Shad Gaspard died a hero on May 17, 2020, after he and his ten-year-old son Aryeh were caught in a riptide while swimming at Venice Beach, California. Instead of accepting the help of lifeguards, he directed them to save his son first. Tragically, when they came back for him, he had disappeared underwater. The U.S. Coast Guard searched 70 square nautical miles over 17 hours but could not him, and he would end up washing ashore three days later.
His widow Siliana would go on to commence legal action against the state of California, Los Angeles County, and the city of Los Angeles. Her claim is there were not the appropriate amount of signs warning of danger, there were not enough trained lifeguards, and those who were there didn’t have the correct equipment.
Now, almost two years on from the terrible event, Gaspard, who had two runs on the main WWE roster, initially between 2006 and 2007, and again between 2008 and 2010, is set to be posthumously honored by the company. This was revealed during the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, with Dave Meltzer reporting he is set to receive the Warrior Award.
For those unaware, this is an award named after the Ultimate Warrior and is awarded at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony to those who lived a life of courage and comparison. Previously winners have been Connor Michalek, Joan Lunden, Eric LeGrand, Jarrius “JJ” Robertson, Titus O’Neil, as well as longtime WWE employees Sue Aitchison and Rich Hering.
