Former Pro Wrestler, Bodybuilder Nicole Bass Dead At 52

Former professional wrestler and bodybuilder Nicole Bass has died at age 52, according to a post by a friend on Bass’s Facebook page.

Ex-Wrestler, Bodybuilder Nicole Bass Dead at 52

Bass, who was a regular on the Howard Stern Show, had been dealing with several health and financial issues in the past several years, as well as the death of her husband. The exact cause of her death is unknown.

“A few days ago Nicole got very sick,” her friend Kristen Marrone posted on Bass’ Facebook page Thursday night. “She was brought into the hospital and they did everything they could to help her. 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.”

ProWrestlingSheet reported that Bass was brain dead and was set to be taken off life support on Friday.

According to that report, her death was prematurely announced on Facebook because the friend “felt as though Nicole was already gone.”

Marrone responded: “If its not been posted by me on her page or mine its nothing more than rumor. I will not be talking to anyone. Anything shared with her fans will be posted personally by myself to her official pages. Nicole kept her private life to herself. Respect that.”

Bass was a bodybuilder in the 1990s and her physical size, manly features and deep voice led to her becoming the subject of a long-standing routine on Stern’s show in which he questioned whether she was a woman.

She spent a few months in ECW, serving as a bodyguard for Justin Credible, and was signed by the then-WWF as a surprise for WrestleMania XX in Philadelphia.

Following her release from that position, Bass sued WWF for $120 million, claiming wrongful termination. Bass also alleged she had been sexually assaulted by another performer during travel to an event in England, and that the company discriminated against women by paying them less than the men. Both the WWE and the performer denied the allegations. Following a three-week trial, a New York City jury ruled in favor of the WWF in 2002.

Bass’s husband of 28 years, Bob Fuchs, died in May 2013 after suffering a heart attack.