Paul Bykow, a longtime independent professional wrestler known to fans as "The Equalizer," died Saturday at age 58 in Barnegat, New Jersey, according to his obituary posted by Barnegat Funeral Home.
Independent wrestler Tony Chini wrote in an Instagram post that he had seen Bykow just one week before his death. "Pauly was a one of a kind individual. He had amazing stories and he loved to share them," Chini wrote. Chini said he was introduced to Bykow by Noah, and recalled a conversation last month in which he told Bykow how much it meant to have grown up watching him wrestle before later becoming his friend and sharing the ring with him.
Chini recounted that Bykow often spoke about a match against Katrina Calvert, saying Bykow was proud of being slapped hard during the match. "R.I.P. to The Equalizer. You will be so missed. I wish we got to watch those tapes together. Spend more time with people," Chini wrote. Chini also said that a few years earlier, he had helped Bykow digitize matches and promos from CDs and upload them to a YouTube channel, and he urged fans to watch a match or promo in Bykow's memory.
WWF Old School, described as the largest old-school professional wrestling community, said in a Facebook tribute that Bykow had been a fixture on the independent wrestling scene for decades. The group noted that Bykow was close friends with Tammy "Sunny" Sytch and the late Chris Candido, and it extended condolences to Bykow's family, friends and loved ones.
Daughter Shares Personal Tribute
Bykow's daughter, Victoria Bykow, posted her own tribute to her father on Instagram. "Everything I am is because of you," she wrote. "Thank you for everything, Dad. Thank you for being YOU. This one hurts, but you raised strong girls. I love you for the rest of my life," she wrote, according to her Instagram tribute.Victoria Bykow also responded to Chini's Instagram post, thanking him for his words. "Thank you for this beautiful note about my dad❤️ he was the best," she wrote. Other users left condolences on the same post, with one writing, "No freaking way... Unbelievable... RIP to the Equalizer. We'll miss him.”
On the Barnegat Funeral Home's online tribute wall, longtime friend Richard Garrett wrote that he and Bykow shared "too many stories to tell" and recalled having "a wild time" growing up together. "He will truly be missed and always a dear friend in my heart. My condolences," Garrett wrote.
Bykow's death comes weeks after professional wrestler Joe Doering died on June 26 at age 44 following a nearly decade-long battle with brain cancer.