Former Canadian professional wrestler “Iron” Mike Sharpe dies at 64

Former professional wrestler “Iron” Mike Sharpe has died at age 64, the WWE announced on Monday morning.

The Hamilton native was managed by WWE Hall of Famer Captain Lou Albano and used the mysterious — and often loaded — black brace on his right forearm to defeat opponents.

Sharpe’s winning ways were enough to earn him a WWE championship match against Bob Backlund in Philadelphia in April 1983, four months after his WWE debut.

Although he called himself “Canada’s Greatest Athlete” he transitioned into being a so-called “enhancement talent,” after that title shot, losing to bigger stars in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Sharpe then regularly competed on and off for both WWE and New Japan Pro Wrestling. Sharpe’s final WWE match was in 1995.

Following his retirement, Sharpe opened a wrestling school in Brick, N.J., where he trained many aspiring competitors. His students included former WWE superstars Charlie Haas and Simon Dean (also known as ECW’s Nova), as well as WCW superstar Crowbar.