Nicole Bass, 52, Former WWE And ECW Wrestler, Dies After ‘Massive Stroke’
Nicolas Bass, female bodybuilder and former WWE and ECW wrestler, passed away late on Thursday, February 16, after suffering a massive stroke earlier in the week. She was taken to the hospital a few days ago after she fell ill, according to F4wonline.
Bass’ girlfriend, Kristine Marrone, posted a lengthy statement to Bass’ Facebook page, confirming the 52-year-old bodybuilder’s death early on Friday morning.
ECW wrestler Tommy Dreamer also confirmed Bass’ death on Twitter on Friday.
Marrone did not reveal details about what caused Bass’ death. Instead, she pleaded for privacy.
“Just want to make it clear that I will not be answering who, what, where, when, why questions right now,” she said in the Facebook post. “Nicole always kept her personal things private and I will do the same for her.”
But Marrone revealed that Bass had been ill for a few days before she died.
“A few days ago Nicole got very sick. She was brought into the hospital and they did everything they could to help her,” Marrone wrote. “I have been sitting here with her in the room 24/7 since she got here making sure she was being given the best possible care. Today we learned that there is nothing else that can be done.”
“Nicole was an amazing woman. [She was] strong not only on the outside but inside as well. [She was a] beautiful soul and [had a] kind heart.”
Tributes pour in as WWE legend Nicole Bass dies aged 52 after suspected heart attack https://t.co/eeGHz0RO9I pic.twitter.com/UP9bwa3fNA
— Mirror Sport (@MirrorSport) February 17, 2017
“Many people knew Nicole but few ever got close enough to know the REAL woman that she was,” Marrone continued. “I got to be one of the lucky few. Not only was she my soul mate and my girlfriend but she was my best friend, my teacher and my business partner.”
Although Marrone was silent about the cause of Bass’ death, F4wonline reported that she died after suffering a “massive stroke.”
Bass had posted a photo of herself at the hospital to Facebook last May but she declined to say why she was at the hospital.
“My answer… ‘It’s private!'” she replied to inquiries.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1741965719421539&set=a.1599306613687451.1073741828.100008243834829&type=3&theater
Bass was regular on Howard Stern Show. She last appeared on the show on February 6.
She made her professional wrestling debut for ECW in 1998 and later joined WWE (then WWF) in 1999, where she debuted as a bodyguard for the wrestling star Sable.
She was known for her unusual height and muscular physique. She achieved fame after TV appearances on WWE (then WWF) during the so-called “Attitude” era of the late 1990s.
Paul Heyman had also hired her for ECW so that he could boast that he had a female bodybuilder bigger and more muscular than the famous female wrestler Chyna, who died earlier in April 2016.
WWE News: Nicole Bass has passed away at age 52 https://t.co/8D8j5Dy3qh via @sportskeeda
— Raja kumar (@kumar_rsja) February 17, 2017
At 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, Bass was controversial among fellow female competitors because she was much larger than them. She was even taller, larger and more muscular than many male wrestlers. But despite her height and physique, she did not achieve much success in the wrestling ring. Some blamed her lack of formal training in wrestling for her unremarkable performance record in the ring.
But Stern often teased her, saying she was really a man and not a woman because of her impressive physique.
She sued WWE for sexual harassment after she left in 1999. She claimed she was harassed sexually by Steve “the Brooklyn Brawler” Lombardi, during a flight to London, England. But the suite, which saw Triple H and Vince McMahon testifying against Bass, was eventually dismissed.
She had suffered health problems in the decade before she died. She was hospitalized in 2006 after suffering health problems related to her use of steroids.
Bob Fuchs, her husband of 28 years, died in May 2013 after suffering a heart attack.
Bass was living in New York at the time she died, according to Heavy.
[Featured Image by Robin Platzer/Getty Images]
