Verne Gagne was one of the most decorated athletes in Minnesota sports history. A star football player at the University of Minnesota during the 1940s, Gagne went on to parlay an illustrious amateur wrestling into a legendary pro career in which he was regarded as one of the ring’s greatest ever.

The essence of sportsmanship, the clean-cut, personable Gagne became an institution in his native Minnesota, and his feats made him seem larger than life.

Anyway, old Verne here (according to the story I heard, though it doesn’t seem to be reported this way anywhere I can find it) has Alzheimer’s, and has been living in a Bloomington, Minnesota health care facility. His roommate, Helmut Gutmann, also suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia, had an episode and began yelling at Gagne. Apparently, this triggered Gagne to flashback to being in the ring and he picked up the 97-year old Gutmann and bodyslammed him. Complications from the injury led to Gutmann’s death. Gagne had no recollection of the attack.