With a heavy heart, I want to send my sincere condolences to the family of my brother, Mark Hildreth—aka WCW’s “Van Hammer.”
I first met Hammer when I was managing the Fabulous Freebirds. He was a beast of a man—6’4”, 285— he was shredded, I remember Dusty taking one look at him and hiring him on the spot. Hammer was green as grass at the time.
Back then, Hammer,
@MarcMero (Johnny B. Badd),
@RealKevinNash, Scott Hall, Mick Foley, Scotty Levy (
@theraveneffect), Erik Watts, and myself— bonded quickly. We were a band of brothers. A lot of time spent together in those early years—inside the ring, on the road, and yeah, plenty of nights in the clubs. I’ve included an old photo in this cluster of me and Stunning
@steveaustinBSR at Hammer’s dad’s house. I gave his dad the nickname “Sledgehammer.”
As the years went on, like it does, we all went our separate ways. H, like many of the boys, battled addiction. Truth is, I don’t know how he made it through some of those years. But a little over a decade ago, he cleaned himself up and reached out to me. He was working as the Sales Manager for Paradise Exteriors Premium Impact Windows and Doors in Boynton Beach Florida. H was a great salesman. No bullshit he could sell ice to the Eskimos. He still had his struggles here and there, but for the most part, he got a handle on his demons.
Over those 10 years, we found our way back and grew close again—especially these past couple of years. We were texting and or talking on a weekly basis. I still don’t know the cause of death. All I know he was doing so well. I really thought, he had made it to the other side.
I’m grateful we found our way back into each other lives. I’ll carry those memories with me always my brother. Rest easy, I’ll see you in Valhalla
RIP DDP