Rob and Bigstar Christopher “Big Black” Boykin has died at the age of 45.TMZreported that Boykins died sometime Tuesday morning and that nocause of deathhas been announced. In addition to starring in hitMTV showswith professional skateboarder Rob Dyrdeck, Boykin held two world records recognized by the Guinness Book. Boykin held the world record for urinating while eating three bananas for one minute and another record for eating five powdered donuts in nearly three minutes.
Boykins is widely known as Rob Dyrdeck’s bodyguard from the hit MTV series Rob & Big as well asRob Dyrdeck’s Fantasy Factory. Dyrdeck was tired of getting harassed by security guards while skateboarding, so in a pretty genius move, he hired Boykins to be his security guard to deal with the security guards. The idea was initially a skit for a skate video, but Dyrdeck ended up making the joke a reality and spun it into two wildly successfulhit shows for MTV. Viewers tuned in every week to watch the duo get into crazy situations and to watch Dyrdeck skate. The shows were more of a family-friendly version ofJackass, which mixed skating and pranks.
Fans loved to see the way that Boykins and Dyrdeck interacted and laughed as the 6' 6" Boykins tried to ride a skateboard or attempted to break world records. Boykin’s was also CPR-First Aid certified and was often seen picking the 5' 7" Dyrdeck up from accidents while skating or performing stunts. Dyrdeck shared a post on hisInstagram pagemourning Boykin. Read what he said below.
“My heart is broken. I don’t want to write this post. I don’t want to believe that this is reality. I am so thankful for you. We truly were brothers that lived an unexpected unforgettable adventure. I just can’t fathom that it would end so suddenly. You will forever be in my heart.”
The duo had squabbled in the past, but had recently gotten over their differences. Chanel West, who also starred with the duo took to herTwitter accountto mourn the loss of Boykin. She said this.
“RIP. My heart is crushed. I’ll remember all the times you made me laugh and my prayers go out to your family.”
Before starring in skate videos and MTV shows, Boykin grew up in Mississippi and served in the United States Navy. After the success of the MTV shows Boykin started his own plus-sized clothing lines Man Network and Big Dime Pieces that often shared his signature slogan “do work.” The unlikely duo of Dyrdeck and Boykins was a huge success on MTV from 2006 until 2008, launchingspin-off showsand allowing both men to live out bizarre, hilarious fantasies.
The world is going to miss the giant heart of Boykins who is survived by his daughter Isis. A lot of entertainment was created by the pairing of Dyrdeck and Boykins, but not only that, the duo became best friends and family to each other. Rest in peace, Big Black.
