WWE-affiliated wrestling star Jonathan ‘Jaka’ Echevarria dies at 39

Beloved professional wrestling star Jonathan Echevarria, a k a “Jaka,” has died at age 39 after suffering a heart attack following a match.

Echevarria, best known for wrestling with the WWE-connected EVOLVE show, made his final public appearance at the Boca Raton Pro Wrestling event Aug. 31 before suffering the heart attack less than a week later, The Sun reported.

Tributes poured in from across the wrestling world when news of his death broke.

“If you don’t know him just know he is beloved,” wrote Echevarria’s longtime tag-team partner and self-described “best friend” of 30 years, Chris Dickison, on Instagram.

Dickison said his buddy had been “healthy” till the fatal health incident.

“Whether you knew him or not, maybe you have a memory of him in the ring, any interaction where he made you smile,” Dickinson added in his emotional post, which featured several photos of the two together.

Echevarria also was a stablemate of American Elite Wrestling member Angel Ortiz and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling’s Mike Santana from the New England-based promotion of Beyond Wrestling.

“I love you tio,” Ortiz wrote on X with a clip of Echevarria’s highlights Monday.

Santana wrote simply on his Instagram story, “Gutted.”

Wrestler John Silver tweeted along with a photo, “RIP Jaka.

“Always a pleasure sharing a locker room and joking around with you. This night in the picture was one of the funniest nights of my life. You will be missed.”

Echevarria’s loved ones have launched a GoFundMe to help cover medical expenses from his hospitalization. Among the most notable donors was Tony Khan, CEO and President of American Elite Wrestling.