Happy trails, Jimmy Snuka: “Superfly” has passed away.
There’s no sense in me writing yet another long-winded eulogy for a professional wrestler. Jimmy Snuka wasn’t taken from the world far too young; he was 73 years old and certainly lived out a fairly full life, albeit probably wrestled a little longer than he probably should have, but such is often the case of professional wrestlers from the 80s and 90s who literally have nothing else to do but continuing to don the tights and get in the ring.
My last visit to the topic of Jimmy Snuka was marred with skepticism and questions of his honesty and intentions, as it seemed a little too convenient for his health to so rapidly begin deterioration as involvement in a third-degree murder/manslaughter charge began to creep up on him, but then again non-physical variables are certainly capable of manifesting physical ailments due to the limitless power of the brain to the body.
Clearly, I was wrong, and there was no faking death, there was no finishing out life on the run, in like Fiji, America Samoa or any discreet Pacific Island. Jimmy Snuka lived out the remainder of his life in hospice care since mid-December, and supposedly reportedly died in the company of his daughter, also a current WWE wrestler. Despite being tight-lipped about his role in WWE history, due to his connection to a criminal trial, with Snuka now passed, I’d wager money the death will be acknowledged on RAW and someone on the current roster will undoubtedly do their best to reenact a Superfly Splash off the top rope in their match.
Farewell to the first professional wrestler I ever saw. Superfly’s match against Black Bart on an episode of All-American Wrestling, where I don’t remember the match itself other than that Snuka won, undoubtedly with a big splash, made sure that I didn’t discount the business as lame, and laid down the groundwork for a fandom for a ridiculous industry that has been ongoing for nearly 30 years.
The passing of Superfly is a genuine loss of a piece of my childhood, and I know it must feel like I say that a lot whenever a wrestler kicks it, but that’s just how much I enjoyed the business as kid growing up. I suppose this is what it’s like for everyone as they age, and watch the remnants of their childhoods begin passing piece by piece.
