A British wrestling fan who vanished during WWE’s WrestleMania weekend in Las Vegas was found dead in a motel off the famed strip.
Marc Izard, 43, died from “natural causes related to his underlying medical conditions” on April 18 while he was in Nevada for the annual wrestling show, his sister Kelly Hall wrote on Facebook.
“On Saturday, April 18th, our lives changed forever. Our beloved brother, Marc Izard, passed away in Las Vegas while doing what he loved most—attending WWE WrestleMania weekend,” his family wrote in a GoFundMe.
The die-hard wrestling fanatic had attended a book signing for Canadian wrestler Natalya “Nattie” Neidhart at the Horseshoe Las Vegas on April 16, before attending “SmackDown” at the T-Mobile Arena the next night, his last known public sighting.
His official cause and manner of death are still pending.
Coroner officials stated he died at 1731 South Las Vegas Blvd, a building listed as the Oasis Motel, five miles north of T-Mobile Arena, where the “SmackDown” was held, according to People.
“Although we are obviously devastated at our loss, we are at some comfort knowing he passed doing what he loved so much,” Kelly Izard wrote on Facebook.
“We want to say a massive thank you to everyone that knew Marc both personally, and his wider wrestling family for their huge help and support over the last week in helping us trying to find him,” she added.
Izard was expected to fly home at the end of the wrestling-packed weekend, but his family had lost contact with him.
A missing person poster was made by wrestling blog, Perched on the Top Rope, to help search for Izard after he failed to make his return flight home, according to a post on X.
The flyer noted that Izard used a walking stick, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
Neidhart reshared the poster, calling on the wrestling community to come together and share any information they had in hopes of finding Izard.
After news of Izard’s death, Neidhart paid tribute to her fan, who had spent some of his final hours at her book signing.
“Hearing about the passing of someone from our wrestling family, Marc Izard, is heartbreaking,” she wrote on X. “Wrestling brings people together in such a special way, and moments like this remind us how precious life truly is. My thoughts are with Marc’s family, friends, and everyone who loved him.
Izard’s family shared photos of the wrestling fan devotee posing with several stars over the years, including John Cena, Hulk Hogan and Undertaker.
“Marc wasn’t just a spectator; he was a staple of the wrestling community. From his childhood days to his travels across the globe, Marc’s life was defined by his passion for the ring,” his family wrote.
“The Heart of a Superfan Marc spent his life following the sport that inspired him. He was a familiar face to many in the indie scene and a dedicated WWE fan who cherished every moment spent ringside. Tragically, after attending Friday Night SmackDown, Marc’s journey came to an unexpected end,” they added.
The mourning relatives were asking for financial help in getting Izard’s remains flown back home from Vegas.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
