No chance that this is a Corporal Kirschner mis-call, is there? Remember seeing him managed by Larry Sharpe as Crusher Yurkov in World Class back in the fall of '86. To this day I've never understood why Vince gave him Humperdink as a manager and then on top of that made him a face upon his WWF debut in '87. He had big money heel written all over him.
The Horsemen DVD is 3 Discs and 9 hours. Let Us Rejoice and Sing Its Praise.
Bam Bam Bigelow was my favorite big guy next to Vader back in the 80's/90's. He made being a bald fat man with tattoos look cool, knew how to work, and had a lot of great matches. One of those guys who could work a decent main event World Title match, although never have a reign himself.
It's surprising that he died. I hadn't heard much about him in recent years.
I never understood why Bam Bam didn't have a bigger career than he did. He moved really well for a guy his size, he was always over (he certainly LOOKED like a major tough guy) and I almost always found him entertaining. He had a strong run when he first came into the WWF, but after that he rarely got much of a push. I recall him showing up in WCW at one point but they didn't do much with him.
I also recall him once missing some time after he quite literally pulled one or two people out of a burning building and sustained some burns in the process. So this was not just a good performer, but a really good person as well. Hard news to hear. He will certainly be missed.
I was a big Bam Bam mark as a kid, and always liked him growing up. I actually rooted for him in the epic Bam Bam/LT face-off at WrestleMania, and can still remember some of the mainstream publicity that match created.
Another guy that went way too soon, and even though wasn't active in the ring, will be missed.
I am curious, and maybe this isn't the right thread for this, but do you think Vince would consider him HOF material?
Co-Winner of the 2006 Time Magazine Person of the Year Award
Originally posted by Peter The HegemonI never understood why Bam Bam didn't have a bigger career than he did. He moved really well for a guy his size, he was always over (he certainly LOOKED like a major tough guy) and I almost always found him entertaining. He had a strong run when he first came into the WWF, but after that he rarely got much of a push. I recall him showing up in WCW at one point but they didn't do much with him.
>He was diagnosed as a diabetic toward the end of his WCW run in the late '90s. He also had a reptuation for heavy partying in his wrestling days. He was released from the WWF for his "out of control" partying in the late '80s, and he wrestled in Japan afterward before returning to the U.S. for semi-successful stints.<
I guess it would be reckless to speculate at this point. Hadn't heard he was a partier. Apparently Rude was too; I'd heard Rude was a health-nut so you never know. These "big men" are particularly at risk though, staying up past 350 pounds for long periods of time. So Bossman, Yoko, and now Bam Bam are gone.
In any case, sad to see Bammer go. I had heard he was in a serious motorcycle accident in recent years, wonder if this played a role. Dunno if it matters, doesn't change the shitty feeling.
I wouldn't have thought Bigelow to be a partier seeing as the two hung out a lot when they toured in Japan together and Lance was not big on the partying.
That said, it's sad to see another childhood wrestling favorite die.
"I'm one of the last cats, puttin the flavor back into rap"
That's really depressing! Bam Bam always seemed like he should have had more success than he did. He was pretty agile for someone his size, all doing moonsaults and top-rope headbutts. And he had SUCH a unique look about him too. And nobody who agrees to bump for and job to a non-wrestler on the largest pro-wrestling venue of all time can be accused of having too large of an ego. And the man literally saved some people's lives by pulling them out of a burning building.
I believe there are some clips of Bam Bam in ECW up at wwe.com, but my computer isn't in any condition to stream video. Does anybody remember what he was like there?
I always really liked Bam Bam in ECW. Everybody talks about his program with Taz, which was good, but nobody ever talks about the excellent program with Shane Douglas that it was a part of. In a nutshell, Bam Bam joined the Triple Threat, turned on them, sided with Taz, and turned on Taz to rejoin the Triple Threat, wrestling everyone involved at one point or another, including his replacement in the Triple Threat, Lance Storm. Just a really great, hot program. I remember being really disapointed when Bam Bam jumped to WCW.
The only notable thing I remember about Bam Bam in WCW is his short-lived feud with Goldberg, and that he didn't have entrance music for the longest time.
I remember about ten years ago watching the second ECW pay-per-view where he was really beating the hell out of Spike Dudley, even tossing him into the fans. I was in my early adult years and knew that Wrestling was mostly scripted, but there I was nonetheless, begging out loud for Bam Bam to have some mercy, as if he could hear me through the television.
He had a great look and fun matches and did one hell of a cartwheel. What a loss.
While it sounds great - and surely we all want to think the best of the departed - there was no "burning building." The story that came out at the time (4th of July 2000) was that there was a brush fire during a cookout, and Bigelow saved/helped an unspecified number of children. Supposedly he suffered second degree burns on 40% of his body. This all came from Tony Schiavone's commentary on the next Nitro, though.
I want to say that even THAT was exposed later as an exaggeration (help me out here, FLEA) and Bigelow just working into getting some time away from WCW, but I DEFINITELY know it wasn't running into a burning building, or getting third degree burns on 100% of his body - that's just a case of people playing "telephone."
I want to say that even THAT was exposed later as an exaggeration (help me out here, FLEA) and Bigelow just working into getting some time away from WCW, but I DEFINITELY know it wasn't running into a burning building, or getting third degree burns on 100% of his body - that's just a case of people playing "telephone."
I'm thinking we shouldn't speak ill of the Dead!
Regardless of the fact that BBB was full of shit, his own worse enemy and died in abject ignominy, we should continue to say nice things about him.
Of course, the "saved children from a fire" bit was nonsense...but it looks good in an obit. An BBB dying NOW, instead of 2 years ago saved me $200 in a Dead Pool payoff
If anyone remebers the Triple Threat, realize that all 3 should be dead. Shane Douglas is lucky
FLEA
Demonstrations are a drag. Besides, we're much too high
Just listened to the replay of him and LT on Howard Stern promoting Wrestlemania a few weeks ago. Bam Bam really tried to keep the whole thing in character. Taylor couldn't have cared less.
I remember starting a rumor that he was shot dead in 1998, or so.
And he did sweet cartwheels. I'm amazed he was only 45. That would've made him, what, 25 at WMIV?
WTF?!? I feel like a knife hits me every time I see a death in the wrestling business. I will miss him as it looks as if everybody else in the thread will too.
RIP: Bam Bam Bigelow
He was almost always the heel but for some reason I wanted his babyface runs to pan out better which never happened except for his first run with the E.
Yeah, that's exactly what I felt they were doing especially cause I looked Sin Cara up on wikipedia (yeh I got my sources, kind of a big-shot) and it says Mistico is still employed in WWE as Sin Cara.