Days after former WWE Superstar Shad Gaspard disappeared while swimming at a beach with his family, authorities have officially recovered his body. It's a sad end to an already tragic tale. The news of Gaspard's passing has sent shockwaves through the WWE, and sparked reactions from stars from the past like Dwayne Johnson, as well as the present.
Dwayne Johnson reacted to the news in the way most with families would: with thoughts and support for the family. The Rock shared condolences to Gaspard's wife and son, and talked about what a tragic situation this was.
Following suit in the terms of well wishes for the family, WWE Legend and Executive Vice President of Talent Relations Triple H reminded fans what an impact Shad Gaspard had on the fans during his career.
Shad Gaspard was most known for his role in the WWE tag team Cryme Tyme, where he and partner JTG got into various shenanigans from the mid to late 2000s. JTG had been keeping fans up to date since Gaspard's disappearance, and recently posted a video of the memorial erected on the beach for his former tag team partner.
Though he wasn't in the WWE as long as others or a major title holder, Shad Gaspard was well known as a journeyman of several wrestling organizations. This meant he came in contact with a lot of famous wrestlers from various eras of the sport, including the iconic Iron Sheik.
By all accounts from those he met, Shad Gaspard was a great guy. WWE veteran Natalya Hart shared a touching photo of the wrestler with his son Aryeh. Reports of the incident said that lifeguards attempted to rescue both Gaspard and his son, but that he insisted Aryeh be taken before him.
Perhaps one of the most touching stories to come out was given by Dave Bautista. The former wrestler-turned-actor is known for sharing his very unfiltered feelings, and he certainly did just that when talking about one of his last encounters with Shad Gaspard.
As Dave Bautista mentioned, Shad Gaspard had found work outside of the ring as an actor and stunt performer, appearing recently in the wild DC movie Birds of Prey. He had also appeared in a couple episodes of Key & Peele, From Dusk til Dawn: The Series, and as Muhammad Ali in The Last Sharknado: It's About Time. He also did motion capture work for video games, and as Brian Pillman Jr. pointed out, was a major part of the 2018 release of God of War.
While Shad Gaspard may not have been the most notable wrestler in WWE history, he was a stand-up guy. He's also a hero, and will be missed by friends, colleagues, and fans alike.
CinemaBlend offers its condolences to the family of Shad Gaspard, and wish them well during this difficult time.
