Former WWE personality Abraham Washington, real name Brian Josse, recently survived a life-threatening medical emergency that required immediate surgery and resulted in severe complications. The 47-year-old is now recovering at home after the ordeal.

According to a social media post from his longtime partner (that has since been made private), the health scare began in July. Josse was complaining of severe stomach pain following a bodybuilding event.

A Near-Fatal Medical Emergency

Josse was taken to the emergency room where doctors discovered a tear in his intestines, which necessitated immediate surgery. While the initial procedure was a success, he suffered from aspiration afterward, causing fluid to enter his lungs.

The complications were severe. Josse was placed on a ventilator and put into a medically induced coma. He was later put on life support. After a difficult period in the hospital, he was eventually released and is now continuing his recovery at home.

The Abraham Washington Character

Brian Josse was first introduced to the WWE audience in 2009. He began in the company’s developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), before being called up to the ECW brand. As the arrogant and charismatic Abraham Washington, he hosted his own in-ring talk show, “The Abraham Washington Show,” with WWE Hall of Famer Tony Atlas serving as his comedic sidekick and announcer.

He eventually moved to the main roster, where he transitioned into a managerial role. He most notably managed the Prime Time Players, the tag team of Titus O’Neil and Darren Young.

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A Controversial WWE Exit

Washington’s WWE career came to an abrupt end in August 2012. During a live broadcast, while managing a match, he made a controversial on-air joke referencing the 2003 sexual assault case involving the late NBA star Kobe Bryant. The comment drew immediate public backlash, and WWE released him from his contract shortly after.

Following his release, Josse stepped away from the wrestling business for several years. He had only a handful of matches during his WWE tenure, all of them non-televised dark matches. His last known wrestling match was on the independent circuit in January 2019.

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