Professional wrestler Sid Vicious, a star at the height of the WrestleMania era in the 1980s whose career ended with a horrific (and televised) leg injury, has died after battling cancer for years. He was 63.

His death was announced via social media by his son Gunnar Eudy.

“He was a man of strength, kindness and love, and his presence will be greatly missed,” wrote Gunnar Eudy of Vicious, who also went by the ring names Lord Humungous, Vicious Warrior, Sid Justice and Sycho Sid, but was born Sidney Raymond Eudy on December 6, 1960.

Eudy took his most enduring ring name from the ill-fated punk rocker and Sex Pistols bassist who died in 1979. He began wrestling in 1987 and rose to national prominence two years later when he joined World Championship Wrestling. He moved to WWE as Sid Justice in 1991 and a year later Eudy became embroiled in a notorious feud with Hogan.

In the early to mid 90’s Eudy was one of the headliners for the popular WrestleMania events. Eudy won several world championships for both the WWE and WCW and also competed in the 1997 WrestleMania Monday Night Raw.

Eudy’s wrestling career came to a dramatic end in what remains one of the most horrific moments in televised wrestling history: During a pay-per-view match in January 2001, Eudy jumped off a turnbuckle and landed badly. His left leg broke, dangling at a horrific angle, with bones protruding through his skin.

Decades later, Eudy would recall the life-changing injury in a TV interview, saying that he was still recovering from a shoulder injury when he was convinced by a WCW executive to return and perform the rope jump. Although Eudy agreed to the return, the stunt, he said, was “something I didn’t want to do and I wasn’t comfortable with.”

There are plans for a memorial service.

Eudy is survived by his wife Sabrina Paige and her sons Gunnar and Frank.