Kevin Sullivan, known for his time with World Championship Wrestling, dead at 74

(WGHP) – Kevin Sullivan, a professional wrestler best known for his time with World Championship Wrestling, has died at the age of 74, World Wrestling Entertainment reported Friday morning.

Sullivan, also known for a time as The Taskmaster, frequently played the heel against such wrestlers as Hulk Hogan, Dusty Rhodes and Chris Benoit. He was also a WCW World Tag Team Champion.

"He specialized in leading dangerous factions, which included his wicked Army of Darkness, collegiate bullies The Varsity Club, and the wild Dungeon of Doom, which introduced Big Show to the wrestling world," the WWE wrote in its announcement. "The onetime 'Taskmaster' also became a creative force behind the scenes for WCW.

Prominent wrestling figures including Ric Flair, Diamond Dallas Page and Triple H mourned Sullivan on social media.

"Kevin Sullivan had one of the most unique minds in the history of our industry, pushing creative boundaries and developing some of the most intriguing characters to step into the ring," former wrestler Triple H, now an executive with WWE, wrote on Twitter. "He had an unwavering passion for what we do. My thoughts are with his family, friends & fans."

A cause of death had not been made public as of Friday morning, but a GoFundMe had been set up on July 5 to cover medical expenses for an accident he suffered during an autograph signing on May 12. According to the GoFundMe, Sullivan needed emergency surgery, which came with complications including sepsis and encephalitis.