Bam Bam Bigelow had a unique look, remarkable agility, and performed in high profile scenarios that included a WrestleMania main event, and the main evens of the original Survivor Series and King of the Ring PPVs. For all of his credentials and accomplishments, and emerging as one of the greatest big men in WWE history, he never did get his hands on the WWE Championship.
Bam Bam Bigelow Looked The Part Of A WWE Champion
Perception matters in the professional wrestling business, and while it may be unfair, there is some merit to the idea that a larger performer who looks tough is more immediately credible as a champion, especially among casual fans. Bam Bam Bigelow was billed at 6’4” and around the 400 pound mark. Add in an array of tattoos—not least of all on the back of his head—and there’s no denying he looked like a monster.
Related: 5 Wrestlers Who Are Covered In Tattoos (& 5 Who Have None)
In addition to passing the eye test, Bigelow was a powerhouse with impressive cardio, never known to get blown up in the ring during his prime. Perhaps most impressively at all, he could execute off the top rope, with his signature diving head butt as well as a moonsault in his offensive repertoire.
He Could Put Over Less Talented Wrestlers
There’s no shortage of stories about wrestlers who were reluctant to do the job, putting other performers at the expense of their own reputation. Bam Bam Bigelow was one of the biggest names to demonstrate near-complete humility.
The ultimate testament to the Beast from the East’s professionalism came when he put over Lawrence Taylor at WrestleMania 11. The match doesn't rank among all-time great 'Mania main events, but Bigelow both put over the football player cleanly, and carried him to solid match that catered to LT’s strengths. Bigelow’s ability and willingness to make even the most unlikely opponents look great would have translated well to the WWE Champion role during either of his big runs (in the late-1980s or mid-1990s), and be it as a face or heel to make every challenger look viable.
Less Talented Big Men Won World Titles In WWE
Some critics will argue that monsters don’t make for good world champions, given their lack of vulnerability and questionable ability to put on great matches against an array of challengers. After all, a super heavyweight can look silly selling for a 200-pounder, and its rare that two giants can put on a very good match with each other.
Nonetheless, WWE offered world title opportunities to lesser big men. That includes Andre the Giant in the twilight of his career when he was hardly mobile, as well as Diesel and Sid, each of whom had an awesome look but had to be carried to good matches. Perhaps most notoriously, The Great Khali had one of the least impressive world title reigns in WWE. Yes, Bigelow’s first big push came in a different era when almost every title reign was a long one, and he may have been “damaged goods” by the second time he was in the upper card mix. Nonetheless, in terms of talent, he could more than hold his own as a prospective champion.
Bam Bam Bigelow Was Better Than Other Giants Who Couldn’t Win The Big One
In a discussion of whether Bam Bam Bigelow was the best big man not to win the WWE Championship, its only fair to compare him against other top contenders. There’s Vader, who many rumors suggest was originally earmarked to take the title in 1996. Vader invites comparisons for representing similar strength, agility, and size to The Beast from the East, plus a catalog of great matches. Bigelow quite arguably edges out Vader for his commitment to his craft and jiving with the WWE style, in contrast to Vader. As Bruce Prichard described on his podcast, Vader had trouble related to hygiene and his health that stood in the way of getting pushed all the way to the top during his WWE tenure.
Earthquake, Kamala, King Kong Bundy, and Big John Studd register as other viable candidates for the best giants not to be crowned world champions. Each of these men more cleanly fits the mold of big men who posed credible threats, but who more arguably lacked the complete skill set—not least of all the ability to play the face nearly as effectively as the heel—that Bigelow represented. Indeed, these men feel more in line with Mabel or The Giant Gonzalez as worthy attractions and mountains to climb, but not centerpieces of a national promotion in their own right the way Bigelow might have been.
Bam Bam Bigelow was a special talent, and it’s a shame so much of his WWE run was squandered between a silly feud with Doink the Clown or aimlessly brawling through Ted Dibiase’s Million Dollar Corporation. At least Bigelow did get to reign atop ECW, and so at least arguably was a world champion for a brief period of time, but he deserved better on bigger stages.
Next: 10 Former ECW Champions That Never Won The WWE Championship
