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CARY SILKIN, STEVE CORINO, PCO AND MORE MORE PAY TRIBUTE TO KEVIN SULLIVAN

The following tributes for Kevin Sullivan continue to pour in:

Steve Corino:

"For the last few hours I was trying to think about what I wanted to say about Kevin Sullivan.

Kevin was a mentor to me in the last stage of my in-ring career and then became an even bigger mentor in life. He was like a second father to me and I imagine there are hundreds of pro-wrestlers that also saw him as their second father. He was always there with advice and a story to go with it. He taught me about insight and compassion. He helped ease my mind when I needed it. And not just with wrestling. As amazing as he told his stories, he was an even better listener. He taught me to not be afraid to make mistakes at work because a mistake was a chance to learn the right way.

He’d refer to Colby and Beck as his “grandsons” in that Boston accent that always made me laugh. I’ll miss that.

Thank you Kevin for the impact you made in my life, starting as a fan and then as a trusted friend and mentor. My life is better because I knew Kevin Sullivan."

Cary Silkin:

"RIP Kevin Sullivan, my friend thank you for taking the time to share your wisdom, your humor, and your love.

They just don’t make people like this anymore. You will never be gone. You are here and always will be.

You always gave me time talking about life, love politics, baseball, the world, and obviously pro wrestling …..

I have to smile. Kevin was not a negative person, but I would often hear him say when I would ask a question about current day life “Cary what’s wrong with these people.”

Les Thatcher:

"So very sad to hear of the passing of my dear friend Kevin Sullivan. A multi-talented man in our business as a wrestler, booker, manager & more. I have the pleasure of not only working with him, but enjoying socializing with he & his family. Watching him squat 425 lbs. 26 times back in the late 70's!!! You have fought the good fight my friend, go with God & know that you will be remembered with much Love a respect!"

Sheldon Goldberg:

"RIP Kevin Sullivan. One of the top wrestling minds of his era, Kevin made frequent appearances for the late Tony Rumble and gave numerous locals spots on national TV. I considered him a friend and always enjoyed seeing him the last couple of years at Cauliflower Alley Club reunions. Deepest sympathies to his family and friends."

Bob Mould:

"One of my life mentors, gone too soon.

We met in Philadelphia in 1991. I worked for Kevin at WCW in 1999-2000. We last spent time together in SF in 2017.

I respect you, booker man."

PCO:

"R I P Kevin Sullivan

R I P my good buddy Kevin Sullivan .

I worked for Kevin when he was a booker in WCW , and with him again in 2018 for MLW and he was a big believer in the PCO Character. He had a tremendous career and paved the way for so many of us .

God bless you Kevin ! You will be missed by friends and family and by the whole Wrestling community."

Bobby Fulton:

"Today is unfortunately a tragic day in the world of professional wrestling, with the loss of Kevin Sullivan! The first time I remember seeing Kevin Sullivan was in 1973. I always admired him, as he was of short stature but always stood toe to toe with his opponents! He worked in most of if not all the territories. He learned his craft of booking from Vince Sr and no doubt Eddie Graham. The first time I met Sullivan, he was booking Knoxville, I believe Flair and Mulligan owned it at the time, this was after he left Memphis and did his body transformation. Years later Tommy and I would have several matches with The Varsity Club over the US Tag Team Championship! Kevin was a great friend! My thoughts and prayers for his family, friends and fans!"

Sunny Beach:

"So very sad to hear of the passing of my dear friend Kevin Sullivan. A multi-talented man in our business as a wrestler, booker, manager & more. I have the pleasure of not only working with him, He gave me my first break in CWF booking me in 1985 for TV Tapings and undercard matches. And on a few overseas tours over the years.

I also enjoying socializing with him lunches and Dinners and at the bar after a match. You have fought the good fight my friend, go with God & know that you will be remembered with much Love and respect! my condolences and prayers to the Sullivan Family."

Savoldi Family:

"Devastated to hear about the passing of Kevin Sullivan. Not only as a former talent and booker for ICW, but also as a long time friend of the Savoldi Family.

Kevin had a brilliant mind for wrestling. He had the book when WCW took off in their historic run."

Marc Mero:

"Sad to see that Kevin Sullivan, best known for his work in WCW as both a booker and an in-ring performer, has passed away following a recent battle with serious health issues, Kevin was 74. I had the pleasure to wrestle him and work with him during the 5 years I was with WCW. RIP"

NWA: 

"The National Wrestling Alliance sends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Kevin Sullivan. A true legend in the world of professional wrestling, Kevin’s impact on the industry will be remembered and celebrated for generations to come."

Colin Bowman, former WCW Magazine Editor:

"It's a lot. Even a phone call with Jimmy didn't help much, because in my head, I'm thinking, wow ... he's 80 years old. Kevin and Jimmy ... my tormentor and my mentor. From Kevin's arrival in WCW in 1994, and then, subsequently, when I met Nancy, he was a driving force in removing my tendency to be shy. He wanted me to follow the stories, put myself in potentially uncomfortable situations, and try not to say no. I describe myself as a social assassin. That's on him.

They were both incredibly generous, and when the chance arose for me to move to the USA, they offered me their home in Daytona, if I needed a place until I settled. He said, it's on the ocean, but there is a problem. You'd have to walk round the pool to get there.

As it happens, I didn't need their place, but I was appreciative, and frequently this would lead me to drop my guard when he was around ... big mistake. When he came through that curtain, he was all business, and his business was crazy. I have had to avoid Kamala's spear at least twice, thrown at me at ringside by him. I learned to keep my head on a swivel, but even then I would get distracted and forget and would pay. At a house show in Philadelphia, he grabbed me by the balls with a pair of pliers until I collapsed under the ring frothing at the mouth ... everyone congratulated me on a great sell, what fucking sell. That wee bastard had just pinched enough skin for it to hurt like fuck. On a European Tour in 1995, he grabbed the scissors off the trainer after a match and stabbed me in the arm.

But he was also responsible for helping transition me into a backstage/locker room fixture if I had to be.

Over the years, I had to follow his feuds with Pillman and Benoit ... really up close and personal. One time he stabbed himself in the eye with a pencil resulting in a great black eye ... I had to photograph it, as 'Pillman had done it" ... I also found myself in Philadelphia, in the same hotel as Loose Cannon Brian before he showed up on ECW ... fortunately they didn't carry out their little scheme at my expense. Without Kevin, the Loose Cannon wouldn't have developed.

Another time, I asked to go to an ECW show in Lakeland so I could get photos of the boys coming in ... sure ... I'm there, he shows up, rips me a new one, and asks why I am at an ECW show when I work for WCW ... I tried to ask him the same thing, but he had me removed ... later I found out that Eric may have shown up, or was supposed to show up and he saved me from more heat with him, which I really didn't need.

I don't want to talk about the Chris and Nancy thing, how that angle all went down, as that still hurts way too much.

The last time I worked with Kevin was on the XWF, where he decided that my Oakley Juliets were too cool for me and he needed them. Bye Bye. I saw him at a couple of conventions and a WrestleReunion. We knew he was sick, but it was still a shock.

I am going to miss his fake Irish brogue shouting out "Let my people go, you British bastard."

Here are some unpublished photos from WCW Saturday Night of the 3 Faces of Fear. You may have hated them, doubted their skills, but they were fun on the mic.

A couple of pictures from backstage of the XWF. The one cover of WCW Magazine that I put him on ... which reminds me of the time he hunted me down to a Waffle House, to throw a magazine at me because he didn't like who I put on the cover. Ranting and raving like a crazy wee leprechaun in front of the packed restaurant.

Finally, his Taskmaster action figure which I teased him was actually a lifesize statue.

Rest in Peace ... I loved you, you crazy Mick.

Forgive poor grammar and spelling ... I just wanted to get this out"

James Beard:

"This is another sad morning for the wrestling fraternity. I woke up to hear my friend, Kevin Sullivan has passed. To touch on everything Kevin contributed to Professionally Wrestling would take a book.

From his days as a main event talent to his work behind the scenes as a creative mind he was elite in every way.

I am blessed to have worked with him closely and he not only was a dear friend but a colleague I fully respected for his knowledge and skills. I treasure our time together and especially the private moments in person and on the phone.

Kevin was a talented, unique and a special person. Godspeed my friend."

Dan Severn:

"I was saddened to learn of Kevin Sullivan’s passing.

Kevin played a significant figure in the world of professional wrestling, both as a performer and a behind-the-scenes influence. Known for his dark and often controversial “Taskmaster” persona, Sullivan was a central figure in many storylines, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s. He was a key player in the development of the Dungeon of Doom stable in WCW (World Championship Wrestling), which was a major antagonist group during the company’s heyday.

Beyond his in-ring work, Sullivan was highly regarded for his booking and creative work. He had a hand in shaping some of the more memorable storylines in wrestling, particularly during his time in WCW, where he worked as a booker. His approach often involved incorporating elements of mysticism and psychological drama, which set him apart from more traditional wrestling narratives.

My sincere condolences go out to his family."

Stacy & Jim Cornette:

"So very saddened to hear of the passing of our friend, Kevin Sullivan this morning. Thank you, legend. We will miss you, friend. #ripkevinsullivan #riplegend #taskmaster"

Jacqueline Moore:

"I woke up to the news of the passing of my friend Kevin Sullivan. He was a pleasure to work with in the wrestling business. Rest easy my friend."

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