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Ring miscue proves fatal for wrestler Shelton native 'Spider' Quirk killed in Mass. performance A 22-year-old Shelton native and professional wrestler died in Taunton, Mass., when a move in a match went wrong, police said. Daniel Quirk, known as "Spider," received his fatal injuries at a wrestling match, organized by Ultimate Championship Wrestling, at American Legion Post 103 Saturday in Taunton, police there said. Officers said they found Quirk on the floor outside the ring, bleeding profusely. He was taken by ambulance to Taunton's Morton Hospital and Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 10:41 p.m., according to officers. Quirk was on the receiving end of a "moonsault," a back-flip off a ring's posts, according to one of his friends, Andy Todd of Shelton, and Internet wrestling news sites. Quirk was standing outside the ring at 9:25, ready to catch his opponent, whose name was unavailable from police on Monday. Quirk fell backward and the opponent's body came down on his head, sandwiching it between the opponent's rib cage and the floor, Todd and the Web sites said. "He always treated his fans with respect," said friend and fellow pro Dave Cole, of Shelton. "He was one of the best guys you could ask for." Quirk's family could not be reached Monday. Taunton police could not comment further on the death because the detective investigating the case was out Monday. Todd described his childhood friend, a Shelton High School graduate, as "tall and thin." "He loved wrestling, he loved his friends; he loved his family," Todd said. Quirk became a professional wrestler in 2002 after training at a school for wrestlers in the New Haven area. He wrestled independently, meaning he frequently faced opponents from different federations. Before turning pro, Quirk and his friends — including Todd — would wrestle in their back yards. Quirk's love for the sport began in 1990, Todd said. Like their teen matches, pro contests are largely unrehearsed. Most wrestlers review the finale, but "just call [moves] on the fly," Cole said. "You know who's going to win so you go over the ending," Cole said. "Other than that, it's pretty nonrehearsed." Cole's mother, Chris, said she never felt nervous watching her son wrestle Quirk, who was his first opponent. "He was an incredibly nice, friendly, happy kid," she said. Taunton is northeast of Providence, R.I., and south of Boston. Daniel Drew can be reached at 330-6470. |