I have to admit that I have never been a big fan of wrestling, but who could ever forget former wrestler Nicole Bass?
Nicole was one of the top female bodybuilders in the U.S., and her 240 pounds of muscle and 17-inch biceps left a lasting impression on everyone who saw her.
She abruptly left WWE after that, and no real reason was given for it.
But eventually, the truth surfaced years later…
We need to travel back in time to understand how Nicole might move from being a nameless girl in New York to competing in Ms. Olympia and making appearances in various soap operas.
Nicole was born in Middle Village in Queens, New York, and developed into a 6’2″ muscle monster. She wasn’t an athlete when she was little, though.
She graduated from Coral Gables High School in Florida, and when she was a teenager, she joined a gym in South Miami. This is where her obsession with bodybuilding started. Nicole claimed that she was 165 pounds at the time and overweight.
She wanted to start working out in part so she could “meet some of the cute boys I always saw going there.” Nicole had a strong will, which was fortunate because she had a lot to accomplish. Her waist was getting closer to 33 inches and growing yearly. Nicole has acknowledged that she ate a lot of ice cream.
It didn’t take her long to understand that her greatest love in life was bodybuilding. In the 1980s and 1990s, she started participating as a teenager and won a number of important events.
She finished 14th in the 1997 Ms. Olympia competition and was declared the overall champion of the 1997 NPC National Bodybuilding Championships.
Naturally, this enormous woman was noticeable wherever she went. She even claimed to be the “largest, heaviest, tallest, and strongest” woman in the world at one point, but all of that came with a cost.
Bass told The Miami Herald in 1986, “I detest having my veins all stick out, but to be excellent in this sport you have to be cut fine.
Nicole revealed the key to her achievement and the process by which the muscular New Yorker was able to develop such a massive frame in the same interview. Nicole said that she only consumed fish, vitamins, and veggies, however she did occasionally treat herself to a binge during the off-season.
I don’t need to take artificial substances like steroids or other junk. I only need my sushi and the occasional scoop of ice cream to be content, Nicole said.
Nicole had a tough appearance, which was frequently enough to frighten people. But her friends had some interesting things to say about her.
Nicole, who could bench press 315 pounds and curl 95-pound dumbbells with ease, was praised by those close to her for being “strong not just on the surface but within as well” and for having a “wonderful soul and compassionate heart.”
The bodybuilder also enjoyed horseback riding, reading, and cuddling with her three Sphynx cats, which are hairless cats.
Nicole began her career in professional wrestling in 1998 when she joined Paul Heyman’s ECW. She made her international debut in Japan and won the competition by defeating renowned wrestler Kyoko Inoue. She then acted as Justin Credible’s bodyguard during matches in the ECW.
Naturally, Nicole didn’t go unnoticed, especially after packing 240 pounds of muscle onto her 6-foot-2 frame. Vince McMahon, the founder and owner of the WWE, quickly made her acquaintance. In 1999, he welcomed Nicole into his wrestling business.
Nicole made her big WWE debut at WrestleMania 15 in Philadelphia when Sable successfully defended the women’s championship against Tori. Nicole played the role of Sable’s evil bodyguard. As she stood alongside one of the top stars in the business, she attracted a lot of attention.
Many likely thought Nicole would go on to have a long and prosperous career as a wrestler at this point because she put up outstanding performances and took part in notable matches during her brief tenure at WWE.
But after that, she vanished, and after being released from her contract, her time with WWE came to an abrupt stop. Nicole first hid her reasons for quitting wrestling. Though it soon became clear that she was in pain, Nicole went to court in 2002 after bringing a claim against the WWE. She demanded $120 million, arguing that the termination of her contract was erroneous.
She added that Steve Lombardi, aka The Brooklyn Brawler, had done some really awful things to her. The organization and the wrestler each denied the allegations, and a New York City jury ultimately decided to dismiss the case in 2002.
Jerry McDewitt, the lawyer for WWE, criticized the jury’s verdict.
“Nicole Bass’ case was a lot of Hollywood nonsense, just a swindle. She needed cash from a business she believed would eventually pay it. She was mistaken,” claimed McDevitt in 2002.
Nicole, though, viewed the entire situation as a success.
“I defended women. I resisted a huge corporation. I stayed the course. To having to go through this process was quite difficult for me, she admitted to PW Torch.
After the case received so much media coverage, Nicole stepped away from the spotlight and started doing “regular” jobs to support herself.
In addition, the former wrestler continued to perform in public as a wrestler and offered his services as a personal trainer. She wrestled in her final match in 2002.
One may claim that Nicole became well-known thanks to the Howard Stern Show, which helped her wrestler career in a big way. She began to appear on the program in the early 1990s, and she quickly joined the “Wack Pack” because of her large stature and deep voice, which left a lasting effect on listeners.
Nicole was well known for doing anything and everything to make people laugh, and they enjoyed her sense of humor about herself. Nicole would chuckle along with Howard’s jokes about how often she was mistaken for a man.
Nicole discussed her love life and how lonely she occasionally felt in numerous episodes of the show, especially after the death of her husband.
She frequently dabbled in wrestling while hosting one of the most popular radio shows ever, which is how the wrestling organizations first became aware of her in the late 1990s.
Nicole spent several years working as an actor in addition to being a frequent guest on the Howard Stern Show. She played herself in Howard Stern’s autobiographical film Private Parts in 1997.
Nicole may have also been in a number of soap operas, including The Bold and the Beautiful and General Hospital, which viewers may have seen.
Nicole spent a long time with the same man. In 1985, she wed Richard “Bob” Fuchs; they remained married till his terrible passing in 2013. At the age of 64, Bob passed away in his sleep in 2013.
Even though there were moments when their relationship was rocky, Nicole was deeply affected by Bob’s passing. She was much younger than him and served as his nurse and caregiver for a number of years.
Despite her sorrow over Bob’s passing, Nicole had a bright outlook and eventually found love with her business colleague Kristen Marrone.
Nicole, as already noted, largely avoided the spotlight after leaving the wrestling community. She occasionally appeared on Howard Stern and occasionally signed autographs here and there.
She unfortunately had health problems as well, and in 2006 she was admitted to the hospital with pancreatitis brought on by steroid use.
After completely disappearing from view, Nicole’s name returned to the news in 2017 when she was discovered unconscious in her apartment and taken to a hospital in New York.
Nicole suffered a heart attack and was pronounced medically brain dead at the hospital. They were helpless to stop it.
Nicole’s life support system was turned off on February 17, 2017. 52 years old.
Nicole’s partner Kristen released a message on Facebook after she passed away to address suspicions and other concerns: Nicole became seriously ill a few days ago. When she was transported to the hospital, everyone tried to help her. Since she arrived, I have remained in the room with her around the clock to ensure that she is receiving the finest care possible. We discovered today that nothing else can be done. Nicole was a remarkable lady. Strong on the inside as well as the outside. Lovely soul and good heart. Nicole was well-known, but few people ever got close enough to her to truly understand who she was. One of the fortunate few, I got to be. She was not only my lover and soul mate, but also my best friend, my instructor, and my business partner. I gained a lot of knowledge from her and had a lot of lovely memories throughout our time together.
Numerous wrestlers conveyed their sympathies and paid their respects after hearing the news. Tommy Dreamer, a famous wrestler, tweeted about Nicoles’ demise and said:
She has a big heart to match her size. a fantastic and dependable buddy.
People posted stories about the enormous woman and self-described “world’s largest bodybuilder” on Nicole’s Facebook page. According to the feedback on her Facebook page, Nicole made a deep impression on a lot of people.
In the 1980s, I first met Nicole in a bodybuilding competition in New Jersey. She was so upbeat and encouraging as I struggled to get up on stage. She applauded and clapped while watching, which provided me the confidence I needed to finish my dance. Her spirit and “can do” attitude impressed me. I appreciate you sharing this tragic news. Nicole, may you rest in peace, wrote Kathleen Bernhard.
“I’m at a loss for words. I counted myself fortunate to have known Nicole and her late husband Bob. She had a genuinely kind and lovely soul, and I smile every time I remember her. I’m so sorry to hear she’s passed away. I sincerely hope she always understood that we were her family and that we thought of her as such,” a woman by the name of Jennifer Dones recounted in the comments.
