'Big Bully' Busick Passes Away
Former WWE baddie was 63.
Nick Busick, best remembered for his time in WWE as the mustachioed blackguard 'Big Bully Busick', has passed away at the age of 63, the company have confirmed.
Busick had been suffering from cancer for a number of years, undergoing oesophageal and brain surgery in 2016 in a bid to treat the illness. He recently entered hospice care, having been diagnosed with cerebrospinal fluid cancer.
A former high-school amateur wrestler, Busick was inspired to join the wrestling industry by his hero Bruno Sammartino, who he'd grown up watching on Pittsburgh's Studio Wrestling. He made his WWWF bow in 1978, serving as enhancement talent in and around Pittsburgh for the next two years.
After transferring to Atlanta to work for the city's PD, Busick's role in the industry was honed, thanks to a description from announcer Joe Pedicino. The Georgia Championship Wrestling voice opined that blue collar workers from the Tri-State area all wore mustaches, hats, and smoked big cigars. "We just described a bully," he concluded. Pretty soon, Busick was emulating that stereotype, as the derby hat-sporting, handlebar mustache-styling 'Big Bully'.
Busick is best remembered for his two year stint in WWF between 1989 and 1991, where, under the tutelage of Harvey Wippleman, he enjoyed relatively high-profile feuds opposite Sid Justice, Bret Hart, and The British Bulldog. After hanging up his hat, Busick remained active within Atlanta's police department, whilst also serving as a bodyguard alongside Bill 'Demolition Ax' Eadie.
WhatCulture.com extends its condolences to Busick's family and friends.