Bam Bam Bigelow

Scott Charles Bigelow (September 1, 1961 – January 19, 2007) was an American professional wrestler, 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) as "the most natural, agile and physically remarkable big man of the past quarter century", while former co-worker Bret Hart described him as "possibly the best working big man in the business."

Bigelow was born on September 1, 1961, in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, United States.

He attended Neptune High School in Neptune Township, New Jersey.

While he did not graduate, he earned varsity letters in football and wrestling.

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 tournaments.

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

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.

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, 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.

In mid-1986, Bigelow began wrestling for the Memphis, Tennessee-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 matches 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.

He lost the championship to Jerry Lawler on September 8, 1986, in a Texas Death Match.

Following the loss, Bigelow departed the CWA for several months before returning to form a tag team with Lawler and feud with Austin Idol and Tommy Rich.

In late 1986, Bigelow wrestled for the Texas-based World Class Championship Wrestling 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 voted Bigelow "Rookie of the Year" for 1986.

Bigelow is best known for his appearances with promotions New Japan Pro-Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) between 1987 and 2001.

Over the course of his career, he held championships including the ECW World Heavyweight Championship, the ECW World Television Championship, the IWGP Tag Team Championship, the WAR World Six-Man Tag Team Championship, and the WCW World Tag Team Championship.

Bigelow headlined seven pay-per-views: the first Survivor Series in 1987, Beach Brawl in 1991, King of the Ring in 1993 and 1995, WrestleMania XI in 1995, and November to Remember in 1997 and 1998.

Bigelow continued regularly appearing with the CWA until March 1987.

Beginning in January 1987, Bigelow began making lengthy tours of Japan with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) under the ring name "Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow", with Larry Sharpe again serving as his manager, reuniting the trainer with Bigelow.

During NJPW's "New Year Dash", "Blazing Cherry Blossoms", and "Summer Big Fight Series" events in 1987, Bigelow repeatedly faced Antonio Inoki in a series of matches, including unsuccessfully challenging him for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo in August 1987.

Bigelow debuted in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in May 1987 as "Bam Bam Bigelow".

He spent several months wrestling exclusively in dark matches 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, 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.

He made brief returns to the CWA and its successor, the United States Wrestling Association, in 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1994.

In January 1989, Bigelow formed a tag team with Big Van Vader known as "Big, Bad, and Dangerous" which lasted until May 1989.

He unsuccessfully challenged for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on several occasions, including a bout against incumbent champion Vader in September 1989 billed as the "Super Power Battle In Osaka".

Bigelow and Vader reformed their tag team in 1990.

In June 1990, Bigelow also appeared with All Japan Pro Wrestling, competing in its Super Power Series against opponents such as "Dr. Death" Steve Williams, Terry Gordy, Toshiaki Kawada, and Kenta Kobashi.

In March 1991, Bigelow and Vader defeated Doom in the Tokyo Dome as part of the WCW/New Japan Supershow I.

In March 1992, Bigelow and Vader defeated Hiroshi Hase and Keiji Muto for the IWGP Tag Team Championship.

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

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 Championship Wrestling (WCW).