Nicholas Busick (June 1, 1954 – May 8, 2018) 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 or ...

and

police officer A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...

, better known by his

ring name A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting ...

Big Bully Busick. He is best known for his appearances with 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 vario ...

(WWF) in 1991, where he portrayed a stereotypical bully from the 1920s with a "

turtleneck A polo neck, roll-neck (United Kingdom, South Africa), turtleneck (United States, Canada), or skivvy (Australia, New Zealand, United States) is a garment—usually a sweater—with a close-fitting collar that folds over and covers the n ...

bowler hat The bowler hat, also known as a billycock, bob hat, bombín (Spanish) or derby (United States), is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown, originally created by the London hat-makers Thomas and William Bowler in 1849. It has traditionally been worn ...

and king-sized

cigar A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco leaves made to be smoked. Cigars are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made of three distinct components: the filler, the binder l ...

". Busick is also known for his appearances with Georgia All-Star Wrestling (GAF) and the

Global Wrestling Federation Global Wrestling Federation was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Dallas, Texas. It started in June 1991 and folded in September 1994. At one time its shows were presented on the ESPN television network. Often the promotion pr ...

(GWF).

Professional wrestling career

Busick was an amateur wrestler at Weir high school, and was also an accomplished powerlifter throughout the 1970s. In 1971, he unsuccessfully attempted to break Jim Williams'

bench press The bench press, or chest press, is a weight training exercise in which the trainee presses a weight upwards while lying on a weight training bench. Although the bench press is a full-body exercise, the muscles primarily used are the pectorali ...

record of . He became a police officer in 1973, at age 19 with the Weirton Police Department. Growing up in the Steel Town of Weirton, WV.ef name=KDKA/> Over the next two years, Busick had several more matches with the WWWF (renamed WWF in 1979) when they held shows in the Pittsburgh area, usually as a

jobber Jobber may refer to: Athletics * Job (professional wrestling) - A professional wrestler who routinely loses a match. * Wichita Jobbers, a minor league baseball team in the Western Association from 1905 to 1911 Commerce * A person or corporation ...

, though he won at least two matches. He never underwent any other formal training, stating he "learned in the ring". He left WWF in 1981. In the early 1980s, after being invited to leave the Weirton Police Dept. Busick transferred to the

Atlanta Police Department The Atlanta Police Department (APD) is a law enforcement agency in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. The city shifted from its rural-based Marshal and Deputy Marshal model at the end of the 19th century. In 1873, the department was formed with 2 ...

. In Atlanta, he began wrestling for

Jerry Blackwell Jerry Blackwell (April 26, 1949 – January 22, 1995) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Crusher" Jerry Blackwell. Blackwell competed in the 1979 World's Strongest Man contest, but withdrew early in the competit ...

and developed the Bully persona, based on Joe Pedicino's observations of a stereotypical coal miner or steel mill worker. As part of the character, he wore a derby hat and

turtleneck sweater A polo neck, roll-neck (United Kingdom, South Africa), turtleneck (United States, Canada), or skivvy ( Australia, New Zealand, United States) is a garment—usually a sweater—with a close-fitting collar that folds over and covers the ...

, smoked a cigar on the way to the ring, and had a bushy handlebar moustache. In early 1991, Busick worked for

in Texas. Occasionally he teamed with

Bad News Brown Allen James Coage (October 22, 1943 – March 6, 2007) was an American judoka and professional wrestler. He won medals for the United States at several international judo competitions, including the heavyweight bronze medal at the 1976 S ...

. In July 1991, Busick debuted in the

(WWF), where he continued to utilize the Bully

gimmick A gimmick is a novel device or idea designed primarily to attract attention or increase appeal, often with little intrinsic value. When applied to retail marketing, it is a unique or quirky feature designed to make a product or service "stand ou ...

. In addition to bullying his opponents, Busick (along with his

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

Harvey Wippleman Bruno Lauer (born October 27, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, referee, and occasional wrestler, better known by his ring names, Harvey Wippleman and Downtown Bruno. Wippleman began his career working in professional wrestling ...

) antagonized fans at ringside, committing such acts as popping a child's balloon with his cigar. He even harassed ring announcer

Mike McGuirk Michelle Kathleen McGuirk (born March 16, 1958) is an American professional wrestling personality, best known as a ring announcer for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1986 through 1994. She is the daughter of professional wrestler Leroy Mc ...

, which eventually led to a save from opponent Sid Justice in a quick loss for Busick. After having spent weeks primarily squashing

enhancement talent In professional wrestling slang, a job is a losing performance in a wrestling match. It is derived from the euphemism "doing one's job", which was employed to protect information related to kayfabe from being revealed. The term can be used a numbe ...

including a wins over

Koko B. Ware James W. Ware, Jr. (born June 20, 1958), better known by his ring name Koko B. Ware is an American retired professional wrestler. He debuted in 1978 and became widely popular in 1986. He later went on to the World Wrestling Federation, where he ...

and

Jim Powers James Manley (born January 4, 1958) is an American retired professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Jim Powers. He worked for the World Wrestling Federation from 1984 to 1994, then elsewhere until 2010. He was ...

, Busick entered into a small feud with the

Brooklyn Brawler Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, behin ...

after the Brawler challenged Busick to match to see who was the real bully of the WWF. The Brawler defeated the Bully by countout. A rematch one week later saw the Brawler fail to dominate the Bully with Wippleman grabbing the Brawler's leg leading to a controversial win for the Bully. Busick spent the remainder of his time in the WWF wrestling against

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 backgr ...

The British Bulldog David Smith (27 November 1962 – 18 May 2002) was an English professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Born in Golborne, Lancashire, Smith is best known for his appearances in the United States with the World Wrestling Entertainment, Worl ...

Kerry Von Erich Kerry Gene Adkisson (February 3, 1960 – February 18, 1993), better known by his ring name Kerry Von Erich, was an American professional wrestler. He was part of the Von Erich family of professional wrestlers. He is best known for his time with ...

Greg Valentine Jonathan Anthony Wisniski (born September 20, 1951) is a retired American professional wrestler, better known as Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. He is the son of wrestler Johnny Valentine. Over five decades, Valentine held more than 40 championship ...

, and

Jimmy Snuka James Reiher Snuka (born James Wiley Smith; May 18, 1943 – January 15, 2017) was a Fijian American professional wrestler. He is better known by the ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Snuka wrestled for several promotions from the 1970s to 2010 ...

, before leaving the company in November 1991. Originally, Busick was supposed to be making his pay-per-view debut at Survivor Series (1991) with Col. Mustafa,

The Berzerker The Berzerker are an extreme metal band from Melbourne and was formed in 1995. The band's music, heavily influenced by older death metal and grindcore, can be characterized as a fusion of these with speedcore, and gabber. The band's founding me ...

, and

The Skinner ''The Skinner'' is a 2002 science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, ...

but was replaced by

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

. After WWF, he worked in the independent circuit until retiring in 1995. He returned to wrestling in 2011 participating in independent shows. His last match was a victory over Josef von Schmidt for Five Star Wrestling in Weirton, West Virginia on April 19, 2013.

Post wrestling

Alongside fellow wrestler

Bill Eadie William Reid "Bill" Eadie (born December 27, 1947) is an American retired professional wrestler who has competed under the names of Ax as part of Demolition and The Masked Superstar. He was a high school teacher and coach at Cambridge High Sch ...

, Busick worked as a bodyguard in Atlanta. He also worked as a Senior Investigator for Criminal and Civil Investigations, and owned the Big Bully sports nutrition bar company. After returning to Weirton he was employed at Mountaineer Casino and Racetrack in Chester , Wv. as Casino Security Officer and bodyguard to then Casino Manager Ted Arnault A 2013 interview noted he kept a low profile wrestling-wise, other than occasional appearances at fan festivals, but did appear as a

special guest referee In professional wrestling, a referee is an authority figure present in or near the ring during matches. The referee's purpose is similar to that of referees in combat sports such as boxing or mixed martial arts, that is, as an arbiter of the rul ...

Deaf Wrestlefest Deaf Wrestlefest is a professional wrestling supercard, produced annually in late April or early May by Lord Zoltan, a longtime wrestler and sports promoter based in Western Pennsylvania. It is considered a major fundraiser for the Western Pennsy ...

in April 2012. He also promoted

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 ...

events in Ohio. He also continued to compete in

powerlifting Powerlifting is a strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. As in the sport of Olympic weightlifting, it involves the athlete attempting a maximal weight single-lift effor ...

competitions until 2015. In November 2012, the WWE listed Busick as having the best mustache in the Top 10 mustaches in WWE history. The Big Bully Busick character was also listed 17 of the 25 most absurd wrestlers in WWE history in 2013. In March 2015, he was inducted in the

Keystone State Wrestling Alliance The Keystone State Wrestling Alliance (KSWA) is a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2000 by Lou Zygmuncik and Shawn Blanchard. KSWA's longtime ring announcer Bobby O purchased the promotion in 2005. ...

Hall of Fame.

Personal life

Busick was married to his wife Lorie for 32 years and they had three children together. His son Branko is a mixed martial artist. His family is of Serbian descent. He was involved in the Serbian community in the US and spoke the language.

Health problems

Busick had chronic atrial fibrillation. While exercising in 2005, he suffered a

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possib ...

and was saved via a

defibrillator Defibrillation is a treatment for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, specifically ventricular fibrillation (V-Fib) and non-perfusing ventricular tachycardia (V-Tach). A defibrillator delivers a dose of electric current (often called a ''coun ...

. He refused to seek hospital treatment at the time, but underwent

surgery Surgery ''cheirourgikē'' (composed of χείρ, "hand", and ἔργον, "work"), via la, chirurgiae, meaning "hand work". is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a person to investigate or treat a pat ...

a few years later to correct the fibrillation.

Death

In 2015, Busick was diagnosed with

esophageal cancer Esophageal cancer is cancer arising from the esophagus—the food pipe that runs between the throat and the stomach. Symptoms often include difficulty in swallowing and weight loss. Other symptoms may include pain when swallowing, a hoarse voice ...

. He initially had trouble swallowing, before bleeding in his throat. He underwent surgery and

chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemotherap ...

, during which he went from weighing to . In June 2016, Busick announced he was cancer-free. The following year, Busick was diagnosed with a

brain tumour A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and secondary ...

and underwent

neurosurgery Neurosurgery or neurological surgery, known in common parlance as brain surgery, is the medical specialty concerned with the surgical treatment of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord and peri ...

. Busick died on May 8, 2018, in

Weirton, West Virginia Weirton () is a city in Brooke and Hancock counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Located primarily in Hancock County, the city lies in the northern portions of the state's Northern Panhandle region. As of the 2020 census, the city's pop ...

, where he was receiving

hospice care Hospice care is a type of health care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life by ...

Championships and accomplishments

*North Georgia Wrestling Alliance **NGWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *

**Hall of Fame (2015)

References

External links

*
Big Bully Busick; findagrave
{{DEFAULTSORT:Busick, Big Bully 1954 births 2018 deaths American male professional wrestlers Deaths from cancer in West Virginia People from Weirton, West Virginia Sportspeople from Steubenville, Ohio Professional wrestlers from Virginia 20th-century professional wrestlers 21st-century professional wrestlers