RIP Beast from the East

Professional wrestling lost one of the best "big men" in it's history this past Friday January 19, 2007, as Scott "Bam Bam" Bigelow was found dead at the age of 45 by his girlfriend. The cause of his death is unknown.

"The Beast From The East," Bam Bam Bigelow was known for his massive size and trademark tatooed forehead, which bore red and yellow flames that matched his ring attire. Bigelow was a rarity in the world of professional wrestling: a big man who could stand toe-to-toe in the ring with such equally massive combatants as Andre The Giant and The Undertaker, he also moved with the same agility of much smaller wrestlers like Rey Mysterio and Sean "X-Pac" Waltman.

Before retiring in 2002, Bam Bam enjoyed a long and successful career. He wrestled in all of the "big three" wrestling promotions — WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment); WCW (World Championship Wrestling); and ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling), as well as overseas in places like Japan, where he worked successful programs with other big men like Big Van Vader in such promotions as New Japan Wrestling.

Bigelow's death at the young age of 45 is the latest of what has been a disturbingly large number of wrestlers who have died young in recent years. Many of these deaths, such as those of Brian Pillman and Rick Rude, are widely believed to be at least partially the result of performance-enhancing and pain-relieving drugs. Many wrestlers use such drugs to keep up with the demanding schedules and physical punishment their bodies are forced to endure.