Cancer has claimed the life of Byron John Robertson — “Dewey” — to everyone who knew him. He was 68.
He died at Hamilton’s Henderson Hospital at 3:30 a.m. Thursday morning. His last evening was packed with friends and family, who had come to say goodbye to Robertson, who had been hospitalized for more than a week.
Visitors regularly read Robertson many of the heartfelt email messages from fellow wrestlers and fans sent in via SLAM! Wrestling.
Starting out in the 1960s as the protégé of Whipper Billy Watson, Robertson carved out a solid career under his given name, and briefly, under a mask as The Crusader, often teaming with Billy Red Lyons.
In the 1980s, Robertson underwent a career resurgence of sorts as the mysterious Missing Link, fooling friends who had known him for years over the startling transformation from a clean-cut babyface wrestler to a Neanderthal-like monster with a tuft of hair and a face painted green.
Over the last number of years, Robertson has been brutally honest about his addictions and his use of steroids. His autobiography, Bang Your Head!, written with author Meredith Renwick, is a harrowing tale of life on the road and battles with the dark side of addictions.
Robertson is survived by his sons Jason and Mark, and their families, his mother Ethel, brother, Ken, and companion Karen Antoniak.
A small family-only funeral is planned, with a celebration of Dewey Robertson’s life for friends and fans to follow in a few weeks.
