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With the announcement of a second season of Peacock's Saved by Bell reboot series hitting the streaming service later this month, it was announced that the new season will feature a tribute to Dustin Diamond, who passed away this past February after a battle with cancer.
Dustin Diamond, best known for his time as Screech on every previous Saved By The Bell series and TV movie before the reboot was launched, passed away just weeks after being diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer after having been hospitalized for a month in Florida.
Diamond, 44 at the time of his passing, was a lifelong professional wrestling fan and has made several pro wrestling-related appearances over the years, including a "boxing match" on an early NWA:TNA PPV in Nashville, TN:
Diamond also made appearances for Memphis Championship Wrestling on their weekly TV, where he was infatuated with The Kat, Stacy Carter in May and June 2000. After attempting to ask her out over several weeks, she lets him down gently but Diamond turns heel and chased her around the set leading to MCW Wrestlers Chip Diver, The Fabulous Rocker, and Dannie B. coming out to restrain him. Diamond, who was holding a box of candy, hit Diver with it, leading to all three wrestlers stomping him and Diamond doing a stretcher job off TV.
Diamond was also a cast member of CMT's reality series Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling in 2008, where he and other celebs were trained by the likes of Brian Knobbs, Tom Howard and Brutus Beefcake before taking part in weekly matches and judged by Jimmy Hart, Hogan and Eric Bischoff. Diamond survived all the way to the last episode of the competition, which was won by Dennis Rodman. He would also use a pro wrestling-inspired heel persona in other reality series, including VH-1's Celebrity Fit Club.
Diamond also made independent wrestling appearances for Chicago's AAW and NYC's FTW promotions, among others. He last appeared at a pro wrestling event as a performer in 2012.
As noted, until the Peacock reboot of SBTB, Diamond was the only cast member to appear in every incarnation of the franchise over four series and several TV movies. His character Screech did not appear, explained away as he and his faithful robot from the original series being on the International Space Station. There is no word how the character's death will be dealt with but the plan is for the remaining members of the original cast to reunite as The Max, a restaurant location in both the original version and reboot of the series, to discuss his passing.
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