WWE Star King Kong Bundy Dies at 61: 'We Lost a Legend'
WWE icon King Kong Bundy, who memorably battled Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 2, died Monday. He was 61.
The athlete’s death was confirmed by longtime friend David Herro on Facebook, and by the WWE.
“Today we lost a Legend and a man I consider family. Rest in Peace Chris,” Herro wrote. “We love you. Thank you for believing in me. #KingKongBundy.”
In their own statement, the WWE said, “WWE extends its condolences to Bundy’s family, friends and fans.”
Bundy, whose real name was Christopher Alan Pallies, entered the WWE in the early ‘80s, and competed in the inaugural WrestleMania in 1985. There, he took down Special Delivery Jones in just nine seconds.
The New Jersey native returned again the next year, facing off against, and ultimately losing to, Hulk Hogan in a steel cage.
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According to the WWE, Bundy — who stood at 6’ 4” and weighed 458 pounds — had such powerful takedowns of his opponents, referees would count to five instead of the typical three as Bundy pinned them down.
Bundy ultimately left the WWE, but briefly returned in 1994 as part of The Million Dollar Corporation.
Out of the ring, he enjoyed a brief acting career, appearing in two episodes of the sitcom Married… With Children as well as the 1988 Richard Pryor comedy Moving.
Bundy also entered the world of stand-up comedy, telling ESPN in 2015 it was “always something I’ve wanted to do.”
“It’s like wrestling. You work at night and you’re not on stage forever,” he said. “I’ll do it until I drop dead.”
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The star added that in his retirement, he really didn’t miss wrestling all that much.
“It was a job. I was never a wrestling fan,” he said. “The traveling, getting spit on by fans and the egos of some of the wrestlers. I had had enough.”
Just before his death, Bundy had been promoting appearances at the upcoming WrestleCon in New York City and the ‘80s WrestlingCon in Freehold, New Jersey.
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