• Former WrestleMania Axxess & AEW Dark Competitor Dies At 39
The wrestling community is mourning the loss of Jonathan Echevarria, best known to fans as Jaka, who passed away in Florida at the age of 39. The former EVOLVE Tag Team Champion suffered a heart attack a few days after competing at a Boca Raton Pro Wrestling event on August 31.
Before beginning his wrestling career, Echevarria trained in Taekwondo, later pursuing professional wrestling under the guidance of trainer Magic. He debuted in 2007, initially working under the name Jonny Mangue.
Over the years, he became a fixture of the Northeast independent circuit, appearing in promotions such as WXW (run by Afa Anoa’i), AIW in Cleveland, JAPW, IWA Deep South, Dragon Gate USA, CHIKARA, GCW, and Beyond Wrestling. In Beyond Wrestling, particularly, Jaka became one of the most familiar faces on their cards, regularly working against opponents who would later rise to national prominence.
Jaka’s highest-profile success came alongside Chris Dickinson. Together, they captured the EVOLVE Tag Team Championship multiple times, even appearing at WrestleMania Axxess in 2018. He later wrestled for AEW Dark in 2021.
Beyond Wrestling fans also knew him as part of Team Pazuzu, teaming with Mike Santana (now in TNA) and Angel Ortiz (AEW). Both men have since shared tributes, with Santana writing, “No words. GUTTED,” and Ortiz posting, “I love you tio.”
Echevarria’s sister, Annette, described him as a source of joy in any room. When a GoFundMe was launched to support his medical care, she wrote: “Jonathan is the kind of person who brings laughter and energy wherever he goes—a fun, lovable pain in the butt who means the world to us.”
Friends and peers echoed that sentiment, recalling Jaka as someone beloved in locker rooms across the country, admired for both his humor and generosity.
In more recent years, Jaka had reunited with Sean Maluta to form The Island Boys, capturing tag team titles in BRCW and Full Impact Pro in Florida. He also credited the late Harley Race as an important influence on his career, having attended seminars that Race personally conducted.
R.I.P
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• AJ Styles’ Son Is Pi$$ed Off With How Triple H Is Booking His Father
AJ Styles made his debut in WWE during the 2016 Men’s Royal Rumble match for the WWE Championship. He has won the WWE, Intercontinental, United States and Tag Team titles since then.
The Phenomenal One quickly rose to the top after joining the biggest promotion in the world as he was already a big name in the pro wrestling industry before his arrival in WWE.
According to Fightful Select, AJ Styles’ contract with WWE is set to expire around February 2026, which would be just after Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia and before WrestleMania 42.
The former WWE Champion has talked about retirement on multiple occasions in the past, but hasn’t mentioned it much lately.
He took to Instagram on Friday to share a photo of an hourglass, seemingly hinting that his pro wrestling career might be coming to an end. It is possible that Styles hangs up his boots next year, perhaps after a final match at WrestleMania.
Under this retirement tease post, a fan wrote the following:
“The way HHH is disrespecting AJ is legit pi$$ing me off”
AJ’s son, Ajay, replied:
“You ain’t the only one man”
AJ Styles hasn’t done much this year. At WrestleMania 41, he lost to Logan Paul. At SummerSlam 2025, he failed to defeat Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship.
On this Monday’s RAW, Styles will face El Grande Americano, who attacked him last week during his Intercontinental Title rematch against Dirty Dim, where he lost once again.
