Bam Bam Bigelow 1961-2007
Even if you aren’t a fan of professional wrestling, you’ve probably heard of Bam Bam Bigelow, the wrestling giant who died this past Friday. The name might ring a bell because on April 2nd, 1995, Bigelow wrestled NFL legend, Lawrence Taylor, in a not-so-memorable Wrestlemania XI main event.
I remember the build-up to that bout like it was yesterday. LT was watching Bigelow wrestle a couple of months before ‘Mania XI at a WWF event. The announcers touched on the fact that Taylor was sitting ringside but did so in a way that implied he was just a casual fan enjoying some good ol’ wrasslin’ action. At least that is how my innocent little mind remembered it going down. After his match, Bigelow walked right up to Godzilla and pushed him down to the ground. A huge melee ensued and the rest, as they say, is history.
Bigelow retired from wrestling a decade later after a successful run in WWF, ECW, WCW and in Japan. But anytime a casual fan is reminded of his name they say “isn’t he that big guy with the tattoo on his head that wrestled LT?” Yes, yes he is. But let me give you a couple of other reasons to remember him by: Wrestling Observer’s Rookie of the Year in 1986, former WCW and IWGP tag-team champion, former ECW heavyweight champion and the only big man in the history of wrestling to perform cart-wheels in the middle of his matches. Bam Bam could move like no other big man before him. Trust me, I've been watching this stuff for a while.Rest in peace Bam Bam. Tell Owen Hart, Eddie Guerrero, Mr. Perfect, Big Boss Man, Chris Candido, Kerry Von Erich, Davey Boy Smith, Junkyard Dog, Andre the Giant, Big John Studd, Yokozuna and Dino Bravo that I miss them. Sure seems like whoever is promoting matches up there has a pretty damn good roster to work with.
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In 2000, Bigelow heroically saved children from a burning home. (other accounts of this story say it was a forest fire or brush fire, but Bigelow himself described it as a burning house) Bigelow had been returning home from an ECW show in Japan and discovered a house on fire near his home. Hearing children screaming inside, he burst into the house and rescued three kids, burning 40% of his body with second degree burns in the process. He spent two months recovering in a hospital
Great call, Kevin. Above all his titles that was definitely his greatest feat. I always found it to be a little ironic that he ended up with those burns after being so synonomous with the flame tattoo on his head...
Large, I can't believe you left Brian Pillman off that list.
He also gave a memorable performance in Damon Wayans' '95 opus Major Payne.
it aint a royal rumble til doink the clown gets up there though, large.
oh, and just wondering, did you need my address for the frank issue- just wondering b/c i know how busy you guys are in no mas town.
Yeah, Drew, yeah - sorry, I got a million things going on over here. Send me the address at [email protected] and I'll put that thing in the mail pronto. You're lucky - I got one left.
And yo dudes, give credit where it's due. The Bigelow post was my man Ariel, aka The Franchise, No Mas's official correspondent for all things UFC and WWE.
oh my bad, i missed the credit, nice post ariel
ariel...where's Brian F'n Pillman?
Yo Unsilent....I could have added a hundred names to the list...those were just the guys that were memorable to me (never was a big WCW fan, hence the Pillman omission. And yes I know he wrestled for the WWF but, lets be honest, that wasn't the real Flyin's Brian). To be fair, hundreds of wrestlers have died tragically young so you can make a case for many that I missed. So to please all here they are. (Courtesy: About.com)
Famous Wrestlers That have died Before the Age of 65
Chris Von Erich - 21
Mike Von Erich - 23
The Renegade - 23
Louie Spiccoli - 27
Art Barr - 28
Gino Hernandez - 29
Jay Youngblood - 30
Rick McGraw - 30
Joey Marella - 30
Ed Gatner - 31
Buzz Sawyer - 32
Crash Holly - 32
Kerry Von Erich - 33
D.J. Peterson - 33
Eddie Gilbert - 33
Owen Hart - 33
Chris Candido - 33
Adrian Adonis - 34
Gary Albright - 34
Bobby Duncum Jr. - 34
Yokozuna - 34
Big Dick Dudley - 34
Brian Pillman - 35
Marianna Komlos - 35
Pitbull #2 - 36
The Wall/Malice - 36
Leroy Brown - 38
Mark Curtis - 38
Eddie Guerrero - 38
Davey Boy Smith - 39
Johnny Grunge - 39
Vivian Vachon - 40
Jeep Swenson - 40
Brady Boone - 40
Terry Gordy - 40
Bertha Faye - 40
Billy Joe Travis - 40
Larry Cameron - 41
Rick Rude - 41
Randy Anderson - 41
Bruiser Brody - 42
Miss Elizabeth - 42
Big Boss Man - 42
Earthquake - 42
Ray Candy - 43
Dino Bravo - 44
Curt Hennig - 44
Bam Bam Bigelow - 45
Jerry Blackwell - 45
Junkyard Dog - 45
Hercules - 45
Andre The Giant - 46
Big John Studd - 46
Chris Adams - 46
Mike Davis - 46
Hawk - 46
Dick Murdoch - 49
Jumbo Tsuruta - 49
Rocco Rock - 49
Moondog Spot - 51
Ken Timbs - 53
Uncle Elmer - 54
Pez Whatley - 54
Eddie Graham - 55
Tarzan Tyler - 55
Haystacks Calhoun- 55
Giant Haystacks - 55
The Spoiler - 56
Kurt Von Hess - 56
Moondog King - 56
Gene Anderson - 58
Dr. Jerry Graham - 58
Bulldog Brown - 58
Tony Parisi - 58
Rufus R. Jones - 60
Ray Stevens - 60
Stan Stasiak - 60
Terry Garvin - 60
Boris Malenko - 61
Little Beaver - 61
Sapphire - 61
Shohei Baba - 61
Dick the Bruiser - 62
Wilbur Snyder - 62
George Cannon - 62
Karl Krupp - 62
Dale Lewis - 62
Gorilla Monsoon - 62
Hiro Matsuda - 62
Bulldog Brower - 63
Wahoo McDaniel - 63
My man Ariel don't fuck around about his wrestling word.
i had no idea mr. perfect was dead.
Drew, your shit goes out tomorrow f'real.
I wish I was named Dick the Bruiser.
thanks large, and ariel- thats some encyclopedia brown shit you have going on. impressive.
Yeah wrestling was my first true love. To be honest, I try to live by the words of two-time WWF champion and New York Times bestselling author Mick Foley when he said that "the real world is faker than pro wrestling."
As for Mr. Perfect, Kevin, he died in 2003. That one (other than Owen, obviously) might have hit me the hardest because he was one of my all-time favorites in the ring and behind the mic. I will never forget seeing him and Bret wrestle to a draw at the Montreal Forum way back when...what a great performer.
By the way, I'm really glad wrestling (and MMA for that matter) has found a home in No-Mas land. Thanks to Large and the rest of the team for respecting the game. Hopefully we'll talk grappling on more consistant basis and not just when another 80's icon passes.
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