Outlaw Ron Bass passes away at age 68
Posted: Mar 8th 2017 By: Dave Meltzer
Ronald Heard, who wrestled regularly in almost every major promotion from 1973 to 1989 as "Outlaw" Ron Bass, passed away Tuesday at the age of 68.
Bass suffered a burst appendix, but didn't realize the seriousness of his condition. He waited a week before getting checked out and because of waiting so long, the poison overcame his body and he passed away.
He had been scheduled for an autograph show over this past weekend and the word was that he was hospitalized.
Bass started his career as Ronnie Heard, but became Ron Bass in a tag team with Don Bass, who also recently passed away, while working for Nick Gulas in Tennessee in 1973. He was a powerful looking man (think Bill Watts although he was not the level of a star that Watts was).
He worked in Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida before being a headliner as Sam Oliver Bass in Oregon. He then came to California where he held the Americas tag team titles on multiple occasions.
He had his biggest main event success in Florida. He first came in as the childhood best friend of Dusty Rhodes and later turned on him, leading to a long feud with Rhodes and Barry Windham.
Bass and Stan Hansen also had a one week run as International tag team champions, winning and losing the belts against Giant Baba and Jumbo Tsuruta.
He later formed tag teams with One Man Gang and Black Bart. Bass & Bart held championships in both Florida and for Jim Crockett Promotions.
He ended his career with a 1987-89 run in the WWF, feuding with the likes of Junkyard Dog and Brutus Beefcake.
Heard was one of the 60 plaintiffs in the current lawsuit against WWE regarding concussions.
Supplemental Information
Latest News
Fritz Von Erich and the Christmas Day Massacre
Among professional wrestling’s most infamous incidents and despicable angles, this will forever be remembered as one of th... Read More
The Scoop
NEWS WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash weighed in on the warning sent to AEW by the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission. OSAC alleged that the company had viol... Read More
“Make yourself undeniable” – Bodyslam.net speaks with Walker Stewart of NJPW
In the realm of professional wrestling, I wear two hats – one as a wordsmith for Bodys... Read More
- AEW’s Ricky Starks recalls sneak-eating king cakes, washing cars for money ahead of champions’ homecoming show
- Mickie James on Her Next Chapter In Impact Wrestling & ‘Bound for Glory’
- Ric Flair Interview Recap
- AEW ‘Grand Slam’: Sammy Guevara on His Journey from Working at Taco Bell to Facing Chris Jericho
Polling Booth
Why didn't you vote in the Oklafan Year End Polls?
Upcoming Events
- ASP · May 4 11:30am · Noble
- BPW · May 4 3:00pm · Sapulpa
- WFC · May 4 7:00pm · Broken Arrow
- TexPro · May 4 7:00pm · Ardmore
- EDW · May 5 6:00pm · Tulsa
- NAW · May 10 6:30pm · Salina
- WAH · May 11 6:00pm · Tulsa
- UWO · May 11 6:00pm · Tuttle
- NAW · May 11 6:30pm · Watts (Chewey)
- MHCW · May 17 7:00pm · Seminole
- UWE · May 18 6:00pm · Tahlequah
- EPW · May 18 6:00pm · Midwest City
- WAH · May 25 6:00pm · Tulsa
- CPW · May 31 7:30pm · Sand Springs
- WFC · Jun 1 7:00pm · Tulsa
- ASP · May 4 11:30am · Noble
- BPW · May 4 3:00pm · Sapulpa
- CPW · May 31 7:30pm · Sand Springs
- EDW · May 5 6:00pm · Tulsa
- EPW · May 18 6:00pm · Midwest City
- MHCW · May 17 7:00pm · Seminole
- NAW · May 10 6:30pm · Salina
- NAW · May 11 6:30pm · Watts (Chewey)
- TexPro · May 4 7:00pm · Ardmore
- UWE · May 18 6:00pm · Tahlequah
- UWO · May 11 6:00pm · Tuttle
- WAH · May 11 6:00pm · Tulsa
- WAH · May 25 6:00pm · Tulsa
- WFC · May 4 7:00pm · Broken Arrow
- WFC · Jun 1 7:00pm · Tulsa
- Mick Foley, Leva Bates, Lex Luger, Milo Beasley, and Ron Simmons · May 24 2:00pm · Oklahoma City Convention Center · Oklahoma City
- Mick Foley, Leva Bates, Lex Luger, Milo Beasley, and Ron Simmons · May 25 10:00am · Oklahoma City Convention Center · Oklahoma City
- Mick Foley, Leva Bates, Lex Luger, Milo Beasley, and Ron Simmons · May 26 10:00am · Oklahoma City Convention Center · Oklahoma City
- Jimmy Hart and Matt Riddle · Aug 10 10:00am · Cox Business Convention Center · Tulsa
- Jimmy Hart and Matt Riddle · Aug 11 11:00am · Cox Business Convention Center · Tulsa
- Jake Hager and Jimmy Hart · Oct 5 10:00am · A. J. Horton Event Center · McAlester
- Jake Hager and Jimmy Hart · Oct 6 10:00am · A. J, Horton Event Center · McAlester