Athletes - Chris Candito

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	Athletes - Chris Candito

Chris Candito (March 21, 1972 – April 28, 2005), also known as Chris Candido or Skip was an American professional wrestler best known for his participation in a World Wrestling Federation tag team known as The Bodydonnas with Zip, and his widow and valet Sunny.

He was most successful during his tenure with Extreme Championship Wrestling, although he had a short stint in World Championship Wrestling in 2000. He worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling before his death at the age of 33 as a result of a blood clot, just days after an in-ring accident in which he badly injured his ankle and lower leg.

Career

Chris Candido started wrestling at the age of 16 on the independent circuit. He had grown up loving professional wrestling due to his grandfather, "Popeye" Chuck Richards, being a wrestler. While in high school, he met Tammy Lynn Sytch, who he would marry several years later.

Candido debuted in the World Wrestling Association, a promotion operated by his trainer, Larry Sharpe. After winning several titles, he moved on to Smoky Mountain Wrestling, where he had his first real success, winning the Television, United States Junior Heavyweight and Tag Team titles. He was managed by his wife, then known as "Tamara Murphy Fytch." At the same time, Candido also worked for Eastern Championship Wrestling. At just 22, he won a tournament to become the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

The World Wrestling Federation signed Candido and his wife in 1995 and renamed them Skip and Sunny respectively, giving them the characters of a fitness obsessed couple, The Bodydonnas. Though Candido's success was overshadowed by the popularity of Sunny, he eventually gained a tag team partner Zip (Tom Prichard), and went on to win the WWF tag team titles at WrestleMania XII in a tournament final against their nemeses, The Godwinns. Candido left the WWF in 1996, possibly because of friction between him and the Clique. He later claimed that both Prichard and he disliked the gimmick.

As part of Extreme Championship Wrestling, Candido was a member of the Triple Threat which consisted of him, the leader, Shane Douglas, and Bam Bam Bigelow. Candido also enjoyed a seven month tag team title reign with Lance Storm, with the champions constantly bickering with one another. Tammy left the WWF soon after Candido, and followed him to ECW, resuming her position as his manager. In addition to being a performer, he was also the travel agent of the company, responsible for booking plane flights.

Candido, along with Tammy, was released from ECW in October, 1999 as a result of their drug abuse. Candido appeared briefly with Xtreme Pro Wrestling before signing with World Championship Wrestling in 2000, competing (and winning gold) in the cruiserweight division. He was part of the New Blood, the stable formed by Eric Bischoff to oppose the older, more powerful wrestlers dominating the promotion. Candido left WCW in late 2000, allegedly as a result of drug abuse by his wife, Tammy Lynn Sytch. A syringe containing Nubain was found in the women's restroom and Kimberly Page told management that it was Tammy's. Tammy volunteered to take a drug test and passed, but was released nonetheless. Tammy's well-known history of drug abuse did not help her case. Candido would leave WCW soon after.

Candido then wrestled for numerous independent promotions and toured Japan, winning several regional titles. At one point he and Tammy relocated to Puerto Rico for eight months to work for the World Wrestling Council. In January 2004 he gave up drugs after his addiction to Somas led to him suffering a heart attack.

Candido's career underwent something of a revival in early 2005, as he was hired by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, the second largest wrestling promotion in North America. He regularly competed in six man tag matches with his allies, The Naturals, and was a founding member of Planet Jarrett. Candido had meetings with WWE official Jim Ross in 2004, and had speculated that a successful tenure in TNA could lead to his being rehired by the WWE.

Death

On April 24, 2005 at the TNA Lockdown PPV, Candido fractured both his tibia and fibula and dislocated his ankle when Sonny Siaki landed awkwardly on his leg while performing a leg lariat. He underwent surgery on April 25 to have steel plates and screws inserted into his leg. He was expected to be out of action for approximately six to eight weeks, but that did not stop him from appearing at the taping for the April 29 episode of TNA iMPACT! on April 26. There, he helped The Naturals defeat America's Most Wanted to regain the NWA World Tag Team Championships.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Chris Candito ]

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