Ten-bell salute
In professional wrestling, a ten-bell salute is given to honor a wrestler who has died, especially when the wrestler is a current member of the promotion or a distinguished former member of the promotion. It is the professional wrestling equivalent of a three-volley salute. It is typically given at the beginning of a card, with the current members of the promotion either in the entryway, in the ring, or around the ring. Both the wrestlers and audience observe a moment of silence while the bell is rung. In Japanese wrestling, ten-bell salutes (“ten-count gongs”) are held not only for deceased wrestlers but also for retiring wrestlers to mark the end of their careers. Retirement ten-count gongs are often preceded with a retirement ceremony for the retiree where they are presented with gifts, flowers and career memorabilia from the active roster, high-ranking officials of the promotion and special guests. Honorees World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment/WWE WWE (formerly known as the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment) has included several ten-bell salutes in its television broadcasts and live events. Some of the honorees include: David Von Erich (1984, acute enteritis) André the Giant (1993, heart failure) Brian Pillman (1997, heart failure) Rick Rude (1999, heart failure) Owen Hart (1999, accidental fall during entrance stunt) Gorilla Monsoon (1999, heart failure) "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith (2002, heart attack) Lord Alfred Hayes (2005, complications from a stroke) Eddie Guerrero (2005, heart failure) The Fabulous Moolah (2007, heart attack) Paul Bearer (2013, heart attack) The Ultimate Warrior (2014, heart attack) Verne Gagne (2015, complications from Alzheimer's disease) Dusty Rhodes (2015, kidney failure) Roddy Piper (2015, heart attack) Bobby Heenan (2017, complications from throat cancer) Bruno Sammartino (2018, multiple organ failure) Jim Neidhart (2018, head injury from fall) Gene Okerlund (2019, complications from fall) Rocky Johnson (2020, blood clot) Pat Patterson (2020, liver failure) Terry Funk and Bray Wyatt (2023, unspecified and heart attack respectively) In addition to honoring former wrestlers, several ten-bell salutes have been performed for non-wrestlers or to memorialize tragedies: WWF Events following the September 11, 2001 attacks, to honor those who were killed in the attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. In 2018 on the 17 year anniversary of the event another ten-bell salute was performed. On December 16, 2012, a 26-bell salute was given at the beginning of WWE's TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view in tribute to the 26 victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that had taken place two days earlier in WWE's home state of Connecticut. On May 30, 2016, the Memorial Day edition of Raw opened with a ten-bell salute in honor of fallen military members. On January 15, 2018, Raw opened with a ten-bell salute in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. On December 3, 2018, Raw opened with a ten bell salute in honor of former president George H. W. Bush, who had died a few days prior. On August 5, 2019, Raw opened with a ten bell salute in honor