British wrestler Kris Travis dies aged 32 from stomach cancer

Tributes to the wrestler have flooded in from fellow wrestling afficiondos and others on social media

Tributes to the wrestler have flooded in from fellow wrestling afficiondos and others on social media (British Championship Wrestling / Facebook)

The British wrestler Kris Travis has died of stomach cancer at the age of 32.

Despite being diagnosed with the disease in 2014, the Sheffield native made a remarkable comeback and returned to the ring one year later.

Best known by his nickname 'Shooting Star', Travis was a mainstay in the UK wrestling scene, having appeared in Preston City Wrestling, Southside, Revolution Pro Wrestling and PROGRESS, and was highly regarded amongst his peers.

Tributes to the wrestler have flooded in from fellow wrestling afficionados and others on social media.

“It is with deep regret that I write that Kris Travis died this morning,” Fighting Spirit Magazine editor Brian Elliot wrote on Thursday. “He will be missed.”

Informed by doctors that he would never wrestle again in October of 2014, Travis was forced to withdraw from the finals of TNA’s British Boot Camp. Despite undergoing surgery to remove his stomach tumour and having 18 weeks of chemotherapy, the professional wrestler returned to the ring.

Preston City Wrestling founder Steve Fludder also paid homage to Travis on his blog.

“He was the best talent of recent years the UK produced that never ended up in the WWE. Illness aside I think that is exactly where he would be right now if in good health continuing his battles with Finn Balor in NXT.

“We all miss you already Kris Travis, a fighter right until the end and always in good spirits even with a terminal illness. Both personally, professionally and as a fan and on behalf of myself and all at PCW we hope you're now in a better place and will remain in our thoughts.”