It is a sad day for many in WWE, as the promotion says goodbye to a former member of the promotion. PWInsider reports that former WWE director Kerwin Silfies passed away on Tuesday evening. Though the cause of death is unknown, Silfies had reportedly been dealing with health issues recently. He was 75 years old.Born in Pennsylvania, Silfies began his directing career in his home state for Channel 39, later joining WWE in 1985. Unlike former producer Kevin Dunn, who was well known to wrestling fans during his lengthy WWE career, Silfies spent most of his WWE tenure unknown to fans. Nevertheless, he was a valuable director of many key events, including WrestleMania's III, IV, V, and VI, and Saturday Night's Main Event from 1987-1992.Long-time WWE executive Bruce Prichard has credited Silfies for his work in character vignettes, most notably the ones that introduced "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig to WWE audiences in the late 80s. Silfies also has the distinction of being the inspiration for the name "Kerwin White," the infamous gimmick Chavo Guerrero Jr. used in 2005.
During his WWE tenure, Silfies also found time to direct the Civil War short documentary film "The Last Full Measure," which was released in 2004 and narrated by actor Stacy Keach. He continued to work for WWE until 2020, when he was among many backstage employees that were furloughed by the company at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike others, Silfies was not brought back after.Shortly after news of Silfies' death broke, AEW commentator Taz took to X to pay tribute to his former co-worker."I can't explain what a super person & great director Kerwin was," Taz tweeted. "I worked with him for many years in WWE on the road and in studio. His passion for great TV in the wrestling biz was strong. This man once was working in the studio through an actually heart attack & kept working!! Very sad to hear this. I hope they put him in their WWE HOF. He belongs. Prayers & support to his family. RIP."Wrestling Inc. would like to offer its condolences to Silfies' family and friends during this difficult time.
