The wrestling world is mourning the death of ECW Original The Equalizer, whose real name was Paul Bykow.
Independent wrestler Tony Chini announced Bykow’s passing in a post on X. No cause of death or additional details have been made public.
Paying tribute, Chini revealed that he had seen Bykow just a week before his passing and reflected on their friendship, having grown up watching him before eventually sharing the ring together.
“Heartbroken. I just saw Paul a week ago. It was an honor to grow up watching him, become his friend, and even share the ring with him. Rest in peace, The Equalizer.”
The Equalizer was part of the original Extreme Championship Wrestling roster during the promotion’s early years, where he became a familiar face to ECW fans. Following his time in the promotion, he remained active on the independent wrestling scene and continued to be involved in the wrestling community.
Chini’s tribute included several photographs of the pair together, both inside and outside the ring, highlighting the friendship they had built over the years.
At the time of writing, no further information regarding Bykow’s passing has been released.
