13 Wrestlers Who Died In The Ring
6. Luther Lindsay
His name may not be familiar to modern day fans. but Luther Lindsay was a groundbreaking pioneer in American professional wrestling. A collegiate amateur wrestling champion and Canadian Football League football player he debuted as a wrestler in 1951. Lindsay was a black wrestler in an era of racial segregation in the United States. At this time, he was only allowed to wrestle other black wrestlers, as dictated by state segregation laws. By 1953, he was billed as the U.S. Negro Heavyweight Champion. However, a few years later, he was able to face a white heel wrestler, Ron Wright, in Kingsport, Tennessee. The National Guard was drafted into the building for extra security as the promoters feared that there would be a riot due to the unprecedented black vs white match up. However, the crowd cheered for Lindsay and booed Wright, the heel. It was a moment that opened the doors for other African-American wrestlers to come into Tennessee and the racial barriers were slowly but surely being broken down.
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