Dennis Haskins, the man generations of fans knew as Principal Richard Belding on “Saved by the Bell,” has died at 75.
NewsChannel 9 in Chattanooga broke the news Monday night after Haskins’ friend and caretaker confirmed his death, bringing heartbreaking news out of the actor’s hometown. A cause of death has not been confirmed.
Long before Mr. Belding was trying to keep Zack Morris out of trouble at Bayside High, Haskins was a Chattanooga kid with his hands in just about everything. Born in Chattanooga on November 18, 1950, Haskins attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Notre Dame High School and eventually the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. His years at UTC weren’t exactly quiet either.
Haskins worked for the student newspaper, performed with the Drama Club and Harlequins, served as entertainment chairman for the Student Government Association and belonged to both Blue Key Honor Fraternity and the Raven’s Society. He was also a founding member of the Harlequins community theater group, where he acted, worked backstage as a stage manager and even wrote original plays.
And yes, Mr. Belding knew how to book a show before he ever ran Bayside. As entertainment chairman, Haskins helped bring Ike and Tina Turner to UTC in 1973. He also used his campus connections to help the local community, including working through Blue Key on the annual “Freaks vs. Fuzz” basketball game, which raised scholarship money for children of UTC and Chattanooga police officers.
Haskins even played a role in getting Mocs basketball games televised on NewsChannel 9, giving him a history with the station decades before it would ultimately break the news of his death.
His life changed for good in 1988 when he landed the role of Principal Richard Belding on Disney Channel’s “Good Morning, Miss Bliss.” The show was retooled into “Saved by the Bell” the following year, and suddenly Haskins was responsible for keeping Zack Morris, Screech, Kelly Kapowski, Jessie Spano, Lisa Turtle and A.C. Slater from completely destroying Bayside High.
The role turned Haskins into one of television’s most recognizable principals and eventually earned him the nickname “America’s Favorite Principal.” He remained tied to Mr. Belding for decades instead of running away from the character, embracing the fans who grew up watching him.
Haskins also continued acting away from Bayside, with appearances in projects including “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and “A Million Ways to Die in the West.” But wrestling fans knew another side of the guy almost immediately — Dennis Haskins was a serious pro wrestling fan.
And this wasn’t some celebrity jumping on WWE television because a publicist landed them good seats. Haskins was around WWE for years, attended events, became friends with wrestlers and eventually found himself being pushed by fans for an actual role on Monday Night RAW.
His wrestling connection exploded during Zack Ryder’s “Z! True Long Island Story” era. Haskins appeared on Ryder’s wildly popular YouTube series after connecting with him through The Miz, who Haskins already knew from Miz’s reality television days.
Haskins explained at the time that Ryder had grown up watching “Saved by the Bell,” which made their friendship click immediately. He also revealed fans were already trying to turn that connection into something much bigger with WWE.
“I’m just really happy for Zack. He is a big fan of mine because he grew up watching the show (Saved by the Bell), which I’m thrilled about. That’s what made our connection work. He is really creative and industrious. Now people are pushing WWE to do something with me.”
Those fans weren’t kidding. By late 2011, there was an online campaign calling for WWE to make Haskins the General Manager of RAW. WWE itself acknowledged the movement on its website, turning the idea of Mr. Belding running Monday Night RAW into something fans genuinely wanted to see.
Then Haskins actually showed up. He attended the January 16, 2012 episode of RAW in Anaheim, California, sitting ringside near the broadcast position. Suddenly, the idea of Belding showing up as an on-screen WWE authority figure didn’t feel completely ridiculous anymore.
Haskins kept popping up around WWE from there. He attended company events, maintained friendships with wrestlers and even appeared in WWE comedy content, including “The JBL & Cole Show,” where the company leaned directly into his Mr. Belding persona.
At one point, there were discussions about Haskins doing even more in the wrestling world. There was just one problem — WWE’s travel schedule sounded absolutely brutal to him. Haskins told ESPN in 2012 that his friendships with The Miz and Zack Ryder helped pull him deeper into wrestling, but he wasn’t interested in spending most of his week living out of a suitcase.
“I’m friends with Mike ‘The Miz’ and his friend Zack Ryder, who both work for the WWE. Fans wanted me to consider going into wrestling but I didn’t really want to be on the road five days a week. I’m an actor first.”
That didn’t stop Mr. Belding from getting physical when the right opportunity came along. Pro Wrestling Syndicate booked Haskins as special guest commissioner for its perfectly named “Saved By The Ring Bell” event in New Jersey in September 2012. Haskins didn’t just come out, wave to the crowd and disappear backstage either.
He got involved. Haskins wound up inside the ring and delivered a Stunner, giving wrestling fans the kind of Mr. Belding moment nobody watching “Saved by the Bell” in the 1990s could have predicted.
His relationship with WWE stars continued well after that appearance. Haskins remained friendly with people from the company, showed up around wrestling events and never hid the fact that he genuinely loved the business.
That’s what made his connection to wrestling different. Haskins wasn’t simply an actor cashing in on nostalgia for one night. He was a fan who became friends with wrestlers, appeared alongside WWE talent, attended shows on his own, entertained the possibility of working with WWE and even stepped inside the ring when somebody finally gave Mr. Belding the chance to throw down.
For most people, Dennis Haskins will always be the man standing in the hallway wondering what the hell Zack Morris had done this time. Wrestling fans got to see something else — a guy who looked just as excited sitting ringside at WWE as the people who grew up watching him on television.
Haskins spent decades embracing the role that made him famous, and he brought that same energy into the wrestling world whenever somebody opened the door for him. From “Z! True Long Island Story” and RAW appearances to getting physical on the independent scene, Mr. Belding clearly loved every second of being part of it.
What’s your favorite Dennis Haskins memory — Mr. Belding at Bayside High or one of his appearances around professional wrestling? Let us know in the comments and leave your thoughts on his life and career.
