Mark Ty Hildreth, the 6-foot-6, 280-pound professional wrestler who became a fixture in World Championship Wrestling as the guitar-wielding “Heavy Metal” Van Hammer, has died at 66.
Born November 1, 1959, in Hebron, Maryland, Hildreth died during WrestleMania 42 weekend — which took place April 18–19 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Fellow wrestling veteran Marc Mero announced his death on Saturday, April 19, 2026, with the cause of death remaining unknown and an autopsy pending.
“It is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of our dear friend, Mark Hildreth, known to so many as Van Hammer,” Mero wrote. “Mark was a fighter in every sense of the word. Life threw its share of challenges his way, but he had a resilience about him. He always found a way to rise, to push forward, to keep going.”
Hammer’s signature character became impossible to miss during his 1991 to 1995 WCW run: The rock star gimmick featured him striding to the ring with a guitar slung around his neck, spinning it theatrically while metal music thundered through arena speakers. The visual spectacle made him an instant standout in an era defined by larger-than-life personalities.
After serving in the Navy following high school, Hammer trained under Boris Malenko and Dan Spivey in Tampa, Florida, before breaking into professional wrestling in 1991. WCW pushed him aggressively from the beginning, with his debut at Clash of the Champions XVI in September 1991 seeing him squash Terrance Taylor in 39 seconds.
The newcomer compiled an impressive 42-0 record on house shows and television before Cactus Jack finally ended the streak at Clash of the Champions XVII. His early victories included wins over wrestlers who would later become household names: Mick Foley, Kevin Nash — then competing as Vinnie Vegas — and “Stunning” Steve Austin, who was then the WCW Television Champion.
Mero’s tribute revealed a friendship that extended far beyond the wrestling ring. The two first met when Hammer was vacationing in Venice, Florida, working out at a local gym. When Mero received a call from the legendary Dusty Rhodes to come to his office the next day, Hammer didn’t hesitate to drive him eight hours to sign his first WCW contract.
“That’s the kind of person he was — loyal, selfless, and always there when it mattered most,” Mero wrote.
The two trained together under Malenko and eventually lived together in Atlanta, building their careers side by side. Both were chosen to help promote WCW’s United Kingdom tour, making personal appearances and doing promotional work alongside music legend Gladys Knight.
A July 1993 tryout with the World Wrestling Federation in New York saw Hammer wrestle dark matches against Virgil and Damien Demento over two nights, but no contract was offered. His true home remained WCW, where he later competed in title matches against top names such as Goldberg, Sid Vicious and Diamond Dallas Page for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship.
Returning to WCW in November 1997, Hammer joined Raven’s Flock stable and later became a member of the Misfits in Action under the name Major Stash. The evolution showed his versatility beyond the initial heavy metal character that first brought him fame. His final WCW match came in July 2000, and he continued to make occasional independent appearances until a final one-night comeback at Maryland Championship Wrestling in 2009.
In 2024, Mick Foley reflected on their friendship in a social media post about reconnecting with Hammer in West Palm Beach. He recalled how Hammer had babysat his children, Dewey and Noelle, and attended Dewey’s first birthday party in 1993. Foley praised their in-ring work together, particularly a Falls Count Anywhere match from Topeka, Kansas, that spilled into a real bullpen with real bulls.
“Anytime a guy comes in without a lot of experience and gets pushed right away, he is going to face a certain amount of cynicism from fans and fellow wrestlers alike,” Foley wrote. “But I really enjoyed wrestling Van Hammer.”
Foley noted in his 2024 post that Hammer no longer had his trademark long blonde hair but remained in remarkable physical condition for someone in his early 60s. The observation underscored Hammer’s dedication to fitness, a trait that served him throughout a wrestling career that spanned nearly two decades on and off.
Diamond Dallas Page also paid tribute on social media, recalling that Hammer had been part of a close-knit “band of brothers” during their WCW days. Page noted that Hammer had battled addiction in later years but had cleaned himself up and was working as a salesman for a windows-and-doors company in Boynton Beach, Florida.
Fans took to social media to mourn, with many calling him a memorable part of WCW’s golden era and expressing gratitude for the moments he created.
“My heart goes out to his family, his friends, and the fans who supported him throughout his journey,” Mero concluded. “Rest easy, my friend. You will always be remembered.”