Del Wilkes, Best Known As WWE’s The Patriot, Passes Away At 59 From Heart Attack! RIP.
WWE reports.
Del Wilkes, known to WWE fans as The Patriot, passes away
WWE is saddened to learn that Del Wilkes, known to WWE fans as The Patriot, has passed away at the age of 59.
Before making a name for himself in the squared circle, Wilkes was a standout on the football field for the University of South Carolina, where he earned the distinction of being voted a consensus All-American. After making the switch to sports-entertainment, Wilkes competed all over the world before arriving in WWE in 1997 as The Patriot.
A Superstar quickly on the rise, The Patriot proudly donned the red, white and blue of America in the midst of a rivalry with The Hart Foundation, leading to a memorable match against Bret Hart for the WWE Championship at In Your House: Ground Zero just two months after his WWE debut.
WWE extends its condolences to Wilkes’ family and friends.
You can find out more about Del Wilkes career beyond WWE on his website.
After College Football he wrestled for American Wrestling Association (AWA), Global Wrestling Federation (GWF), All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and the then World Wrestling Federation (WWF) now World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), in a career that spanned at least a decade. He wrestled under his real name early in his career as well as the The Trooper and later, under a patriotic mask, tag teaming with Marcus Alexander Bagwell, before his Buff persona, as a tag team called Stars and Stripes.
On behalf of the IP team, I offer our condolences to the family, friends and fans of Del Wilkes.
