Ashley Massaro.Photo: Charles Sykes/REX/Shutterstock
Two years beforeAshley Massaro, a formerWWE starandSurvivorcontestant,died suddenly at 39 in New York, she told PEOPLE she was ready for her next adventure.
“I’m always looking for the next cool experiences, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for me next,” she said then. “But I promise you this: It’ll be awesome.”
That was the kind of gusto that had long marked Massaro’s life, in and out of the ring.
In 2007, during her four-year stint with the WWE, Massaro appeared onSurvivor: China, the 15th season of the long-running reality show.
There she battled physical illness in her first six days and was the second contestant voted out of the game.
But Peih Gee Law, a fellow contestant that season, tells PEOPLE Massaro “was such a fighter” onSurvivor.
“Even though she got sick early on in the game, she still competed with all her heart in the challenges,” Law says. “She brought a really fun energy to camp life. I’m so sorry for this loss to both theSurvivorand WWE community.”
Leslie Nease, anotherSurvivorcontestant that season, outlasted Massaro but later traveled with her for a month after the two bonded on the show.
Massaro’s passing has left her “devastated,” Nease tells PEOPLE.
“She is so much more than her image,” Nease says. “After we were both voted off we spent hours in deep conversation for several days. She had a very soft and kind side. I am so thankful I was able to see that and know her that way.”
Mediapunch/REX/Shutterstock
Ashley Massaro.WWE
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In its own statement, the WWE shared condolences to Massaro’s family and friends, saying they were “saddened to learn of [her] tragic death.”
Jaime Huffman, aSurvivortribemate and friend, remembered Massaro’s athleticism and buoyant spirit.
In a tribute to PEOPLE, Huffman shared that Massaro’s “smile will be one that I will never forget.
“I don’t think anyone could forget it. I will always laugh a little when I picture us on the jungle floor, shivering, cutting up and wondering what the heck we signed up for. I was so impressed with your athletic ability and most importantly your beautiful soul. To my beautiful friend who was taken too soon, I love you and miss you.”
Accordingto theLos Angeles Times, as a wrestler Massaro “is probably best remembered in wrestling as the valet for tag team champions Paul London and Brian Kendricd and for getting a shot at the WWE women’s title at the 2007 Wrestlemania.” She lost that bout to Melina.
In March,she tweeted aboutwrestling with the NYWC. “Super pumped n ready to see what I got left in these ole boots of mine!” she wrote then.
On Wednesday, a day before her death,Massaro tweetedthat she had just responded to “a ton of fanmail so you guys should be receiving them soon! Love ya punx.”
Massaro’s cause of death has not been disclosed but it is not being classified as a criminal case, according to police.
No funeral or memorial arrangements have been announced.
Speaking to PEOPLE in 2017, Massaro said, “I’ve been really fortunate to do a lot of different things. I’ve had a lot of adventures that most people don’t get an opportunity to do, and I’m really thankful for that.”
source: people.com
