Andre the Giant is the one man that everybody thinks of when the term "big man" is used around wrestling. However, as good as Andre was, there is a man that probably fits that role better. That man is none other than Bam Bam Bigelow. Bam Bam Bigelow began his wrestling career in 1986 and quickly started working for the big three (WWF, WCW & ECW). In 1987, Bam Bam competed in the first ever Survivor Series main-event, wrestling in the Super-Heavyweight division battling Andre the Giant - ultimately getting the win for his team. Although Bam Bam was unsuccessful, his career continued as he made a living in New Japan Pro Wrestling, who had a good relationship with WCW. Bam Bam and his tag team partner, Big Van Vader, wrestled at Starrcade 1991, which was a battle between NJPW and WCW. These two wrestled the powerful team, Doom. Bam Bam and Vader got the win and proved their dominance in tag team wrestling.

After adding the IWGP Tag Team Championship to his resume, Bam Bam tried his luck for a second time in the WWF. Soon after, he joined the Million Dollar Corporation with Ted DiBiase, Tatanka, IRS and others. It was at WrestleMania 11, where Bam Bam Bigelow stunned the wrestling world by competing in the main-event. His opponent, Lawrence Taylor, was able to get the win in a rather forgettable contest; in fact, that whole WrestleMania was rather forgettable. You see, however, that the WWF took a chance by taking a man who never main-evented a WrestleMania - along with a former football player - and threw them into the last match of the evening. It didn't work very well, but they tried. Bam Bam was part of the main-event of a major Pay-Per-View one last time at the 1995 King of the Ring, teaming with Diesel to defeat Sycho Sid and Tatanka; it was after this that Bam Bam Bigelow had his best run in wrestling.

Bam Bam Bigelow had a short stint in ECW, battling Terry Gordy in 1996 at Ultimate Jeopardy. But, what Paul Heyman saw, he wanted more of. So, in 1997, Bam Bam Bigelow was able to capture the ECW Championship from Shane Douglas. It was Bam Bam's first big singles championship and he proved himself to be a worthy champion. Bam Bam was such a great athlete. He was incredibly agile for a man who was between 325 and 365. He was so powerful that he once lifted Spike Dudley in the air and threw him into an ECW crowd. Bam Bam joined the faction known as "the Triple Threat" with Chris Candido, Tammy Sytch, Francine and Shane Douglas. Taz had been a thorn in the side of the Triple Threat, and they needed to find a way to take care of the ECW Television Champion. Bam Bam and the Triple Threat had some tension between them, and Bam Bam needed a partner, who turned out to be Taz. Bam Bam turned on him and then took the ECW TV Championship from Taz after one of the craziest, sickest bumps in wrestling history at Living Dangerously in 1998. Later that year, Bam Bam Bigelow walked out of ECW, most likely due to financial problems, and joined WCW. He would have been involved with Goldberg in a storyline, but it didn't really get off the ground. Bam Bam won the Hardcore and Tag Team Championship with Diamond Dallas Page there.

Bam Bam Bigelow was a man who was truly never intimidated by anything. Nothing in wrestling or his personal life scarred him. In the summer of 2000, he saved two children from burning house. I remember hearing the story and getting a new-found respect for the man who could press Rey Mysterio and at the same time fly like him too. Now, it's time. The night before WrestleMania 23, at the Hall of Fame ceremony, add Bam Bam Bigelow to that elite roster of wrestlers, because he's definitely earned it.

By Steven Matthews