10 Things We Learned From Dark Side Of The Ring: Bam Bam Bigelow

Some folks reading this might not know that Bam Bam was diabetic during the peak years of his wrestling career. The fearsome big man had to be very careful out on the road, and he carried medication with him at all times. That, combined with the pain meds he was taking and other prescriptions, proved to be a nightmarish combination.

Dana said Bigelow worked through countless injuries and hellish pain because he thought he’d lose his spot with Vince McMahon if he didn’t. That'll perhaps blow the minds of younger wrestling fans, but this was a very-real fear amongst wrestlers in bygone generations.

So, most (including Bammer) just gritted their teeth and masked the pain as best they could. Naturally, that led to serious addictions for Bigelow, and they'd eventually cost him his life. He kept his diabetes quiet though - not too much has been written about his health issues over the years.

Only Bam Bam's close friends and family knew about it.