I last saw King Kong Bundy in person last year. He was, as usual, in good spirits. From my experience, Bundy liked making conversation, and jokes, with every fan who came up to him. He seemed to be a genuinely good guy who was no holds barred in regards to the business that he topped for a time. He spoke his mind and, whether or not that is what kept him from being more celebrated in the "WWE Universe," I don't think that it mattered to him.
King Kong Bundy is one of the first wrestlers that I remember knowing of. Somewhere exists an audio tape where a very young me quickly utters "KING KONG BUNDY! JUNKYARD DOG!" There's no doubt, though I was a casual fan at best in those early years, that I had good taste even as a youngster. I was thrilled by the larger-than-life gladiators. These weren't visuals animated onto the screen or actors in movies largely made up--these people were REAL. Bundy was as widely immense in life as he was portrayed on the screen. Was there any question that he broke Hulk Hogan's ribs? Of course not! How could he have splashed the man and NOT severely injured him?
King Kong Bundy also never seemed to overstay his welcome. You might say that he could have had a much more fulfilling career had he not strayed from the business. A WCW run may have been fun. It's also surprising that he didn't do more in Japan. Alas, as alluded to above, he was his own man. You get that feeling that he did what he wanted to do. He also headlined WrestleMania. And, after all, WrestleMania 2 was what the world had come to.
I will also say, without a shadow of doubt in my mind, that King Kong Bundy was vastly underrated. I know that I had said this long before his passing, possibly even somewhere on this blog. I think that so-called "work rate" is bunk (something that I know I've touched on before here), and that it really doesn't draw a dime. Unreal characters do. That's what Bundy was. Not to mention, he was crisp. Watch a Bundy match. Does he ever really look lost? Nope. He knew what he was doing and could do it with the best of them. He could adapt to opponents of any size, and let's not forget that backwards bump where he literally seemed to hover in mid-air. The latter thanks in part to that famous 1987 Topps trading card illustrating the move.
Bundy is another one who's presence at conventions I'm really going to miss. The legends are fading fast. Cheers to those of you, such as myself, who were lucky enough to take part in the past twenty or so years when conventions and meet and greets for wrestling really took off. We were able to meet scores of wrestling stars of our youth. Many of these greats, like King Kong Bundy, are now gone forever.
Thanks for The Avalanche and the five count, KKB. If anyone could be labeled one-of-a-kind, it was definitely "The Walking Condominium."
King Kong Bundy
1957-2019
Nicely said.
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