“I’m not booked!”
Sad news from the wrestling world and for anyone who loves the 1999 documentary Beyond the Mat today as legendary jobber, meme icon and avid trampoline jumper Dennis Stamp has reportedly passed away. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer, Stamp had long been battling cancer.
Stamp competed for the American Wrestling and National Wrestling Associations in the 1970s and 80s in over 800 matches, “none of them main-events.” Despite that modifier, his career included becoming a a four-time Western States Tag Team Champion, a multiple-time Brass Knuckles champion, one-half of the NWA Canadian Tag Team Champions with Tiger Jeet Singh and a two-time NWA “Beat the Champ” Television Champion for NWA Hollywood Wrestling.
His greatest success came after the release of Beyond the Mat, however, where his appearance as Terry Funk’s friend who won’t go to Funk’s retirement show unless he’s booked made him a cult favorite.
Stamp’s passing has already deeply affected the wrestling community, who valued him as a brother and favorite.
RIP Dennis Stamp, who basically was reinvented as an internet sensation/meme long before we knew what an internet sensation/meme really was.
— Fidel Sasstro (@Sempervive) March 13, 2017
RIP Dennis Stamp. I had the pleasure of tagging with him in his 1st match since 91. He borrowed my ring gear that night.Will never forget u! pic.twitter.com/Nwya2SzUbr
— GRADO (@gradowrestling) March 13, 2017
He is forever booked in heaven
RIP Dennis Stamp
He shared some great Terry Funk stories w/me the few times we met.
Beyond the Mat pic.twitter.com/edvvDWf0iK— Tommy Dreamer (@THETOMMYDREAMER) March 13, 2017
News of Dennis Stamp passing.
Sad.
This was a poem he read for me after we podcasted.
Enjoy pic.twitter.com/iDC4JuqCRC— Colt Cabana🦦 (@ColtCabana) March 13, 2017
https://twitter.com/OhHiMike/status/841399992900308993
Thanks for sharing Colt….RIP Dennis Stamp
P.S. nice job Friday night. Enjoyed it. @ColtCabana https://t.co/q1sg6nwfaz
— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) March 13, 2017
We send our condolences out to Dennis Stamp’s family and friends, and rest assured that his legacy will continue on well into the future, whether it’s as a journeyman pro wrestler or as one of (if not the) best part of the best wrestling documentary.
