The wrestling world is in mourning after the passing of Artist Artest, real name Graham Michael, following a match for Xtreme Valley Wrestling. Michael collapsed at the event and was rushed to hospital but sadly did not survive. In a statement shared to Facebook, XVW gave a sad statement.
“It is with great sadness that I have the duty to inform the fans of XVW That After Collapsing Tonight At XVW, And being rushed to the hospital… Artist Artest has passed away. We Wish To Send Our condolences to his family, friends and fans. Our Staff Worked Tirelessly To Keep Him alive until the medics arrived. We Will Pause Activities In Remembrance of The Life of Artest. Rest in peace champ.”
Graham was one of the rising prospects in XVW and had held the promotion’s Next-Gen Championship. He had been nurtured by established names in the wrestling industry including Ace Austin, Sami Callihan, and Jake Crist.
Graham’s passing comes mere days after Vince Steele died at the age of 39 following a medical emergency at an event. Steele had experienced his medical emergency during a match for BriiCombination Wrestling in New Jersey. Reports stated that it took 45 minutes for an ambulance to arrive, raising concerns about the response time and what could’ve been done had an ambulance been on-site for the show or at least closer to the venue.
Our condolences go out to the families, friends, and loved ones of both Graham Michael and Vince Steele at this difficult time.
