Dennis Stamp, Best Known For "Beyond the Mat" Movie Has Passed Away

Dennis Stamp, best known for his role in the movie "Beyond the Mat," passed away today at the age of 68, following a battle with Cancer.

Stamp's career spanned the 1970s and 1980s for the American Wrestling Association and National Wrestling Alliance territories. He was named the 1971 AWA Rookie of the Year. Stamp was a two-time Television Champion, first defeating Man Mountain Mike and then Greg Valentine while in the NWA Los Angeles territory.

His initial fame came when he joined NWA's Western States promotion in 1976, which was run by Dory Funk and his sons Dory Jr. and Terry. He worked as a heel and would become a four-time Western States Tag Team Champion, and multiple-time Brass Knuckles champion.

In the 1980's Stamp was known for putting over stars like Superfly Jimmy Snuka, Colonel DeBeers, Jerry Lawler, and The Midnight Rockers in the AWA and did also briefly work for WWF.

Once he left the wrestling industry he started work for a pest control company, where he remained for over 30 years. In 2011, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which he successfully beat but announced in 2016 the cancer had returned.

Stamp is best known to the modern era for appearing in the 1999 documentary, Beyond the Mat when he was the referee for one of Terry Funk's many "retirement" matches. He kept in shape ever since he retired and gained cult popularity from that movie with the phrase "I'm not booked."

Throughout his career, Stamp is believed to have wrestled about 2,000 matches.

He is forever booked in heaven
RIP Dennis Stamp
He shared some great Terry Funk stories w/me the few times we met.
Beyond the Mat pic.twitter.com/edvvDWf0iK

— Tommy Dreamer (@THETOMMYDREAMER) March 13, 2017