4. Bam Bam Bigelow rescues three children from a house on fire
“The Beast from the East” is one of the most unsung heroes in wrestling history. Standing over six feet and four inches tall, the monster athlete was surprisingly agile and alert for a man of close to 400 pounds. When not hurling opponents out of the ring and selling moves in masterly fashion, Bigelow, despite his big man frame, would perform somersault sentons and rolling moonsaults with such fervent and sprightly movements that audiences could not help but be amazed. An intricate flaming tattoo on his scalp and flame motif gear on his bulk, this man was an intimidating force in both looks and ring ability.
Despite mostly branding himself as a heel and almost never breaking kayfabe, Bigelow was involved in a self-endangering act of rescue in July 2000. In his neighbourhood at Asbury Park, New Jersey, a building had caught fire while still housing three children inside. Recounting the incident at a later interview, the wrestler had said, “You see a house on fire, you hear kids screaming. What are you gonna do, run away?”
Wasting no time, Bam Bam rushed inside, picked the children and came out scalded, wheezing and a hero. The act caused almost 40 per cent of his body to get charred, leading him to spend the next two months at a hospital and majorly contributed to his hanging up his wrestling boots for good. But the selfless performer would not give up this for anything in the world. “The best move I ever made”, was how he would proudly reminiscence the moment.
Touted as a phenomenal heel for most of his career, “The Bammer” matched shoulders with some of the greatest in the ring, yet could never get the highest WWF honour around his waist. Respite came at rival wrestling promotions such as ECW and WCW, where he mowed through most competition to secure and retain his world titles.
