Tom “Tiny” Lister AKA Zeus Dies at Age 62

Tom “Tiny” Lister, known in the WWF as “Zeus,” was found dead earlier today at age 62.

According to TMZ, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department did a wellness check on Lister on Thursday at the request of friends and business associates when they hadn’t heard from him since Wednesday night. Deputies found him dead in his Marina Del Ray, CA apartment. Lister’s manager Cindy Cowan told Variety that he had been displaying symptoms of COVID-19 in recent days and had to cancel a shoot for a movie because he was feeling sick. The official cause of death is not yet known though, but an autopsy will be performed.

Lister first got involved with the WWF in the WWF-financed 1989 wrestling movie “No Holds Barred,” where he played the villain/heel “Zeus” and was defeated by the movie’s hero, Hulk Hogan. In 1989, Lister brought his Zeus gimmick to the WWF to continue a feud with Hogan inspired by the movie, teaming with Randy Savage to take on Hulk Hogan & Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake in the SummerSlam main event. Hogan won with a leg drop on Zeus after hitting him with Sensational Sherri’s loaded purse. At Survivor Series 1989, Zeus was part of “The Million Dollar Team” along with Ted DiBiase and the Powers of Pain, taking on The Hulkamaniacs (Hulk Hogan, Jake Roberts and Demolition). Zeus was eliminated via disqualification after he wouldn’t break a choke on Hogan and the Hulkamaniacs eventually won the match. At the WWF “No Holds Barred” PPV in December 1989, Zeus again teamed with Randy Savage and again lost to Hogan and Beefcake, this time in a steel cage in what was his final match for the company.

In 1996, he briefly went to WCW as “Z-Gangsta,” joining the “Alliance to End Hulkamania” stable and losing in a Doomsday Cage match at the WCW Uncensored PPV that saw Hogan and Savage defeat Lister, Ric Flair, Lex Luger, Arn Anderson, Meng, The Barbarian, The Taskmaster & The Ultimate Solution.

He’s perhaps best known in the mainstream for his role as the monster bully character “Deebo” in the “Friday” movie series. He had continued to act in several movies until his death.

WWE and AEW both expressed their condolences.

WWE is saddened to learn that Tom “Tiny” Lister, known as Zeus to the WWE Universe, passed away today at age 62.https://t.co/ZhueFZ2hDw

— WWE (@WWE) December 11, 2020

AEW and the wrestling world mourn the passing of Thomas “Tiny” Lister, Jr, our thoughts are with his family, his friends and his fans. pic.twitter.com/rYHKH7uy6m

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) December 11, 2020