The Gimmick Table: The Origin of Big Bully Busick

Brian Damage

A gimmick is something that is intended to hook the attention of fans to a wrestler. They may be outrageous or steeped more in reality, whatever the case may be…some have succeeded and many others have failed. The Gimmick Table takes a look at the origins of some of your favorite and not so favorite gimmicks of professional wrestlers.

Today we browse the gimmick of Big Bully Busick

Nick Busick was a police officer who wrestled part time. He wrestled for small independent and outlaw promotions in places like West Virginia, Pittsburgh and Georgia. He also served as enhancement talent for the then WWWF. Once Busick’s career in wrestling began to take off, he decided to retire from the police force and focus full time as a pro wrestler. It was then where he decided he needed a gimmick to move his career along further.

While wrestling for Jerry Blackwell’s Georgia based independent promotion Southern Championship Wrestling (SCW) is when he got the gimmick he would have for the rest of his career. Announcer/promoter Joe Pedicino thought that Busick’s big, burly look reminded him of a coal miner or steel mill worker. Pedicino suggested he grow out a mustache, start wearing a hat to the ring and smoke a cigar. It was Busick who tweaked the character into becoming more of a turn of the century “bully.”

Busick wore a derby hat, a turtleneck sweater, chomping on a cigar while sporting a handlebar mustache. He was renamed ‘Big Bully’ Busick. He competed for various Southeastern promotions under the gimmick as well as Pedicino’s nationally promoted GWF. His exposure with the GWF and ESPN got the attention of Vince McMahon Jr and in 1991, Busick was signed to the World Wrestling Federation. Busick continued using his gimmick of the Big Bully. He was also given a manager in a puny runt looking man named Harvey Wippleman. Harvey was a manager in several territories for years as Downtown Bruno before making it to the WWF.

Busick ended up quitting the WWF prior to the 1991 Survivor Series due to the hectic road schedule and suffering from atrial fibrillation …a heart condition. Busick continued to own and use the Big Bully gimmick in other places until he retired from the business. Sadly, Nick Busick passed away in 2018.

To read other entries in the Gimmick Table series…Please Click Here.