WCW Legend Kevin Sullivan Dies at Age 74

WWE announced Friday that former WCW wrestler and backstage booker Kevin Sullivan died at the age of 74.

WWE legend and head of creative Triple H was among those who paid their respects to Sullivan on social media Friday:

Former WCW head Eric Bischoff and former WCW stars Ric Flair and Diamond Dallas Page also paid tribute to Sullivan:

Originally from Cambridge, Massachusetts, Sullivan first rose to prominence in Florida in the territory days of the 1970s and 1980s, holding the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship once and both the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship and NWA South Heavyweight Championship four times each as part of Championship Wrestling from Florida.

Sullivan competed in Jim Crockett Promotions—later known as WCW—from 1987 to 1991, and he returned in 1994. He later became the leader of an infamous group known as the Dungeon of Doom and began calling himself The Taskmaster, which was perhaps the most widely known work of his career.

For the better part of a year, Sullivan and his group feuded with Hulk Hogan and made it their stated goal to end Hulkamania. Although the Dungeon of Doom usually came out on the losing end, Hogan eventually did turn his back on Hulkamania when he joined the nWo in 1996.

For much of his career, Sullivan played a cult-like character that featured Satanic undertones at times. That was on full display in Championship Wrestling from Florida when he referred to himself as the Prince of Darkness and led a stable called the Army of Darkness.

Despite his diminutive size at 5'9", he was able to become one of the most hated and feared heels in wrestling both in Florida and later in WCW because of his excellent character work.

In addition to all of the titles Sullivan held in Florida, he was a one-time world tag team champion and one-time United States tag team champion in NWA/WCW, and he also held the ECW Tag Team Championships twice during his stint with the popular company from 1993 to 1994.

For as much success as Sullivan enjoyed as a wrestler, it can be argued that he made an even bigger impact in a backstage role once his full-time in-ring career ended in 1997.

Sullivan began serving as WCW's booker while still actively wrestling in 1994, and he remained one of the top creative forces behind the scenes into 1999.

WCW even incorporated his backstage position into storylines at one point, as Brian Pillman said, "I respect you, booker man," to Sullivan at the conclusion of a strap match in 1996.

Bischoff entrusted Sullivan after ascending to the role of WCW executive producer and senior vice president, and the move paid off for an extended period of time, as WCW Nitro beat WWE Raw in the ratings battle for 83 consecutive weeks from 1996 to 1998.

After Kevin Nash, Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara had stints in the head booker role at various points from 1998 to 2000, Sullivan returned to the position for a brief time in 2000 before departing the company prior to its sale to WWE in 2001.

Aside from a brief run in what was then known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation as a midcarder early in his career from 1974 to 1977, Sullivan entirely made his impact on pro wrestling outside of WWE.

His creative ideas gave WWE a run for its money from the mid-to-late 1990s, and he is a big reason WCW remains the most significant competition WWE has ever faced.