Highlights
- Kevin Sullivan was a legendary figure in professional wrestling, known for his controversial gimmick as a Satanic cult leader.
- Sullivan's memorable career included stints in WCW, ECW, and more, with famous feuds and alliances with top wrestlers such as Hulk Hogan.
- Despite personal tragedy involving his wife Woman and Chris Benoit, Kevin Sullivan left a lasting impact on the wrestling world and found happiness in his later years.
On August 9 came the sad news from the wrestling world that Kevin Sullivan had passed away at the age of 74 after dealing with serious health issues for the past several months. Sullivan, nicknamed the Taskmaster, was one of professional wrestling's biggest names. He wrestled for twenty-seven years across many promotions, most notably in WCW, before retiring in 1997 and becoming one of the company's bookers throughout their most successful years during the Monday Night Wars. Kevin Sullivan was a part of some memorable factions, and had a famous wife who was also in the business. Here's what you should remember about the legendary Kevin Sullivan.
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4 Kevin Sullivan Had A Long Career Before His Memorable WCW Run
Kevin Sullivan Competed In Smoky Mountain Wrestling And Early WCW
- Kevin Sullivan had a strange but popular gimmick as a Satanic cult leader.
- Kevin Nash's character of Oz was managed by Kevin Sullivan.
- In ECW, Kevin Sullivan won tag team gold with the Tazmaniac.
Kevin Sullivan started his wrestling journey in 1970 at the age of 21. He competed in NWA and even the World Wide Wrestling Federation (the precursor to today's WWE) in the mid 70s, before really making a name for himself in the 80s while with Championship Wrestling from Florida. It was there that Sullivan began the bizarre gimmick of a supernatural, Satanic cult leader.
After his time there, Kevin Sullivan wrestled for Jim Crockett Promotions, and created a trio faction with two other future legendary names, Rick Steiner and Mike Rotunda, collectively known as the Varsity Club. In the early 90s, he feuded with Mick Foley and became a manger for Oz, Kevin Nash's awful early WCW character. After WCW, Sullivan bounced around to Smoky Mountain Wrestling and Eastern Championship Wrestling, where he was in a tag team with a young Taz, who went by the name of Tazmaniac. The pair would go on to become ECW Tag Team Champions.
3 Kevin Sullivan Was The Leader Of Three Faces Of Fear & Dungeon Of Doom
The Taskmaster Hated Hulk Hogan
- Kevin Sullivan partnered with his kayfabe brother Dave in WCW.
- Kevin Sullivan became the Taskmaster in the Dungeon of Doom.
- Hulk Hogan and Kevin Sullivan had a long WCW rivalry.
Kevin Sullivan's most popular years began when he returned to WCW in 1994. At first, he was in a tag team with Dave Sullivan, his brother in kayfabe only, but with Hulk Hogan now in WCW, it gave Kevin something much bigger to do. Sullivan hated Hogan so much that he formed the Three Faces of Fear, made up of Sullivan, Avalanche (Earthquake in WWE), and The Butcher (Brutus "The Barber Beefcake in WWE), two men who knew the Hulkster well.
When that idea to destroy Hogan didn't work, Sullivan went darker and sillier, as WCW often did in the mid-90s. He was repackaged as the Taskmaster and created the Dungeon of Doom, a faction made up of a plethora of freaks like The Yeti, the One Man Gang, and Kamala. Sullivan and company might have lost to the Hulkamaniacs in a WarGames match at Fall Brawl 1995, but the Taskmaster spent months feuding with the biggest name in the business.
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2 Kevin Sullivan Was Married To WCW's Woman
Woman Left Kevin Sullivan For Chris Benoit
- Nancy Sullivan accompanied Kevin in WCW and ECW.
- Woman was part of an on-screen feud between Kevin Sullivan and Chris Benoit.
- Nancy Benoit's life ended in tragedy at the hands of Chris Benoit.
For many years, Kevin Sullivan had Nancy Toffoloni, better known as Woman, by his side. He met her in the early 80s when she was a model, which led to them getting married in 1985 and Nancy becoming his valet during his satanic cult days. Wherever Kevin went, Nancy followed. She was there with him in WCW, where she became Woman, and later in ECW. When Sullivan left ECW, though, Nancy stayed, managing the likes of the Sandman and Shane Douglas. She returned to WCW in 1996, but it was then that her life, and the life of her husband, took a fateful turn.
It was during this time that Woman started siding with Chris Benoit on-screen, who was feuding with Sullivan. Nancy and Chris ended up falling in love for real, and Nancy left Kevin Sullivan, before marrying Chris Benoit in 2000. As we all know, seven years later, that story would end in tragedy, when Chris took the lives of Nancy and their young son Daniel, before taking his own.
1 Kevin Sullivan Became A Booker In WCW
The Radicalz Quit WCW Because Of Kevin Sullivan's Leadership
- Kevin Sullivan lost a retirement match to Chris Benoit.
- Chris Benoit left WCW despite Kevin Sullivan booking him to become the World Heavyweight Champion.
- Kevin Sullivan spent the last 27 years of his life with LA Taylor.
In 1997, now in his late 40s, Kevin Sullivan hung up his wrestling boots after losing a retirement match to Chris Benoit at Bash at the Beach. Sullivan was already a part-time booker with WCW, but in 2000, as the company descended into chaos during their final months, Kevin was made the head booker. Benoit and Kevin Sullivan didn't get along by this point, but in a desperate effort to keep him, Sullivan booked Benoit to become the WCW World Heavyweight Champion. The strategy didn't work. A day later, Chris Benoit quit WCW anyway, along with Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn. The foursome later showed up in WWE as the Radicalz.
After his WCW days, Kevin Sullivan worked here and there in indie promotions, but he also found happiness again after going through an immense tragedy. The same year that his wife, Nancy, left him, Kevin Sullivan met LA Taylor. He spent the rest of his life with her. May Kevin Sullivan rest in peace.
