Jeff Cannonball, the independent wrestling standout known outside the ring as Jeff Guerriero, has died following a battle with ALS. He was 39 years old.

The news was shared by his wife, Terra Calaway, who wrote that Guerriero died at 2 a.m. on Thursday, October 8, 2026. Her message remembered him as a husband, father, friend, and a singular personality whose humor and presence reached far beyond the wrestling ring.

“Jeff Guerriero, the funniest, wittiest, most charismatic man I have ever had the privilege of knowing let alone get to marry, spend 10 years with, and create a little clone of in our son Milo, has passed away after his battle with ALS,” Calaway wrote.

Calaway’s tribute also reflected on the couple watching Dirty Work, a favorite film of Guerriero’s, shortly before his death. She described the movie as a fitting reminder of the comedians he loved and the kind of humor that mattered so much to him. In a deeply personal message, she said that the impact Guerriero made on his friends, community, and the wider world would endure.

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“Jeff Guerriero and Jeff Cannonball will live forever,” Calaway wrote.

Guerriero publicly announced that he had been diagnosed with ALS in May 2025. ALS, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurological disease. His diagnosis prompted an outpouring of support throughout independent wrestling, where Cannonball had spent more than a decade building a reputation through his work, personality, and connection with audiences.

A Career Built on the Independent Scene

Cannonball made his professional wrestling debut in 2010. Over the next 16 years, he became a recognizable and respected name across the independent landscape, competing in environments that demanded toughness, creativity, and an ability to make a lasting impression with fans.

He was especially associated with H2O Wrestling, where he became a two-time H2O Danny Havoc Hardcore Champion. That accomplishment placed him among the promotion’s notable champions and tied his name to one of its most identifiable championship lineages. The title honors the late Danny Havoc, making Cannonball’s two reigns a particularly meaningful part of his resume within the H2O community.

While H2O was a central part of his body of work, Cannonball also competed for Major League Wrestling and Game Changer Wrestling. Those appearances gave him opportunities to perform in front of broader audiences while remaining firmly connected to the independent wrestling culture that defined his career.

Independent wrestling careers are often measured in more than championships or the number of promotions listed on a resume. They are built through the relationships formed in locker rooms, the trust earned from promoters and peers, and the response generated from crowds that see performers develop over years. The response to Guerriero’s passing has underscored how deeply his presence was felt by those who knew him both as Jeff Cannonball and as Jeff Guerriero.

His in-ring name carried the force and personality expected of a wrestler competing in hard-hitting independent settings. Yet the tributes surrounding his death have centered just as strongly on the person behind that name: a man remembered for wit, charisma, warmth, and devotion to his family.

Remembered as a Husband and Father

Calaway’s message made clear that the loss reaches well beyond wrestling. She remembered 10 years with Guerriero and spoke about raising their son, Milo, while honoring the father she said he would be proud to be.

“10 years was not enough, but they are years I will cherish forever,” Calaway wrote.

She also expressed the depth of their bond in words that resonated with those mourning alongside the family, writing that she would choose the life they shared again “in every timeline, in every universe, in every life” if it meant having that time with him.

That perspective offers an important reminder of the human loss at the center of the news. Guerriero was a professional wrestler who performed under a memorable name and compiled meaningful accomplishments, but he was also a husband and father whose absence will be felt most profoundly by the people closest to him.

For fans, the name Jeff Cannonball brings to mind his career in H2O, MLW, GCW, and the broader independent scene. For his family and friends, the grief is for Jeff Guerriero. Both names represent the same person, and both are part of the legacy being remembered in the wake of his death.

ALS Diagnosis and Community Support

Cannonball’s ALS diagnosis was announced in May 2025. In the months that followed, members of the wrestling community and fans rallied around him and his family. Support information for the Guerriero family has been shared publicly following the announcement of his passing.

ALS can transform everyday life for a person and their loved ones, making public support especially meaningful. The response around Cannonball reflected the solidarity that can emerge from wrestling communities when one of their own is facing a serious health battle. That support now continues as friends, peers, and fans honor his memory and stand with Calaway and Milo.

His passing is also a painful moment for the promotions and performers who shared space with him over the course of his career. H2O, in particular, was a major chapter of Cannonball’s time in wrestling, and his history as a two-time Danny Havoc Hardcore Champion ensures that his name will remain part of the promotion’s history.

MLW and GCW were likewise part of a career that crossed multiple corners of the scene. A wrestler does not need a decades-long run on national television for their work to matter. For countless independent performers, the value of a career is found in the shows, rivalries, championship moments, road trips, friendships, and shared experiences that shape a community. Cannonball’s legacy belongs in that context.

Jeff Cannonball’s Lasting Legacy

There is no adequate way to measure the loss of someone at 39, especially when that person leaves behind a spouse, a young son, friends, and a community that had watched him fight a difficult illness. But the memories shared in the hours after Guerriero’s death make one thing clear: Jeff Cannonball was loved.

His legacy will live through the footage and memories of his matches, through his two H2O Danny Havoc Hardcore Championship reigns, and through the people who crossed paths with him during his 16 years in wrestling. It will also live through the stories told by those who knew the humor, intelligence, and charisma that Calaway described in her tribute.

For those who supported Cannonball as a wrestler, this is a time to remember the performer who made his debut in 2010 and went on to represent himself across H2O, MLW, GCW, and beyond. For those who knew him personally, it is a time to remember a husband, father, and friend whose life was much larger than a list of wrestling credits.

Jeff Guerriero’s family, friends, colleagues, and fans are in the thoughts of the wrestling world during this devastating loss. Jeff Cannonball’s name, work, and spirit will not be forgotten.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.