Steve "Bart Sawyer" Stewart, Portland Wrestling Legend, Dies at 57

Steve Stewart, known in the wrestling world as Bart Sawyer, has died at 57. The news was confirmed by the family of Roddy Piper via their Twitter account. The circumstances surrounding his death have not been disclosed.

Stewart got his start in wrestling after training with Bob Geigel in Kansas City and had his debut match against Curtis Hughes. Before adopting the Bart Sawyer persona, he performed in various promotions including the USWA and WCCW. It was with Pacific Northwest Wrestling (PNW) that he took on his most recognizable gimmick, inspired by Bart Simpson and known as "The Bartman."

During his time in the PNW, Sawyer would transition back to the USWA multiple times. He also worked for several other promotions in the Pacific Northwest, such as Championship Wrestling USA where he won the Television Championship four times. Sawyer had a stint in WCW between 1995 and 1996, where he was a recurring talent on shows like WCW Worldwide and WCW Saturday Night.

Notably, Sawyer teamed up with Flex Kavana, who would later gain fame as The Rock, in the USWA in 1996. The duo won the USWA Tag Team Championships on two separate occasions.

In the late '90s and early 2000s, Sawyer also had successful runs in various NWA promotions and made appearances on NWA TNA PPVs in 2004. He retired in November of the same year after suffering a stroke that left him in a coma and led to partial paralysis on his left side. Though he recovered, he never returned to the ring.

On behalf of WNS, we extend our deepest sympathies to the loved ones, colleagues, and fans of Steve "Bart Sawyer" Stewart.