Pro Wrestling Star and MMA Fighter Sean O’Haire Dead at 43

(O’Haire as a WCW rookie in 2000.)

The pro-wrestler, MMA fighter, and kickboxer known as Sean O’Haire (real name Sean Christopher Haire) died Monday at his home in Spartanburg, South Carolina, at the age of 43. A cause of death has not been announced yet.

A native of Hilton Head Island, O’Haire was a lifelong student of the martial arts, who competed in Toughman competitions and boxing matches during the 1990s. He also wrestled briefly on the independent circuit, and owned a gym on Hilton Head called Breakthrough Fitness Center before making his mark in professional wrestling.

O’Haire made his WCW debut in June 2000, winning a tag team match with Mark Jindrak, and went on to win three WCW World Tag Team Championships; he was also named the 2000 “Rookie of the Year” by the Wrestling Observer. O’Haire began performing in the WWE in 2001 — following the WWE’s purchase of WCW — and appeared regularly through 2003 as his “devil’s advocate” persona.

After officially parting ways with the WWE in 2004, O’Haire made a successful transition into MMA with a guillotine choke win against Tony Towers, and went on to compile a 4-2 record in MMA, with appearances in Rumble on the Rock, Hero’s, and PRIDE. O’Haire also went 0-4 as a kickboxer in K-1, suffering knockout losses to the likes of Gary Goodridge and Musashi. O’Haire’s knockout win against Frankie Parkman at a Champions Quest MMA event in December 2007 was the last time he fought professionally.

Since then, O’Haire has owned a barbershop in Hilton Head and was recently working as personal trainer at Exzel Fitness in Spartanburg. According to an obituary on Tributes.com, a Celebration of Life visitation will be held 1:00-3:00 p.m. Saturday, September 13th, 2014, at his home at 510 Hampton Drive, Spartanburg, SC 29306.