Cappotelli’s wife, Lindsay, announced her husband’s death on Instagram.
WWE later made its own announcement.
A post shared by Lindsay Cappotelli (@lindsaycappotelli) on Jun 29, 2018 at 5:26pm PDT
NOTABLE SPORTS DEATHS: People the sports world has lost in 2018
Matt Cappotelli began wrestling in the early 2000s after playing football at Western Michigan University. He and John Hennigan (later known as John Morrison) were co-winners of the “Tough Enough III” competition in 2003.
The pair began training with Ohio Valley Wrestling. In 2005, Cappotelli defeated Johnny Jeter for the OVW heavyweight championship. Three months later, while on track to being paired with The Miz, Cappotelli relinquished the belt after receiving his first cancer diagnosis.
The cancer was declared in remission in 2007 following surgery and treatments. Cappotelli stayed on with OVW as a trainer. The disease returned last year.
The New York state native (he was born in Caledonia, outside Rochester) played linebacker for Western Michigan in 1999, though he did not letter.
