10 Wrestler Deaths WWE Completely No-Sells

8. Bam Bam Bigelow

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Celebrated in small doses at best for what was one considered the best celebrity match ever before the bizarre current golden era was ushered in midway through the 2010s, Bam Bam Bigelow's life, death and legacy have all been curiously left alone since his 2007 passing.

Twice in like a lion and out like a lamb during 1987-1988 and 1992-1995 stints with the organisation, it'd be one thing to speculate that perhaps those with links to WWE higher-ups over the decades remembered not meshing well with him, but far too many burned bridges have been rebuilt to simplify it as a game of petty politics.

The timing and nature of his death may well be the biggest factor. Hall Of Fame spots don't seem to be in high supply for those that passed away at relatively young ages during the devastating spree of deaths during the 2000s. Stories like Bammer's became too common - combinations of broken bodies, drugs, failures to adjust to life out of the spotlight and shoddy aftercare from the industry saw names going into the triple figures going too soon. Bigelow's story covered snatches of all of that, and within months of his passing, the aforementioned Benoit tragedy drew inquests that focused more on quantity of fatalities than qualities of the human beings involved.

The same could be said for...

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett