Bam Bam Bigelow, the heavyweight wrestler with the flame tattooed head, had a professional wrestling career that spanned over two decades. Bigelow gained notoriety in the ring for his strong work ethic, enormous size, and incredible agility.
Fast Facts:
- Real Name: Scott Charles Bigelow
- Also known as: The Beast from the East
- Born: September 1, 1961
- Height and Weight: 6'3" 325 lbs
- Wrestling debut: August 23, 1985
- Finishing move: Flying headbutt off top rope
- Deceased: January 19, 2007
- Cause of Death: Lethal dose of cocaine and benzodiazepine.
Wrestling Debut
After training with Larry Sharpe in the early 1980s, Bigelow made his wrestling debut in Memphis, Tennessee in 1985. Although he had a brief stint with the WWE (then known as the WWF) in 1987, he spent most of his early years in Japan, wrestling with New Japan Pro Wrestling.
WWE
When he returned to the WWE in 1992, he took Luna Vachon on as his manager (and love interest) and started feuds with Doink the Clown, Tatanka (whom he later teamed up with) and his most famous rival, NFL's Lawrence Taylor. The rivalry with Taylor culminated in a match at WrestleMania XI that remains the most talked about fight of Bigelow's career.
ECW and WCW
Bigelow left the WWE in 1995 and spent his later years performing with ECW and WCW. He formed the Triple Threat with Shane Douglas and Chris Candido, and the powerful trio won a series of victories, disbanding and reforming through the late 1990s. Bigelow also won the ECW World Heavyweight Championship and the ECW World Television Championship, and in 2003, Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked him number 68 of the top 500 singles wrestlers.
Retirement
Bam Bam Bigelow officially retired from wrestling in 2004, although his last match wasn't until November of 2006. After retirement he suffered a series of misfortunes in his personal life including a divorce, an arrest, and a near fatal motorcycle accident, which he said left him with a new appreciation of life. He died of a drug overdose on January 19, 2007.
Bam Bam Bigelow Timeline
1961: Born on September 1 in Asbury Park, New Jersey
1985: Debuts in Memphis
1986: AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion
1987: Signs with WWF (now WWE)
1988: Leaves WWF to compete with New Japan Pro Wrestling and NWA (WCW)
1992: Returns to the WWF
1995: Leaves WWF again to work as a free agent
1995: Infamous feud and WrestleMania XI match with NFL's Lawrence Taylor
1997: ECW World Heavyweight Champion
1998: ECW World Television Champion
1998: Signs with WCW
1999: WCW World Tag-Team Champion with Diamond Dallas Page
2000: Suffers second degree burns after rescuing three children from a brush fire
2000: WCW Hardcore Champion
2002: USPW Heavyweight Champion
2004: Officially retires from professional wrestling
2005: Crashes his motorcycle, critically injuring his girlfriend, Janis Remiesiewicz
2006: Last wrestling match
