Scott Charles Bigelow (September 1, 1961 – January 19, 2007) was an American

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...

, better known by the ring 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 employer

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...

) as "the most natural, agile and physically remarkable big man of the past quarter century", while former co-worker

Bret Hart Bret Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE under a legend's contract. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling back ...

described him as "possibly the best working big man in the business." Bigelow is best known for his appearances with promotions

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV ...

, the

World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and var ...

(WWF),

World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nati ...

(WCW), and

Extreme Championship Wrestling HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and media company that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon as National Wrest ...

(ECW) between 1987 and 2001. Over the course of his career, he held championships including the

ECW World Heavyweight Championship The ECW World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship originally used in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and later, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was the original world title of the ECW ...

, the

ECW World Television Championship The ECW World Television Championship was a professional wrestling television championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It was introduced in 1992 as part of National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) affiliate and ECW precursor, Eastern Champi ...

, the

IWGP Tag Team Championship The is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of the NJPW's governing body, the . The title was introduced on December 12, 1985 at an NJPW live event. The ...

, the

WAR World Six-Man Tag Team Championship The is a six-man tag team title contested for in the Japanese professional wrestling promotion Tenryu Project. The title was established in Wrestle Association R (WAR) in 1994. There have been a total of twenty reigns shared among sixteen team ...

, and the

WCW World Tag Team Championship The WCW World Tag Team Championship (previously NWA (Mid-Atlantic) World Tag Team Championship) was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) ...

. Bigelow headlined seven pay-per-views: the first Survivor Series in 1987, Beach Brawl in 1991, King of the Ring in 1993 and

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...

WrestleMania XI WrestleMania XI was the 11th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on April 2, 1995, at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut. A t ...

in 1995, and

November to Remember November to Remember (commonly abbreviated to N2R) was a professional wrestling event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It was held during the month of November from 1993 to 2000. Starting with the 1997 edition the event was broadca ...

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...

and

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...

Early life

Bigelow was born on September 1, 1961 in

Mount Laurel, New Jersey Mount Laurel is a township in Burlington County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a suburb of Philadelphia and part of the South Jersey region. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 41,864, reflecting an increase of 1 ...

, United States. He attended

Neptune High School Neptune High School is a comprehensive four-year community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Neptune Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Neptune Townsh ...

Neptune Township, New Jersey Neptune Township is a township in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township's population was 28,061, an increase of 126 from the 2010 census enumeration of 27,935, in turn an increase of 245 ( ...

. While he did not graduate, he earned

varsity letter A varsity letter (or monogram) is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its recipient was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met. Description ...

s in football and

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

. 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. In his late teens, Bigelow competed in

arm wrestling Arm wrestling (also spelled armwrestling) is a sport with two opponents who face each other with their bent elbows placed on a table and hands firmly gripped, who then attempt to force the opponent's hand down to the table top ("pin" them). The s ...

tournaments. After dropping out of high school, Bigelow held various jobs including a bodyguard, a bouncer, and a

bounty hunter A bounty hunter is a private agent working for bail bonds who captures fugitives or criminals for a commission or bounty. The occupation, officially known as bail enforcement agent, or fugitive recovery agent, has traditionally operated outsid ...

. Bigelow stated that while working as a bounty hunter in Mexico, he was shot in the back by a fugitive and imprisoned for six months in

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1985–1987)

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." In May 1985, he began training at Larry Sharpe's Monster Factory wrestling school in

Clementon, New Jersey Clementon is a borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 5,000, with Sharpe regarding him as his prize student. He made his professional wrestling debut on August 23, 1985 at a show held at the Studio 54 nightclub that was promoted by

Paul Heyman Paul Heyman (born September 11, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, former promoter, photographer, and executive. He is currently signed to WWE, appearing on the SmackDown brand as manager for Undisputed WWE Universal Heavyweig ...

. In mid-1986, Bigelow began wrestling for the

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

-based Continental Wrestling Association under the ring name "Bam Bam Bigelow", with Sharpe acting as his manager. He was quickly established as a "monster", competing in multiple

handicap match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

es and regularly being disqualified for illegally jumping off the top rope. Bigelow won his first championship on July 28, 1986, being crowned the new AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion after winning a

battle royal Battle royal (; also royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules. In recent times, the term has been used in a ...

. He lost the championship to

Jerry Lawler Jerry O'Neil Lawler (born November 29, 1949), better known as Jerry "The King" Lawler, is an American color commentator and professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, although he has not performed as a full-time commentator since Ap ...

on September 8, 1986 in a

Texas Death Match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

. Following the loss, Bigelow departed the CWA for several months before returning to form a

tag team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establish ...

with Lawler and feud with Austin Idol and

Tommy Rich Thomas Richardson (born July 26, 1956) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Tommy “Wildfire” Rich. He is a one time former National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Champion and Smoky Mountain Wrestling ...

. Bigelow continued regularly appearing with the CWA until March 1987. He made brief returns to the CWA and its successor, the

United States Wrestling Association The United States Wrestling Association (USWA) was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. The company was founded when the Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association merged with the Dallas-based World Class Wrestlin ...

, in 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1994. In late-1986, Bigelow wrestled for the Texas-based

World Class Championship Wrestling World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), later known as the World Class Wrestling Association (WCWA) (1986–1991) was an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed ...

promotion using the ring name "Crusher Yurkov", portraying a Russian. During his run, he won the WCWA Television Championship. Readers of the ''

Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four W ...

'' voted Bigelow " Rookie of the Year" for 1986.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (1987–1992)

Beginning in January 1987, Bigelow began making lengthy tours of Japan with

(NJPW) under the ring name "Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow", with Larry Sharpe again serving as his manager, reuniting the trainer with Bigelow. Bigelow became a very popular monster heel thanks to his amazing agility and unusual aerial moves, and scored huge victories over the likes of

Tatsumi Fujinami (born December 28, 1953) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to WWE on a legend's contract. Fujinami is most well known for his long tenure with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a six-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion. ...

on April 13 and Akira Maeda in April 20. In January 1989, he formed a

with Big Van Vader known as "Big, Bad, and Dangerous" which lasted until May 1989. He unsuccessfully challenged for the

IWGP Heavyweight Championship The was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The title was introduced on June 12, 1987, in the final of an IW ...

on several occasions, including a bout against incumbent champion Vader in September 1989 billed as the "Super Power Battle In

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...

". Bigelow and Vader reformed their tag team in 1990. In June 1990, Bigelow also appeared with

All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established on October 21, 1972 when Giant Baba split away from the Japanese Wrestling Association and created his own promotion. Many wrestlers had left with Baba ...

, competing in its Super Power Series against opponents such as "Dr. Death" Steve Williams,

Terry Gordy Terry Ray Gordy Sr. (April 23, 1961 – July 16, 2001) was an American professional wrestler. Gordy appeared in the United States with promotions such as Mid-South Wrestling, Georgia Championship Wrestling, World Class Championship Wrestling, Jim ...

Toshiaki Kawada (born December 8, 1963) is a Japanese semi-retired professional wrestler best known for his work in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), whom he worked for from his debut in 1982 up until 2008. In All Japan, he was a 5 time Triple Crown Heavyweight ...

, and

Kenta Kobashi is a Japanese former professional wrestler. He started his career in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) in 1988, where he became one of the promotion's top stars, holding the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship three times, and winning the Cham ...

. In March 1991, Bigelow and Vader defeated

Doom Doom is another name for damnation. Doom may also refer to: People * Doom (professional wrestling), the tag team of Ron Simmons and Butch Reed * Daniel Doom (born 1934), Belgian cyclist * Debbie Doom (born 1963), American softball pitcher * ...

in the

Tokyo Dome is an indoor stadium in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. It was designed as a baseball stadium following its predecessor, Korakuen Stadium. Construction on the stadium began on May 16, 1985, and it opened on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of th ...

as part of the

WCW/New Japan Supershow I WCW/New Japan Supershow I, (known as Starrcade in Tokyo Dome in Japan) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event that took place on March 21, 1991, in the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. It was co-promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW ...

. In March 1992, Bigelow and Vader defeated

Hiroshi Hase is a Japanese politician who is currently the governor of Ishikawa Prefecture. He served as the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology under Prime Minister Shinzō Abe. Prior to his appointment in the Cabinet, he also ser ...

and

Keiji Muto is a Japanese professional wrestler and professional wrestling executive currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah), where he is a former GHC Heavyweight Champion. He is best known for his work as in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and N ...

for the

. Their reign lasted until June 1992, when they were defeated by

The Steiner Brothers The Steiner Brothers are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Robert "Rick Steiner" Rechsteiner and Scott "Scott Steiner" Rechsteiner. The brothers wrestled as amateurs at the University of Michigan. The team ma ...

. Bigelow made his final appearances with NJPW in October 1992, participating in the Super Grade Tag League with Keiji Muto, before leaving Japan to return to the WWF. Bigelow was unable to return to NJPW later in his career due to an exclusivity agreement signed between NJPW and

World Wrestling Federation (1987–1988)

Bigelow debuted in the

(WWF) in May 1987 as "Bam Bam Bigelow". He spent several months wrestling exclusively in

dark match Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnivals and circuses. In the past, professional wrestlers used such terms in the presence o ...

es and on house shows before making his televised debut. Upon his debut, Bigelow featured in a storyline in which various heel managers such as

Bobby Heenan Raymond Louis Heenan (November 1, 1944 – September 17, 2017) was an American professional wrestling manager, color commentator, wrestler, and comedian. He performed with the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the World Wrestling Federati ...

, Jimmy Hart, and Slick vied to have him as their client in what was dubbed "The Battle for Bam Bam". The storyline culminated in August 1987 when Bigelow denounced the heel managers and announced that his manager would be Oliver Humperdink, establishing him as a

face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...

. In September and October 1987, Bigelow won a series of battle royals. He made his pay-per-view debut at the inaugural

Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...

, teaming with

Don Muraco Don Muraco (born September 10, 1949) is an American retired professional wrestler and podcaster. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation from 1981 to 1988, where he held the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Cha ...

, Hulk Hogan,

Ken Patera Ken or KEN may refer to: Entertainment * ''Ken'' (album), a 2017 album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer. * ''Ken'' (film), 1964 Japanese film. * ''Ken'' (magazine), a large-format political magazine. * Ken Masters, a main character in ...

, and

Paul Orndorff Paul Parlette Orndorff Jr. (October 29, 1949 – July 12, 2021), nicknamed "Mr. Wonderful", was an American professional wrestler and college football player, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Cham ...

in a loss to

André the Giant André René Roussimoff (; 19 May 1946 – 28 January 1993), better known by his ring name André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. Roussimoff was known for his great size, which was a result of gigantism caused by excess ...

King Kong Bundy Christopher Alan Pallies (November 7, 1955 – March 5, 2019) was an American professional wrestler, actor and stand-up comedian, better known by his wrestling gimmick and ring name, King Kong Bundy. Under this gimmick, he portrayed a pugnacious, ...

Butch Reed Bruce Franklin Reed (July 11, 1954 – February 5, 2021) was an American professional wrestler and football player, better known by the ring name Butch Reed. He played college football at the University of Central Missouri, was a star in Mid ...

One Man Gang George Gray (born February 12, 1960) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, (The) One Man Gang. For two years in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), he was Akeem "The African Dream". Prior to this, he w ...

, and

Rick Rude Richard Erwin Rood (December 7, 1958 – April 20, 1999), better known by his ring name "Ravishing" Rick Rude, was an American professional wrestler who performed for many promotions, including World Championship Wrestling (WCW), World Wrestling ...

; Bigelow was the last man eliminated for his team. Following the bout, he faced One Man Gang in a series of matches. At the

Slammy Awards The Slammy Awards is a concept used by WWE, where awards, similar to the Academy and Grammy Awards, are given to professional wrestlers and other individuals within WWE, such as commentators and managers. Introduced in 1986, there have been 13 edi ...

in December 1987, 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". He began feuding with

Ted DiBiase Theodore Marvin DiBiase Sr. (born January 18, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE working in their Legends program. DiBiase achieved championship ...

in January 1988, on several occasions teaming with Hogan to face DiBiase and André the Giant. At

WrestleMania IV WrestleMania IV was the fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on March 27, 1988, at the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall in A ...

in March 1988, Bigelow took part in the tournament for the vacant

WWF World Heavyweight Championship The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown ...

, 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. In June 1988, Bigelow lost to André the Giant in a Madison Square Garden bout airing on '' WWF on MSG Network'' in which

stated that André "practically killed him" by working stiff due to tension between them; immediately following the match, Bigelow returned to the locker room, collected his bag, and left the Garden. Bigelow left the WWF in July 1988 due to a combination of knee injuries (tears to both

anterior cruciate ligament The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligament Cruciate ligaments (also cruciform ligaments) are pairs of ligaments arranged like a letter X. They occur in several joints of the body, such as the knee joint and th ...

s) and

heat In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is ...

from other members of the roster resentful of the push he had received despite being a rookie.

World Championship Wrestling (1988–1989, 1990)

Bigelow debuted in

Jim Crockett Promotions Jim Crockett Promotions Inc. is a family-owned professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, restarted by Jim Crockett's son and Jim Crockett Jr's brother, David Crockett. Founded in 1931, the promot ...

in September 1988, shortly before its rebranding as

. He was managed by Oliver Humperdink who had also joined the promotion. Bigelow quickly began feuding with

The Four Horsemen The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are figures in the Christian scriptures, first appearing in the Book of Revelation, a piece of apocalypse literature written by John of Patmos. Revelation 6 tells of a book or scroll in God's right hand th ...

. In November 1988, he unsuccessfully challenged Ric Flair, the leader of The Four Horsemen, for the

NWA World Heavyweight Championship The NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship is a world heavyweight professional wrestling championship owned and promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), an American professional wrestling promotion. The current champion is Tyrus, who is i ...

in a

in the

Charlotte Coliseum Charlotte Coliseum was a multi-purpose sports and entertainment arena located in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was operated by the Charlotte Coliseum Authority, which also oversees the operation of Bojangles' Coliseum (which was called Charlott ...

. In late-1988, he began challenging Horseman

Barry Windham Barry Clinton Windham (born July 4, 1960) is an American retired professional wrestler. The son of wrestler Blackjack Mulligan, he is best known for his appearances with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW ...

over the

NWA United States Heavyweight Championship The NWA United States Heavyweight Championship is a name used for several secondary championships used by various National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) members since 1953. At least twelve different versions of the NWA United States Heavyweight Champions ...

; he lost to Windham by count-out at

Starrcade Starrcade was a recurring professional wrestling event, originally broadcast via closed-circuit television and eventually broadcast via pay-per-view. It was originally held from 1983 to 2000, first by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) from 1 ...

in December 1988 after being attacked by the Horsemen's manager, J. J. Dillon. 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. Bigelow returned to WCW in April 1990, once again reuniting with Oliver Humperdink. He joined the villainous " Sullivan's Slaughterhouse" stable with Kevin Sullivan and Cactus Jack. At the

Capital Combat Capital Combat: Return of RoboCop was a one-time professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event from the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) held under the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) name. Capital Combat took place on Saturday, May 19, ...

pay-per-view in May 1990, Bigelow teamed with Sullivan and Cactus Jack in a loss to Norman the Lunatic and

the Road Warriors The Road Warriors, also known as the Legion of Doom, were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Road Warrior Hawk (Michael Hegstrand) and Road Warrior Animal (Joseph Laurinaitis).. They performed under the name "The Road Warriors" in t ...

. At Clash of the Champions XI: Coastal Crush, he lost to

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.

Universal Wrestling Federation (1991)

Bigelow joined the fledgling Universal Wrestling Federation in March 1991, making several appearances on ''

UWF Fury Hour ''UWF Fury Hour'' is a professional wrestling television program that was produced by Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) and broadcast weekly every Monday night on SportsChannel America from October 1, 1990, to September 23, 1991. The show was ...

''. 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 the

Beach Brawl Beach Brawl was the only live professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Herb Abrams' Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF). The event took place on June 9, 1991 at the Manatee Civic Center in Palmetto, Florida. Eight professional wr ...

pay-per-view, where he lost to Steve Williams in a main event bout to determine the inaugural UWF SportsChannel Television Champion.

Universal Wrestling Association (1992)

In February 1992, Bigelow began wrestling in Mexico for the

Universal Wrestling Association The Universal Wrestling Association (UWA) was a Mexican ''Lucha Libre'' or professional wrestling promotion based in Naucalpan, Mexico State that operated from 1975 until 1995. The name of the actual promotion was Lucha Libre Internacional (LLI) ...

, appearing on its ''UWA TV'' program. He primarily wrestled in

six-man tag team match Much like the singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder m ...

es, with his regular allies including André the Giant (with who he reconciled following their altercation in 1988), The Samoan SWAT Team, and

Rambo Rambo is a surname with Norwegian (Vestfold) and Swedish origins. It possibly originated with '' ramn'' + '' bo'', meaning "raven's nest". It has variants in French (''Rambeau'', ''Rambaut'', and ''Rimbaud'') and German (''Rambow''). It is now best ...

and his opponents including

El Canek Felipe Estrada (born June 19, 1952), known as El Canek or simply Canek, is a Mexican '' luchador enmascarado'' or masked professional wrestler best known for the 20 years he worked for the Universal Wrestling Association where he held the UWA Wo ...

, Fishman, and Villanos III, IV, and V. He was one of a series of foreign challengers to face El Canek. Bigelow did not enjoy working in Mexico, and he left the UWA in May 1992.

World Wrestling Federation (1992–1995)

Alliance with Luna Vachon (1992–1994)

Bigelow returned to the World Wrestling Federation in October 1992, scoring a series of wins on ''

WWF Superstars is a wrestling video game manufactured by Technōs Japan and released for arcades in 1989. It is the first WWF arcade game to be released. A series of unrelated games with the same title were released by LJN for the original Game Boy. Techn� ...

'' and ''

WWF Wrestling Challenge ''WWF Wrestling Challenge'' is a professional wrestling television show that was produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now known as WWE). It was syndicated weekly and aired from 1986 to 1995. The show became simply known as ''WWF Cha ...

''. He made his pay-per-view return in January 1993, decisively defeating Big Boss Man at the

Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...

. Throughout early-1993, Bigelow wrestled primarily on house shows, including tours of Europe in February and April. He repeatedly unsuccessfully challenged

for the

. A scheduled match between Bigelow and Kamala at

WrestleMania IX WrestleMania IX was the ninth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) List of WWE pay-per-view events, event produced by the WWE, World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). The event took place on April 4, 1993, at Caesars Pa ...

in April was cancelled due to time constraints. In June 1993,

Luna Vachon Gertrude Elizabeth Vachon ( ; January 12, 1962 – August 27, 2010) was an American-Canadian professional wrestler, better known as Luna Vachon.Lisa S. Davis,Ex-wrestler Luna Vachon, 48, found dead", ''Tampa Bay Online'' (August 31, 2010). Over ...

was introduced as Bigelow's

valet A valet or varlet is a male servant who serves as personal attendant to his employer. In the Middle Ages and Ancien Régime, valet de chambre was a role for junior courtiers and specialists such as artists in a royal court, but the term "valet ...

and "main squeeze" (love interest). Bigelow defeated

Typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...

on the May 10 episode of ''

Monday Night Raw ''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that currently airs live every Monday at 8 p.m. ET on the USA Network in the United States. The show fe ...

'' to qualify for the first-ever televised

King of the Ring tournament The King of the Ring tournament is a men's professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held periodically by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. Established in 1985, the winner of the inaugural tournament was Don M ...

; at the

King of the Ring King of the Ring was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and WWE Network event produced by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. The PPV event was held annually in June and was established in 1993 when the promotion ...

pay-per-view on June 13, Bigelow defeated

Jim Duggan James Edward Duggan Jr. (born January 14, 1954), better known by his ring name "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE on a Legends contract. His best-known character is that of an American patriot, which ...

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. Following King of the Ring, Bigelow began feuding with Tatanka. In July and August, Bigelow toured Europe with the WWF Later in August, Bigelow teamed with

Yokozuna , or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (''rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments. This is the on ...

to unsuccessfully challenge

for the

WWF World Tag Team Championship The World Tag Team Championship was the original professional wrestling world tag team championship in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) promotion, and the promotion's third tag team championship overall. Originally established by the then- ...

. At

SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...

on August 30, Bigelow and The Headshrinkers lost to Tatanka and

The Smoking Gunns The Smoking Gunns were a professional wrestling tag team of kayfabe brothers Billy Gunn (Monty Sopp) and Bart Gunn (Mike Polchlopek). They portrayed cowboys in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1993 to 1996. As a team, the Smoking Gunns ...

. In October 1993, Bigelow and Luna Vachon began feuding with

Doink the Clown Doink the Clown is a professional wrestling persona originally and most popularly portrayed by Matt Osborne, who debuted the Doink persona in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1992. Doink is a clown (or evil clown) wearing traditional clo ...

;

The Brooklyn Brawler Steven Kenneth Lombardi (born April 18, 1961) is an American professional wrestler and road agent, better known by his ring name, The Brooklyn Brawler. He worked for the professional wrestling promotion, WWE, as well as several independent promot ...

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 for

pitting Bigelow,

Bastion Booger Michael Paul Shaw (May 9, 1957 – September 11, 2010) was an American professional wrestler who was best known for his stint in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as Norman the Lunatic, and as Bastion Booger in the World Wrestling Federation (W ...

, and The Headshrinkers against four Doinks; at Survivor Series the four Doinks were revealed as being

The Bushwhackers The Bushwhackers are a professional wrestling tag team who competed first as the New Zealand Kiwis and then as The Sheepherders during their 36-year career as a tag team. They wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation, Jim Crockett Promotions, ...

and

Men on a Mission Men on a Mission was a professional wrestling tag team composed of Mabel (Nelson Frazier) and Mo (Robert Horne), best known for its appearances in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1993 to 1996. Career Harlem Knights The team that wou ...

. Bigelow was defeated by Mabel. The match was poorly critically received, being named " Worst Worked Match of the Year" by the ''

''. In January 1994, Bigelow had a short feud with

after Booger kissed Vachon. At the

on January 22, 1994, Bigelow lost to Tatanka, substituting for

Ludvig Borga Tony Christian Halme (January 6, 1963 – January 8, 2010) was a Finnish politician, athlete, author, actor, and singer. He was a member of the Finnish Parliament from 2003 to 2007, representing the True Finns party as an independent politician ...

. During the Royal Rumble match itself, Bigelow eliminated Tatanka, Doink, and several other wrestlers before being eliminated by

Lex Luger Lawrence Wendell Pfohl (born June 2, 1958), better known by the ring name Lex Luger, is an American retired professional wrestler, bodybuilder, and football player. In 2011 he began working with WWE on its wellness policy. He is best known for ...

. Bigelow was also one of multiple villainous wrestlers to interfere in WWF World Heavyweight Champion Yokozuna's title defence against

The Undertaker Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by the ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway spent the vast majorit ...

, helping Yokozuna retain the Championship. Following the Royal Rumble, Bigelow continued his feud with Doink, culminating in a tag team match at

WrestleMania X WrestleMania X was the 10th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on March 20, 1994, at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. The cen ...

where Bigelow and Vachon defeated Doink and his ally

Dink "DINK" is an acronym that stands for "double income, no kids" or "dual income, no kids". It describes a couple without children living together while both partners are receiving an income; because both of their wages are coming into the same house ...

to end their rivalry. 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 in

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

, Spain was included on the 2005 DVD

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in te ...

'' Bret "Hit Man" Hart: The Best There Is, the Best There Was, the Best There Ever Will Be'' at Hart's request. On the May 16, 1994 episode of ''Monday Night Raw'', Bigelow defeated Sparky Plugg to qualify for that year's

. The following month, he lost to

Razor Ramon Scott Oliver Hall (October 20, 1958 – March 14, 2022) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his tenures with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under his real name and under the ring name the Diamond Studd and with the ...

in the quarter-final at

Million Dollar Corporation (1994–1995)

On the June 27, 1994 episode of ''

'', Bigelow broke ties with Luna Vachon, with

subsequently announcing that he had bought Bigelow's contract. Bigelow became a member of DiBiase's new stable,

The Million Dollar Corporation The Million Dollar Corporation was a professional wrestling Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Stable, stable in the WWE, World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from April 1994 to May 1996 and was led and managed by the "Million Dollar Man" Ted Di ...

. Throughout the summer, Bigelow had a series of matches with Mabel; the two faced each other during the "Summer Fest" and "Hart Attack" tours of Europe. In July 1994, while under WWF contract, Bigelow returned to Japan to work for Genichiro Tenryu's

Wrestle Association R Wrestle Association R (formerly known as Wrestle and Romance and abbreviated as WAR) was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded and run by Genichiro Tenryu as the successor to Super World of Sports, and which lasted from 1992 to 200 ...

as "Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow". Teaming with Tenryu and

Atsushi Onita is a Japanese actor, politician, and semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) and is credited with introducing Japan to the deathmatch style of professional wrestling. He founded ...

, he won the " Super Battle of 6 Men" tournament. At

on August 29, Bigelow and fellow Million Dollar Corporation member Irwin R. Schyster defeated The Headshrinkers by disqualification. At

on November 23, "The Million Dollar Team" (Bigelow,

, Tatanka, and

The Heavenly Bodies The Heavenly Bodies is a professional wrestling tag team famous for having worked in Smoky Mountain Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation, and various independent promotions. Over the years, there have been multiple variations of the team, ...

) defeated "Guts and Glory" ( Adam Bomb,

, Mabel, and

). In November 1994, Bigelow and fellow Million Dollar Corporation member Tatanka entered a

tournament A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...

for the vacant

. They defeated

in the quarter-finals and The Headshrinkers in the semi-finals. 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. On January 22, 1995 at the

, Bigelow and Tatanka lost to

The 1-2-3 Kid Sean Michael Waltman (born July 13, 1972) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for his appearances for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) under the ring names 1–2– ...

and

Bob Holly Robert William Howard (born January 29, 1963) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and former auto racer and wrestling trainer/ host, better known by the ring name Hardcore Holly or Bob Holly. He is best known for his 16-year career wit ...

in the WWF Tag Team Championship tournament final. The World Wrestling Federation had approached former New York Giants

All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...

Lawrence Taylor about performing at

in an attempt to generate interest. After Taylor agreed to wrestle a match, Bigelow was selected as his opponent. 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 of ''Monday Night Raw'', it was announced that Bigelow had been temporarily suspended. During an interview segment with

Vince McMahon Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the ...

, 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 build up to the match included Taylor staging a public workout in a ring that had been erected in

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

at which he was confronted by Bigelow, resulting in a brawl. On April 2, 1995, Taylor defeated Bigelow in the

main event In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...

of WrestleMania XI. The storyline garnered significant media coverage, with outlets such as ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twi ...

'', '' SportsCenter'', and ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...

'' featuring it. Bigelow was credited as having carried the inexperienced Taylor. Following WrestleMania, Bigelow participated in the "WWF in High Gear" tour of Europe. Upon his return to the United States, he challenged

Diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...

for the

WWF Championship The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDow ...

on the April 24, 1995 episode of ''Monday 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 Bigelow

. In the main event of

on June 25, 1995, Bigelow and Diesel teamed together to defeat Million Dollar Corporation members Sid and Tatanka. Following King of the Ring, Bigelow faced Million Dollar Corporation members Sid, Tatanka, King Kong Bundy, and

Kama ''Kama'' (Sanskrit ) means "desire, wish, longing" in Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh literature.Monier Williamsकाम, kāmaMonier-Williams Sanskrit English Dictionary, pp 271, see 3rd column Kama often connotes sensual pleasure, sexual ...

in a series of matches. At

In Your House 2 In Your House 2 (retroactively titled In Your House 2: The Lumberjacks) was the second In Your House professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on July 23, 1995, at the ...

, he defeated

Henry Godwinn Mark Canterbury (born March 16, 1964) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in the mid to late 1990s under the ring name Henry O. Godwinn. He is also ...

, who was auditioning to join the Corporation. At

In Your House 3 In Your House 3 (retroactively titled In Your House 3: Triple Header) was the third In Your House professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on September 24, 1995, at ...

, he lost to British Bulldog. In October 1995, he took part in the "Full Metal" tour, marking his final tour of Europe with the WWF. In late-1995, Bigelow negotiated an early release from his contract with WWF chairman

after becoming disillusioned by the creative influence of

The Kliq The Kliq was a backstage group in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) during the mid-1990s, composed of Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H. Michaels, Nash, and Hall wielded a considerable amount of power ...

. He made his final appearance with the WWF on November 19, 1995 at

, losing to the recently debuted

Goldust Dustin Patrick Runnels (born April 11, 1969) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Dustin Rhodes. He is best known for his multiple tenures with WWE ...

United States independent circuit; Japanese tours (1995–1998)

After leaving the World Wrestling Federation in late-1995, Bigelow began working on the United States independent circuit. In March 1996, Bigelow became the inaugural NWA Northeast Heavyweight Champion of the newly founded NWA Northeast promotion, defeating

Jim Neidhart James Henry Neidhart (February 8, 1955 – August 13, 2018) was an American professional wrestler known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation as Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, where he was a two-time WWF Tag T ...

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. In May 1996, Bigelow defeated

to win the vacant Universal Superstars of America Heavyweight Championship. In July 1996, he defeated

at NWA New Jersey. Bigelow returned to Wrestle Association R in August 1996 for a tour that lasted until the end of the year. He briefly held the

with

Hiromichi Fuyuki (May 11, 1960 – March 19, 2003) was a Japanese professional wrestler and promoter better known by his ring name best known for his time in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), ...

and

Yoji Anjo (born March 28, 1967) is a retired Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Professional wrestling career Universal Wrestling Federation and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (1985–1988) A former practitioner of judo, sumo and muay th ...

in October 1996. In 1997, Bigelow was named as the inaugural

Heavyweight Champion At boxing's beginning, the heavyweight division had no weight limit, and historically the weight class has gone with vague or no definition. During the 19th century many heavyweights were 170 pounds (12 st 2 lb, 77 kg) or less, thou ...

of the newly founded World Star Wrestling Federation. In June 1997, Bigelow appeared at the

World Wrestling Peace Festival The World Wrestling Peace Festival was a professional wrestling supercard event produced by Japanese professional wrestler Antonio Inoki, which took place on June 1, 1996 at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California. The event ...

, an inter-promotional supercard staged at the

Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was a multi-purpose arena at Exposition Park, in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. It was located next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and just south of the campus of the University of ...

by Antonio Inoki, where he faced

Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the Jerich ...

and

Konnan Charles Ashenoff (born Carlos Santiago Espada Moises; January 6, 1964),''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'', Dave Meltzer, ed., May 10, 2010, issue.Sims, Steve"Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame/Founded by Dave Meltzer - Konnan". Accessed August 1, 2016. O ...

in a three way dance. In April 1998, Bigelow wrestled two bouts for the Japanese promotion

Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded on July 28, 1989, by Atsushi Onita as (FMW). The promotion specializes in hardcore wrestling involving weapons such as barbed wire and fire. They held their f ...

, participating in the "Fighting Creation" event.

Extreme Championship Wrestling (1996, 1997–1998)

Initial appearances (1996)

Bigelow debuted in the

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

-based

promotion in February 1996 at

Big Apple Blizzard Blast Big Apple Blizzard Blast was a professional wrestling live event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) on February 3, 1996. The event was held in the Lost Battalion Hall in Queens, New York City, New York in the United States. Excer ...

, confronting Taz. Later that month at Just Another Night he defeated Cactus Jack in an impromptu match after Jack mocked him for his loss to Lawrence Taylor. In March 1996 at

Big Ass Extreme Bash Big Ass Extreme Bash was a professional wrestling doubleheader live event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) on the weekend of March 8 and March 9, 1996. The March 8 card was held in the Lost Battalion Hall in the Queens neighborhoo ...

he again confronted Taz. Bigelow made a further appearance in October 1996, defeating Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy at Ultimate Jeopardy in what was dubbed "The Battle of the Bam Bams".

The Triple Threat (1997–1998)

Bigelow began appearing regularly with ECW in May 1997. He was reintroduced at

Chapter 2 Chapter Two, Chapter 2, or Chapter II may refer to: Film, television, and theatre * ''Chapter Two'' (play), a 1977 play by Neil Simon * ''Chapter Two'' (film), a 1979 adaptation of Neil Simon's play Television episodes * "Chapter 2" (''American H ...

, being named the new member of

The Triple Threat The Triple Threat was a professional wrestling villainous stable that existed in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from 1995 to 1998. It was Shane Douglas's answer to Ric Flair's Four Horsemen. Douglas disliked Flair since he felt that Flair ...

alongside

Shane Douglas Troy Allan Martin (born November 21, 1964) is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Shane Douglas. He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (W ...

Chris Candido Christopher Barrett Candito (March 21, 1972 – April 28, 2005) was an American professional wrestler. Candito is best remembered for his tenures with promotions such as World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling, New Japan Pro-W ...

, and

Francine :''This is a disambiguation page for the common name Francine.'' Francine is a female given name. The name is of French origin. The name Francine was most popular in France itself during the 1940s (Besnard & Desplanques 2003), and was well used i ...

. He was undefeated until August 1997, when he suffered an upset loss to the diminutive

Spike Dudley Matthew Jonathan Hyson (born August 13, 1970) is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Spike Dudley. Prior to WWE, Hyson began performing as Spike Dudley in the 1990s with E ...

at Born to be Wired. Bigelow made his ECW pay-per-view debut at

Hardcore Heaven Hardcore Heaven was a professional wrestling event produced by Eastern/Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It took place annually from 1994 to 2000, with the exception of 1998. The 1997, 1999 and 2000 iterations aired on pay-per-view Pay-per-v ...

later that month, decisively defeating Dudley in a rematch. During the match, Bigelow pressed Dudley above his head and hurled him into the

ECW Arena 2300 Arena is a multipurpose indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania used primarily for professional wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, and concert events. Originally known as Viking Hall, the venue has since been named Alhambra Arena, The ...

audience. Bigelow went on to defeat Dudley in a series of further matches over the following months. On the October 20, 1997 episode of ''

ECW Hardcore TV ''ECW Hardcore TV'' is an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by the Philadelphia based promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) composed of footage from live shows and recorded interviews. It ran in syndi ...

'',

selected Bigelow as challenger for Shane Douglas'

. 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 including

Al Snow Allen Ray Sarven (born July 18, 1963) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Al Snow. He is best known as a wrestler for Smoky Mountain Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Wrestling Entertainment. Sn ...

, Chris Candido,

Mikey Whipwreck John Michael Watson (born June 4, 1973), better known by his ring name Mikey Whipwreck, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler working for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a trainer, and global ambassador. He is best known for his career ...

, and Paul Diamond. He began feuding with Douglas, on one occasion accidentally breaking the pelvis of Douglas' valet Francine while performing a gorilla press slam on her. In the main event of

on November 30, 1997, Douglas defeated Bigelow to regain the Championship. Bigelow continued feuding with Douglas and the rest of The Triple Threat, allying with Taz. At

Hostile City Showdown Hostile City Showdown was a professional wrestling supercard event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and media company ...

in January 1998, Bigelow and Taz faced The Triple Threat in a

; during the match, Bigelow betrayed Taz, rejoining The Triple Threat. At

Living Dangerously In professional wrestling, Living Dangerously was a pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and me ...

on March 1, 1998, Bigelow defeated Taz for the

in the

Asbury Park Convention Hall Asbury Park Convention Hall is a 3,600-seat indoor exhibition center located on the boardwalk and on the beach in Asbury Park in Monmouth County, New Jersey. It was built between 1928 and 1930 and is used for sports, concerts and other special ...

in his adopted hometown. During the match, Bigelow collapsed backwards while Taz was applying his ''

Tazmission Professional wrestling holds include a number of set moves and pins used by performers to immobilize their opponents or lead to a submission. This article covers the various pins, stretches and transition holds used in the ring. Some wrestlers use ...

'' hold, driving both men through the ring canvas. Bigelow's reign lasted until the April 4, 1998 episode of ''ECW Hardcore TV'' where he lost the Championship to

Rob Van Dam Robert Alexander Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD). He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling ...

. After defeating

New Jack Jerome Young (January 3, 1963 – May 14, 2021) was an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name New Jack. He was best known for his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), where he became notorious for his willingnes ...

Wrestlepalooza Wrestlepalooza was a professional wrestling event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It took place in 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2000. The 1998 iteration aired on pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast ...

Axl Rotten Brian Knighton (April 21, 1971 – February 4, 2016), better known by the ring name Axl Rotten, was an American professional wrestler. In the early 1990s, he was a part of the tag team The Bad Breed with Ian Rotten. He had a short stint with Wor ...

at It Ain't ''Seinfeld'', and

A Matter of Respect A Matter of Respect was a professional wrestling supercard event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and media company ...

, Bigelow unsuccessfully challenged Taz for the

ECW FTW Heavyweight Championship The FTW ("Fuck the World") Championship (also referred to as the FTW World Championship) is a professional wrestling championship created by Taz in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 1998. The championship was retired in 1999 after being un ...

in a

falls count anywhere match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

Heat Wave A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...

after both men fell through the entrance ramp. Bigelow subsequently teamed with Candido and then Douglas to unsuccessfully challenge Rob Van Dam and Sabu for the

ECW World Tag Team Championship The ECW World Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It was introduced in National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) affiliate and ECW precursor, Eastern Championship Wrestli ...

. The feud between The Triple Threat and Taz, Van Dam, and Sabu culminated in a

in the main event of

, in which Sabu pinned Douglas. This marked Bigelow's final appearance with ECW as he left the promotion to rejoin World Championship Wrestling immediately thereafter.

World Championship Wrestling (1998–2001)

Early appearances (1998–1999)

In November 1998, Bigelow abruptly left ECW after experiencing

bounced check Dishonoured cheques (also spelled check) are cheques that a bank on which is drawn declines to pay (“honour”). There are a number of reasons why a bank would refuse to honour a cheque, with non-sufficient funds (NSF) being the most common one ...

s, signing what Brian Fitz and Christopher Murray described as a "lucrative" two-year contract with World Championship Wrestling. He made his return on the November 16, 1998 episode of ''

Monday Nitro ''WCW Monday Nitro'', also known as ''WCW Nitro'' or simply ''Nitro'', is an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and broadcast weekly every Monday night on TNT in the United ...

'', interrupting a match between Scott Putski and Chavo Guerrero Jr. After attacking both competitors, Bigelow called out

World Heavyweight Champion At boxing's beginning, the heavyweight division had no weight limit, and historically the weight class has gone with vague or no definition. During the 19th century many heavyweights were 170 pounds (12 st 2 lb, 77 kg) or less, tho ...

Goldberg Goldberg or Goldberger may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Goldberg Ensemble, a British string ensemble * ''Goldberg Variations'', a set of 30 keyboard variations by Johann Sebastian Bach * ''The Goldbergs (broadcast series)'', American radio ...

and brawled with him in the ring. At World War 3 on November 22, Bigelow interfered in the titular match, attacking Goldberg. In his first match back with the company, he wrestled Goldberg to a no contest on the December 7 episode of ''Monday Nitro''. At

on December 27, Bigelow was one of several wrestlers to interfere in the main event bout between Goldberg and

Kevin Nash Kevin Scott Nash (born July 9, 1959) is an American actor and retired professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) where he performed under his ...

, helping Nash pin Goldberg for the first time in his career and win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. After defeating

Wrath Anger, also known as wrath or rage, is an intense emotional state involving a strong uncomfortable and non-cooperative response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat. A person experiencing anger will often experience physical effects, su ...

Souled Out Souled Out was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event promoted by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in January from 1997 through 2000. The 1997 and 1998 WCW Souled Out PPV events were held on Saturdays due to the Super Bowl played ...

in January 1999, Bigelow lost to Goldberg at

SuperBrawl IX SuperBrawl IX was the ninth SuperBrawl professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). The event took place on February 21, 1999 from the Oakland Arena in Oakland, California. Storylines The event f ...

the following month. In March 1999, Bigelow lost to

Rey Mysterio Jr. Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. Widely regarded as one of the greatest profe ...

, helping establish him as a "giant killer". Later that month, he entered a tournament for the vacant

WCW United States Heavyweight Championship The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship promoted by the American promotion WWE, currently defended on the Raw brand division. It is one of two secondary championships for WWE's main roster, along with the WWE ...

, losing to

Meng Meng may refer to: * Meng (surname) (孟), a Chinese surname * Master of Engineering (MEng or M.Eng.), an academic or professional master's degree in the field of engineering * , "M with hook", letter used in the International Phonetic Alphabet * ...

in the first round. He began competing in WCW's nascent

hardcore Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to: Arts and media Film * ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film * ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott * ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...

division, including a triple threat

against fellow ECW alumni Raven and Hardcore Hak at Uncensored, a hardcore match against Hak at Spring Stampede, a kendo stick match against

Hugh Morrus William Charles DeMott II (born November 10, 1966) is an American retired professional wrestler and road agent and trainer. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as Hugh Morrus and World Wrestling Federatio ...

on ''Monday Nitro'', and a hardcore match against

Brian Knobbs Brian Yandrisovitz (born May 6, 1964), better known as Brian Knobbs, is an operatic tenor and an American professional wrestler best known as half of the tag team The Nasty Boys with his partner Jerry Sags. Early life Knobbs was born on May 6 ...

Slamboree Slamboree was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event from World Championship Wrestling (WCW) held from 1993 through 2000. It was originally billed as "A Legends' Reunion" because many retired legends from Jim Crockett Promotions attend ...

The Jersey Triad (1999)

On the May 31, 1999 episode of ''Monday Nitro'', Bigelow and

Diamond Dallas Page Dallas Page (born Page Joseph Falkinburg Jr., April 5, 1956), better known by his ring name Diamond Dallas Page (often stylized as DDP), is an American actor and retired professional wrestler. In the course of his wrestling career Page has wre ...

challenged Raven and

Perry Saturn Perry Arthur Satullo (born October 25, 1966) is an American retired professional wrestler known by his ring name, Perry Saturn. Since debuting in 1990, Saturn wrestled for promotions including Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Champions ...

for the

. After Bigelow and Page attacked Raven prior to the match, Saturn faced them alone until

Chris Kanyon Christopher Morgan Klucsarits (January 4, 1970 – April 2, 2010) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1994 to 2 ...

joined the match as a substitute for Raven; however, Bigelow and Page pinned Kanyon to win the Championship. The following week on ''Nitro'', Kanyon joined Page and Bigelow to form a stable,

The Jersey Triad The Jersey Triad was a triumvirate stable active in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from mid-to-late 1999. The group consisted of Diamond Dallas Page, Chris Kanyon and Bam Bam Bigelow. Their name came from the members being billed from New Jer ...

. Page and Bigelow lost the WCW World Tag Team Championship to Saturn and

Chris Benoit Christopher Michael Benoit (; May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He worked for various pro-wrestling promotions during his 22-year career including most notably the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestlin ...

on the June 10 episode of ''

Thunder Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...

''. At

The Great American Bash The Great American Bash is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. Created by Dusty Rhodes, the event was established in 1985 and was originally produced by the National Wr ...

later that month, Page and Kanyon defeated Benoit and Saturn for the Championship following interference from Bigelow; subsequently, they enacted the "

Freebird Rule The Fabulous Freebirds were a professional wrestling tag team who attained fame in the 1980s, performing into the 1990s. The team usually consisted of three wrestlers, although in different situations and points in its history, just two performed ...

", meaning Bigelow was also recognized as champion and any two members of The Jersey Triad could defend the Championship. At Bash at the Beach, The Jersey Triad successfully defended the Championship against Saturn and Benoit in a

. Their reign lasted until

Road Wild Road Wild (originally known as Hog Wild) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) that was held in the month of August from 1996 to 1999. It was a free event held in Sturgis, South Dakot ...

in August 1999, when they lost to

Harlem Heat Harlem Heat was a professional wrestling tag team composed of two brothers, Booker and Lash Huffman (better known as Booker T and Stevie Ray). The team achieved their greatest success in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where they won the WCW ...

. The Jersey Triad disbanded the following month.

Hardcore division; final appearances (1999–2001)

After a short absence, Bigelow returned to WCW television on the October 25 episode of ''Monday Nitro'', losing to

Norman Smiley Norman Anthony Smiley (born February 28, 1965) is an English-American retired professional wrestler and vocalist specializing in Gregorian Chants. He is best known for his appearances with the Mexican promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre fro ...

in the first round of a tournament for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. He then returned to the hardcore division. On the February 7, 2000 episode of ''Monday Nitro'', Bigelow defeated Brian Knobbs for the

WCW Hardcore Championship The World Championship Wrestling (WCW) Hardcore Championship was a title in World Championship Wrestling. The title was defended in Hardcore matches, in which there were few rules and restrictions and weapons were allowed. Eventually, the rules ...

. He lost the championship back to Knobbs later that month at SuperBrawl X. In March 2000, Bigelow participated in WCW's "Millennium Tour" of the United Kingdom. Later that month, he began feuding with

The Wall ''The Wall'' is the eleventh studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released on 30 November 1979 by Harvest/EMI and Columbia/ CBS Records. It is a rock opera that explores Pink, a jaded rock star whose eventual self-imp ...

after he developed a sadistic streak and attacked various younger wrestlers, including

David Flair David Richard Fliehr (born March 6, 1979), better known by the ring name David Flair, is an American retired rofessional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he held the WCW United States ...

and Crowbar. The feud culminated in a bout at Uncensored which Bigelow won by disqualification. In June 2000, Bigelow briefly reunited with his former Triple Threat stablemates Shane Douglas and Chris Candido, after which he was inactive for several months due to severe burns he had sustained in a fire. Bigelow returned to WCW television once more in October 2000. In November, he was paired with

Mike Awesome Michael Lee Alfonso (January 24, 1965 – February 17, 2007) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with the American professional wrestling promotions Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestl ...

in a "Lethal Lottery" tournament to determine the number one contender to the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. After Bigelow and Awesome lost to

Scott Steiner Scott Rechsteiner (born July 29, 1962), better known by the ring name Scott Steiner, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Steiner is perhaps best known for his time in World Championshi ...

and Sting, they began feuding. After Bigelow attacked Awesome prior to a scheduled match between them at Mayhem in November, Bigelow defeated Awesome's substitute, Sgt. A.W.O.L. The feud culminated in an

ambulance match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

in December which was won by Awesome after Bigelow fell through the roof of the ambulance. Over the following months, Bigelow primarily wrestled on ''Thunder''. In early-2001, Bigelow began feuding with

Shawn Stasiak Shawn Emile Stipich (born July 21, 1970) is an American Canadian chiropractor, motivational speaker and retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the professional wrestling promotions the World Wrestling Federation ...

, losing to him at WCW's final pay-per-view,

Greed Greed (or avarice) is an uncontrolled longing for increase in the acquisition or use of material gain (be it food, money, land, or animate/inanimate possessions); or social value, such as status, or power. Greed has been identified as und ...

. The feud culminated in a match on the final episode of ''Monday Nitro'' on March 26 in which Stasiak defeated Bigelow.

Late career (2001–2006)

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 with

Time Warner Warner Media, LLC ( traded as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City, United States. It was originally established in 1972 by ...

(the parent company of WCW). He was one of the performers considered by the newly-formed

NWA Total Nonstop Action Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promoti ...

promotion in early-2002 but was unavailable due to his contract. After his contract expired in June 2002, Bigelow returned to the independent circuit. He wrestled sporadically, mainly appearing with promotions in the Northeastern United States. In September 2002, Bigelow wrestled in Germany for the European Wrestling Promotion. He made several appearances for USA Pro Wrestling, winning the USA Pro Heavyweight Championship twice during 2002. In 2004, Bigelow announced he would no longer take major

bumps A bumps race is a form of rowing race in which a number of boats chase each other in single file, each crew attempting to catch and ‘bump’ the boat in front without being caught by the boat behind. The form is mainly used in intercollegia ...

chair shot Strikes are offensive moves in professional wrestling, that can sometimes be used to set up an opponent for a hold or for a throw. There are a wide variety of strikes in pro wrestling, and many are known by several different names. Professional wre ...

s for fear of exacerbating his health problems. 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.

Professional wrestling style and persona

Bigelow was noted for what Michael McAvennie described as "uncanny nimbleness" given his height and weight. Capable of executing cartwheels, forward rolls, and

dropkick A dropkick is an attacking maneuver in professional wrestling. It is defined as an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with the soles of both feet; this sees the wrestler twist as they jump so that when the feet connec ...

s, he was described by Jake Black as "a powerful giant who could move like a cruiserweight". Journalist

Dave Meltzer David Allen Meltzer (born October 24, 1959) is an American journalist who reports on professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Since 1983, he has been the publisher and editor of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON''). He has als ...

commented "Bigelow was something of a phenomenon when he came into pro wrestling in 1986." He was nicknamed "The Beast from the East". His character was described by Michael Ball as a "

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

". Bigelow had a distinctive appearance, with a large frame, shaved head, 19 tattoos (including various animals and mythical creatures on his arms and a fireball on the top of his head), goatee, missing front tooth, and what journalist Jon Gelberg described as "perpetually narrowed" eyes. Initially wrestling in black cut-off shorts and a cut-off t-shirt with "I Am Monster" written on the back, after joining the

in 1987 he began wearing clothes illustrated with flames, a theme he continued throughout the remainder of his career. At the outset of his career, Bigelow used the ''Nuclear Splash'' (a diving splash) as his finisher. He later used a

slingshot A slingshot is a small hand-powered projectile weapon. The classic form consists of a Y-shaped frame, with two natural rubber strips or tubes attached to the upper two ends. The other ends of the strips lead back to a pocket that holds the pro ...

splash and an over-the-shoulder reverse piledriver that he named ''Greetings From Asbury Park'' in reference to his adopted hometown and the Bruce Springsteen

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...

. Deceptively agile, Bigelow also used aerial maneuvers such as moonsaults and diving headbutts.

Mixed martial arts career

On November 17, 1996, Bigelow faced

Kimo Leopoldo Kimo Leopoldo (born January 4, 1968), or simply Kimo, is an American retired mixed martial artist and actor. He made his MMA debut at ''UFC 3'' in 1994 losing to Royce Gracie by submission. A professional from 1994 until 2011, he also competed in ...

in a

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

bout promoted by U-Japan in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

. Bigelow was dominated through the bout, submitting to a

rear naked choke The rear naked choke (RNC) is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. The word "naked" in this context suggests that, unlike other strangulation techniques found in jujutsu/judo, this hold does not require the use of a keiko ...

in the first round. In a 1998 interview, Bigelow claimed that he had been asked to throw the fight and that he had been paid $100,000 () for the fight.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 0-1 ,

, Submission (

) , U-Japan , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:15 ,

, Japan ,

Acting career

During his professional wrestling career, Bigelow took on a number of acting roles, generally playing menacing villainous characters. He also appeared in a commercial for Slim Jim beef jerky. He was a member of the

Screen Actors Guild The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...

Filmography

Personal life

As a young man, Bigelow was repeatedly arrested on charges including aggravated assault, attempted kidnapping,

criminal restraint False imprisonment or unlawful imprisonment occurs when a person intentionally restricts another person’s movement within any area without legal authority, justification, or the restrained person's permission. Actual physical restraint is ...

, drug possession, robbery, and sexual assault. He spent nine months in the Albert C. Wagner Youth Correctional Facility as a teenager, and was later imprisoned for six months in

for illegally acting as a bounty hunter in Mexico. Bigelow married Asbury Park native Dana Fisher in 1987. The couple had three children before divorcing in 2000. Following the divorce, Fisher sued Bigelow for non-payment of

child support Child support (or child maintenance) is an ongoing, periodic payment made by a parent for the financial benefit of a child (or parent, caregiver, guardian) following the end of a marriage or other similar relationship. Child maintenance is paid d ...

. On July 4, 2000, Bigelow received second degree burns on 40% of his body while rescuing three children from a fire in

Wayside, New Jersey Wayside is an Local government in New Jersey#Unincorporated communities, unincorporated community located along the border of Tinton Falls, New Jersey, Tinton Falls Borough and Ocean Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, Ocean Township in Monmouth ...

. He spent 10 days in a hospital after the incident. In 2004, Bigelow opened a deli in

Hamlin, Wayne County, Pennsylvania Hamlin is a village in Salem Township, Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States. Hamlin is located at the intersection of Pennsylvania Route 191/Pennsylvania Route 196 and Pennsylvania Route 590 Pennsylvania Route 590 (PA 590) is a state hi ...

that sold a two pound "Beast Burger". The restaurant later folded. Bigelow later relocated to

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

in hope that the warm weather would help with his chronic pain. In May 2004, Bigelow was charged with endangering the welfare of a child through reckless driving. He attributed the incident to a

seizure An epileptic seizure, informally known as a seizure, is a period of symptoms due to abnormally excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Outward effects vary from uncontrolled shaking movements involving much of the body with l ...

he had suffered, and the charges were dropped two months later. In August 2004, Bigelow was convicted of possession of marijuana. On October 2, 2005, Bigelow was hospitalized with a broken nose and several lacerations after crashing his

Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depressi ...

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

Florida State Road 50 State Road 50 (SR 50) runs across the center of the U.S. state of Florida through Orlando, Florida, Orlando, with its termini at State Road 55 (Florida), SR 55 (U.S. Highway 19 (Florida), US 19) at Weeki Wachee, Florida, Weeki Wachee and State Ro ...

Hernando County, Florida Hernando County is a county located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 194,515. Its county seat is Brooksville, and its largest community is Spring Hill. Hernando County is inc ...

. 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. For much of his professional wrestling career, Bigelow suffered from an addiction to

OxyContin Oxycodone, sold under various brand names such as Roxicodone and OxyContin (which is the extended release form), is a strong, semi-synthetic opioid used medically for treatment of moderate to severe pain. It is highly addictive and a commonly ...

. By the end of his life, Bigelow was suffering from multiple health issues and receiving Social Security Disability Benefits. He had a heart problem (

arteriosclerotic Atherosclerosis is a pattern of the disease arteriosclerosis in which the wall of the artery develops abnormalities, called lesions. These lesions may lead to narrowing due to the buildup of atheromatous plaque. At onset there are usually no sy ...

cardiovascular disease),

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

, and a persistent infection. He also had severe back problems; back surgeries had reduced his height by .

Death

Bigelow's girlfriend found him dead in his home in

Hudson, Florida Hudson is a census-designated place (CDP) located at the westernmost end of Pasco County, Florida, Pasco County, Florida, United States, and is included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 201 ...

at approximately 10a.m. EST on the morning of January 19, 2007. He was 45 years old. An autopsy found that Bigelow's death was due to multiple drugs found in his system including toxic levels of

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...

and anti-anxiety drugs benzodiazepines. A contributing factor in Bigelow's passing was arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, narrowing of small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. His death was ruled an accident by the Pasco-

Pinellas Pinellas is the name of a peninsula located roughly halfway down the west coast of Florida. It forms the western boundary of Tampa Bay and comprises the bulk of Pinellas County. There is a city named Pinellas Park in south Pinellas. The peninsula ...

Medical Examiner.

Championships and accomplishments

*American Combat Wrestling **ACW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ralph Mosca * Continental Wrestling Association ** AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship ( 1 time) *

( 1 time) **

( 1 time) * NWA Northeast ** NWA Northeast Heavyweight Championship ( 1 time, first) *

( 1 time) – with Big Van Vader *''

Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...

'' **Ranked No. 24 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''

PWI 500 ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...

'' in 1994 *Universal Superstars of America **USA Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *USA Pro Wrestling **USA Pro Heavyweight Championship (2 times) *

( 1 time) **

( 2 times) – with

(1 time) and with Diamond Dallas Page and

(1 time) *

World Class Wrestling Association World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), later known as the World Class Wrestling Association (WCWA) (1986–1991) was an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed ...

** WCWA Television Championship ( 1 time) * World Star Wrestling Federation ** WSWF Heavyweight Championship ( 1 time, first) *

Slammy Award The Slammy Awards is a concept used by WWE, where awards, similar to the Academy and Grammy Awards, are given to professional wrestlers and other individuals within WWE, such as commentators and managers. Introduced in 1986, there have been 13 e ...

for Best Head (

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...

) *

( 1 time) – with

and

** Six Man Tag Team Tournament (1994) – with Genichiro Tenryu and

*''

'' ** Rookie of the Year (1986)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bigelow, Bam Bam 1961 births 2007 deaths 20th-century professional wrestlers 21st-century professional wrestlers American arm wrestlers American male film actors American male mixed martial artists American male professional wrestlers Bounty hunters Cocaine-related deaths in Florida ECW Heavyweight Champions/ECW World Heavyweight Champions ECW World Television Champions Faux Russian professional wrestlers IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Neptune High School alumni People from Mount Laurel, New Jersey Professional wrestlers from New Jersey Tenryu Project World 6-Man Tag Team Champions The Million Dollar Corporation members WCW World Tag Team Champions

Early life

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1985–1987)

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (1987–1992)

World Wrestling Federation (1987–1988)

World Championship Wrestling (1988–1989, 1990)

Universal Wrestling Federation (1991)

Universal Wrestling Association (1992)

World Wrestling Federation (1992–1995)

Alliance with Luna Vachon (1992–1994)

Million Dollar Corporation (1994–1995)

United States independent circuit; Japanese tours (1995–1998)

Extreme Championship Wrestling (1996, 1997–1998)

Initial appearances (1996)

The Triple Threat (1997–1998)

World Championship Wrestling (1998–2001)

Early appearances (1998–1999)

The Jersey Triad (1999)

Hardcore division; final appearances (1999–2001)

Late career (2001–2006)

Professional wrestling style and persona

Mixed martial arts career

Mixed martial arts record

Acting career

Filmography

Personal life

Death

Championships and accomplishments

See also

References

External links