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FORMER ECW WORLD CHAMPION, WWF, WCW STAR BAM BAM BIGELOW
PASSES AWAY
by Mike Johnson @ 3:20:00 PM on 1/19/2007

Former ECW World champion and Wrestlemania main event Scott "Bam Bam" Bigelow was
found dead in his Hudson, Florida home this morning. An investigation into his passing is
currently ongoing by local authorities.

Bigelow broke into the business in the 1980s, training at New Jersey's Monster Factor
under Larry Sharpe, often using the name Crusher Yurkof early in his career.

Bigelow began working the Memphis territory before having a hot run as a babyface in the
then-World Wrestling Federation, managed by Oliver Humperdink. WWF built up for weeks
on end that every heel manager in the company wanted to manage Bigelow with one being
eliminated each passing week. In the end, he debuted as a babyface, picking Humperdink.
For a man of his size, he was surprisingly agile, diving over the top rope into the ring for a
big splash.

Bigelow headlined the first Survivor Series PPV in 1987 as a member of Hulk Hogan's team.
He ended up being the last member of the team after even Hogan was eliminated, forced
to go against monsters Andre the Giant, One Man Gang and King Kong Bundy. Bigelow
persevered, eliminating Bundy and Gang, before falling to Andre. He later headlined
Madison Square Garden against Andre in a singles bout.

With his girth and look, Bigelow appeared to be readymade for an eventual heel turn and
feud with then-WWF champion Hulk Hogan, but it never came to pass.

After knee surgery, Bigelow went on to work for the Jim Crockett Promotions in the late
1980s including a memorable feud with Barry Windham over the United States
championship. He later did tours for New Japan Pro Wrestling, teaming with Big Van Vader
for an IWGP Tag Team championship run.

Bigelow returned to the WWF as a heel member of Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Corporation,
headlining Wrestlemania 11 against New York Giant great Lawrence Taylor in Hartford, CT.
The match closed the show (following Shawn Michaels vs. Kevin Nash) and Bigelow was
given credit for carrying Taylor through an entertaining bout. A babyface turn followed, and
Bigelow later left the company.

Bigelow had a long run in Extreme Championship Wrestling, feuding with Shane Douglas
over the ECW World championship and Tazz over the ECW World Television championship,
both belts Bigelow held in the company. As a member of the Triple Threat, Bigelow was
paired with Douglas and the late Chris Candido.

In one of the most memorable moments ever on ECW PPV, Bigelow and Tazz crashed
through the ring during Living Dangerously '98 in Bigelow's hometown of Asbury Park, NJ.
Tazz was attempting to lock his finisher, The Tazzmission on Bigelow, who leaped
backwards to escape. Both went through the ring to the floor below. Bigelow emerged first,
pulling the unconscious Tazz back up to the ring, pinning him for the title.

Bigelow also took part in another ECW moment that has been repeated over and over,
launching Matt "Spike Dudley" Hyson into the crowd from the ring, where Hyson was later
bodysurfed by ringside fans. Bigelow added a great deal to the ECW product during that
time period, feuding with and putting over ECW homegrown talents including Hyson and
Rob Van Dam, giving those talents the rub of defeating a well-known international star.

Citing money issues, Bigelow later jumped to World Championship Wrestling as a surprise,
challenging Bill Goldberg in an angle on Monday Nitro.

Bigelow held the WCW Hardcore championship and had memorable PPV appearances
against Hardcore Hak (The Sandman) and Raven, among others. During that time period,
he was praised for saving several children from a fire, suffering bad burns in the process.

Bigelow later settled into a unit with Chris Kanyon and Diamond Dallas Page, known as the
"Triad". The Triad ended up winning the WCW World Tag Team championship at one point.

After WCW shut down, Bigelow collected what money was left on his contract before moving
on to work the Northeastern independent scene. At one point, Bigelow announced
retirement, but later returned. He owned a deli for a time in Pennsylvania before quietly
closing it down, leaving the wrestling business and moving South to the Sunshine State of
Florida.

Bigelow never worked indepenents once he relocated. He returned to the public eye after
crashing a motorcycle he was riding with his girlfriend, who was seriously injured in the
crash. Charges were later filed in the incident by authorities, but there was never any
conclusive end to the case.

Bigelow appeared at one Florida autograph signing shortly after the crash, believed to be
his last public appearance.

The St. Petersburg Times in Florida interviewed Bigelow some time after the incident, with
Bigelow discussing the crash, his decision to leave wrestling, and other personal problems
that plagued him as his career wound down.

Bigelow commented on his troubles and the physical issues a lifetime of professional
wrestling has brought him, stating, "I don't know if it's hiding or disappointment or what, but
being Bam Bam Bigelow is a pain in the a--. You did this the first half of your life and now
this is the second half and now you're bruised and battered. So what the hell can you do?
What can you do?"

You can read the The St. Petersburg Times article at this link.

On behalf of everyone involved with PWInsider.com, we'd like to issue our condolences to
the family, friends, and fans of Scott "Bam Bam" Bigelow.

*sigh*

another wrestler bites the dust....

Vince needs to do something.

man i remember him frm back in the day....

sad news indeed....

I don't care for much for WWF or whtever it's called now..

RIP big man. Bam Bam was probably one of the first and most agile big men back in the mid-80's.

Vader getting head tattooed

FWIW, Bam Bam was 45 years old.

Do some of you remember this?

1985-1987

Wow! Bam Bam rocked. He had those tats on his head. Vey sad.

Yes, with all the greatness in the mid-80's, I try and forget that one turd-rudder.

I remember Saturday Nights Main Event every 90 days or so, I remember coming home from school, and watching old World Class shows on ESPN, saving Monday nights for WWF Prime Time with Gorilla and the Brain, old NWA shows on Saturday afternoons on TBS in front of an audience of maybe 100 people, of course WWF Spotlight and Superstars every Saturday morning, and heading to the original Survivor Series in '87 at the old Coliseum where it was Hogan and Bam Bam's team vs. Bundy and Andre's team.

RIP big man. Painkillers are very big in the business & hopefully, from his "battered & beaten" comment in the article, they weren't the cause of this.

I know he did indies for a while - you ever work any shows with him? Or hear stories (good or "Snukaville")?

Quote:

---

Vince needs to do something.

---

Like what?




RIP

Maybe there is more to this.."crime scene"???


BREAKING NEWS: Bam Bam Bigelow passes away in Florida...had been missing for several days, police "are treating area as a crime scene" (Kocosports.com)

Posted on 1/19/107 by Gerry O'Neill

Kocosports.com has the regrettable task of reporting that Scott Charles Bigelow, known to wrestling fans worldwide as Bam Bam Bigelow has passed away.

Sources close to Bigelow have informed us that the former WWE/ECW/WCW superstar had been missing for several days, and was found dead this morning in a home in Pasco County, Florida.

We are told that Police are currently treating this as a crime scene. Despite several attempts by Kocosports.com to contact them, The Pasco County Sheriff’s dept. was unavailable for comment as of 12:50PM today.

Bigelow was trained as a wrestler at Larry Sharpe's "Monster Factory" in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. He debuted in Memphis in 1985. In 1997 Bigelow began a one year stint in the World Wrestling Federation, but was sidelined due to injuries. He moved on to work for Antonio Inoki in New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he formed a tag team with Big Van Vader, and won the IWGP Tag Team Championships.

In late 1992 Bigelow returned to the WWF and engaged in a highly-publicized feud with American football player Lawrence Taylor. The two went on to headline WrestleMania.

During a run in ECW, in 1997, he joined the reformed The Triple Threat with Chris Candido and leader, Shane Douglas. He was a dominant force in ECW, carrying out feats of strength such as hurling Spike Dudley out of the ring and into the audience and slamming Taz through the ring. He held the ECW Television Championship and the ECW World Heavyweight Championship during his stay there.

On November 16, 1998 Bigelow debuted in World Championship Wrestling. He initially feuded with WCW World Heavyweight Champion Goldberg before competing in the WCW Hardcore Division

Bigelow held a total of 13 professional wrestling championships throughout his career, in promotions such as WCW, NWA, ECW, NJPW & IWGP.

On October 2, 2005, Bigelow was hospitalized with a broken nose and several lacerations after crashing his Harley-Davidson motorcycle in Spring Hill, Florida. His passenger at the time, Janis Remiesiewicz (Bigelow's girlfriend), suffered severe injuries and was declared to be in "critical" condition.

Both Remiesiewicz and her relationship with Bigelow, made a complete recovery.

Bigelow’s talent and warm personality made him a beloved figure to fans and wrestlers alike, Kocosports.com would like to send our deepest condolences to Miss Remiesiewicz & the rest of Bigelow’s family and friends during their time of grief.


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Yeah, I never did any cards with him either. I don't think he did any indies around Ohio. He stayed along the east coast.