Outlaw Ron Bass passes away at age 68
Ronald Heard, who wrestled regularly in almost every major promotion from 1973 to 1989 as “Outlaw” Ron Bass, passed away Tuesday at the age of 68.
Bass suffered a burst appendix, but didn’t realize the seriousness of his condition. He waited a week before getting checked out and because of waiting so long, the poison overcame his body and he passed away.
He had been scheduled for an autograph show over this past weekend and the word was that he was hospitalized.
Bass started his career as Ronnie Heard, but became Ron Bass in a tag team with Don Bass, who also recently passed away, while working for Nick Gulas in Tennessee in 1973. He was a powerful looking man (think Bill Watts although he was not the level of a star that Watts was).
He worked in Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida before being a headliner as Sam Oliver Bass in Oregon. He then came to California where he held the Americas tag team titles on multiple occasions.
He had his biggest main event success in Florida. He first came in as the childhood best friend of Dusty Rhodes and later turned on him, leading to a long feud with Rhodes and Barry Windham.
Bass and Stan Hansen also had a one week run as International tag team champions, winning and losing the belts against Giant Baba and Jumbo Tsuruta.
He later formed tag teams with One Man Gang and Black Bart. Bass & Bart held championships in both Florida and for Jim Crockett Promotions.
He ended his career with a 1987-89 run in the WWF, feuding with the likes of Junkyard Dog and Brutus Beefcake.
Heard was one of the 60 plaintiffs in the current lawsuit against WWE regarding concussions.
Dave Meltzer is the founder and lead writer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the weekly constant when it comes to news and reviews in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts for more than 40 years. Dave also co-hosts Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and had had bylines for The National, Yahoo Sports, MMA Fighting and others.