'Jaka' Jonathan Echevarria Dead: Former EVOLVE Star Dies At Age 39

By Nick Miller
A monochrome image of Jaka Jonathan Echevarria posing with his tongue out and hand raised YouTube

Independent wrestler Jonathan Echevarria, who performed as Jaka, has died at the age of 39. The EVOLVE star reportedly suffered a heart attack in the days following an August 31 bout, leaving him in critical condition in an intensive care unit, and he was unable to recover.

In the aftermath of his death, many of Echevarria's friends in the industry have taken to social media to share their memories of the wrestler. That includes TNA star Santana, who eulogized Echevarria on X.

Former WWE star Priscilla Kelly posted photos of herself and Jaka together, while EVOLVE founder Gabe Sapolsky shared a few heartfelt words.

"A true tragedy," Sapolsky wrote. "No one will say a bad word about the man. My deepest condolences to his family and friends. Thank you for everything, Jaka."

Promotions ranging from AEW to AIW have paid tribute to Echevarria online as well. Prior to his death, a GoFundMe page for the performer was established by those close to him, with donations from AEW's Tony Khan, Jack Perry, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, and more.

Jaka first entered the industry nearly 20 years ago and became a recurring figure for Beyond Wrestling, where he forged friendships with many wrestlers and promoters. He was a member of several factions throughout his career, most notably Team Pazuzu and Catch Point. Jaka and Chris Dickinson were two-time EVOLVE tag champs, with one of their reigns coming to an end against The Street Profits as part of the WWE partnership with EVOLVE. Jaka also had a tag team with former WWE Cruiserweight Classic competitor Sean Maluta, with the two known together as The Island Kings.

The Wrestling Inc. team would like to send its condolences to the family and friends of Jonathan Echevarria.

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