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Former professional wrestler Chase Tatum, 34, was found dead from a reported drug overdose on Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008, at his home in the Buckhead section of Atlanta, Georgia.
Toxicology tests have been ordered, but may take as many as eight weeks to complete. Wrestling left Tatum with back problems, but after retiring he had no health insurance, and could not afford surgery -- a situation that led to the wrestler's addiction to prescription painkillers, his father said. Tatum had undergone back surgery 10 days before his death, according to his father, and was preparing to enter a drug rehab program.
In the wake of Tatum's death, fellow wrestlers cited a "drug culture" in the professional wrestling circuit, in which a lifestyle of physical risk and a tradition of all-night partying can grease the skids toward addiction. Tatum was part of the Atlanta-based World Champion Wrestling promotion, which merged with the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment) in 2001.
Tatum had just started an acting career, starring in the 2007 comedy, Who's Your Caddy?, with rapper Big Boi from OutKast, and had reportedly landed a role in an unnamed film project to be shot in New York. Tatum was also the road manager and personal assistant for OutKast, and worked as a personal trainer.
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Fast Facts:
- Funeral: Mount Paran Church of God, Atlanta, March 27, 2008 2 PM
- Started wrestling in 1999
- Wrestled for 2 1/2 years
- Won Mr. Georgia bodybuilding competition at 19
- Alma Mater: West Georgia University
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Quotes:
- Roy Tatum, father: "He was in the process of getting his life back together. He was confident he was going to turn things around, to live a normal life again without those painkillers."
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Chase Tatum on Twitter Powered by Twitter
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Agility training was fun this morning Chase and Tatum did great! Now i'm going shopping for puppy stuff! #fb
@cynthiablue | July 03, 2009 05:46 PM -
Phoenix, AZ - Licensed Personal Financial Representative - Greenway & Tatum (WaMu) - JPMorgan Chase: WaMu is now.. http://bit.ly/10s9XH
@JobinPhoenix | July 02, 2009 01:16 AM -
The more you chase money, the harder it is to catch it. ~Mike Tatum
@Currency15 | June 29, 2009 12:21 PM -
11 Taylor Lautner 10 Matthew McConaugey 9 Justin Timberlake 7 Channing Tatum! 6 Chase Crawford 1 hahahaha
@gossipgirlness | June 27, 2009 02:21 AM
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Chase Tatum on Amazon | View All
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Who's Your Caddy? - $14.95
When a rap mogul from Atlanta tries to join a conservative Carolina country club, he runs into fierce opposition from its buttoned-down president. Undeterred, he and his entourage pull out every outrageous stop to force their way in.
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Questions and Answers About Chase Tatum | View All | Ask a Question
View All Chase Tatum Questions (62) | Ask a QuestionWhy did the cops start chasing the Bentley? (1 Answer)Los Angeles police Officer Karen Smith says the chase began shortly before 8 p.m. Monday on Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood before the car pulled over on the same street ... read moreWhos the driver in the Bentley low-speed car chase in Hollywood? (6 Answers)They haven't seem to release the identity of the person in the car, even though the chase is over. All they've said is "the driver is wanted for assault with ... read moreWhatever happened to Chevy Chase? (1 Answer)He recently starred as the villain on the season finale of Chuck. Imdb.com says he has two movies in post production. read more
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Chase Tatum News and Information
- MySpace: Chase Tatum
- IMDb: Chase Tatum
- Topix.net: Chase Tatum
- Google News: Chase Tatum
- The Associated Press: Former Wrestler Found Dead (March 25, 2008)
- Chase Tatum had been recovering from back surgery to repair a degenerative disc. His father said the former wrestler had been fighting a dependence to painkillers for years but had been planning to enter a rehabilitation center.
- Atlanta Journal Constitution: Wrestling's drug culture cost WCW star his life (March 25, 2008)
- SLAM! Sports: Chase Tatum dead at 34 (March 25, 2008)
- WGCL (Atlanta, GA): Former WCW Wrestler, Actor Found Dead (March 25, 2008)
- Atlanta Journal Constitution: WCW Wrestler Found Dead in Buckhead Home (March 24, 2008)
- AOL Video: Goldberg Vs Chase Tatum (Time: 2:07)
