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PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING LEGEND King Kong Bundy has died aged 61.
The wrestler, whose real name was Christopher Pallies, is well-known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation – now WWE – during the 1980s and 90s.
He is perhaps best known for wrestling in the main event of Wrestlemania 2, where he fought Hulk Hogan in a steel cage match.
Fans reacting to his death recalled Bundy as an “icon” and a “hero”.
In a tribute to Bundy on its website, WWE said he stood at an impressive 6’4″ and weighed 456 pounds.
“The sight of Bundy stepping between the ropes was intimidating enough, but his crushing offense proved that he was every bit as destructive as advertised,” it said.
WWE extends its condolences to Bundy’s family, friends and fans.
Other legends of the industry paid tribute to Bundy, with Hogan saying he was “overwhelmed” by his passing.
Wrestler and senior management figure at WWE Triple H said he was “saddened” to hear of Bundy’s death and called him a “fan favourite”, while Mick Foley said “he was so cool to me when I walked in that @WWE dressing room as an absolute nobody in 1986″.
Bundy had been part of a lawsuit against WWE initiated by a number of former wrestlers which alleged the company hadn’t taken adequate measures to protect them against brain injuries. This lawsuit was dismissed last year.
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A story for 24 hours ago, but, may he R.I.P.
@Andrew Giles: is he not still dead?
@Kevin O’Donnell: yes, but it was yesterday’s news
@Andrew Giles: Let me know if there’s any change in his condition.
@Kem Trayle: only trying to point out that when this article was posted, it was 24 hours late to the party, but go ahead, be sarcastic.
@Andrew Giles: it takes time for the journal to catch up to Reddit
Latest entrant into the great Royal Rumble in the sky. RIP
Handing out 5 counts in the afterlife! Terrified me as a kid, RIP King Kong Bundy
@Brian Guilfoyle: me too.. he was definitely the scariest of all of them
Dara O’Brien let himself go
Any relation of ted’s?
@Seriously stunned: no but he had a distant relation that climbed sky scrapers
@Seriously stunned: ted king or ted kong?
@Seriously stunned: first cousin to Polk high school legend Al.
There’s a tragic way of looking at the Hogan era of wrestling. Of the first 10 Wrestlemania’s only 2 of WM main events feature people who are still alive today (WM 7 and WM 8 but 8 had a warrior run in so there’s an asterisk), also WM7 has an insane death toll in the undercard. If you want to be technical that also extends till WM 12 cause Yokozuna and Bam Bam Bigalow are dead
@Awkward Jake: deadwrestlers.net makes for some grim reading. Childhood memories destroyed in a single sitting
Giant of a man. Did he fight hulk hogan sometime in the cage?
@Dave Barrett: ya wrestlmania 2
@Dave Barrett: did you not read the article? It’s almost the first thing it said.
Oh lord my kids loved wwe wen they were small. Took em to the point. Grown men were more excited than the kids. Gas.
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