Ed Gantner

Early in the fall of 1990, Gantner's mental health began to falter, as he started calling his parents late at night. He would get dressed for work, make it to his car, and sit there for a half-hour with the keys in the ignition, before going back in his house. When his mother finally decided to bring him home in Orlando, she found him in a dark room, sitting down, rocking on his bed.

By November 1990, Gantner was placed in a psychiatric ward at a Florida hospital, where he stayed until after Christmas. During this time, he began casting about for solutions and new truths—meditation, vitamins, even faith healing with Rev. Benny Hinn.

Feeling defeated, on New Year's Eve, December 31, 1990, Ed Gantner committed suicide by shooting himself in the heart in the kitchen of his parents' home in Orlando, Florida. He was 31 years old.

By the fall of 1989, his heart and kidneys were failing, after refusing doctors' orders to lose weight and alter his exercise regimen. On Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 1989, Gantner received a kidney transplant, as his sister donated her kidney. His family thought the worst was over. However, five days after the transplant, he asked that weights be brought to his room, as he went back to using steroids.

In 1988, Gantner's health began to go downhill after years of steroid use. His kidneys were the first to start failing, causing him to undergo kidney dialysis, forced him to be hooked up several hours a week to a machine to survive.

In February 1987, Gantner was awarded the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship, after his manager Sir Oliver Humperdink defeated Bad News Allen for the title. After losing the title to Mike Rotunda a month later, Gantner turn on Humperdink, turning him face. Gantner feuded with Humperdink's group with Barry Windham, Blackjack Mulligan, Bugsy McGraw and even Dusty Rhodes as his partner at different times. However, by July 1987, even with him in most of the major angles for Championship Wrestling from Florida, he abruptly retired from pro wrestling due to health issues.

Ed "The Bull" Gantner made his pro wrestling debut in 1985 in Championship Wrestling from Florida. Gantner started out as a heel, as a part of the House of Humperdink, led by Sir Oliver Humperdink. Within the group, he formed a tag team with Kareem Muhammed called the Shock Troops. They made their debut on TV jumping The Fabulous Ones starting a program with them. They also unsuccessfully challenged The Road Warriors at Battle Of The Belts 3 on September 3, 1986. He would also have a feud with Lex Luger that would go on for a good part of 1986.

After returning home to Orlando, he took a hiatus, working as a bartender and a bouncer. In 1980, he returned to playing college football, this time for the University of Central Florida, as a starter. He was also had the honor of being the first man from the college to go professional. He played pro football in the United States Football League, where he played for the Tampa Bay Bandits for one year, and for the Jacksonville Bulls for two years.

Ed "The Bull" Gantner (February 4, 1959 – December 31, 1990) was an American professional wrestler and American football player.