Nine-year-old Connor “The Stone Crusher” Michalek, who died on April 25 of brain cancer, stole the hearts of wrestling fans everywhere after a video of him meeting his hero, WWE wrestler Daniel Bryan, went viral.
On April 6, Connor was the guest of honor at Wrestlemania XXX. Connor was ringside to see his hero win the coveted World Heavyweight Championship, after Bryan knocked out and pinned WWE Executive Vice President Triple H.
Speaking on the video, Connor’s father Steve recalled, “Daniel got out of the ring on our side and the very first person Daniel went up to was Connor. He leaned over and said, ‘Connor, you mean a lot to me. You give me a lot of strength. You helped me earn this. Please keep on fighting.’”
As befitting such a fan favorite, WWE has now released a poignant tribute video to memorialize and honor Connor “The Stonecrusher” Michalek, including interviews with Bryan and Stephanie McMahon.
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