PORTLAND, Ore. -- Wrestler Paul Perschmann, better known as "Playboy" Buddy Rose, was found dead on his couch Tuesday in Vancouver, Wash.

While no cause of death has been determined as of yet, Kurt Nielsen, a family friend, said Rose had been dealing with various health issues, including diabetes. He was 56 years old.

Rose was one of wrestling's big stars in the 1970s and 1980s. He took part in the first-ever WrestleMania match on March 31, 1985, where he played the role of the masked Executioner and lost to Tito Santana.

Rose worked for the WWF and the American Wrestling Association. He also was one of the stars of Don Owen's Portland Wrestling.

Rose was a larger-than-life figure on Portland TV screens and wrestling mats. He used to wrestle out of the old Portland Sports Arena, now a church service building, on North Chautauqua Boulevard.

Some debate how real a sporting event pro wrestling is, but Rose and his buddies and stage enemies always put on a show.

Ed Wiskoski worked with Rose for years as his tag team partner and occasionally at old timer's events as recently as 2006.

"He was a genius in the ring. Wrestling was his love. He played hockey and baseball. He was a good athlete," Wiskoski said.

Wiskoski said he last talked to Rose a couple of weeks ago and remembers the days when videotape was new and his partner used to watch himself wrestling.

"He was critiquing himself. I did this right and I did this wrong," Wiskoski said.

Wiskoski and other old friends said diabetes and obesity shortened his life. The old wrestling tapes, and shows, will be the way Rose is now remembered.

"We talked about the glory days, like old guys do. But I think he'll be missed by a lot of folks. He was a nice guy. Not only in the ring, but in his personal life as well," Wiskoski said.

Fans remembered Rose, too, and said he always treated them well.

"The kids liked 'em because they was kind of famous, and when they talked to 'em they was real nice to 'em. They'd go to school and say, 'I talked to Buddy Rose," wrestling fan Frank Ascher said.

A number of Rose's matches have recently re-aired on the cable network ESPN Classic.

No memorial plans have been announced.

Wrestler 'Playboy' Buddy Rose Found Dead