Steve Bradley Steven Richard Bisson ( December 10 , 1975 – December 4 , 2008 ) was an American professional wrestler who wrestled under the ring name Steve Bradley . He competed in various North American independent promotions as well as spending over three years in World Wrestling Entertainment developmental territories including Power Pro Wrestling , Heartland Wrestling Association , Memphis Championship Wrestling and Ohio Valley Wrestling . He was also the owner and head trainer of the Top Rope Wrestling Academy , a wrestling school in the New England area whose graduates include Alex Arion , Antonio Thomas , Brandon Locke , Brian Fury , Matt Spectro , Scott Reed and Nicole Raczynski . Biography . Early career and Power Pro Wrestling . At the age of 15 , Bradley made his professional debut in 1991 becoming a mainstay of various East Coast promotions during the 1990s . In 1998 , Bradley signed a 3 - year developmental contract with the World Wrestling Federation and began training under Tom Prichard at WWF Headquarters in Stamford , Connecticut with Kurt Angle . Assigned to Memphis - based Power Pro Wrestling , both he and Angle began feuding with each other over the PPW Heavyweight title eventually defeating Angle for the title in early 1999 and becoming the first man to pin Angle in his professional career . Their feud would be voted " Underrated Feud of the Year " by " Pro Wrestling Illustrated " that same year . In March 1999 , he won the third annual ECWA Super 8 Tournament defeating Ace Darling and Devon Storm , before beating Christopher Daniels in the finals . He later feuded with Vic Grimes , defeating him for the PPW Young Guns title on July 19 . He lost the PPW Heavyweight title to Grimes on September 18 before regaining it a week later on September 25 , 1999 . World Wrestling Federation . After the WWF ended their developmental agreement with Power Pro Wrestling , Bradley was brought into IWA Puerto Rico where he feuded with Savio Vega and won the IWA World Tag Team Championship twice with Andy Anderson as Club WWF . He was eventually assigned to Memphis Championship Wrestling , a new developmental territory , in early 2001 and began wrestling with Essa Ríos and Lita on WWF house shows and dark matches on television tapings throughout the United States . He appeared at WrestleMania X - Seven to take part in Wrestlemania Axxess . He also participated in a spot at Wrestlemania X - Seven as a golf cart driver thrown from his cart . Spending the next two years in Ohio Valley Wrestling and the Heartland Wrestling Association , Bradley would win the HWA Tag Team Championship three times with Val Venis and Lance Cade . and eventually became involved in booking for the promotion before being released from his developmental contract in July 2002 . Death . Bradley was found dead on December 4 , 2008 in a parking lot across the street from where he once operated a pro wrestling school in Manchester , New Hampshire . Bradley ' s cause of death has yet to be determined . In trying to determine whether drugs could have played a factor in his death , autopsy results were inconclusive . Bradley was indicted on possession of heroin charges only a month before his death . Police do not believe any foul play was involved however .