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King Kong Bundy

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King Kong Bundy
King Kong Bundy in 1995
Birth nameChristopher Alan Pallies[1]
Born(1955-11-07)November 7, 1955
Woodbury, New Jersey,U.S.
DiedMarch 4, 2019(2019-03-04)(aged 63)
Glassboro, New Jersey,U.S.
Spouse(s)
Marcy Russell
​
​
(m.1994;div.2002)​
Children1
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Big Daddy Bundy[1]
Boom Boom Bundy[2]
Chris Bundy[3]
Chris Cannon[3]
Chris Canyon[1][3][4]
Crippler Cannon[2]
King Kong Bundy[5]
Man Mountain Cannon, Jr[1]
Billed height6 ft 4 in (193 cm)[5]
Billed weight458 lb (208 kg)[5]
Billed fromAtlantic City, New Jersey[5][6]
Trained byLarry Sharpe[1]
DebutMarch 7, 1981[1]
RetiredMay 2007[1]

Christopher Alan Pallies(November 7, 1955 – March 4, 2019) was an Americanprofessional wrestler,stand-up comedianand actor better known by his wrestling gimmick andring name,King Kong Bundy.Under this gimmick, he portrayed a pugnacious, trash-talking villain character.

He appeared in theWorld Wrestling Federation(WWF) in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s and wrestled in the main event ofWrestleMania 2in 1986, facingHulk Hoganin asteel cage matchfor theWWF World Heavyweight Championship.[1][5][6][7]He also headlined the inauguralSurvivor Seriesin 1987,as well as the first edition ofExtreme Championship Wrestling'sflagship event,November to Remember,in 1993.

Early life[edit]

Christopher Alan Pallies was born inWoodbury, New Jersey,on November 7, 1955,[8][9]to Donald Pallies, a railroad freight agent, and Margret (McCarthy) Pallies, a department store clerk.[1][10][11]He attendedWashington Township High SchoolinSewell, New Jersey,graduating in 1974.[1][12][13]He had two sisters and three brothers.[10]While in high school, Pallies wrestled heavyweight on the wrestling team. He won two regional titles. His brother Jeff, also a member of the wrestling team, later wrestled for Glassboro State, now known as Rowan University. He was a two-time Metro Conference champion.

Professional wrestling career[edit]

Early career (1981–1985)[edit]

Pallies was trained to wrestle byLarry Sharpeat the "Monster Factory" inBellmawr, New Jersey.He debuted on March 7, 1981, wrestling for the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name "Chris Canyon".[1][4]His first victory was againstStrong Kobayashiin WWF on July 10, 1981. In the early years of his career, he also used the name "Chris Cannon".[3]In 1982, Pallies relocated toTexas,where he joined theWorld Class Championship Wrestling.[3]He was developed by theVon Erich familyas thebabyface"Big Daddy Bundy" (afterShirley Crabtree's"Big Daddy" moniker),[14]wearing blue jeans with a rope belt, but turnedheelfollowing a dispute with the Von Erich Family, and was recruited by"Playboy" Gary Hartand dramatically reintroduced as "King Kong Bundy", with the "Big Daddy" portion of his moniker replaced by the name of cinematic monster,King Kong,wearing the black singlet for the first time to signify his change.[15]He lost his hair during the feud, adding to his signature look. Bundy wasFritz Von Erich'sopponent for Fritz's 1982retirement matchat theFritz Von Erich Retirement Showheld at theTexas Stadium.[16][17]He also competed in various territories such as theAmerican Wrestling AssociationandGeorgia Championship Wrestlingwhere he teamed withthe Masked Superstarto defeat his former stablematesthe Road Warriorsfor theNWA National Tag Team Championship.He also had a tendency to demand a five-count (as opposed to the usual three count) forpinfallswhenever he dominated his opponent in asquashmatch, agimmickhe began while wrestling forMid-South Wrestling.During this time Bundy also wrestled inMemphisoften teaming withRick RudeandJim Neidhartagainst opponents such asJerry Lawler.

World Wrestling Federation (1985–1988)[edit]

WWF Championship pursuit (1985–1986)[edit]

Bundy andBig John StuddfacingAndré the GiantandHillbilly Jimin 1985

After making a few appearances onNew Japan Pro-Wrestling/World Wrestling Federationjoint shows in early 1985, Bundy officially debuted in the WWF on the March 16, 1985 airing ofWWF Championship Wrestling,defeatingMario Mancini.[18][19]First managed byJimmy Hart,he was immediatelypushedwith dominating victories over all of his opponents. Bundy also reprised his gimmick of demanding a five-count from the referee while pinning an opponent, to show how badly he had beaten his hapless opponent.[18]He defeatedS. D. Jonesin what was announced as only nine seconds at thefirst WrestleManiaatMadison Square Garden(it was actually about 17 seconds).[20]This remained the shortest match inWrestleManiahistory until 2008 whenKanedefeatedChavo Guerrero Jr.in a legitimate eight seconds atWrestleMania XXIV.[21]

In September 1985, Hart traded Bundy to managerBobby Heenanin exchange forAdrian AdonisandThe Missing Link.[18]After joiningthe Heenan Family,Bundy feuded extensively withAndré the Giant,a feud which started during ananglewhere Bundy interfered in one of André's matches and delivered several splashes, giving the Giant a brokensternum.[18]They feuded for several months, including a pair of tag team matches onSaturday Night's Main Event IIandIIIin late 1985, where Bundy, and André's other nemesis,Big John Studd,first faced André andTony Atlasand then André andWWF World Heavyweight ChampionHulk Hogan.[22][23]On September 23, 1985, Bundy faced André the Giant atMadison Square Gardenin a match billed as "the Colossal Jostle". André dominated the match, with the match ending after Big John Studd came from the locker rooms to Bundy's aid and attacked the Giant, causing a disqualification.[24]Bundy also began targeting Hogan and the WWF World Championship in late 1985. AtSaturday Night's Main Event V,Hogan was dominating challengerthe Magnificent Muracowhen Bundy (with Heenan in tow) ran to ambush Hogan. With Muraco's help, Bundy repeatedly gave Hoganavalanchesandbig splashes,which caused Hogan to severely bruise his ribs. Bundy demanded a match and claimed Hogan was afraid of him, setting up theirfeud.[25]Hogan demanded revenge and agreed to asteel cagematch for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship as the main event ofWrestleMania 2in theLos Angelesportion of the event, which Hogan won.[26]

Various feuds (1986–1988)[edit]

Later in 1986, Bundy reformed his tag-team partnership with Studd and began a feud withThe Machines,Bill EadieandBlackjack Mulliganwrestling under masks (as the Super Machine and Big Machine, respectively) and often joined by Andre the Giant (as the Giant Machine). The storyline was that Bundy and Studd, along with Heenan, claimed that the Giant Machine was a masked Andre the Giant, and was competing under the mask and alias to circumvent an earlier suspension (due to no-showing for an event), but none of them ever proved that Andre and the Giant Machine were one and the same. Eventually, Bundy and Studd began teaming up with Heenan in a series of six-man tag team matches against the Machines (usually, Big and Super; as Andre's health was starting to deteriorate at this time, the Giant Machine made occasional appearances, but more often than not, it was either CaptainLou Albanoor a number of popular faces—often, Hogan,Roddy Piperand others—who teamed with the other Machines). Bundy and Studd were regularly beaten, but won their last match over the Super-Big version of the Machines at Madison Square Garden. Also in the latter half of 1986, Bundy and Studd received shots at the WWF Tag Team Championship againstThe British Bulldogs,but were unsuccessful, often losing by disqualification. Studd left the WWF shortly after their last match with the Machines, and Bundy went back to singles competition.

AtWrestleMania III,Bundy was involved in a mixed six-man tag team match, teaming up withmidget wrestlersLittle TokyoandLord LittlebrookagainstHillbilly Jim,theHaiti KidandLittle Beaver.During the match, after being pestered by Beaver, Bundy body-slammed him and delivered a big elbow, causing his team's disqualification and his own tag partners to turn against him.[27][28]At the1987 King of the Ringon September 4, Bundy made it to the finals of theKing of the Ring tournament,where he was defeated byRandy Savage.In November 1987, Bundy defeated Hulk Hogan via a count-out on an episode ofSaturday Night's Main Event XIII,[29]but lost to Hogan in a rematch on the next episode of the series;[30]the match was best known for the referee becoming legitimately injured when he was accidentally caught between Hogan and a charging Bundy, and Andre the Giant's post-match attack of Hogan shortly after Bundy left ringside. Although no longer appearing on the WWF's syndicated TV shows, Bundy continued to wrestle house shows in early 1988 (often losing toBam Bam Bigelow); his last match during his initial WWF run was a televised match atMadison Square Gardenin February 1988, teaming up with Butch Reed in a loss toDon MuracoandThe Ultimate Warrior.

Semi-retirement (1988–1994)[edit]

After leaving the WWF in 1988, Bundy went into semi-retirement, wrestling only a handful of matches. In 1993, he wrestled in the main event ofEastern Championship Wrestling's inauguralNovember to Remembersupercard,appearing as the mystery tag team partner ofTerry Funkin a losing effort againstRoad Warrior HawkandSabu.On May 13, 1994, Bundy defeatedPapa Shangoat NWA New Jersey. In the summer of 1994, he made a couple of appearances forUnited States Wrestling Associationand also feuded with "Friendly" Frank Finnegan in the WWA in 1994.

Return to WWF (1994–1995)[edit]

Bundy returned to the WWF in the fall of 1994 as a member ofTed DiBiase'sstable,The Million Dollar Corporation.[31][32]He had a successfulpay-per-viewreturn at theSurvivor Series,when he and fellow "Million Dollar Team" member Bam Bam Bigelow survived a match againstLex Luger's"Guts and Glory" team.[31]Bundy was then billed as a favorite in the1995 Royal Rumble,but lasted only three minutes before being eliminated by another big man,Mabel.[33]Bundy made his return to WrestleMania atWrestleMania XI,wherehe was defeatedbythe Undertaker,[31][34]Bundy was later pushed down the card before being released in October 1995 after teaming withKamalosing toBam Bam BigelowandHenry O. Godwinnfor a dark match forWWF Superstars of Wrestling.

Late career (1995–2007)[edit]

After leaving the WWF in late 1995,[31]Bundy wrestled for several independent promotions in the United States including the WWA where he had wrestled in 1994. In April 1997, he resurfaced in magazines when he joined a faction managed byKenny Casanovacalled "Camp Casanova" along with "Danger" Dave DeJohn and the Masked Maniac at times in USWF, NBW, and USA Power Pro Wrestling. In a match against "the Seven Foot Tall" Primo Canera III, Bundy knee-dropped his opponent and then "Bundy-splashed" him. The impact actually broke the ring, leaving the two grapplers in a pit in the center of the squared circle. This independent footage was picked up byPro Wrestling Illustrated.His feuds against"Superfly" Jimmy Snuka,Doink the Clown,andTom Brandiwere among many main events in the northeast independent circuit. In 1999, at the Kolf Arena inOshkosh, Wisconsinhe won theAWA Superstars of Wrestling Heavyweight Championshipfrom Jonnie Stewart. Later that same year, Bundy the reigning AWA heavyweight champion, wrestled again headlining an AWA "Super Event" at theDee Events Centerin Ogden, Utah. That night ended differently for Bundy, losing a "body-slam match" to Koszmar Polski who was managed byKen Patera.Bundy still wrestled across the country, primarily in the Southern and Eastern United States. He generally continued to be a headliner and a crowd favorite at all events he attended. King Kong Bundy's last match is thought to have been at the Legends of Wrestling Show at the Pulaski County Fair in Somerset, Kentucky in 2007. Bundy lost to"Hacksaw" Jim Dugganin that main event. He defeated Richard Byrne in May 2007 at Big Time Wrestling in Springfield, Massachusetts in which was also his last and final match of his wrestling career.[1]

Acting and stand-up comedy career[edit]

In 1986, Pallies appeared in television commercials and print advertisements for theVendex HeadStartpersonal computer.[35]Bundy had two guest spots and one bit part onMarried... with Children,as the creators had named the lead characters "Bundy" as an homage to him.[36]In 1987, he played Uncle Irwin, the brother ofPeggy Bundy.In 1995, he appeared again as the King Kong Bundy character, teaching Bud how to wrestle. In 1988, he appeared in theRichard PryorfilmMovingas Gorgo, part of a trio of ex-cons who are insolent and careless movers. In 1996, he appeared on an episode ofWeird Scienceas himself. He is on the cover of Belgian band Belgian Asociality's 2009 albumKabaal.On April 24, 2008, he was on aNorwegianTV show calledGolden GOAL!.Bundy also starred as Otto Belmar in the 2011 independent filmFight the Panda Syndicate.

After retiring from wrestling, Pallies would also try a career instand-up comedy.He would perform regularly at various comedy clubs such as the Coffee Dot Comedy inSea Isle City.[37][38][39][40]

Personal life[edit]

Pallies was previously married and had a son named David that Pallies raised as his own.[10][41][11]Pallies was fond of cats and had "about 10" at the time of his death.[42]

In July 2016, Pallies joined aclass actionlawsuit filed against WWE which alleged that wrestlers incurred "long term neurological injuries" and that the company "routinely failed to care" for them and "fraudulently misrepresented and concealed" the nature and extent of those injuries. The suit was litigated by attorney Konstantine Kyros, who has been involved in a number of other lawsuits against WWE.[43]The case was dismissed by US District JudgeVanessa Lynne Bryantin September 2018.[44]Anthony Mango ofBleacher Reportwrote that Pallies had a strained relationship with WWE over the years and his involvement in the lawsuit likely prevented the company from inducting him into theirHall of Fame.[45]

Death[edit]

On March 4, 2019, Pallies died from complications ofdiabetesat his home inGlassboro, New Jersey,at the age of 63.[10][11][46]

Filmography[edit]

Film
Year Film Role Notes
1988 Moving Gorgo
2002 Bill's Seat Big Swede Short film
2010 Card Subject to Change Himself Documentary film
2011 Fight the Panda Syndicate Otto Belmar
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1987, 1995 Married... with Children Uncle Irwin/Himself Episodes: "All in the Family", "Flight of the Bumblebee"
1996 Weird Science Himself Episode: "Men in Tights"
1998 Boy Meets World Himself 1 episode
2008 Golden Goal Himself 1 episode
2014 The Swerve Himself Episode: "King Kong Bundy"

Championships and accomplishments[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

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  2. ^ab"King Kong Bundy profile".Online World of Wrestling.RetrievedJuly 7,2011.
  3. ^abcdeMeltzer, Dave(1986).The Wrestling Observer's Who's who in Pro Wrestling.p. 28.{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help)
  4. ^abMyers, Robert (1999).The Professional Wrestling Trivia Book.Branden Books. pp.4, 49.ISBN0-8283-2045-4.
  5. ^abcde"King Kong Bundy".WWE.RetrievedFebruary 27,2018.
  6. ^abShields, Brian (2010).Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s.Simon & Schuster.pp. 80–81.ISBN978-1-4516-0467-2.
  7. ^Hornbaker, Tim (2017).Legends of Pro Wrestling: 150 Years of Headlocks, Body Slams, and Piledrivers.Skyhorse Publishing.pp. 956–957.ISBN978-1-61321-875-4.
  8. ^"Join Ancestry®".Ancestry.com.
  9. ^"Join Ancestry®".Ancestry.com.
  10. ^abcd"Professional wrestler King Kong Bundy dies at age 61".Associated Press.March 5, 2019.
  11. ^abcSlotnik, Daniel E. (March 6, 2019)."King Kong Bundy, 63, Bruiser And 'Walking Condominium'".The New York Times.p. A22.RetrievedAugust 20,2019.
  12. ^https://www.newspapers.com/image/183102029/?terms=Chris%20Pallies&match=1Newspaper article indicating he's on the wrestling team in early 1974
  13. ^Beym, Jessica (January 28, 2010)."Former professional wrestling star to visit Washington Township to promote hoagie sale".NJ.com.Advance Publications.RetrievedFebruary 27,2018.
  14. ^"The 50 greatest ring names ever".WWE. October 7, 2013.RetrievedOctober 7,2013.
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  19. ^"King Kong Bundy vs jobber Mario Mancini, WWF debut 1985",Big Chute,retrievedJune 21,2022
  20. ^Clapp, John (April 3, 2012)."10 Show of Show Shorties: Return to sender".WWE.RetrievedApril 5,2012.
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  27. ^"WrestleMania III Results".WWE.RetrievedFebruary 14,2008.
  28. ^Shields, Brian (2006).Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s.Simon and Schuster. p.81.ISBN1-4165-3257-9.
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  32. ^"Million Dollar Corporation profile".Online World of Wrestling.RetrievedJuly 7,2011.
  33. ^"Royal Rumble 1995 Elimination Info".Pro Wrestling History.RetrievedApril 6,2012.
  34. ^Powell, John."No worse WrestleMania than 11".SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012.RetrievedNovember 8,2009.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  35. ^"KAYFABE THEATER: King Kong Bundy – Vendex Computer Commercial — The Gorilla Position".Classic Wrestling Association.February 2, 2018.RetrievedMarch 5,2019.
  36. ^Farrell, Paul (March 5, 2019)."King Kong Bundy on 'Married… With Children' in 1987 & 1995".Heavy.com.RetrievedMarch 5,2019.
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  41. ^"King Kong Bundy, man-mountain villain of pro wrestling, dies at 63".The Washington Post.March 6, 2019.RetrievedAugust 20,2019.
  42. ^Romalino, Carly Q. "Wrestler King Kong Bundy's cats need new homes",The Cherry Hill Courier-Post, March 22, 2019.
  43. ^Bieler, Des (July 19, 2016)."Dozens of wrestlers sue WWE over CTE, effects of traumatic brain injuries".Chicago Tribune.RetrievedJuly 20,2016.
  44. ^Collins, Dave (September 19, 2018)."Judge throws out lawsuit against WWE by ex-pro wrestlers over concussions".The Denver Post.RetrievedOctober 22,2018.
  45. ^Mango, Anthony."5 Biggest Snubs of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2019".Bleacher Report.RetrievedApril 8,2021.
  46. ^"18 Sports Remembers King Kong Bundy".WETM - MyTwinTiers.com.March 6, 2019.RetrievedSeptember 7,2019.
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External links[edit]

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