Authorities in Los Angeles confirmed the body washed ashore on Venice Beach in the early morning hours of Wednesday, May 20 is WWE wrestler Shad Gaspard.
Gaspard, 39, disappeared after he, his 10-year-old son, Aryeh, and other swimmers were caught in a rip current on Sunday. lifeguards helped get his son to safety, but were not able to find Gaspard.
Beach goers discovered Gaspard’s body 1:25 a.m., Wednesday and alerted police.
Gaspard and JTG (Jayson Anthony Paul), formed the tag team duo, Cryme Time, and wrestled in the WWE from 2006 to 2010. He continued his career on the independent circuit through 2020.
Gaspard also had a number of film and television credits to his name, including The Game, The Last Sharknado: It’s About Time, In The Cut, From Dusk till Dawn: The Series, Key & Peele, and Birds of Prey.
As current and former wrestlers paid tribute to Gaspard, JTG posted a screenshot of a text message Gaspard sent him in January that read, “If ever I die tomorrow just know I love you as a brother and friend for ever, even past this life.” JTG replied, “Love you too brotha #Nohomo”
— JTG (@Jtg1284) May 19, 2020
