Former Pro Wrestler Bam Bam Bigelow Dies

[Jake]

Sad but not surprising.

Rest in peace BBB.



Some of you may remember him from his match with Lawrence Taylor.

Ex-Pro Wrestler 'Bam Bam' Bigelow Dies
Cause of Death Won't Be Known for Few Weeks

AP
HUDSON, Fla. (Jan. 22) - Scott "Bam Bam" Bigelow, the tattooed heavyweight professional TV wrestler, has died. He was 45.

Scott "Bam Bam" Bigelow, who wrestled with the like of Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant, was found dead in his home by his brother.

He was found dead in his home on Friday, his brother Todd Bigelow said Monday.

Preliminary autopsy results did not show signs of foul play, but a cause of death will not be known until toxicology tests are completed in a few weeks, Pasco County sheriff's spokesman Doug Tobin said.

Bigelow had been struggling with a persistent infection and diabetes, his brother said.

Bigelow wrestled with Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant during his two decades as a sports entertainer. Bigelow's flame-tattooed scalp and 6-foot-2, 400-pound frame made him recognizable in and out of the ring. He retired in 2004.

A service is planned for Friday in his hometown of Neptune, N.J.

http://sports.aol.com/news/articles/_a/ ... 0509990001

[tcwest10]

That makes it 41 in the past ten years.
Piper's call for unionization still goes unanswered.

[1niksder]

VKM has been anti-union from day 1

R.I.P. BBB

[redskindave]

Very sad, Rip Bam Bam

[joebagadonuts]

That makes it 41 in the past ten years.
Piper's call for unionization still goes unanswered.

41 pro wrestler deaths in the last ten years?

[Fios]

That makes it 41 in the past ten years.
Piper's call for unionization still goes unanswered.

41 pro wrestler deaths in the last ten years?

That was my initial reaction as well but then I realized I can remember (not specifically of course) 5 or 6 deaths in the past couple of years so that number seems accurate.

[Chris Luva Luva]

I heard he was scarred for life after entering a burning building to grab some kids.

RIP

[joebagadonuts]

That makes it 41 in the past ten years.
Piper's call for unionization still goes unanswered.

41 pro wrestler deaths in the last ten years?

That was my initial reaction as well but then I realized I can remember (not specifically of course) 5 or 6 deaths in the past couple of years so that number seems accurate.

I'm not doubting tcwest's numbers, especially given the 'diet' that these guys are supposedly on (I don't follow wrestling in the least, so that's pure speculation). But that's an average of four per year, which seems ridiculously high (given the fact that these guys aren't supposed to really get hurt), taking into account the total number of wrestlers. If it's accurate, I would agree that someone somewhere should do something (how's that for vague?).

[Fios]

That makes it 41 in the past ten years.
Piper's call for unionization still goes unanswered.

41 pro wrestler deaths in the last ten years?

That was my initial reaction as well but then I realized I can remember (not specifically of course) 5 or 6 deaths in the past couple of years so that number seems accurate.

I'm not doubting tcwest's numbers, especially given the 'diet' that these guys are supposedly on (I don't follow wrestling in the least, so that's pure speculation). But that's an average of four per year, which seems ridiculously high (given the fact that these guys aren't supposed to really get hurt), taking into account the total number of wrestlers. If it's accurate, I would agree that someone somewhere should do something (how's that for vague?).

I might possibly agree with some of the sentiments you theoretically expressed

[BernieSki]

I found this . I am not sure how accurate it is, but it sure brings back some memories. I remember watching wrestling every Saturday morning.

Famous Wrestlers That Have Died Since 1985 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

[joebagadonuts]

That makes it 41 in the past ten years.
Piper's call for unionization still goes unanswered.

41 pro wrestler deaths in the last ten years?

That was my initial reaction as well but then I realized I can remember (not specifically of course) 5 or 6 deaths in the past couple of years so that number seems accurate.

I'm not doubting tcwest's numbers, especially given the 'diet' that these guys are supposedly on (I don't follow wrestling in the least, so that's pure speculation). But that's an average of four per year, which seems ridiculously high (given the fact that these guys aren't supposed to really get hurt), taking into account the total number of wrestlers. If it's accurate, I would agree that someone somewhere should do something (how's that for vague?).

I might possibly agree with some of the sentiments you theoretically expressed

I'm not sure how I feel about that.

[Jake]

Crash Holly - 32
Kerry Von Erich - 33
Owen Hart - 33
Chris Candido - 33
Yokozuna - 34
Brian Pillman - 35
Eddie Guerrero - 38
Davey Boy Smith - 39
Bertha Faye - 40
Rick Rude - 41
Miss Elizabeth - 42
Big Boss Man - 42
Earthquake - 42
Dino Bravo - 44
Curt Hennig - 44
Bam Bam Bigelow - 45
Hercules - 45
Andre The Giant - 46
Hawk - 46

I watched all those people growing up. It's a darn shame.

[fredp45]

Probably not surprising considering their health and lifestyle...

You don't see 300 or 400 lb guys in old folks homes. Plus, many of these guys are juicing to stay big, strong and recover after matches. Some of these guys are so huge, there is no way you can get that big and defined without help. NO way.

[Skinsfan55]

Crash Holly - 32
Kerry Von Erich - 33
Owen Hart - 33
Chris Candido - 33
Yokozuna - 34
Brian Pillman - 35
Eddie Guerrero - 38
Davey Boy Smith - 39
Bertha Faye - 40
Rick Rude - 41
Miss Elizabeth - 42
Big Boss Man - 42
Earthquake - 42
Dino Bravo - 44
Curt Hennig - 44
Bam Bam Bigelow - 45
Hercules - 45
Andre The Giant - 46
Hawk - 46

I watched all those people growing up. It's a darn shame.

While tragic... many of those deaths are from substance abuse. I hardly think we can blame wrestling for that.

Crash Holly - 32
-Choked on his own vomit after ODing.

Kerry Von Erich - 33
-Suicide following drug addiction.

Owen Hart - 33
-Stunt accident. (Completely avoidable. I blame WWF)

Chris Candido - 33
-Possibly from complications to injury suffered in the ring. Blood clot.

Yokozuna - 34
-Died of heart attack. Approximately 600 pounds at time of death.

Brian Pillman - 35
-History of drug abuse.

Eddie Guerrero - 38
-Despite his 4 year sobriety leading up to his death... years of steroid and other drug use had weakened his heart... leading to his death.

Davey Boy Smith - 39
-Another heart attack, caused in approximately the same fashion as Guerrero.

Bertha Faye - 40
-Overdosed on drugs.

Rick Rude - 41
-OD'd on GHB and steroids.

Miss Elizabeth - 42
-Accidental drug overdose. (She mixed medications with vodka.)

Big Boss Man - 42
-Heart attack, unknown cause.

Earthquake - 42
-Died of bladder cancer.

Dino Bravo - 44
-Murdered, possibly in relation to organized crime. (He allegedly became a cigarette smuggler after retiring from wrestling.)

Curt Hennig - 44
-Heavy drug and alcohol abuser. Died from cocaine intoxication according to doctors... also abused steroids and painkillers.

Bam Bam Bigelow - 45
-Possibly died due to diabetes.

Hercules - 45
-Died in sleep... not much else is known.

Andre The Giant - 46
-A notorious alcoholic... but that probably didn't kill him. His pituitary gigantism meant an early death regardless.

Hawk - 46
-Heart attack possibly linked with drug abuse, steroids, alcohol, etc.

Sure, all these deaths are tragic... and maybe the wrestling world pushes these guys to drug abuse because of the gruelling schedules, the cramped conditions, etc. etc... but then... kitchens and pizza delivery places are notorious for drug use among employees as well...

What can we really do about the wrestlers who choose to use steroids?

The temptation is there for sure, especially when there can be only a handful of celebrities in wrestling. These guys want to be the best, so they do whatever they can...

A lot of wrestling is talent... but more than other sports, the look is a huge part, maybe even more than half, of what wrestling is about.

Bret Hart, IMO the greatest wrestler to ever live, would not even be a headliner today. He didn't have a huge physique, or an excellent mic presence... Sure, his matches were fun to watch, he was an excellent in ring guy who could bring the best from his opponents (even that hack Ric Flair.) but he didn't have the body... and that wouldn't fly today.

I'd love to see wrestlers form a union... but I also wonder what good it would do... and the harm it could possibly do to the sport:

Immagine wrestler A is the current title holder, but he wants a week off to see his kids. The WWE says no, and threatens to script a title loss if he doesn't defend his belt whenever they want. The union steps in... and it's in the papers.

Sure, people know wrestling isn't real... but who wants to see the 4th wall torn down that badly?

[air_hog]

Bret Hart, IMO the greatest wrestler to ever live, would not even be a headliner today. He didn't have a huge physique, or an excellent mic presence... Sure, his matches were fun to watch, he was an excellent in ring guy who could bring the best from his opponents (even that hack Ric Flair.) but he didn't have the body... and that wouldn't fly today.

Listen, I'm not trying to be a jerk or anything like that and I am truly sorry for anyone who enjoyed watching this guy entertain people throughout his life, and yes RIP BBB.

But your statement about Bret Hart... you know wrestling is fake right...

[1niksder]

you know wrestling is fake right...

What do you mean when you say Fake

[JansenFan]

Most of those guys abuse drugs to combat the pain from wrestling night in and night out, battling through injuries because they don't get paid when they don't wrestle. While I am not condoning substance abuse, I do see how the lifestyle required of a wrestler could lend itself to drug abuse.

[joebagadonuts]

Andre The Giant - 46
-A notorious alcoholic... but that probably didn't kill him. His pituitary gigantism meant an early death regardless.

There was an EXCELLENT biography of Andre on the History Channel a few weeks back (I'm addicted to biographies), in which they stated that while he did love to drink, he lived far beyond not only what was normal for people with gigantism, but what was expected for him personally, which was 40 years old. They did emphasize that while he did die early from a 'normal' standpoint, he made the most of his years, according to his friends and family.

Ultimately, they believe that it was the disease that killed him, and not his lifestyle. It's very strange to think of a person in their forties who is still physically growing.

[JansenFan]

I have seen that biography twice. Glad I'm not the only nerd who watched the history channel.

[BossHog]

I'm a known wrestling JUNKIE.

I've watched just about every single name on that list many times. Some of them are really hard to believe... others are train wrecks waiting to happen...

I guess when the candle burns bright, sometimes it doesn't burn for very long.

The biggest shock of that list are some names that AREN'T on it yet... King Kong Bundy, Kamala,

On a wrestling note, i was at my local market this weekend and Greg the Hammer Valentine was there doing an appearance. I used to bear a small physical resemblance to Valentine some used to say... so I talked to him for a little bit.

Wow... was he miserable. here's a guy who was with wrestling when it really took off and he obviously doesn't have a pot to piss in (or there's no way he'd have been doing this appearance - trust me) It's a shame that these guys live such destructive lives but if you follow the culture, you come to realize that it is ALL self-inflicted.

A union would solve very little... Vince McMahon himself has said that there are many nights he tells a wrstler that he doesn't think he should do something 'physically'... the wrestler always does it anyway.

It's all about hype, it's all about them capturing their 'small window in time' and unfortunately, many ultimately pay the price with their lives somewhere down the road.

RIP Bam Bam.

[Skinsfan55]

This is like the third time in a few weeks that BH and I agreed on something.

Still, I can see... like JF said where the lifestyle might lend itself to substance abuse... but I don't think it's an excuse. (And I'm not saying that you do either.)

[Skinsfan55]

Bret Hart, IMO the greatest wrestler to ever live, would not even be a headliner today. He didn't have a huge physique, or an excellent mic presence... Sure, his matches were fun to watch, he was an excellent in ring guy who could bring the best from his opponents (even that hack Ric Flair.) but he didn't have the body... and that wouldn't fly today.

Listen, I'm not trying to be a jerk or anything like that and I am truly sorry for anyone who enjoyed watching this guy entertain people throughout his life, and yes RIP BBB.

But your statement about Bret Hart... you know wrestling is fake right...

I don't understand this comment at all.

Wrestling isn't fake, in the way some people say. They aren't guys who go out there and have pillow fights. Even though the end result is pre-planned and guys are trying to minimize the abuse they deal the other... most of the matches aren't specifically choreographed and they all take a toll on the participants.

It's "sports entertainment" like it's advertised. Think of wrestling as the Harlem Globetrotters. Obviously the Globetrotters are planned to win, but guys are still bumping each other under the boards and there's the occasional foul, etc.

Anyway, I thought the way I phrased my Bret Hart admiration was as someone who knows wrestling is staged, but who can respect someone's contributions to it. There are wrestlers who are terrible actors, who make matches look more phoney than they already are... and guys like Hart could get the absolute most out of any other wrestler and make the whole show better off. That's what makes a wrestler good or bad, not their preplanned win-loss record.

[tcwest10]

I believe that a Unionized workplace might lead to longer lives...if only because they'd have fair representation, a minimum wage (like in baseball) medical coverage and access to other professional services, as needed. Will it save everybody? No. Nothing can. But it would make a difference.
Piper's thing is, once a wrestler is done performing, the "sickness" remains...and there's no uniform health coverage for guys who do what they do.
At this time, you couldn't get twelve wrestlers together in a room to agree to unionize...because even in this day and age, the mostly anti-Union promoters still decide whether you work in their respective territories or not...and there's no way they'd agree to pay a fixed fair wage to jobbers.
Once a wrestler sees his profession as a regular job, with regular job benefits...you'd have to think that more of them would be inclined to take better care of themselves.