There are many gimmicks a heel can use to get over, but some wrestlers just have a look that can tell you exactly who they are even if you know nothing about the sport. In the 1980’s King Kong Bundy had exactly that.
Big. Bald. Menacing. In black wrestling tights that were cut in such a way that almost made him look bigger. I remember when playing with my LJN wrestling “action figures”, him and Kamala were my go-to heels.
It was just natural, no matter who he was wresting, he was the bad guy and you knew what to expect. But it wasn’t always that way.
Before his signature look was locked in, he had hair, wore blue, and went by quite a few other names; Big Daddy Bundy, Boom Boom Bundy, Chris Cannon, Crippler Cannon to name a few.
I love watching these older videos because it makes you realize just how far he came. His look, his mic work, his ring presence, and just his aura, in general, went through a dramatic evolution.
He was trained by “Pretty Boy” Larry Sharpe in at the “Monster Factory” in New Jersey. After a brief run in the WWF in 1981, he moved over to WCWA to develop further before returning to the WWF in 1985 and the monster we all know.
When he returned to the WWF he was managed by the Mouth of the South Jimmy Hart but quickly moved over to become a key member of the Heenan Family.
He was a natural heel and a main eventer so he had long-running feuds with the sports top guys.
Dubbed the “The Colossal Jostle”, his 1985 match with Andre The Giant was a great 20 minutes of WWF action ending in interference from fellow Heenan boy and future tag team partner Big John Stud.
Perhaps his most memorable match was in the main event bout at Wrestlemania 2 against Hulk Hogan.
Not only was it a great match, but it was also the first time WWF introduced the blue bar steel cage. This would become the standard cage for the next decade. The cage alone brings back so many memories for anyone who was a fan at that time.
Sadly at the time of writing this, Christopher Alan Pallies, the wrestler we know as King Kong Bundy has recently passed away. I have always been a fan and am happy I was able to see him live several times live in Toronto Maple Leaf Gardens.
Hopefully, WWE management can look past their previous friction and we see him in the Hall Of Fame soon.
Some Interesting King Kong Bundy Facts
- Held the record for the shortest match in WrestleMania for more than 20 years
- Not only did he appear on the hit television show Married With Children… on more than one occasion. The “Bundy family” was actually named after him! (also the Rhodes were named after Dusty Rhodes)
- He would often request the referee give a five-count when pinning opponents
- Before the WWF he fought in New Japan Wrestling and was known as the “Great Whale”
- He was the 4th “victim” in the Undertakers Wrestlemania streak
- Fought against Fritz Von Erich in his retirement match in 1982
What do you remember about King Kong Bundy?