Van Hammer, Former WCW Star, Dies at 66
Mark "Van Hammer" Hildreth, best known to wrestling fans for his run in World Championship Wrestling in the 1990s, has passed away. He was 66.
The news was announced Saturday by former WCW and WWE star Marc Mero, a longtime friend and training partner who broke into the business alongside Hildreth. Mero said on X that the cause of death has not yet been determined and is pending an autopsy.
Mero and Hildreth shared a personal history dating back more than three decades. The two trained together under Boris Malenko in Tampa, Florida, and Hildreth was the opponent in Mero's 1991 WCW tryout match. Booker Dusty Rhodes liked what he saw and signed both men off that single match, reportedly handing Hildreth a $156,000 contract.
"It is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of our dear friend, Mark Hildreth, known to so many as Van Hammer," Mero wrote. "At this time, we are still awaiting answers regarding the cause, pending an autopsy."
"Mark was a fighter in every sense of the word. Life threw its share of challenges his way, but he had a resilience about him. He always found a way to rise, to push forward, to keep going."
Mero recalled Hildreth driving him eight hours to sign his first WCW contract after Rhodes called the office. "Mark didn't hesitate, he drove me eight hours so I could sign my very first contract with World Championship Wrestling," Mero wrote. "That's the kind of person he was, loyal, selfless, and always there when it mattered most."
The two also lived together in Atlanta while coming up through the business. Mero added that both men were tapped to represent WCW on its United Kingdom tour, doing press appearances and promotional spots alongside music legend Gladys Knight.
Debuting for WCW in 1991, Hildreth was introduced as the rocker-inspired Van Hammer character and was quickly positioned as an imposing young powerhouse on WCW programming. Standing 6-foot-6 and billed at 280 pounds, he made his debut at Clash of the Champions XVI with a 39-second squash of Terrance Taylor.
Hammer rattled off a 42-0 streak on house shows and television before Cactus Jack finally ended the run at Clash of the Champions XVII. He wrestled regularly on television through the early 1990s, working with names like Cactus Jack and appearing on major events including Clash of the Champions and Starrcade.
He later resurfaced during WCW's late-'90s era, returning in November 1997 as a member of Raven's Flock. He also had a brief stint under the Major Stash persona and a run with the Misfits in Action before departing the company in the early 2000s.
Away from the national spotlight, Hildreth continued to make select independent appearances and remained a nostalgic favorite for fans of early-'90s WCW, who remembered his unique presentation and rock-and-metal entrance aesthetic. He officially retired from the ring in 2009 after a final one-night comeback match in Maryland Championship Wrestling.
Before wrestling, Hildreth served in the United States Navy. After hanging up the boots, he relocated to Boynton Beach, Florida, where he built a second career in the home exterior remodeling industry.
While he never captured a major championship on the national stage, his look, presence, and timing during a formative era of WCW earned him a lasting place in the memories of longtime viewers.
