The Reverend Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 Reports coming in that Del Wilkes aka The Patriot has sadly passed away today. Although not a huge star he had a short mainstream run in the WWF as well as stints in the AWA, WCW and Japan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted July 1, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted July 1, 2021 Sad news, only 59. RIP Del. Not going to pretend I ever thought he was great or anything but did enjoy some his run in the WWF in 97, even if it did come from nowhere. Cool enough gimmick, great theme music! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members IANdrewDiceClay Posted July 1, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted July 1, 2021 3 days from July 4th. And also on Canada day. Cant believe it. I wanna run to you. Really cant believe this. @. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chili Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 Heard about how much he absolutely went off the rails and it was actually pretty interesting hearing him come out of it and get a few podcasts in (his one with Austin was good). Had an amazing look didn't he. Just never saw much of him enough to judge how good he was. Is he a good example of what Austin would call a 'mechanic?' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members WeeAl Posted July 1, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted July 1, 2021 That's very sad news. I really enjoyed his brief run in 1997 in the WWF, and that's all I ever so him do, but he made more of a mark in those few months than several of the guys that are around today with 10+ years in the roster. He struggled hugely with painkiller addiction following the bad injuries he suffered that he tried to work through, particularly a bad tricep tear and knee injury if I'm remembering right. I heard him on a podcast a couple of years ago and he seemed like a really good bloke, open about his faults but trying to turn his life and health around. In a way, I think he was surprised that he made it through his worst years alive. Maybe those extra years were all a bonus in that case, or maybe it's just as sad that having got through the worst, he didn't get to enjoy a long, happy retirement. RIP Del. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Chris B Posted July 1, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted July 1, 2021 I remember his match with Bret Hart at Ground Zero being ahead of the curve in terms of strong mat wrestling. 7 years later, it would have gone down an absolute storm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Tommy! Posted July 1, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted July 1, 2021 I've always had a soft spot for Del, he always seemed a nice guy and was the wrong man at the right time in the WWF with a gimmick that was never going to fly in 97, even with the Canada feud. Had he turned up 5 years earlier or 5 years later its a different story IMO. As WeeAl says IIRC he had to call it a day after a triceps tear in 97 and, after some personal issues with painkillers, ran a car dealership but always seemed grateful for his run, rather than being bitter about it like so many others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vegeta Posted July 2, 2021 Share Posted July 2, 2021 R.I.P Del Wilkes Always felt like mentioned above the gimmick would have worked better in a slightly different era, always seemed solid enough in the ring. Thoughts go out to his friends and family  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyattSheepMask Posted July 2, 2021 Share Posted July 2, 2021 (edited) As the last couple of posts have mentioned, he just seemed to come along at the wrong time for the WWF in 97, especially with Steve Austin on the rise Ive seen little of him outside of that WWF run and some All Japan and WCW matches, but everything I saw of him he seemed very solid in ring. His tales of painkiller addiction on Austin’s podcasts are quite harrowing*, but he seemed to turn it around. * depending how embellished those stories are, he is from ‘that generation’ of bullshitters after all Edited July 2, 2021 by WyattSheepMask Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted July 2, 2021 Moderators Share Posted July 2, 2021 When I was 6 or so he was one of my favourite wrestlers from watching Global along with Terry Garvin (not that one). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abe_Knuckleball_Schwartz Posted July 2, 2021 Share Posted July 2, 2021 I loved him in the WWF in 1997. That being said, from about March till the end of 1997 is my favourite period in wrestling so it may just be down to that. In a strange way I never considered him being out of place in the WWF at the time as was him as the perfect foil for the Hart Foundation America feud, but with hindsight he was out of place and a bit of a throwback to the WWF OF 1994/95. I have not listened to the Podcasts (I will do though) so apologies if discussed in these but, did Del sell the Patriot gimmick to Tom Brandi? There seems to be conflicting reports about if he (Brandi) can use the Patriot name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted July 2, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted July 2, 2021 Just now, Abe_Knuckleball_Schwartz said: Â I have not listened to the Podcasts (I will do though) so apologies if discussed in these but, did Del sell the Patriot gimmick to Tom Brandi? There seems to be conflicting reports about if he (Brandi) can use the Patriot name. Brandi said yes, Wilkes said no and that he'd like to punch him in the face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyattSheepMask Posted July 2, 2021 Share Posted July 2, 2021 For anyone interested, this is the episode of Austin’s podcast where Wilkes discussed his use of pain killers (skip to 6:00)  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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