Mike "Mantaur" Halac, a WWE wrestler in the mid-1990s known for his trademark bull's head getup, has died. He was 55.
“WWE is saddened to learn that Mike Halac, better known to WWE fans as Mantaur, has passed away," the organization said in a statement. "Halac’s combination of size and charisma immediately captivated fans worldwide as he took to the ring in a giant bull head to highlight his half-man, half-minotaur persona."
The Omaha native began his career in Germany and Austria's Catch Wrestling Association in 1991, moving to the then-World Wrestling Federation in the middle part of the decade. He debuted his "Mantaur" persona in Jan. 1995, garnering fan acclaim even as his in-ring success was short-lived.
For the remainder of the '90s, Halac bounced around the WWF, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and various minor circuits. Per Yahoo, Halac "would occasionally return to the half-man/half-beast character for wrestling exhibitions."
Halac's daughter, Demi, indicated that her father died peacefully in his sleep, although no cause of death was given. Halac had previously spoken about a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis in a 2015 interview.
