WWE and AEW stars paid tribute to Jonathan Echevarria, popularly known as Jaka in the independent circuit, after his tragic passing at the age of 39, which left his peers in shock.
While he predominantly worked and made a name for himself in the indies, he had also performed for WWE during its WrestleMania Axxess in 2018 and showcased his skills on AEW Dark: Elevation. His wrestling career commenced in 2007 in his early 20s, and he had also worked for Beyond Wrestling, EVOLVE, GCW, and NWA, among other promotions.
Beyond Wrestling broke the news on their social media page earlier today, while the late wrestler’s family shared a GoFundMe page for the bills and welfare after his untimely heart attack last month.
WWE And AEW Stars Pay Tribute To Jaka, AKA Jonathan Echevarria
Several posts from many talents in the wrestling industry flooded social media following the news of the 39-year-old’s passing. The stars who paid tribute included Priscilla Kelly, Joe Gacy, Rohit Raju, Gabe Sapolsky, Matthew Rehwoldt (fka Aiden English), Thunder Rosa, and John Silver, to name a few. Gacy simply wrote the late star’s name with a heart, while Rosa reacted to Beyond Wrestling’s post with “RIP.”
WWE’s Aleister Black shared a photograph on Instagram with the caption:
“Always a quick hello, a how you doing? RIP Jaka.”
AEW star Ortiz also shared a post on Instagram, captioning it with a simple hashtag:
View this post on Instagram
Listed below are some tributes from other wrestlers in the industry:
Matthew Rehwoldt: “Another one of our brothers gone FAR too soon. RIP Jaka. Continue to donate here as his family could use all the support possible: gofundme.com/f/support-for-
John Silver: “RIP Jaka. Always a pleasure sharing a locker room and joking around with you. This night in the picture was one of the funniest nights of my life. You will be missed.”
Rohit Raju: “D**n! We crossed paths many moons ago. My condolences to his loved ones.”
Gabe Sapolsky: “A true tragedy. No one will say a bad word about the man. My deepest condolences to his family and friends. Thank you for everything, Jaka.”
Big Swole: “RIP JAKA. D**n. May your soul rest in peace and everlasting joy.”
Rest in Power, Jaka. We at ITR Wrestling send our deepest condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time.