Memphis wrestling legend Lance Russell passes away at 91 years old
The pro wrestling world lost one of its most treasured voices this morning.
Lance Russell passed away at 91 years old after complications from a fall. He was hospitalized after breaking his hip in a fall on Friday, which was the second time he had fallen last week.
Russell’s daughter also passed away on Friday after battling cancer. We all send our thoughts to the Russell family during this difficult time.
Aside from being the host and voice of Memphis wrestling, Russell was considered one of the nicest people to ever be part of the pro wrestling business. He was also a television program director, putting wrestling in its Saturday morning time slot in Memphis where it had tremendous success.
Russell worked for WCW and Smoky Mountain Wrestling towards the end of his career as well.
Jerry Lawler first announced Russell’s passing on Twitter and the Russell family then confirmed the news. They thanked everyone for their thoughts and prayers and wrote that Russell was surrounded by family when he passed.
Dave Brown, Russell’s broadcast partner in Memphis, wrote, “My lifetime friend, Lance Russell died early this morning. I cannot express how sad I am. He was responsible for my tv career success.”
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.