Legendary commentator and TNA legend Don West has tragically passed away today aged just 59.
Don West Passes Away Aged 59
On December 30th 2022, Mike Tenay would confirm that legendary commentator and long-term partner Don West had tragically passed away following his ongoing battle with brain lymphoma, a rare, hyper-aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma cancer.
Just heard from wife Terri that our brother @DonWestDeals will be spending New Years in heaven. Terri said D-Dub finally had to tap out from his match with lymphoma. We bonded as soon as we met, both as broadcast partners and friends. Years of great moments both on and off camera
— Mike Tenay (@RealMikeTenay) December 30, 2022
Back in June 2021, West publicly issued a letter announcing that he had been diagnosed with brain lymphoma and was to begin immediate treatment. Just three months later, Don West issued another statement regarding his condition sharing the good news that his cancer was in remission after undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
Unfortunately, in January 2022 West would share the heartbreaking news that his cancer had returned and was undergoing chemotherapy.
West who joined TNA in 2002, worked as colour commentator alongside Mike Tenay, before transitioning into other on-screen and backstage roles by the end of the decade. The announcer left the company in 2012, before briefly returning in 2017, calling the Slammiversary pay-per-view.
Don West and Mike Tenay are regarded by many as one of the most iconic two-men booths in wrestling history and a key part of TNA’s incredible success in the mid-to-late 2000s which saw the likes of AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, Abyss and more rise to household names as the faces of one of America’s biggest non-WWE wrestling programmes throughout the decade.
The love felt for D-Dub spread far across the wrestling community and the love felt for him can be seen in the incredible generosity in the wrestling community which managed to raise a phenomenal $64,000 for the Don West Tag Team Against Lymphoma earlier in the year.
Inside The Ropes would like to take this time to pass our deepest sympathies to the friends and family of Don West during this incredibly difficult time.