Tributes have been paid to a British wrestling fan who was found dead in Las Vegas after traveling to the city for WrestleMania weekend. Marc Izard, a 43-year-old from the United Kingdom, disappeared after attending a WWE SmackDown event at the T-Mobile Arena on Friday, April 17, the night before the annual wrestling spectacular.
The day before he vanished, Izard was photographed alongside WWE wrestling star Natalya “Nattie” Neidhart, who later shared an appeal on social media to help locate him. He was subsequently found dead on Las Vegas Boulevard South on Saturday, April 18. According to a statement shared with Book Pro Wrestlers by his sister, Izard “passed away quickly from natural causes related to underlying medical conditions.”
Family’s Grief and Comfort
“Although we are obviously heartbroken at our loss, we are finding some comfort in knowing he passed doing what he loved so much,” the statement read. “We are working on bringing him home so that we can say a proper goodbye, and we will make sure his absolute love of wrestling is honored at his funeral.”
WWE Star Pays Tribute
Neidhart, a member of the legendary Hart wrestling family and daughter of the late Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, shared a heartfelt tribute to the late fan on X. Included in her post was an image of the pair together, in which she can be seen beaming at the camera.
“Hearing about the passing of someone from our wrestling family, Marc Izard, is heartbreaking,” she wrote. “Wrestling brings people together in such a special way, and moments like this remind us how precious life truly is. My thoughts are with Marc’s family, friends, and everyone who loved him,” she added.
Prior to the confirmation of Izard’s death, Neidhart had posted on X urging fans with any information to contact the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. She was responding to a widely shared missing persons poster, which included several images of Izard and stated that he had missed his flight back to the United Kingdom.
Community Support and Fundraising
WrestleMania attracts tens of thousands of fans each year, with many international fans flying to the U.S. specifically to attend. Izard’s family has now launched a GoFundMe appeal to help bring him home. A post on the page said: “On Saturday, April 18th, our lives changed forever. Our beloved brother, Marc Izard, passed away in Las Vegas while doing what he loved most—attending WWE WrestleMania weekend.
“Marc wasn’t just a spectator; he was a staple of the wrestling community. From his childhood days to his travels across the globe, Marc’s life was defined by his passion for the ring. Whether it was supporting local independent promotions or traveling for the 'Grandest Stage of Them All,' Marc lived for the energy, the stories, and the idols he met along the way.”
Izard’s death was initially confirmed to the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Monday by the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner. The official cause and manner of his death is still pending, the Review-Journal added.
