BAM BAM BIGELOW vs. LAWRENCE TAYLOR

Back in 1995, Lawrence Taylor was a top National Football League linebacker for the New York Giants, and would end up being inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. Around this same time, Bam Bam Bigelow was a mid-card WWF Superstar, in the midst of feuds with Tatanka, The British Bulldog, and Goldust. He hadn't yet broken up with Tatanka, and, therefore, teamed with him to defend their World Tag Team Titles against The 1-2-3 Kid (a.k.a. X-Pac) and Bob "Spark Plugg" Holly at January's Royal Rumble Pay-Per-View. Some miscomunication between Bigelow and Tatanka caused them to lose their Tag Team Titles to the young, yet very experienced team of The Kid and Holly. Bigelow and Tatanka leave the ring after the match, furious at their loss. Their playing heels, as their both members of Ted Dibiase's "Million Dollar Corporation." So, the fans are really all over 'em, booing and shouting insults at the two. Bigelow really plays it up, as he starts to yell back at the top of his lungs at the fans, until he sees NFL legend Lawrence Taylor at ringside, also yelling at him and shouting insults. He doesn't take to this lightly, as Bigelow jumps Taylor before security rush to break up the altercation, as the Tampa Bay crowd breaks into an "L.T." chant. This was the beginning of the Bam Bam Bigelow-Lawrence Taylor saga.

The next night on Monday Night RAW, Bigelow trashed Taylor, playing up his heel-persona even more. The next week on the same show, Bigelow learned that WWF-owner Vince McMahon had suspended him for his unprofessional conduct at the 'Rumble. This didn't seem to bother Bigelow much, as he sarcastically stated that he's getting more exposure during this suspension than he's gotten in the last few years combined. So, to gain even more attention, he challenges Taylor to a match at April's WrestleMania PPV! In a wierd turn of events, Bigelow's suspension ended two weeks later, and he started wrestling matches once again. On the February 27th edition of RAW, L.T. responded to Bigelow's challenge at WrestleMania. He said that he respects Bam Bam as an athlete, but not as a human-being. Oh, and about Bigelow's challenge, he accepts it! The two traded insults over the next few weeks on RAW, until the big match at WrestleMania.

On April 2nd, the two squared off in the last match of the night at WrestleMania. Bigelow enters first, accompanied by the Million Dollary Corporation, consisting of DiBiase, Irwin R. Schyster (or I.R.S., for short), King Kong Bundy, Tatanka, Kama (a.k.a. The Go(o)dfather), and legend Nikolai Vollkoff. Taylor enters next, accompanied by his "NFL All-Pro Team," consisting of Ken Norton, Jr., Chris Spielman, Ricky Jackson, Carl Banks, Reggie White, and future-WCW Superstar (yes, I do have a hart time placing the word, "Superstar," before this guy's name) Steve McMichael. Pat Patterson is the Special Guest Referee for the "historic" encounter. The two get face-to-face, obviously trading insults with oneanother. Is that what this entire feud build-up is built around? That's all they seemed to do on the preceeding RAW's. They never really got into a physical encounter, until now.

Anyway, L.T. surprisingly gains the advantage in the beginning of the match, hitting Bam Bam with forearms and punches. This is until, however, they begin brawling outside of the ring, which is Bam Bam's territory. They brawl back into the ring, where Bigelow continues to control L.T. with power manuevers. A lame-looking Single-Leg Boston Crab isn't enough to keep down L.T., as he eventually grabs the ring-ropes, effectively breaking the hold. Bigelow holds on to the advantage, however, and climbs up to the top-rope, Moonsaulting all 400-what-so-ever pounds of bulk straight onto L.T. He hurts his knee in the process, though, which gives L.T. enough time to recover and kick out of Bigelow's pinfall attempt. Bigelow again climbs up top, and delivers his trademark, Top-Rope Swan-Dive Headbutt, onto L.T. The superstar linebacker again kicks out, effectively escaping both of Bigelow's trademark manuevers. L.T. regains the advantage with a bulldog and several forearms. He climbs up to the second-rope and leaps off, delivering one more forearm-shot to Bigelow, which is enough to gain the pinfall and the upset. The ** or so star match basically killed the push of Bigelow, who was supposedly about to be pushed to upper-card status. In the ring, L.T., his All-Pro Team, and his son all celebrate his big upset together, while DiBiase berates Bigelow for embarassing the Corporation and losing to L.T.

WrestleMania XII is generally considered one of the worst WrestleManias ever, as it's worse thah 'Mania II, IX, and IV, which was, at worst, about mediocre. Anyway, the Bigelow/L.T. feud was not a very good one, and, although I never said that the "Spotlight Feuds" section of this site was comprised of only the greatest feuds ever, I'm seriously beginning to wonder about whether I should've spent 45 minutes of my precious time to dwell on this one.

Well, whether you liked it or not, there you have it: the Bam Bam Bigelow-Lawrence Taylor feud. I'm just glad it's all over.

Pay-Per-View One-On-One Match Results:

1. WrestleMania XI (4/2/95): Taylor d. Bigelow