Doug Stahl, best known to wrestling fans as Super Destroyer #2 during ECW’s early years, has passed away.
The news was shared on July 10 by Stahl’s longtime friend and fellow former wrestler Butch Hess, who revealed on Facebook that the two had known each other since first grade and remained close throughout their lives.
Hess remembered Stahl as someone who stood up for him when they were children, stayed by his side through school and scouting, and later shared the ring with him during Stahl’s final match.
“Tonight, my oldest friend in the world, Doug Stahl, passed away. We had been friends since first grade. He would always stand up for me when I was younger and getting bullied and picked on because of my facial scars. We were in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts together, played high school football together, and we both went into professional wrestling—him far more successfully than me. I had the honor of tagging with Doug in his final match. Rest in peace, my brother. The Brother Superiors are tagging in heaven.”
Stahl began his in-ring career in 1990 and became part of the Super Destroyers tag team during the early days of ECW. The team captured the ECW Tag Team Championships twice and helped establish the promotion’s tag team division before ECW became the violent underground powerhouse fans remember today.
Stahl also appeared for WCW and competed in a match for the WWF during his career. His final match took place in 2006, closing the book on a 16-year run in professional wrestling. Doug Stahl leaves behind a legacy built on championship success, toughness and the kind of lifelong friendship that stretched far beyond the wrestling business.
What are your memories of Doug Stahl and the Super Destroyers during ECW’s early years? Share your thoughts and condolences in the comments.
