 Bigelow in 1994 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Scott Charles Bigelow (1961-09-01)September 1, 1961 Mount Laurel, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | January 19, 2007(2007-01-19) (aged 45) Hudson, Florida, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Drug overdose |
Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring names |
|
| Billed height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)[1][2] |
| Billed weight | 390 lb (177 kg)[1][2] |
| Billed from |
|
| Trained by | Larry Sharpe |
| Debut | August 23, 1985 |
Scott Charles Bigelow (September 1, 1961 – January 19, 2007) was an Americanprofessional wrestler, better known by thering name Bam Bam Bigelow. Recognizable by his close-to-400-pound frame and the distinctive flame tattoo that spanned most of his bald head, Bigelow was hailed by Ryan Murphy (a writer for Bigelow's former employerWWE) as "the most natural, agile and physically remarkable big man of the past quarter century",[3] while former co-workerBret Hart described him as "possibly the best working big man in the business."[4]
Bigelow is best known for his appearances with promotionsNew Japan Pro-Wrestling, theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF),World Championship Wrestling (WCW), andExtreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) between 1987 and 2001. Over the course of his career, he held championships including theECW World Heavyweight Championship, theECW World Television Championship, theIWGP Tag Team Championship, theWAR World Six-Man Tag Team Championship, and theWCW World Tag Team Championship. Bigelow headlined seven pay-per-views: the firstSurvivor Series in 1987,Beach Brawl in 1991,King of the Ring in 1993 and1995,WrestleMania XI in 1995, andNovember to Remember in1997 and1998.
Bigelow was born on September 1, 1961, inMount Laurel, New Jersey, United States.[5] He attendedNeptune High School inNeptune Township, New Jersey.[6] While he did not graduate, he earnedvarsity letters infootball andwrestling. He placed third in the 1979 New Jersey state wrestling tournament in his sophomore year, but missed his senior season due to a cyst in his lower back.[7][8][9][10] In his late teens, Bigelow competed inarm wrestling tournaments.[11] After dropping out of high school, Bigelow held various jobs including a bodyguard, a bouncer, and abounty hunter.[7][12][13] Bigelow stated that while working as a bounty hunter in Mexico, he was shot in the back by a fugitive[12][14] and imprisoned for six months inMexico City.[8]
After being released from prison in Mexico, Bigelow decided to train as a professional wrestler, reasoning "there wasn't much else I was qualified for."[8] In May 1985, he began training atLarry Sharpe's Monster Factory wrestling school inClementon, New Jersey,[15][16] with Sharpe regarding him as his prize student.[14][17] He made his professional wrestling debut on August 23, 1985,[18] at a show held at theStudio 54 nightclub that was promoted byPaul Heyman.[17][19]
In mid-1986, Bigelow began wrestling for theMemphis, Tennessee-basedContinental Wrestling Association under the ring name "Bam Bam Bigelow", with Sharpe acting as his manager. He was quickly established as amonster, competing in multiplehandicap matches and regularly being disqualified for illegally jumping off the top rope.[20][21] Bigelow won his first championship on July 28, 1986, being crowned the newAWA Southern Heavyweight Champion after winning abattle royal. He lost the championship toJerry Lawler on September 8, 1986, in aTexas Death Match.[22] Following the loss, Bigelow departed the CWA for several months before returning to form atag team with Lawler and feud withAustin Idol andTommy Rich.[23][24] Bigelow continued regularly appearing with the CWA until March 1987.[20] He made brief returns to the CWA and its successor, theUnited States Wrestling Association, in 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1994.[25]
In late 1986, Bigelow wrestled for the Texas-basedWorld Class Championship Wrestling promotion using the ring name "Crusher Yurkov", portraying a Russian.[26][27][28] During his run, he won theWCWA Television Championship.[29] Readers of theWrestling Observer Newsletter voted Bigelow "Rookie of the Year" for 1986.[30]
Beginning in January 1987, Bigelow began making lengthy tours of Japan withNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) under the ring name "Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow", with Larry Sharpe again serving as his manager, reuniting the trainer with Bigelow.[31] During NJPW's "New Year Dash", "Blazing Cherry Blossoms", and "Summer Big Fight Series" events in 1987, Bigelow repeatedly facedAntonio Inoki in a series of matches, including unsuccessfully challenging him for theIWGP Heavyweight Championship in theRyōgoku Kokugikan inTokyo in August 1987.[32]
In January 1989, Bigelow formed atag team withBig Van Vader known as "Big, Bad, and Dangerous" which lasted until May 1989. He unsuccessfully challenged for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on several occasions, including a bout against incumbent champion Vader in September 1989 billed as the "Super Power Battle InOsaka". Bigelow and Vader reformed their tag team in 1990.[32] In June 1990, Bigelow also appeared withAll Japan Pro Wrestling, competing in its Super Power Series against opponents such as"Dr. Death" Steve Williams,Terry Gordy,Toshiaki Kawada, andKenta Kobashi.[33]
In March 1991, Bigelow and Vader defeatedDoom in theTokyo Dome as part of theWCW/New Japan Supershow I. In March 1992, Bigelow and Vader defeatedHiroshi Hase andKeiji Muto for theIWGP Tag Team Championship. Their reign lasted until June 1992, when they were defeated by theSteiner Brothers. Bigelow made his final appearances with NJPW in October 1992, participating in theSuper Grade Tag League with Keiji Muto, before leaving Japan to return to the WWF.[32][34] Bigelow was unable to return to NJPW later in his career due to an exclusivity agreement signed between NJPW andWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW).[19]
Bigelow debuted in theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF) in May 1987 as "Bam Bam Bigelow". He spent several months wrestling exclusively indark matches and onhouse shows before making his televised debut.[35] Upon his debut, Bigelow featured in a storyline in which variousheel managers such asJimmy Hart,Johnny Valiant,Mr. Fuji,Bobby Heenan, andSlick vied to have him as their client in what was dubbed "the Battle for Bam Bam", only forJesse Ventura to tell them that they were out of the running for Bam Bam. The storyline culminated in September 1987 when Bigelow denounced the last manager in the running,Slick and announced that his manager would beOliver Humperdink, establishing him as aface.[9][19][36]
In September and October 1987, Bigelow won a series ofbattle royals.[35] He made his pay-per-view debut at the inauguralSurvivor Series, teaming withDon Muraco,Hulk Hogan,Ken Patera, andPaul Orndorff in a loss toAndré the Giant,King Kong Bundy,Butch Reed,One Man Gang, andRick Rude; Bigelow was the last man eliminated for his team.[2][37][38] Following the bout, he faced One Man Gang in a series of matches. At the1987 Slammy Awards in December, he received an award for "Best Head"; later in the evening, he joined the rest of the WWF roster to sing "If You Only Knew".[9] He began feuding withTed DiBiase in January 1988, on several occasions teaming with Hogan to face DiBiase and André the Giant.[39] AtWrestleMania IV in March 1988, Bigelow took part in the tournament for the vacantWWF World Heavyweight Championship, losing to One Man Gang in the first round. Bigelow went on to face One Man Gang in a further series of matches throughout mid-1988.[35]
In June 1988, Bigelow lost to André the Giant in aMadison Square Garden bout airing onWWF on MSG Network in whichBret Hart stated that André "practically killed him" by workingstiff due to tension between them;[4] immediately following the match, Bigelow returned to the locker room, collected his bag, and left the Garden.[40] Bigelow left the WWF in July 1988 due to a combination of knee injuries (tears to bothanterior cruciate ligaments)[41] andheat from other members of the roster resentful of thepush he had received despite being a rookie.[42][21][43]
Bigelow debuted inJim Crockett Promotions in September 1988, shortly before its rebranding asWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW). He was managed by Oliver Humperdink who had also joined the promotion. Bigelow quickly began feuding withThe Four Horsemen.[21] In November 1988, he unsuccessfully challengedRic Flair, the leader of The Four Horsemen, for theNWA World Heavyweight Championship in adark match in theCharlotte Coliseum. In late 1988, he began challenging HorsemanBarry Windham over theNWA United States Heavyweight Championship; he lost to Windham by count-out atStarrcade '88: True Gritt in December 1988 after being attacked by the Horsemen's manager,J. J. Dillon.[19][43][44] Bigelow was unwilling to sign an exclusive contract with WCW due to his touring commitments with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and he left the company in January 1989.[42]
Bigelow returned to WCW in April 1990, once again reuniting with Oliver Humperdink. During this stint he wrestled primarily onhouse shows and occasionally onNWA Power Hour andNWA Main Event. He joined the villainous "Sullivan's Slaughterhouse"stable withKevin Sullivan andCactus Jack.[45] At theCapital Combat pay-per-view in May 1990, Bigelow teamed with Sullivan and Cactus Jack in a loss toNorman the Lunatic andthe Road Warriors.[46] AtClash of the Champions XI: Coastal Crush, he lost toTommy Rich via disqualification after refusing to break a choke. Bigelow's second stint with WCW lasted until August 1990 when he once again returned to New Japan Pro-Wrestling.[44]
Bigelow joined the fledglingUniversal Wrestling Federation in March 1991, making several appearances onUWF Fury Hour. During his time in the promotion, he had a short feud with"Cowboy" Bob Orton. His final appearance with the UWF was in June 1991 at theBeach Brawl pay-per-view, where he lost toSteve Williams in a main event bout to determine the inauguralUWF SportsChannel Television Champion.[47][48][49]
In February 1992, Bigelow began wrestling in Mexico for theUniversal Wrestling Association, appearing on itsUWA TV program. He primarily wrestled insix-man tag team matches, with his regular allies including André the Giant[50] (with who he reconciled following their altercation in 1988[51]), theSamoan SWAT Team, andRambo and his opponents includingEl Canek,Fishman, and VillanosIII,IV, andV.[52][53] He was one of a series of foreign challengers to face El Canek.[54] Bigelow did not enjoy working in Mexico,[42] and he left the UWA in May 1992.[52]
Bigelow returned to the World Wrestling Federation in October 1992, scoring a series of wins onWWF Superstars andWWF Wrestling Challenge. He made his pay-per-view return in January 1993, decisively defeatingBig Boss Man at theRoyal Rumble.[35][55][42] Throughout early 1993, Bigelow wrestled primarily onhouse shows, including tours of Europe in February and April. He repeatedly unsuccessfully challengedBret Hart for theWWF World Heavyweight Championship. A scheduled match between Bigelow and Kamala atWrestleMania IX in April was cancelled due to time constraints.[35][56] In June 1993,Luna Vachon was introduced as Bigelow'svalet and "main squeeze" (love interest).[57] Bigelow defeatedTyphoon on the May 10 episode ofMonday Night Raw to qualify for the first-ever televisedKing of the Ring tournament; at theKing of the Ring pay-per-view on June 13, Bigelow defeatedJim Duggan in the quarter-finals and received a bye in the semi-finals, but lost to Bret Hart in the tournament final in what was his third pay-per-view main event.[35][58]
Following King of the Ring, Bigelow began feuding withTatanka.[59] In July and August, Bigelow toured Europe with the WWF[35] Later in August, Bigelow teamed withYokozuna to unsuccessfully challenge theSteiner Brothers for theWWF World Tag Team Championship.[60] AtSummerSlam on August 30, Bigelow andthe Headshrinkers lost to Tatanka and theSmoking Gunns.[61] In October 1993, Bigelow and Luna Vachon began feuding withDoink the Clown; theBrooklyn Brawler substituted for Bigelow in some matches after he took a brief leave of absence in early November to care for his pregnant wife. A match was scheduled forSurvivor Series pitting Bigelow,Bastion Booger, and the Headshrinkers against four Doinks; at Survivor Series the four Doinks were revealed as beingthe Bushwhackers andMen on a Mission. Bigelow was defeated byMabel.[35][62] The match was poorly critically received, being named "Worst Worked Match of the Year" by theWrestling Observer Newsletter.
In January 1994, Bigelow had a short feud with Bastion Booger after Booger kissed Vachon.[63][64] At the1994 Royal Rumble on January 22, Bigelow lost to Tatanka, substituting forLudvig Borga. During the Royal Rumble match itself, Bigelow eliminated Tatanka, Doink, and several other wrestlers before being eliminated byLex Luger.[35][65] Bigelow was also one of multiple villainous wrestlers to interfere inWWF World Heavyweight ChampionYokozuna's title defense againstThe Undertaker, helping Yokozuna retain the Championship.[66][67] Following the Royal Rumble, Bigelow continued his feud with Doink, culminating in a tag team match atWrestleMania X where Bigelow and Vachon defeated Doink and his allyDink to end their rivalry.[68][69] Following WrestleMania X, Bigelow took part in the WWF's tour of Europe and Israel. An April 24, 1993, bout between Bigelow and Bret Hart inBarcelona, Spain was included on the 2005 DVDdocumentary filmBret "Hit Man" Hart: The Best There Is, the Best There Was, the Best There Ever Will Be at Hart's request.[21] On the May 16, 1994, episode ofMonday Night Raw, Bigelow defeatedSparky Plugg to qualify for that year'sKing of the Ring tournament. The following month, he lost toRazor Ramon in the quarter-final of the1994 King of the Ring.[35]
On the June 27, 1994, episode ofMonday Night Raw, Bigelow broke ties with Luna Vachon, withTed DiBiase subsequently announcing that he had bought Bigelow's contract. Bigelow became a member of DiBiase's newstable, theMillion Dollar Corporation.[70] Throughout the summer, Bigelow had a series of matches withMabel; the two faced each other during the "Summer Fest" and "Hart Attack" tours of Europe.[35] In July 1994, while under WWF contract, Bigelow returned to Japan to work forGenichiro Tenryu'sWrestle Association R as "Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow". Teaming with Tenryu andAtsushi Onita, he won the "Super Battle of 6 Men" tournament.[71][72][73] AtSummerSlam on August 29, Bigelow and fellow Million Dollar Corporation memberIrwin R. Schyster defeatedthe Headshrinkers by disqualification. AtSurvivor Series on November 23, the "Million Dollar Team" (Bigelow,King Kong Bundy,Tatanka, and theHeavenly Bodies) defeated "Guts and Glory" (Adam Bomb,Lex Luger, Mabel, andThe Smoking Gunns).[35][74]
In November 1994, Bigelow and fellow Million Dollar Corporation member Tatanka entered atournament for the vacantWWF World Tag Team Championship. They defeatedMen on a Mission in the quarter-finals and The Headshrinkers in the semi-finals.[35] Bigelow made another appearance with Wrestle Association R in Japan in December 1994, winning a round robin challenge match at the WAR MEGA-POWER event.[71] On January 22, 1995, at theRoyal Rumble, Bigelow and Tatanka lost to theunderdog team ofThe 1-2-3 Kid andBob Holly in the finals of the tournament for the vacant WWF Tag Team Championship in anupset.[75][76][77]
The World Wrestling Federation had approached formerNew York GiantsAll-ProlinebackerLawrence Taylor about performing atWrestleMania XI in an attempt to generate interest. After Taylor agreed to wrestle a match, Bigelow was selected as his opponent.[78] The storyline saw Taylor introduced at the Royal Rumble, where he was sitting in the audience at ringside. After Bigelow was pinned by The 1-2-3 Kid, Bigelow took umbrage after noticing Taylor laughing. Upon Bigelow confronting Taylor at ringside, he offered Bigelow a handshake, but Bigelow instead shoved him to the ground. On the following episode ofMonday Night Raw, it was announced that Bigelow had been temporarily suspended. During an interview segment withVince McMahon, Bigelow declined to apologize to Taylor, instead challenging him to a match "any time, anyplace." Taylor initially declined the match, but after repeated insults from Bigelow, he accepted the challenge on February 27, 1995, at the WrestleMania XI press conference. The buildup to the match included Taylor staging a public workout in a ring that had been erected inTimes Square inNew York City at which he was confronted by Bigelow, resulting in a brawl.[79][80][81] On April 2, 1995, Taylor defeated Bigelow in themain event of WrestleMania XI.[82][83] The storyline garnered significant media coverage, with outlets such asSports Illustrated,SportsCenter, andUSA Today featuring it.[84] Bigelow was credited as havingcarried the inexperienced Taylor.[85]
Following WrestleMania, Bigelow participated in the "WWF in High Gear" tour of Europe.[35] Upon his return to the United States, he challengedDiesel for theWWF Championship on the April 24, 1995, episode ofMonday Night Raw. After Diesel defeated Bigelow, Ted DiBiase announced that he was firing Bigelow. After Bigelow retaliated, the other members of the Million Dollar Corporation attacked him until he was saved by Diesel, thus turning Bigelowface.[42] In the main event ofKing of the Ring on June 25, 1995, Bigelow and Diesel teamed together to defeat Million Dollar Corporation membersSid and Tatanka.[35] Following King of the Ring, Bigelow faced Million Dollar Corporation members Sid, Tatanka, King Kong Bundy, andKama in a series of matches. AtIn Your House 2, he defeatedHenry Godwinn, who was auditioning to join the Million Dollar Corporation. AtIn Your House 3, he lost toBritish Bulldog. In October 1995, he took part in the "Full Metal" tour, marking his final tour of Europe with the WWF.[35] In late 1995, Bigelow negotiated an early release from his contract with WWF chairmanVince McMahon after becoming disillusioned by the creative influence ofThe Kliq.[19] He made his final appearance with the WWF on November 19, 1995, atSurvivor Series, losing to the recently debutedGoldust.[35][86]
After leaving the World Wrestling Federation in late 1995, Bigelow began working on the United States independent circuit. In March 1996, Bigelow became the inauguralNWA Northeast Heavyweight Champion of the newly foundedNWA Northeast promotion, defeatingJim Neidhart in a tournament final. Although Bigelow only made a handful of appearances with the promotion, his reign officially lasted until October 1998 when the title was vacated.[87] In May 1996, Bigelow defeatedTyphoon to win the vacant Universal Superstars of America Heavyweight Championship.[88] In July 1996, he defeatedKing Kong Bundy at NWA New Jersey.[89] Bigelow returned to Wrestle Association R in August 1996 for a tour that lasted until the end of the year. He briefly held theWAR World Six-Man Tag Team Championship withHiromichi Fuyuki andYoji Anjo in October 1996.[71][90] In 1997, Bigelow was named as the inauguralHeavyweight Champion of the newly foundedWorld Star Wrestling Federation.[91] In June 1997, Bigelow appeared at theWorld Wrestling Peace Festival, an inter-promotional supercard staged at theLos Angeles Memorial Sports Arena byAntonio Inoki, where he facedChris Jericho andKonnan in athree way dance.[92] In April 1998, Bigelow wrestled two bouts for the Japanese promotionFrontier Martial-Arts Wrestling, participating in the "Fighting Creation" event.[93]
Bigelow debuted in thePhiladelphia,Pennsylvania-basedExtreme Championship Wrestling promotion in February 1996 atBig Apple Blizzard Blast, confrontingTaz.[94] Later that month atJust Another Night he defeatedCactus Jack in an impromptu match after Jack mocked him for his loss to Lawrence Taylor. In March 1996 atBig Ass Extreme Bash he again confronted Taz. Bigelow made a further appearance in October 1996, defeatingTerry "Bam Bam" Gordy atUltimate Jeopardy in what was dubbed the "Battle of the Bam Bams".[19][95][96]
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Bigelow began appearing regularly with ECW in May 1997. He was reintroduced atChapter 2, being named the new member ofThe Triple Threat alongsideShane Douglas,Chris Candido, andFrancine.[97] He was undefeated until August 1997, when he suffered an upset loss to the diminutiveSpike Dudley atBorn to be Wired.[95][98] Bigelow made his ECW pay-per-view debut atHardcore Heaven later that month, decisively defeating Dudley in a rematch. During the match, Bigelowpressed Dudley above his head and hurled him into theECW Arena audience.[99] Bigelow went on to defeat Dudley in a series of further matches over the following months.[95]
On the October 20, 1997, episode ofECW Hardcore TV,Rick Rude selected Bigelow as the challenger for Shane Douglas'ECW World Heavyweight Championship. Bigelow accepted the match and went on to win the Championship, renouncing his membership in The Triple Threat as a result. Over the course of his reign, Bigelow successfully retained the Championship in bouts with challengers includingAl Snow, Chris Candido,Mikey Whipwreck, andPaul Diamond.[95] He began feuding with Douglas, on one occasion accidentally breaking thepelvis of Douglas' valet Francine while performing agorilla press slam on her.[100] In the main event ofNovember to Remember on November 30, 1997, Douglas defeated Bigelow to regain the Championship.[101][102][103]
Bigelow continued feuding with Douglas and the rest of The Triple Threat, allying withTaz. AtHostile City Showdown in January 1998, Bigelow and Taz faced The Triple Threat in ahandicap match; during the match, Bigelow betrayed Taz, rejoining The Triple Threat. AtLiving Dangerously on March 1, 1998, Bigelow defeated Taz for theECW World Television Championship in theAsbury Park Convention Hall in his adopted hometown.[104][105][106] During the match, Bigelow collapsed backwards while Taz was applying hisTazmission hold, driving both men through the ring canvas.[107][108][109] Bigelow's reign lasted until the April 4, 1998, episode ofECW Hardcore TV where he lost the Championship toRob Van Dam.[95][110][111]
After defeatingNew Jack atWrestlepalooza,[112]Axl Rotten atIt Ain'tSeinfeld, andAl Snow atA Matter of Respect, Bigelow unsuccessfully challenged Taz for theECW FTW Heavyweight Championship in afalls count anywhere match atHeat Wave after both men fell through the entrance ramp.[95][113] Bigelow subsequently teamed with Candido and then Douglas to unsuccessfully challenge Rob Van Dam andSabu for theECW World Tag Team Championship. The feud between The Triple Threat and Taz, Van Dam, and Sabu culminated in asix-man tag team match in the main event ofNovember to Remember, in which Sabu pinned Douglas.[95][114] This marked Bigelow's final appearance with ECW as he left the promotion to rejoin World Championship Wrestling immediately thereafter.[95]
In November 1998, Bigelow abruptly left ECW after experiencingbounced checks,[115] signing what Brian Fitz and Christopher Murray described as a "lucrative"[108] two-year contract with World Championship Wrestling.[110] He made his return to WCW on the November 16, 1998, episode ofMonday Nitro, interrupting a match betweenChavo Guerrero Jr. andScott Putski. After attacking both competitors, Bigelow called outWCW World Heavyweight ChampionGoldberg and brawled with him in the ring.[116][18] AtWorld War 3 on November 22, Bigelow interfered in thetitular match, attacking Goldberg.[117] In his first match back with the company, he wrestled Goldberg to a no contest on the December 7 episode ofMonday Nitro.[44] AtStarrcade on December 27, Bigelow was one of several wrestlers to interfere in the main event bout between Goldberg andKevin Nash, helping Nash pin Goldberg for the first time in his career and win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.[118][119] After defeatingWrath atSouled Out in January 1999, Bigelow lost to Goldberg atSuperBrawl IX the following month.[44]
In March 1999, Bigelow lost toRey Mysterio Jr., helping establish him as a "giant killer".[120][121] Later that month, he entered a tournament for the vacantWCW United States Heavyweight Championship, losing toMeng in the first round. He began competing in WCW's nascenthardcore division, including atriple threatfalls count anywhere match against fellow ECW alumniRaven andHardcore Hak atUncensored,[122] a hardcore match against Hak atSpring Stampede,[123] akendo stick match againstHugh Morrus onMonday Nitro,[44] and a hardcore match againstBrian Knobbs atSlamboree.[124]
On the May 31, 1999, episode ofMonday Nitro, Bigelow andDiamond Dallas Page challengedRaven andPerry Saturn for theWCW World Tag Team Championship. After Bigelow and Page attacked Raven prior to the match, Saturn faced them alone untilChris Kanyon joined the match as a substitute for Raven; however, Bigelow and Page pinned Kanyon to win the Championship.[125] The following week onNitro, Kanyon joined Page and Bigelow to form astable, theJersey Triad.[126] Page and Bigelow lost the WCW World Tag Team Championship to Saturn andChris Benoit on the June 10 episode ofThunder. AtThe Great American Bash later that month, Page and Kanyon defeated Benoit and Saturn for the Championship following interference from Bigelow; subsequently, they enacted the "Freebird Rule", meaning Bigelow was also recognized as champion and any two members of the Jersey Triad could defend the Championship. AtBash at the Beach, The Jersey Triad successfully defended the Championship against Saturn and Benoit in ahandicap match. Their reign lasted untilRoad Wild in August 1999, when they lost toHarlem Heat.[9][125][127] The Jersey Triad disbanded the following month.
After a short absence, Bigelow returned to WCW television on the October 25 episode ofMonday Nitro, losing toNorman Smiley in the first round of a tournament for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. He then returned to the hardcore division.[44] On the February 7, 2000, episode ofMonday Nitro, Bigelow defeated Brian Knobbs for theWCW Hardcore Championship. He lost the championship back to Knobbs later that month atSuperBrawl X.[128] In March 2000, Bigelow participated in WCW's "Millennium Tour" of the United Kingdom. Later that month, he began feuding withThe Wall after he developed a sadistic streak and attacked various younger wrestlers, includingDavid Flair andCrowbar. The feud culminated in a bout atUncensored which Bigelow won by disqualification.[129][130] In June 2000, Bigelow briefly reunited with his former Triple Threat stablemates Shane Douglas and Chris Candido,[18] after which he was inactive for several months[44] due to severe burns he had sustained in a fire.[131][132]
Bigelow returned to WCW television once more in October 2000. In November, he was paired withMike Awesome in a "Lethal Lottery" tournament to determine the number one contender to the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. After Bigelow and Awesome lost toScott Steiner andSting, they began feuding. After Bigelow attacked Awesome prior to a scheduled match between them atMayhem in November, Bigelow defeated Awesome's substitute,Sgt. A.W.O.L.[133] The feud culminated in anambulance match atStarrcade in December which was won by Awesome after Bigelow fell through the roof of the ambulance.[134] Over the following months, Bigelow primarily wrestled onThunder. In early 2001, Bigelow began feuding withShawn Stasiak, losing to him at WCW's final pay-per-view,Greed. The feud culminated in a match on the final episode ofMonday Nitro on March 26 in which Stasiak defeated Bigelow.[44][135]
After World Championship Wrestling was purchased by the World Wrestling Federation in March 2001, Bigelow opted not to accept a buy-out on his contract withTime Warner (the parent company of WCW).[136] He was one of the performers considered by the newly-formedNWA Total Nonstop Action promotion in early 2002 but was unavailable due to his contract.[137] After his contract expired in June 2002, Bigelow returned to theindependent circuit. He wrestled sporadically, mainly appearing with promotions in theNortheastern United States. In September 2002, Bigelow wrestled in Germany for the European Wrestling Promotion.[138] He made several appearances for USA Pro Wrestling, winning the USA Pro Heavyweight Championship twice during 2002.[139] In 2004, Bigelow announced he would no longer take majorbumps orchair shots for fear of exacerbating his health problems.[140] He wrestled his final match on November 7, 2006 (10 weeks before his death) for the Florida-based American Combat Wrestling promotion, teaming with Ralph Mosca as "The Syndicate" to defeat Overkill (Legion Cage and Marcus Hall) for the ACW Tag Team Championship; the titles were vacated later that month.[141][142]
Bigelow was noted for what Michael McAvennie described as "uncanny nimbleness" given his height and weight.[143] Capable of executing cartwheels, forward rolls, anddropkicks,[21] he was described by Jake Black as "a powerful giant who could move like acruiserweight".[144] JournalistDave Meltzer commented "Bigelow was something of a phenomenon when he came into pro wrestling in 1986."[145] He was nicknamed "the Beast from the East".[41] His character was described by Michael Ball as a "punk".[146]
Bigelow had a distinctive appearance, with a large frame,[14] shaved head,[14] 19 tattoos[41] (including various animals and mythical creatures on his arms[7] and a fireball on the top of his head[147][148]), goatee,[8] missing front tooth,[8] and what journalist Jon Gelberg described as "perpetually narrowed" eyes.[8] Initially wrestling in black cut-off shorts and a cut-off t-shirt with "I Am Monster" written on the back,[21] after joining theWorld Wrestling Federation in 1987 he began wearing clothes illustrated with flames, a theme he continued throughout the remainder of his career.[36][149]
At the outset of his career, Bigelow used theNuclear Splash (adiving splash) as his finisher.[14][21] He later used aslingshotsplash[150][151] and anover-the-shoulder reverse piledriver[144] that he namedGreetings From Asbury Park in reference to his adopted hometown and theBruce Springsteenalbum.[147][41] Deceptively agile, Bigelow also used aerial maneuvers such asmoonsaults[80][36] anddiving headbutts.[145][149]
On November 17, 1996, Bigelow facedKimo Leopoldo in amixed martial arts bout promoted by U-Japan inTokyo.[152] Bigelow was dominated through the bout, submitting to arear naked choke in the first round.[148] In a 1998 interview, Bigelow claimed that he had been asked tothrow the fight and that he had been paid $100,000 (equivalent to $200,488 in 2024) for the fight.[40][42]
| 1 match | 0 wins | 1 loss |
| By knockout | 0 | 0 |
| By submission | 0 | 1 |
| By decision | 0 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0-1 |  Kimo Leopoldo | Submission (rear naked choke) | U-Japan | November 17, 1996 | 1 | 2:15 | Tokyo, Japan | [153] |
During his professional wrestling career, Bigelow took on a number of acting roles, generally playing menacing villainous characters. He also appeared in a commercial forSlim Jim. He was a member of theScreen Actors Guild.[41][154]
| Year[155] | Title[155] | Role[155] |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Snake Eater III: His Law | Goose |
| 1995 | Major Payne | Huge Biker |
| 1996 | Joe's Apartment | Boss Construction |
| 2000 | Icebreaker | SWAT Team |
| 2000 | Ready to Rumble | Himself |
As a young man, Bigelow was repeatedly arrested on charges includingaggravated assault, attemptedkidnapping,criminal restraint,drug possession,robbery, andsexual assault. He spent nine months in theAlbert C. Wagner Youth Correctional Facility as a teenager, and was later imprisoned for six months inMexico City for illegally acting as a bounty hunter in Mexico.[8][156]
Bigelow married Asbury Park native Dana Fisher in 1987. The couple had three children before divorcing in 2000.[8][157][158] Following the divorce, Fisher sued Bigelow for non-payment ofchild support.[157]
On July 4, 2000, Bigelow received second degree burns on 40% of his body while rescuing three children from a fire inWayside, New Jersey. He spent 10 days in a hospital after the incident.[131][132]
In 2004, Bigelow opened a deli inHamlin, Wayne County, Pennsylvania, that sold a two pound "Beast Burger". The restaurant later folded. Bigelow later relocated toFlorida in hope that the warm weather would help with his chronic pain.[157][145][140][9]
In May 2004, Bigelow was charged with endangering the welfare of a child throughreckless driving. He attributed the incident to aseizure he had suffered, and the charges were dropped two months later.[157] In August 2004, Bigelow was convicted ofpossession of marijuana.[157]
On October 2, 2005, Bigelow was hospitalized with a broken nose and several lacerations after crashing hisHarley-Davidsonmotorcycle onFlorida State Road 50 inHernando County, Florida. Bigelow's girlfriend was his passenger at the time of the crash; she suffered severe injuries, but eventually made a complete recovery and remained with Bigelow until his death.[159][157]
For much of his professional wrestling career, Bigelow suffered from an addiction toOxyContin.[157] By the end of his life, Bigelow was suffering from multiple health issues and receivingSocial Security Disability Benefits.[159] He hadatherosclerosis,[160]diabetes, and a persistent infection.[161] He also had severe back problems; back surgeries had reduced his height by 2 inches (5.1 cm).[7][21]
Bigelow's girlfriend found him dead in his home inHudson, Florida, at approximately 10 a.m.EST on the morning of January 19, 2007.[162][163] He was 45 years old. An autopsy found that Bigelow's death was due to multiple drugs found in his system, including toxic levels ofcocaine andbenzodiazepines. A contributing factor to Bigelow's death wasatherosclerosis. His death was ruled an accident by thePasco-Pinellas Medical Examiner.[160]
Highlighting her collection of injury stories is the day Bam Bam Bigelow picked her up and performed a press slam by throwing her across the ring. "I just fell on my pelvic bone and fractured it in two places," Francine said.
A native of Asbury Park, N.J....
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