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Legendary wrestler reveals what killed his tag team partner

Bushwhacker Luke talks about partner’s death on “Going Ringside” Podcast

Bushwhacker Luke, whose real name Brian Wickens. (Copyright 2023 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – One member of the legendary Bushwhackers tag team recently opened up about the death of his partner Butch Miller on the “Going Ringside” Podcast.

The episode on the Bushwhackers will be released in the coming weeks.

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When talking to host Scott Johnson, Bushwhacker Luke, whose real name Brian Wickens, said, “He stopped taking a pill. A water pill because he didn’t want to get up and down from signing. He stopped it for four days. The water went around his lungs and went to his heart.”

Miller died at the age of 78 in April.

Bushwhacker Luke said he was on the West Coast for Wrestlemania weekend in Los Angeles and was trying to be more available to fans during the event.

The Mayo Clinic says “water pills” are, “Diuretics, sometimes called water pills, help rid your body of salt (sodium) and water. Most of these medicines help your kidneys release more sodium into your urine. The sodium helps remove water from your blood, decreasing the amount of fluid flowing through your veins and arteries. This reduces blood pressure.”

Bushwhacker Luke pleaded with anyone who was listening to take your medications.

“If you’re on medication, especially for the heart, keep taking that medication because look at what happened to my partner. Very sad,” he said.

The Bushwhackers were considered a corny team during the “Golden Age” of the WWF in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The team which started as a hardcore team originally in New Zealand became a kid-friendly team throughout much of their WWF run. So much so that they had guest spots on shows like ABC’s Family Matters and were even brand ambassadors for the WWF at the White House Easter Egg Roll.


About the Author
Scott Johnson headshot

Scott is a multi-Emmy Award Winning Anchor and Reporter, who also hosts the “Going Ringside With The Local Station” Podcast. Scott has been a journalist for 25 years, covering stories including six presidential elections, multiple space shuttle launches and dozens of high-profile murder trials.

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