Daniel Quirk

Dan Quirk
Birth nameDaniel Michael Quirk
Born(1982-07-19)July 19, 1982
Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S.
DiedMay 28, 2005(2005-05-28) (aged 22)
Taunton, Massachusetts
WebsiteWrestlingSpider.com at the Wayback Machine (archived March 29, 2007)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)
  • Spider
  • Stuart
Billed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Billed weight151 lb (68 kg)
Trained by
  • John Brooks
  • Bert Centano
DebutJuly 21, 2002
vs. Beau Douglas

Daniel Michael Quirk (July 19, 1982 – May 28, 2005)[1] was an American professional wrestler, known by his ring name Spider, who competed in several Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic independent promotions including Assault Championship Wrestling, Chikara, the Millennium Wrestling Federation, the National Wrestling Alliance, World Wrestling Alliance and World Xtreme Wrestling.

One of the youngest-ever NWA New England Junior Heavyweight Champions, he faced some of the top light heavyweights in the Northeast including longtime friend and trainer John Brooks, Jason Rumble, Eddie Edwards, Mikey Whipwreck, and Gran Akuma. In 2004, he and Akuma met in the opening round of Chikara's Young Lions Cup tournament.

Quirk's ring death in 2005 was the first major death to occur on the independent circuit as the result of an in-ring accident and concern was voiced by many in the professional wrestling industry including Al Snow,[2][3] Percy Pringle,[4] and Dan Mirade[5][6] over negligence and regulation of independent wrestling in the United States.[7]

  1. ^ Will, Gary. "Deceased Pro Wrestlers -- A Tribute to Mat Stars of the Past". Gary Will's Pro Wrestling History. GaryWill.com. Archived from the original on May 23, 2015.
  2. ^ Byrd, Betsy (June 6, 2006). "Al Snow, JJ Dillon Speak Out On ECW PPV, McMahons, More". 411mania.com.
  3. ^ Martin, Adam; Doc Young (June 7, 2005). "Al Snow Interview: Talks about One Night Stand, OVW training, & more". WrestleView.com.
  4. ^ Pringle, Percy (June 6, 2005). "Percy Pringle Comments on Spider & Indy Wrestling". BostonWrestling.com.
  5. ^ Mirade, Dan (May 29, 2005). "Dan Mirade On Another Tragic Passing". BostonWrestling.com.
  6. ^ Frissore, Michael (November 27, 2007). "The Dead Wrestlers Society, Part III: Look For the Union Label". Flak Magazine. Archived from the original on February 16, 2008.
  7. ^ Higbee, Matthew (June 19, 2005). "Bob "Bulldog" Blanski has seen plenty of unsavory promoters tarnish the sport he loves". Connecticut Post.