Christopher Alan Pallies, better known by his ring name as King Kong Bundy, died on March 4th, 2019 at the age of 61. The cause is unknown, but the WWE universe and staff are still devastated by the loss. He is most famous for main eventing WrestleMania II and wrestling Hulk Hogan in a Steel Cage match for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship.

Bundy’s official debut for the WWF was March 16, 1985, after spending close to 4 years in training facilities and making small appearances in other minor companies. He quickly dominated the competition he faced, including demanding the referee make a five-count instead of a normal three-count for a pin to showcase just how badly he had beaten his opponents. This was capped off with a match at Wrestlemania I against S.D. Jones where Bundy absolutely dismantled his opponent and won the match in what was billed as nine seconds (it was more like 17). This match stood as the shortest Wrestlemania match in history for 23 years. After an extensive feud with another company big-man, André the Giant, and teaming with another one of André’s enemies, Big John Studd, Bundy started to target the WWF World Heavyweight Champion, Hulk Hogan. This first blossomed when Bundy brutally attacked Hogan during one of his matches. Bundy claimed Hogan was afraid and Hogan responded by demanding revenge in a steel-cage match for the title at Wrestlemania II. Hogan may have won the match, but it put a spotlight on King Kong Bundy’s career and talent in the WWF.

After the match at Wrestlemania II, he rekindled a tag-team he previously had with Studd and had a run as a tag-team before Studd left the WWF toward the end of 1986. He had several other moments in the WWF, including making it to the finals of the 1987 King of the Ring tournament before losing to Randy Savage and a six-man tag team match at Wrestlemania III. He left the company in 1988. He later returned in 1994 as a part of the Million Dollar Corporation alongside Ted DiBiase and Bam Bam Bigelow. He also appeared in the 1995 Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania XI, where he lost to the Undertaker. He was then released by the WWF in October of the same year. After spending his time in the WWF, he spent 12 years on the independent circuit feuding with other former WWF superstars like Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Superfly Jimmy Snuka, Doink the Clown, and Tom Brandi. He officially retired from wrestling in 2007.

The death of King Kong Bundy caught the WWE Universe totally by surprise. Bundy now joins Mean Gene Okerlund and Pedro Morales on a list of WWE stars who have died so far this year. He will truly be missed by the WWE community. RIP King Kong Bundy.