Ox Baker Douglas A . Baker ( April 19 , 1934 – October 20 , 2014 ) , known by his ring name Ox Baker , was an American former professional wrestler and actor . He has appeared in several movies including playing the role of the Russian wrestler in " Blood Circus " and " Escape from New York " . Baker became well known for his finishing move the heart punch , which he used to call the " hurt punch " , after his famous catchphrase " I love to hurt people ! " Coincidentally Alberto Torres and Ray Gunkel both died after matches with Baker . Both times the heart punch was blamed , but this was just storyline . In fact Torres died of a ruptured appendix and Gunkel of a heart attack . Baker also wrote a cookbook in which he tells stories of his wrestling colleagues and how they ate while on the road . Early life . Baker , the oldest of five siblings , began as an amateur high school wrestler , boxer and football player in his adopted hometown of Waterloo , Iowa in 1962 before getting thrown out of school . He also played football for two years in the armed forces . Professional wrestling career . In the early 1960s Baker approached Kansas City , Missouri promoters about wrestling and was paid $ 300 for his first night . Following that night he went into training with Buddy " Killer " Austin , Pat O ' Connor , and Bob Geigel . A couple of years later he was ready , standing 6 ' 5 " and weighing 342 pounds ( hence the nickname " Ox " ) . He began his wrestling career by defeating Frank Hickey in Kansas City , and later the Missouri Mauler as well . As time went on he was winning a majority of his matches by knock out caused by the Heart Punch ; he later renamed the move the Hurt Punch after Stan Stasiak , from who Baker adopted the move , objected . Initially debuting as a kind , horn - rimmed glasses wearing , country simpleton , Baker later turned into a villain , known for his unique look with his shaved head and dark black bushy mustache and eyebrows and ability to cut a promo . In 1967 Baker had worked for the World Wide Wrestling Federation ( WWWF ) as The Friendly Arkansas Ox . In his first appearance there , Baker teamed with Armand Hussein ( whom Ox traveled with ) in a handicap match versus Gorilla Monsoon . Later on Baker went to fight in different promotions through North America , including Stampede Wrestling and the American Wrestling Association throughout the 1970s . He had a brief run in the WWWF in 1980 . In his career he would defeat " Cowboy " Bob Ellis for the World Wrestling Association belt in Dick The Bruiser ' s Indianapolis territory , he would also defeat Carlos Colon for the WWC World Title in Puerto Rico . Baker was a multi - time Tag Team Champion ; he has teamed with the likes of Ole Anderson and Skandor Akbar to capture Tag Team Championships in the NWA and NWF . Baker teamed with Big John Studd ( then known as Chuck O ' Connor ) to win the WWA Tag Team Title in 1976 . He also teamed with Superstar Billy Graham to hold the NWA Florida Tag Team Title . Baker would go on to Heart Punch his way through The Sheik to win the Detroit version of the US Heavyweight Title , he also won the World Class Championship and the World Class Texas Title several times . Another memorable Baker feud was with Randy " Macho Man " Savage , in the southern promotion that Savage ran with his father Angelo Poffo and his brother Lanny Poffo . Late in his career , Baker appeared with Central States Wrestling as a face and feuded with Rip Rogers . On June 13 , 1971 , Ox and his partner the Claw were wrestling in an AWA Midwest Tag Team Championship tag team match against Alberto Torres and his partner Cowboy Bob Ellis in Verdigre , Nebraska . Torres was injured during the match and died three days later . Though evidence indicated that Torres died of a ruptured appendix , Baker ' s Heart Punch was blamed and , though by his own account Baker was privately distraught over the death , he did " work " it as though he had killed Torres . On August 1 , 1972 , in Savannah , Georgia Baker lost to Ray Gunkel . Following the match , Gunkel died in the locker room ; his death was attributed to a blood clot , which broke off from a hematoma caused by Baker , which led to a heart attack . In 1988 Ox returned to professional wrestling for the AWA . Under contract , Ox teamed up with The Russian Brute of ICW fame . The following year he opened " Ox Baker ' s Wrestling School " becoming a well - renowned trainer . His students include Mark Calaway and Bryan Clark . He also did commentary for some IWCCW events in the early 1990s . Baker made an appearance in Ring of Honor in 2004 during their At Our Best show , confronting Dusty Rhodes before the show started and again during the main event . Baker also made an appearance in CZW on December 8 , 2007 , in Philadelphia , during their Cage of Death 9 show . Ox appeared as the guest of Cult Fiction , Halfbreed Billy Gram and Toby Klein , in an interview segment that opened the show . In December 2013 , Baker returned to the ring to be crowned the CCW Champion after being a surprise entrant in the 13 man battle royal in Ohio . Acting career and other media . Baker has worked in movies from time to time , most notably in the late 1970s and early 1980s , as a fighter in Jackie Chan ' s The Big Brawl and as Kurt Russell ' s gladiatorial opponent in John Carpenter ' s Escape From New York as well as the cult classic wrestling film which " borrowed " from his catch phrase . . . I Like to Hurt People . On February 12 , 1981 , Baker was a contestant on the game show The Price is Right . He won his way on stage ( winning Poker Game ) but lost in the Showcase Showdown . In 1985 , Ox Baker played the Russian in the wrestling movie " Blood Circus " . In 2005 an extensive documentary on Baker ' s life and career was filmed , directed by Halfbreed Billy Gram , with the working title of " I Love the People I Hurt - The Life and Legend of the Mighty Ox Baker " . Also filmed during this time was a short comedy feature titled " My Smorgasboard with Ox " , co - written and co - starring Baker and Gram . In 2006 the North Carolina - based indie band the Mountain Goats released a song on their Babylon Springs EP titled " Ox Baker Triumphant " in which Baker is betrayed by the wrestling community and rises up to strike vengeance upon them . In 2011 , Baker self - published a cookbook , which included recipes and stories from his time in wrestling . Death . Baker died on October 20 , 2014 , he was found dead in his home . He died from cardiovascular disease . Championships and accomplishments . National Wrestling Federation