Jonathan Echevarria, a renowned professional wrestler known by his stage name “Jaka,” has tragically passed away at the age of 39 due to a heart attack. Echevarria, who gained fame through his performances on the WWE-affiliated EVOLVE show, made his last public appearance at the Boca Raton Pro Wrestling event on August 31. Less than a week later, he suffered a fatal heart attack.
The news of Echevarria’s untimely death sent shockwaves through the wrestling community, with tributes pouring in from colleagues and fans alike. Echevarria’s longtime tag-team partner and close friend of three decades, Chris Dickison, took to Instagram to express his grief. He described Echevarria as a beloved figure in the wrestling world and shared that his friend had been in good health prior to the sudden heart attack.
Dickison’s heartfelt post included several photos of the duo together and a message encouraging those who knew Echevarria, or even just had a memorable interaction with him, to remember the joy he brought. Echevarria was also a part of the wrestling group that included Angel Ortiz of American Elite Wrestling and Mike Santana of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, both from the New England-based Beyond Wrestling promotion.
Ortiz and Santana also expressed their sorrow on social media. Ortiz shared a video montage of Echevarria’s wrestling highlights with a heartfelt message, while Santana simply wrote “Gutted” on his Instagram story.
John Silver, another fellow wrestler, shared a photo of himself with Echevarria, reminiscing about the good times they had together. He described Echevarria as a pleasure to share a locker room with and remembered one particular night as one of the funniest of his life.
In the wake of Echevarria’s death, his family has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the medical expenses incurred during his hospitalization. Among the notable contributors to the fund was Tony Khan, the CEO and President of American Elite Wrestling.