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Bam Bam Bigelow Found Dead

Posted: Jan 23rd 2007 By: CMBurnham

Scott "Bam Bam" Bigelow, one of pro wrestling's during the late '80s and '90s, was found dead in his Florida home Friday. He was 45.

Bigelow was discovered dead by his girlfriend in their home in Hudson, Fl. Police haven't been able to pinpoint the time or cause of death. Authorities said an autopsy will be performed.

Well known for the fiery tatoos that covered his head and an amazing agility for a big man, the 6-3, 375-pound Bigelow headlined for the World Wrestling Federation, World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling during a career that spanned from the mid-'80s to 2004.

Bigelow, who was also a star in Japan, is perhaps best known for his rivalry with NFL great Lawrence Taylor which culminated in the main event at Wrestlemania XI in 1995.

The tough guy from Asbury Park, NJ had back problems stemming from his years in pro wrestling, and was involved in a serious motorcycle accident which nearly killed his girlfriend in October 2005.

Bigelow, who admitted in a 2005 interview that he had been addicted to OxyContinfor most of his career, attributed most of his physical and personal problems to a lifetime of professional wrestling.

"With me there's no glory in wrestling," he told the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times. "I thought out of sight, out of mind would be the best thing for me...I don't know if it's hiding or disappointment or what, but being Bam Bam Bigelow is a pain in the (butt). 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 (heck) can you do? What can you do?"

"Scott Bigelow got a lot more out of life than he ever imagined possible," former ECW head Paul Heyman told the WWE website Friday. "Bam Bam had a level of raw, unfefined talent that no one had ever seen before. He broke the mold. He clearly broked the mold. When else could a guy that size do picture-perfect dropkicks and do moves off the top rope? BB settled down in his career to just do the splash from the top rope. But , there was nothing he couldn't do if he wanted to. He was like a prodigy in that if he watched someone do something in the ring, he could emulate it in the ring instantly."