19, 1996, when they were defeated by The Godwinns. Following their loss, Sunny left The Bodydonnas and briefly aligned herself with The Godwinns before joining The Smoking Gunns.

Following the departure of Sunny, The Bodydonnas would eventually turn face, and announced that they were seeking a new manager. At King of the Ring on June 23, 1996, they introduced their new manager, the transvestite "Cloudy" (portrayed by Candido's friend Jimmy Shoulders).

In late-1996, Candido left the WWF and rejoined Eastern Championship Wrestling, which had since been renamed Extreme Championship Wrestling.

Extreme Championship Wrestling (1996–1999)

After leaving the WWF, Candido returned to ECW at High Incident in October 1996. He became part of the revived Triple Threat stable alongside Shane Douglas. Despite being a reluctant team who hated each other, Candido and Storm had a lengthy championship run. The duo held the titles for approximately six months until they lost them on June 26, 1998, to Sabu and Rob Van Dam. His last performance was taped to air later in the week, as he was featured on an episode of TNA Impact! after his death, using a wheelchair, where he helped The Naturals win the NWA World Tag Team Championships.

Death

At Lockdown on April 24, 2005, Candido fractured both his tibia and fibula and dislocated his ankle during a steel cage match with Lance Hoyt against Apolo and Sonny Siaki. In a 2016 interview, Johnny would reveal that Chris' autopsy confirmed that he did not die from a blood clot, but rather acute pneumonia brought on by his surgery.

TNA subsequently held the Chris Candido Memorial Tag Team Tournament in his honor in late 2005. In 2009, he was inducted into the Hardcore Hall of Fame.

Other media Both Candido and Sytch were featured on the Vice TV docuseries Dark Side of the Ring, aired on May 30, 2023.

Candido performing a delayed vertical suplex on Jerry Lynn in 1998.

Championships and accomplishments California Creative Wrestling CCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) Eastern/Extreme Championship Wrestling ECW (World) Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Johnny Hotbody and Chris Michaels (2)1 and Lance Storm (1) Hardcore Hall of Fame Class of 2009 Independent Superstars of Professional Wrestling ISPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) Jersey Championship Wrestling JCW Television Championship (1 time) Legacy Wrestling Enterprises LWE World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) Mid-American Wrestling MAW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) National Wrestling Alliance NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) NWA World Championship Tournament (1994) NWA Midwest NWA Midwest Heavyweight Championship (1 time) NWA New Jersey NWA New Jersey Heavyweight Championship (1 time) Pennsylvania Championship Wrestling PCW United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time) Pro Wrestling Illustrated PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (2005) Ranked No. 45 out of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 1994 and 1998 Ranked No. 358 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the "PWI Years" in 2003 Smoky Mountain Wrestling SMW Beat the Champ Television Championship (2 times) SMW Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Brian Lee SMW United States Junior Heavyweight Championship (3 times) United States Extreme Wrestling USEW United States Heavyweight Championship (3 times) USA Pro Wrestling USA Pro United States Championship (1 time) World Championship Wrestling WCW Cruiserweight Championship (1 time) World Wrestling Federation WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Zip Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards Most Underrated (1995) 1Candido defended the championship with either Hotbody or Michaels under the Freebird Rule.