Christopher Pallies, better known as pro wrestling legend King Kong Bundy, has died at 61. WWE confirmed the news Tuesday, though no cause of death was revealed.
Bundy -- an Atlantic City, New Jersey, native who resided in his home state -- had been scheduled to appear at WrestleCon in April during WrestleMania 35 weekend in New York and tweeted about it as recently as Monday night.
A monstrous heel who played a key role in WWE chairman Vince McMahon's national launch of his then-WWF promotion in the mid-1980s, Bundy reached the pinnacle of the profession in 1986 when he headlined WrestleMania 2 in Los Angeles against Hulk Hogan inside of a steel cage.
Overwhelmed by King Kong Bundy’s passing, only great memories,R.I.P. big man until we meet again. HH
— Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) March 5, 2019
Often referred to as the "walking condominium," Bundy stood at a menacing 6-feet-4 and 458 pounds during his prime and used his trademark bald head and evil cackle to both scare and enrage wrestling fans over a 26-year career that began in 1981.
Bundy possessed one of the most believably destructive finishing moves in his Avalanche Splash; so much so that, after hitting the maneuver, he demanded referees to count to five when he pinned his opponents as opposed to the traditional three. Bundy went on to use the "five count" as his calling card, holding up five fingers as he walked to the ring and while cutting promos.
For as devastating he was as a monster villain due to his size, Bundy was arguably even better on the microphone articulating his points and threatening his opponents with Hall of Fame manager Bobby Heenan by his side.
After a semi-retirement from 1988-94, Bundy returned to WWE during its New Generation era as a member of Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Corporation. He made his final WrestleMania appearance in 1995 when he was defeated by The Undertaker.
Saddened to hear of King Kong Bundy's passing. A WrestleMania attraction, a true big man and a fan-favorite of the @WWE Universe. My thoughts are with his family at this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/w8NGxRL9lk
— Triple H (@TripleH) March 5, 2019
I’m saddened by the passing of King Kong Bundy. Great guy, who I’ve known most of my career. RIP my friend. pic.twitter.com/Ado3QEq7xA
— Ted DiBiase (@MDMTedDiBiase) March 5, 2019
Bundy's character was so well known in pop culture that he made acting appearances on multiple television shows, including "Married … with Children" and "Boy Meets World." He also starred in an ESPN "This is SportsCenter" ad.
I loved this WWF Sportscenter commercial with King Kong Bundy in it pic.twitter.com/62Ij9rbd5T
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) March 5, 2019
King Kong Bundy wrestling Bud Bundy on "Married With Children" back in the day. Classic moment. #RIPKingKongBundy pic.twitter.com/UWeyIbjC4h
— Ryan Satin (@ryansatin) March 5, 2019
Before making it big in WWE, Bundy built his name as a heel in the Texas-based World Class Championship Wrestling where he served as patriarch Fritz Von Erich's opponent in a 1982 retirement match at Texas Stadium. After having his head shaved by Von Erich as part of a match stipulation, Bundy carried the shaved look for the remainder of his career.
Despite his iconic stature and success, Bundy has yet to be inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame.
