Jimmy Snuka was the first foreign born wrestler to hold the title of US Championship. PHOTO: WWE
Snuka, who is a WWE Hall of Famer, was arrested in New Jersey on Tuesday in connection with the murder of his girlfriend, Nancy Argentino, in 1983.
Under the WWE’s non-wrestling ‘Legends’ contract Snuka operates as an ambassador for the company.
Read: Former WWE wrestler arrested in 32-year-old murder case
Besides suspending his contract, the company is in the process of removing him from all media platforms and the WWE Hall of Fame.
“We are currently removing his images from our media platforms pending the outcome of this case,” read a statement released by WWE.
The WWE’s move is unsurprising as recently the company took similar steps distancing it from former heavyweight champion Hulk Hogan, after it was revealed that he had made some racially insensitive remarks.
Read: Deranged fan obsessed with female wrestler shot outside WWE facility in Florida
According to records, Snuka found Argentino gasping for air and oozing yellow fluid from her mouth and nose at a Whitehall Township motel room when he returned after a WWE taping at the Allentown Fairgrounds on May 10, 1983. Later, she was pronounced dead at Lehigh Valley Hospital.
Argentino’s autopsy showed that she had died of traumatic brain injuries and suffered more than two dozen cuts and bruises — a possible sign of “mate abuse”. However, Snuka was never charged.
The article originally appeared on Rolling Stone.
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