Wrestler battled substance abuse
Mike “Mad Dog” Bell, 37, a former professional wrestler whose struggles with substance abuse were featured in the documentary “Bigger, Stronger, Faster,” was found dead Sunday at a Costa Mesa live-in rehabilitation facility, his family said.
An autopsy was conducted but investigators couldn’t immediately determine the cause of death, said Dan Akin, a supervising deputy at the Orange County coroner’s division. They are awaiting the results of toxicology tests, he said.
Chris Bell, whose 2008 documentary examines the steroid use of his two brothers, said Mike Bell had long battled addictions to prescription painkillers and alcohol.
Bell wrestled on World Wrestling Entertainment’s “Monday Night Raw” as a “jobber,” a fighter who takes falls to promote others.
Born in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Bell played high school football before turning to pro wrestling.
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