Former WWE star Rick Bognar, who played 'fake' Razor Ramone, dies with Kane and Chris Jericho leading tributes

Former WWE star Ric Bognar, who played the 'fake' Razor Ramone character, has died suddenly aged 49.

The cause of death is yet to be determined, but his family have said it was sudden and unexpected. Shocking, given his age.

Bognar’s brother Ken wrote on Facebook: “It is with great sadness that I share some news with Rick’s Facebook friends.

“On September 20th Rick passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at the young age of 49. It is tough to comprehend and will likely never sink in fully.

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“Rick left behind a great legacy and I know he will be remembered and missed by all of us.”

Although he never became a big star in his own right, he was apart of a big talking point among fans in the mid-90s.

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When Kevin Nash and Scott Hall left WWE in 1996, as WCW offered them far more money and fewer dates, they later joined forces with Hulk Hogan to create one of the most impactful stables in professional wrestling history - the NWO.

That would help WCW leapfrog WWE in the ratings for 83 consecutive weeks at one point.

When they jumped ship, WWE created two characters to mimic them. Bognar was the fake Razor Ramone while Glen Jacobs played the fake Diesel, aka Kevin Nash.

You may recognise Jacobs' name - he went on to become sure-fire Hall of Famer, Kane.

Bognar had worked with ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling during his career and tributes from old partner Kane and Chris Jericho have led the way since his passing.