Bam Bam Bigelow

[8.0] "Bam Bam Bigelow was a guy I first saw in Memphis, teaming with and then feuding with Jerry Lawler depending on the week. Even back then, it was obvious he was different. In his prime, Bam Bam was one of the most agile big men the business has ever seen; quick feet, explosive offense, and an aura that screamed danger. He had a brief run in World Class, then arrived in the WWF with that whole "managers fighting over him" presentation, which honestly did wonders for his early momentum. He bounced to WCW briefly in the late '80s before returning to the WWF, and that's where things start to get frustrating in hindsight. While he was still over and still impressive, his career was slowly chipped away by creatively weak decisions. Feuds with Doink the Clown and Lawrence Taylor, Luna Vachon as a manager, and later being slotted into the Million Dollar Corporation all felt like distractions rather than elevation. Bam Bam was a monster who could move; he didn't need novelty feuds or celebrity angles. He managed to breathe new life into his career in ECW, and this is where Bam Bam really felt valued. His feud with Taz in particular showed exactly what he should've been nationally: a terrifying, athletic heavyweight who could believably murder anyone. Matches with Taz, Spike Dudley, and RVD made him feel like a genuine top heel, not a gimmick or an attraction, but a threat. His final national run came in WCW with the Jersey Triad alongside DDP and Kanyon. Creatively, WCW in '99 was a mess, but financially it was absolutely the right call for him. After that, things fizzled out on the indies, and before long, Bam Bam was gone far too young. That's really the tragedy of Bam Bam Bigelow's career: he never reached his full potential. Not because of lack of talent, far from it, but because he was never quite placed in the right system at the right time. He was never going to be the guy in the Hulkamania era. He wasn't going to outshine Sting or Steamboat in the NWA. All Japan already had an abundance of foreign heels. New Japan, honestly, might have been the place where he could've been pushed to the very top of the card. His work there, including the iconic cartwheel into the middle finger at Keiji Mutoh, shows exactly how well he fit. When he returned to the WWF in the New Generation era, it genuinely felt like he was being positioned as a top heel... and then the Doink feud happened and devalued him for nearly two years. Putting over Lawrence Taylor was sold to him as leading to a massive babyface push, and that promise never materialized. Was Bam Bam better than his Big, Bad, and Dangerous tag partner Big Van Vader? In 2018, I probably would've said yes. Looking back now, with Vader's incredible catalog of matches, I'd give Vader the edge. But that doesn't diminish Bam Bam in the slightest. He still kicked ass. He wasn't a great talker, and it didn't matter. Like Mike Awesome, Bam Bam had a sick look, real presence, and threw people around like they weighed nothing. Agility, strength, and a mean streak that felt completely authentic. He was made for wrestling. I don't usually do career retrospectives, but Bam Bam Bigelow is the exception. He fit this business perfectly, even when the business didn't always fit him. Much love to the Beast from the East."

[8.0] "Bam Bam Bigelow was a man I first saw in Memphis when he was teaming and then feuding with Jerry Lawler, depending on what week it was...he was one of the most agile big men in the business in his prime. Had a brief run in World Class. When he arrived in the WWF with the managers all vying for his attention, I think it did his career a lot of good. He went to WCW briefly in the late '80s and then came back to the WWF, where I feel his career got hurt by silly feuds with Doink the Clown and Lawrence Taylor while being managed by Luna Vachon and later joining the Million Dollar Corporation. He breathed a little more life into his career with a stop in ECW to feud with Taz. Then, he made one final national run in WCW with Jersey Triad with DDP and Kanyon before fizzling out in some indies. That said, I always enjoyed Bam Bam. His first run in the WWF was probably my favorite. But he passed away really young. And never really reached his potential in the business."

[6.0] "Bam Bam was an incredible athlete, and he and Vader were obviously not just ahead of their time but really quite unique to be doing moonsaults when other big men were happy to stay very, very grounded. Versatile in a lot of styles and an obvious badass when you have tattoos on your head. I always liked his style, although I think he could have been a superstar if he could have done just a bit more on the promo side, or perhaps was given a large heel run. I was always kind of waiting for him to get a World title and just never got to see it."

[9.0] "Bam Bam Bigelow was truly ahead of his time. A 360-pound guy doing moonsaults and moving like a middleweight? Unreal. He brought something different everywhere he went--WWE, ECW, WCW, even Japan. The guy didn't just look intimidating with the flame tattoos, he backed it up in the ring with agility, power, and presence. Easily one of the most underrated big men in wrestling history."

[8.0] "Bam Bam Bigelow aka Crusher Yurkoff headlined Wrestlemania, NJPW G1 Series & JCW Rebirth in three different decades. He is a former IWGP heavyweight tag team title with Big Van Vader, former ECW World and TV champion in a short amount of time from each other. He took part of the worst period ala Vince Russo booking where he was a former hardcore champion and only had a merrier chance to wrestle. Bam Bam had some bad times like overcoming loss of family, weight issues and mental issues that escalated when the ECW locker room moved on. And had the task to be an innovator of heavyweight skills with athleticism unseen at the time. Super athletic! He sadly passed away at 45 years old. Rest in peace Bam Bam."

[9.0] "Agility, Strength, and just a mean motherfucker. Bam Bam Bigelow is one of the best big men in wrestling. Now is he better than his Big, Bad and Dangerous tag partner; Big Van Vader? in 2018 I would have said yes, nowadays looking at Vader's incredible catalog of matches, no. regardless Bam Bam still kicked ass. I don't really do career retrospectives, but I love Bam Bam enough to do it. It is a shame he never reached his potential, He wasn't gonna be top dog in the Hulkamania era, he wasn't going to outdo Sting or Steamboat in the NWA. All Japan had an abundance of Foreign Heels already, New Japan probably could have pushed him to the top of the card to be honest. When he got back to the WWF in the New Gen Era it looked like he was gonna be a top heel but feuding with Doink devalued him for like two years. And then they had him put over LT cause they promised him a huge babyface push, it didn't go on well. Then he reached his peak in ECW, which that is awesome! They really valued Bam Bam, as he did feel like a top heel in the company with his matches against Taz, Spike Dudley, & RVD. And then he signed with WCW in '99 which was a horrible mistake creatively but financial it was his best option. He's several memorable moments in his career and you could point to most of them being in ECW or New Japan, The cartwheel middle finger to Keiji Muto is iconic. He wasn't a great talker but that doesn't matter, much like Awesome he had a sick look and he threw dudes around like a sack of potatoes. I'm glad Bam Bam was a wrestler, he just fit perfectly into it. Much love to the Beast from the East."

[8.0] "Bam Bam Bigelow was as good an example as any of how to make big guy wrestlers interesting. You'd expect him to lumber around and brawl his way through his opponents, but he was surprisingly agile with a varied moveset. Not familiar with his work in Japan, but his run in both ECW and WCW was impressive and fun to watch. Just a real shame he hed issues that kept him from going steady anywhere."

[7.0] "One of the best big men of his day, and while incredibly agile and could bump for anybody, he had a bad habit of burning bridges and not staying in one place too long. Had a good run in the WWF from 1993-1995 but was just a midcard heel filler and then he had some belts in ECW and WCW in the waning days of his career. When he came to the WWF in 1987 on that first outing, the guy was lava hot with the crowds but he didn't even last a year, a combination of a knee injury (I think) and bad attitude put him at odds with guys like Andre."

[8.0] "One of the best big men of his era. He had impressive size, but he also was agile and could do a great moonsault. He had a presence in the ring and the fans loved him as a babyface and hated him as a heel. Overall a great worker whose addiction was probably his biggest flaw."

[9.0] "Hard reset write up & score raise: Never forget he saved 3 kids from a burning building and was a real life super hero. Politics is what held him down. His striking and unforgettable look was unlike any before. He was a game changer in American wrestling, super heavyweights didn't move like that before him. Cartwheels and Dropkicks & the ability to go as fast as nearly any speedster. Innovative offense for the time. Had the crowd at Survivor Series '87 in the palm of his hand. A total force...that was buried by every promoter/booker until Paul Heyman. I was completely captivated and enthralled during his late 80's run, the booking was directionless but he DELIVERED in the ring. After a return to the WWF, he was given some form of limelight and made a tremendous showing at the '93 King of the Ring ppv but they (like everyone else), never capitalized properly. The Doink feud felt like an insult. The ECW stuff is rather great and I look forward to rewatching that. Late 90's WCW was hit or miss but when it delivered, I was enjoying what I knew was his last big run. The booking over the years is annoying but the bell to bell stuff ages well. And have you ever seen someone his size be so graceful with rope/turnbuckle work? So much respect, rest in peace to one of the Mount Rushmore big men. 8.5"

[9.0] "One of the best big men of all time and certainly one of the best of his time. The only one I might prefer over him is Vader and thats a really close call honestly. His move set was amazing, especially for a guy his size and he was insanely over in the late 80s as a babyface."

[5.0] "Bam Bam Bigelow at his time was impressive but he was never as consistent as he should've been to guarantee a spot at the top"

[10.0] "Another great big man, hella athletic with his move set, definitely new and fresh for its time in his era. Should've had the WWF I.C strap around his waist during his tenure with the company. Bam Bam's attire is also one of the best."

[9.0] "Honestly Bam Bam is so damn good, and he does not get enough credit these days (I am glad he's rated well on here though, good job cagematch inmates for that) He was an very agile big man, and I think he's a good promo too. I'm glad he got to main event Wrestlemania once though it was against a pro American football player... 1995 was a strange time for north American wrestling. I wish WWE would induct him in the hall of fame already, he should have been in years ago. His moonsault finish always looked incredible because of him being a gigantic dude. I have no qualms giving him a 9/10."

[8.0] "Bam Bam was excellent. A super big guy but he was so athletic and a great hand in the ring. He was trusted in the main event of WrestleMania with a football player and not many others could have pulled off something watchable like he did. Unfortunately his career was very stop-start wherever he went which is a shame because he could have been an all-time great had he lasted somewhere."

[9.0] "Easily a top ten big man of all time. Athletic, charismatic, a look that was utterly unique. He tends to get forgotten about because his prime was during wrestling's downturn in the 90's, but anyone watching his ECW classics knows what's up."

[8.0] "A guy who was very big and agile, he was definitely ahead of his time in the business. He's one of the most underrated talents in this business."

[8.0] "Bam Bam was so damn good. Agile as hell. For some reason he never quite got to show just how good he was in his runs in the WWF but ace everywhere else."

[8.0] "Bam Bam was one of the best in-ring workers for a guy of his size ever. His work in Japan with Vader was awesome. I feel he was never utilized to his fullest potential anywhere. He wasn't a fantastic promo but could still generate heat as a heel. His match with Bret Hart in the KOTR finals showed how much potential he truly had. Furthermore, he carried Lawrence Taylor to an acceptable main event match at Wrestlemania XI, which was no small feat. His ECW run was stellar as well. A great worker, good talker, and believable main event talent."

[6.0] "as for a heavyweight he is quite good, but I would not sing big praises to him. At one time, he looked not bad, but no more."

[7.0] "Bam Bam was a solid monster heel. He seemed legitimately tough and was surprisingly athletic. A good guy to watch; I enjoyed his matches for the most part."

[8.0] "Great look and not bad. His best work is not in WWF. Was believable as a tough guy. He could fly around a bit well."

[7.0] "Amazingly agile for a guy of his size and had some cracking matches for mid 90's WWF quality, and his earlier tag work was actually pretty good. The guy could work very well for a man of his size, he was surprisingly safe in the ring despite all of his flips and his reliability was well known: not many guys could carry a complete non-wrestler like Lawrence Taylor and make him look legit. That's always a sign of talent, no question. However his physical frame started to cause him problems and issues stemming from drug abuse meant that he would start to lean more to the garbage hardcore style of match and utilise less of that skill that he had obtained in favour of brawling. He still had the skill to bump around well and could still put on a decent match when the pieces were put together. A good mid card act in his prime and a solid hand but I wouldn't call him a draw or anything."

[10.0] "A guy who impressed me most every time I saw him work. I only wish he had stayed around in the WWE for longer. Loved his look and his moveset."

[7.0] "Bam Bam was a capable big man with a pretty standard but solid powerhouse style. His look suited all of that well. Overall a good wrestler but not super oustanding."

[9.0] "Underrated performer! He had the size and everything. Vicious in the ring was his gimmick. Always excited me seeing him wrestle. Too bad he did not get a big push in the WWF. Probably because of the Kliq. His time ECW and WCW was memorable"

[10.0] "One of the most unforgiving character in entire world of wrestling. Is hard to believe how somebody of his size can do so much in the ring. WWF. WCW. ECW. NJPW and many more. Don't have to add anything else. BAM BAM BIGELOW R. i. P"

[9.0] "He was a good gimmick away from being one of the all-time greats. There are many parallels between him and Vader, with athleticism, being stiff, innovation etc. The difference was Vader found that gimmick, Bigelow didn't. Doesn't take away from Bigelow's talent though."

[7.0] "Bam Bam Bigelow was a really good worker, and was skilled at getting good matches out of total stiffs and in holding together matches with sub-par workers."

[9.0] "Bam Bam had so much going for him. He was a superheavyweight who could move and even do some high-flying moves, he had a great look, and he had the aura of a badass. If anyone made to be a monster heel, it was Bam Bam. That he was never world champion outside of ECW is a real shame."

[8.0] "He was an agile big man who seemed like a believable tough guy. Also, lets not be too tough on him for his drug issues, perhaps we should remember how he got hooked on drugs. In july 2000 he was going down the road and saw a house on fire , there were three kids in the house. He used his size and strength to break down the door, then rushed in the house, scooped up all three kids and ran out the door, saving their lives. He started using drugs to cope with the pain of receiving burns over 40% of his body. So in my view, the man was a hero who showed more courage than most of us could ever muster."

[10.0] "One of my favorite big men, Bigelow was amazingly athletic for his size and could pull out some truly incredible offense when he put his mind to it. He's got good-to-great stuff in WWF, WCW, ECW, and out in Japan as well. I'd put very few big men over him, the guy is just great and fun to watch."

[9.0] "The type of big man that doesn't come along very often - not only a believable tough guy with a great deal of power and brawling skill, but also fantastically agile and able to throw moonsaults and cartwheels with ease. Bigelow also has the distinction of being a relevant star in several very different times and places, from the WWF of the late '80s and again in the early to mid-'90s, early '90s New Japan, the wild ECW scene of the late '90s and the dying days of WCW in the early 2000s. A great and sorely-missed talent."

[7.0] "If yes only being graded based on how mobile he was in the ring for his size, than bigalow would deserve a better score. He was never a true giant though and his skill in the ring certainly wouldn't rank in the top 250 guys I've seen. Bigalow was basically an upper mid card guy in any promotion he worked... Someone that can represent a threat to the face based on his size... But ultimately has no real drawing power after fans see his limitations after a few months. Would be a god on today's Indy scene but his talent makes him just slightly above average for a big time promotion."

[8.0] "Bigelow was a very good big man who could work and move. I always thought he was a much better babyface than a heel personally, but he could work either style."

[7.0] "They just don't make 'em like Bam Bam anymore. This big man was capable of amazing feats of agility, flight, and strength. That, coupled with the world's most awesome tattoo (the one on his head, not his arms), he seemed like he could rip everybody in half. For some reason I'll NEVER figure out, he did not achieve much success in the WWE (no titles). He seems like the kind of guy they dream of creating and selling to audiences. He achieved his greatest success (and participated in one of wrestling's most infamous moments with Taz) in ECW, and had some noteworthy accomplishments in WCW. I'm sad he's gone. If more big men were like him, everyone would watch wrestling."