Today in Pro Wrestling History: On October 6th, 1999, Robert ‘Gino’ Marella, better known as Gorilla Monsoon, passed away from heart failure due to complications from diabetes at the age of 62.
Today in Pro Wrestling History (October 6): When Worlds Collide
A legendary wrestler, announcer, and executive, Monsoon was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1994. His name is immortalized in wrestling lore through ‘The Gorilla Position’ backstage, the inspiration behind the name of our website.
On the night of his passing, his former broadcast partner and friend Bobby Heenan paid tribute to Monsoon on Monday Nitro in a moving and rare serious onscreen moment.
Here’s another great story about Gorilla Monsoon:ย Gorilla Monsoon: Remembering The Manchurian Giant
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