10 Things We Learned From Dark Side Of The Ring: Bam Bam Bigelow
Think you know WWE legend Bam Bam Bigelow? VICE's doc proves you should think again!
On the surface, WWE great Bam Bam Bigelow was a physically imposing wall of flame tattoos and absolute terror for opponents and (later) wrestling fans alike. Away from the ring, things were different. Bigelow was a cuddly family man who loved spending time with his kids more than he enjoyed headlining WrestleMania.
Addictions got the best of him in the end and ripped everything away.
Of course, Bam Bam himself had to take some responsibility for that. His ex-wife Dana acknowledges this throughout the latest episode of 'Dark Side Of The Ring', but absolutely refuses to verbally bury the man. That's classy, and it gives this edition of typically-nightmarish deep dives VICE produces a slightly softer edge.
The stories are incredible though. Talking heads like DDP, Shane Douglas and Taz dropped in to talk about everything from Bigelow's work as a bounty hunter and why some WWF veterans just didn't like him, to the real story behind that iconic ECW bump and Bammer's hidden health problems on the road.
At heart, Bigelow was a family-driven husband and father who took a wayward path and couldn't get back on track. Here's everything we learned!
10. His Wild Bounty Hunter Days
OK, so this is all absolutely mental.
There's a bit of dubiety about some of Bigelow's stories, but most talking heads on the show agreed on this one. Bam Bam saw an advert for a bounty hunting gig when he was just 19 years old, and decided to take the plunge. Things went badly when he and a friend went to Mexico to rescue a little girl who'd been kidnapped though.
His friend was shot in the neck and died, then Bigelow ended up in a Mexican prison for six months before befriending the judge. They couldn't keep him under lock and key anyway - the clay walls of his cell were so thin that Bammer just ran straight through them. Pardon, what?! The fun didn't stop there.
As if that wasn't enough, the judge let Bigelow out of prison early because he'd stopped others from rioting in court (in effect acting as protection for the judge). Honestly, this all sounds like the origin story of a Batman villain more than a pro wrestler's teenage life.