Bobby Duncum Jr. | Fentanyl Overdose Death

American professional wrestler Bobby Duncum Jr. was a member of the West Texas Rednecks and was the son of wrestler Bobby Duncum Sr. 

Unfortunately, his life was unexpectedly cut short at the age of 34 when he died of a fentanyl-related drug overdose.

How Did Bobby Duncum Jr. Die?

Bobby Duncum Jr. died on January 24, 2000, in Austin, Texas. He was recovering from shoulder surgery. His cause of death was an accidental drug overdose of the prescription opioid painkiller fentanyl. 

The drug may have been supplied by a relative of his, and he had three patches of the drug on him at the time of his death. He was found by his roommate. 

His body was donated to the University of Texas at Austin for medical science.

About Bobby Duncum Jr. 

Bobby Edward Duncum Jr. was born on August 26, 1965 in Amarillo, Texas, to his father Bobby Duncum Sr. who was also a major professional wrestling star in the 70s and 80s. 

Duncum Jr. began his wrestling career after playing college football for the University of Texas at Austin. He was trained by former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Dory Funk Jr.

He began as a wrestler for the Texas Global Wrestling Federation in September 1992. Two months later, he and Johnny Hawk won the Tag Team Championship as The Texas Mustangs. When they lost the title in January 1993, the two broke up.

AJPW & ECW

After two years, Duncum returned to wrestling and debuted in the All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) league where he teamed up with Gary Albright and Joel Deaton and defeated fellow wrestlers Eagle, Lacrosse, and The Patriot.

Duncum Jr. also wrestled for Paul Heyman’s Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) promotion in 1997. 

He ended his time at the Extreme Championship and at the AJPW in 1998. His final AJPW match teamed him up with Stan Hansen but they lost to Gary Albright and Yoshihiro Takayama.

WCW & The West Texas Rednecks

Duncum Jr. made his World Championship Wrestling (WCW) debut during WCW Monday Nitro and was defeated by Chris Jericho. His next match was also against Jericho and they started a feud for their next few matches together. 

Bobby Duncum Jr. is best known as a member of the West Texas Rednecks in the WCW with Curt Hennig. The group started in 1999 and consisted of Hennig, Barry Windham, and Kendall Windham. 

The group was originally meant to be villains but Southern wrestling fans liked the group and cheered them over their rivals, the No Limit Soldiers.

The Rednecks were also rivals to Master P and The Filthy Animals which featured Eddie Guerrero, Kidman, and Rey Mysterio Jr. Later in their career. The Rednecks moved on to become rivals with The Revolution.

Duncum Jr made his final TV appearance on WCW Thunder when he and Barry and Kendall Windham lost to The Filthy Animals in late 1999. 

He was still under contract with the WCW while recovering from shoulder surgery before he died. He was survived by his wife Michelle Duncum.

Bobby Duncum Jr.’s History Of Substance Abuse & Rehab

It’s unknown whether Bobby Duncum Jr. had a history of substance abuse beyond the event that led to his death. He likely only used fentanyl due to pain from his shoulder surgery, and it may have been his first use.

Due to the nature of his overdose death, it’s also unknown if Bobby Duncum Jr. ever attended treatment for drug use.

Recovery Is Possible

If you or a loved one live with opioid addiction, recovery is possible. And, you don’t have to suffer an overdose in order to seek help. Now is the perfect time to start your road to recovery and Ark Behavioral Health is here for you.

We offer a wide variety of addiction treatment options including detox, inpatient and outpatient treatment, medication-assisted treatment, and aftercare support.

To learn more, please call our helpline today.