Independent wrestler Artist Artest has passed away.
XVW (Xtreme Valley Wrestling) announced that Artist (real name Graham Michael) passed away suddenly as he collapsed at their show on March 21st. The promotion issued a statement about his passing on their Facebook page.
“It is with great sadness that I have the duty to inform the fans of XVW That After Collapsing Tonight At XVW, And being rushed to the hospital… Artist Artest has passed away. We Wish To Send Our condolences to his family, friends and fans. Our Staff Worked Tirelessly To Keep Him alive until the medics arrived. We Will Pause Activities In Remembrance of The Life of Artest. Rest in peace champ.”
Sami Callihan, who trained Artest alongside Ace Austin, commented on the situation in a tweet.
Beyond devastated & emotionally spent.
— Sami Callihan (@TheSamiCallihan) March 22, 2025
Last night one of our students collapsed in the ring at an indy show, and passed away unexpectedly.
Graham was one of the most genuine, and kind hearted people around.
Tell your friends and family how much you love them.
RIP. pic.twitter.com/yJqryYKu7p
Austin commented on Michael’s passing as well.
Can’t believe one of my boys is gone.
— Ace Austin ??♠️ エース・オースティン (@The_Ace_Austin) March 22, 2025
Always respectful, always loving and always willing to give the task ahead his best try.
I’ve had the honor of training a great group of guys alongside Sami over the last few years; losing one so soon and so suddenly is a tragedy I can’t… https://t.co/4OJNAPtDVi
On behalf of WrestleZone, we send our condolences to Michael’s family, friends, and fans.
