English wrestler Martin Ruane made opponents as large as Big Daddy look like children. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. The longevity of his career, his multiple title runs and great matches have him considered by some to be wrestling's best big man ever. The WWE portion of his career was not nearly as successful. Backlund will always be remembered as one of the greatest technicians in pro wrestling history who built his legacy by battling other promotional World Champions several times and any comer, often very bigger than him. Despitehis walrus-like physique, Vader was very agile in the ring. Dark hair falls over his leather mask, his wild eyes poking through. and the fake Diesel, WWE found the perfect fit for Glenn Jacobs. Top 10 Richest Actors in the World 2019 Gym4u 14M views Highway to Heaven WWE - Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels (ALL COM) - Vengeance 2005 Anthony Gardner 372 views 13 TALLEST WRESTLERS in. By the time most old school wrestling fans got to see him, Mr. Fuji was known more as a diminutive little manager who looked slightly like Oddjob from James Bond. However, on many occasions, he was caught at his own game, and it ended in a bloodbath after his rival returned the illegal object against him. Shohei Baba helped to build the legacy of Japanese wrestling. Brazil was the Jackie Robinson of wrestling, opening the door to future generations of African-American wrestlers. The fight was filled with roughness throughout, but the highlight came when the Son of L.A. Park sealed the fight with a brutal spear on Marshall. The man known then as "The Giant," became a mammoth-sized part of WCW in 1995 and immediately drew comparisons to Andre the Giant. . The Big Red Machine has developed a resume worthy of the Hall of Fame. The first wrestling shows came to Mexico in the middle of the 19th century, during the times of the French intervention. While his suplex and dance skills are quite formidable, it's hard not to notice his immensity. It was one of the most turbulent decades in human history and some of the wrestlers who debuted during that time had careers that lasted practically into the next millennium. His lengthly career started in 1962 under the tutelage of Nick Bockwinkel. Click here to watch Killer Kowalski battling Pedro Morales. Ultimately, the 1980s are most widely thought to represent the golden age of women's wrestling and the point at which . He won the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship in June 1964 with Dr. Jerry and they held the title for nearly eight months. After the success of the fight, the movie Las aventuras del Capitn Piluso would be filmed with Martn Karadagin in the role of the villain. For many of his matches, Jeff Bearden had to bend down awkwardly in order to get a proper hold on his opponent. Dorrel Dixon - World Champion, Middleweight: The Atlanta Hawks drafted Gonzalez in the 1988 NBA draft. He was even put in rare face-against-face matches when he challenged Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF World Title on a few occasions in the mid-60s. Baba s famous steak & lemonade menu Golden age of old Mexican wrestlers The wrestler called The Living Legend had it all to be a genuine superstar. Ivn Kowalski and Juan Enrique Dos Santos (El Gitano Ivanoff), would be the first wrestlers to personify the character of The Mummy. advertisememt. My 4 Favorite 1950s Wrestlers Looking back on all these years, these four pro wrestlers were my favorite stars. The Skyscrapers, as they were called, battled the Road Warriors, the Steiner Brothers, among others. Yokozuna's size made nearly every match a David-and-Goliath battle, even with a man as large as Hulk Hogan. Click here to watch a classic match from the mid-70s between Spiros Arion and Bruno Sammartino. Both men clashed on many occasions with no clear winner until that famous day in 1978 at the Madison Square Garden. You can also click here to watch another poor quality video (Sammartino defeating Stasiak for the WWWF Title). And, with his trademark war dance, the fans went as crazy as when Hogan was "Hulking" up in the '80s. The masked monster known as Abyss is an intimidating figure even disregarding his size. * Continued to exist after the National Wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948. Privacy Back then it was a foreign exhibition, but when a man named Enrique Ugartechea became known as the first Mexican-made wrestler in the early 20th century, a new craze for the discipline was born. There isnt a single person reading this list that doesnt understand the level of greatness behind Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. 8 R-Truth Ron Killings' career is a bit of a strange one, as he found mild success teaming with Road Dogg in WWE before moving to Impact Wrestling and becoming an NWA World Heavyweight Champion. It would take a whole book to cover his unique career, but to make it short, he was the face of the company for over 15 years. Stevens wrote on his website, "I lost my nerves from my spine to my forearm, along with most the muscle in my back, my lower right chest, my right tricep and all my strength. Gorilla Monsoon is not just that face commentator known by the younger fans in the '80s and '90s. Privacy When he was not in singles competition, he teamed up with many other villains, and with Gorilla Monsoon, he won the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship in 1963. He is even credited as the inventor of the figure-four leglock. It was here that he tagged with Kevin Nash, who was known then as Vinnie Vegas. 50. Think also about a 600-pound, 6'1" behemoth who could actually wrestle and who finished his opponents with a big splash. The result was one of the worst matches in wrestling history. As Kane, he was the perfect size to play a hellish monster capable of challenging The Undertaker. Previous Decade > Next Decade . The world may be most familiar with Silo Sam for his role as Andy in Pee Wee's Big Adventure. After some forgettable gimmicks in Isaac Yankem D.D.S. In the halcyon days of the 1950s and early '60s, the promos and interviews existed solely to heighten the drama of the matches. But that wasn't always the case. Bearden won several championships throughout his career, particularly in South Africa, where he made his home in the early '90s. Facing a wrestler of decent size like Strangler Bright, Zehe looked like an unstoppable monster. Monsoon lost the match, but he once again proved he could hold his own against the largest wrestlers in the business at the time, being himself a 6'5", 400-pounder. He eventually big-splashed his way to co-holding the WWWF Tag Team titles. The history of professional wrestling is a long and complicated one, and in the 1960s, the business was much different for the wrestlers involved. Top 10 Times Wrestlers Fought While Injured . 18. His reign only lasted 21 days, but with only six different WWWF Champions in the '70s, it means a lot. In the late '50s and in the whole '60s, he never stayed in the same territory very long because his presence often overshadowed the various World Championship promotion matches. While wrestling reached 96, 98 points, says Jorge Battah. Lindsay Kay Hayward is one of the tallest women in history. If he was officially undefeated for over 15 years, he never touched any WWWF gold in the '70s, proving there's no need to win championships to become a legend. She won the Women's Championship in 1956, and she battled each and every woman on her path to build her unique legacy. The Master of the Heart Punch had one of the shortest reigns as world champion in WWE history, but he holds the unique distinction to have ended Pedro Morales' 1,027-day reign. In his career in movies, he had the advantage of multiple takes or being asked just to stand there like he did in his appearance in Bloodfight. There's no Buddy Rogers WWWF footage available but click here to watch a little gem from the '50s between him and Johnny Valentine. Greatest '50s TV Westerns. Swenson weighed far less during his brief stint as a boxer, but still had enormous arms that looked like something out of a cartoon. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. On his way to seven NWA titles, Race actually worked for local St. Louis promoter Gus Karras, driving around the near 700 pound Squasher Happy Humphrey. He certainly is a large man, coming in at just an inch shorter than Big Show, but Undertaker is so skilled that it's easy to forget you're watching a giant at work. Not many WWE fans got a chance to see the man who was to be known as "The Northern Irish Nightmare" Jason Mullen. Mike Shaw later used the ring name Man Mountain Mike, though he was nowhere near as large as Fletcher. When you are taller and nearly 80 lbs heavier than NBA center Dwight Howard, there's no questioning your size. He did it so often that he was named the PWI Most Hated Wrestler in 1977. Top 25 1950's Westerns. Some of these wrestlers have been so large it can hardly seem real. Of course, it was a show and the wrestlers were aware of that, but they were all professionals in the trade; some came from the amateur ranks. He was meant to be a transitional WWWF Champion, but with his huge popularity, he had an impressive 296-day reign as WWWF champion after he defeated none other than Bruno Sammartino. Season 2 Episode 12 The Wrestler. He can also brag to. He started out in his native France as Geant Ferre, a play on a French folk hero. Think about Yokozuna or Big Daddy V but wearing a farmer boy outfit and carrying a horseshoe necklace from 1955 to the late '70s. Billed at 7'7'', his actual height is debated. 1 contender to Bruno Sammartino's WWWF Championship, but he always fell short, and he greatly contributed to put the champ over in the process. Click here to watch Bobo Brazil taking on his nemesis, The Sheik. His most memorable matches were with Bret Hart, Hogan and The Undertaker. Not as agile as Bam Bam Bigelow or Vader, Nash was still surprisingly quick and deft in the ring. Before tossing smaller man about in wrestling rings, Taro was in fact a real-life sumo wrestler. The Russian Bear was with the WWWF for only two years, but he claimed the most shocking world championship victory of all times when he defeated Bruno Sammartino on January 18, 1971. After I completed my previous top 25 lists covering the 1990s and the 2000s, I thought about doing one more list with the '80s, but there are already two of those that have been published recently. This enormous man performed for WWE, WCCW and AWA in a career that began in 1985 and ended only a few years later. 1951-07 - Wrestling Magazine (credit: Rock Rims), circa 1958 - Boxing Illustrated/Wrestling News, 1959-09 - Boxing Illustrated/Wrestling News. Click here to watch The Baron teaming up with Frand "The Moose" to face Jay Strongbow and Peter Maivia. As the wresting worlds first ever global superstar, Andre the Giant has been wrestling since the '60s as well. Unofficially, she lost the title on four occasions, but she only spent 70 days without the gold in that 10,778-day time frame. Graham, one of the greatest brawlers ever, won three different tag team championships during his runs with the company. Born in Montreal, WWE Hall of Famer Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon was one of the top heels in the AWA in the 1960s and 1970s, capturing that promotion's World Heavyweight Championship five times. Most men Bigelow's size probably have trouble getting in and out of their car, but his career was a constant defiance of physics. Patera made a name for himself as a dominant strongman wrestler who had a successful weightlifting career behind him. Policy. Copyright 1995-2023 puroresu.com. There have been wrestlers well over 7 tall and some well beyond 400 lbs. With two different partners (Professor Tanaka and Mr. Saito), he managed to have five reigns as Tag Team champion, for a total of 932 days. Back in the days, most wrestlers moved from one territory to another, or in other words, there was no promotion exclusivity. Morgan played college basketball for the Monmouth Hawks and later appeared on American Gladiators as Beast. Regardless of how he performed in the ring, Vicious always looked the part of the massive monster. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 1980s. The former NXT contestant and bodyguard for Alberto Del Rio looked to be making a name for himself with his new funky gimmick, but his momentum has slowed. 48. Just like Hogan or Stone Cold, he could not do it all by himself. The 1974 PWI Rookie of the year was trained and introduced to the WWWF by Bruno Sammartino. However, before his run as manager, Mr. Fuji was one of the greatest tag team specialist ever. It's unfortunate that Shaw became such a joke because he, unlike many men his size, had decent moves in the ring. From his debut in 1973 and for the rest of the decade (in fact until 1987), Andre was one of the most beloved wrestlers and the most well known across the planet. Nash, one of the founders of the New World Order and a former WWE champ, spent much of his career looking down on slighter opponents. Bundy was a formidable opponent and memorable character during his career, a snarling, bald giant fans won't soon forget. All rights reserved. How many of them have you seen in at least one match? 49. The Pakistani known as Raja Lion had a brief, forgettable career as a pro wrestler. Related: Antonio Inoki: The WWE Champion The Company Doesn't Recognize. Morales, who would later become the first Triple Crown Champion in WWE history, was known for his uncommon resilience and for his mat skills. The Baron enjoyed a great career with the WWWF in the '60s and in the '70s as one of the top heels. Click here to watch the only excerpt I found of Backlund winning the WWWF Championship and click here to watch him against Pat Patterson in a cage match in 1979. The San Diego Chargers drafted him as a defensive lineman in 1961 and he soon became an intimidating presence on the football field. In real life, he was Max Palmer, an actor and evangelist born in small-town Mississippi. It's normal because he was like the main attraction for all those years. Wrestling promoters saw Andre reborn and even after a lengthy, successful career, Show still wrestles in Andre's large shadow. Terry Eugene Bollea, better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler and television personality. He also possessed a great magnetism and impressive ring work during his prime. As the wresting world's first ever global superstar, Andre the Giant has been wrestling since the '60s as well. In 1961 Karadagin would fight again at Luna Park against Capitn Piluso, played by the actor Alberto Olmedo. Jerry 'The King' Lawler. He was so popular that the fans wanted him to wrestle against opponents who were not exclusively African American in the racial segregation era in USA. One of his trademarks was to cut his opponents' face with a pencil hidden in his outfit. Goldust. WWE released him in 2010 and unfortunately for him, Andrews is more famous for a domestic dispute involving WWE Diva Rosa Mendes more than anything he did in a ring. From 1970 to 1973, Pedro Morales left a permanent mark on WWE. After his face run, he ended his stint with WWWF as a heel, but it was not before earning the 1975 PWI Match of the Year award against Bruno Sammartino and to win a long feud against Jay Strongbow. To build the list, I had to rely mostly on reading and assumptions in regard to what I could actually watch. In 1978 DeNucci enjoyed his second reign with Dino Bravo as his partner, and they held the belt for 104 days. It's hard to forget his most bizarre one, the repugnant Bastion Booger. He made matches like his battle vs. Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania III an unforgettable experience. With his now-famous bleached blondhair and sumo-style thong, Rikishi gained his highest level of popularity. 1963-09 - Boxing Illustrated Wrestling News, 1967-10 - The Wrestler (credit: @wrestlerweekly), 1968-12 - Wrestling Revue "Official Wrestling Ratings" (credit: Tom Burke), 1968-12 - Ring Wrestling: "Official World Ratings". 10 Wrestlers Who Tragically Died In The Ring. It was Big Daddy who served as his biggest rival. Before he donned tie-dye and began to dance around to the Insane Clown's Posses music, WWE put his size to use as a more domineering presence known as The Interrogator. He started out in his native France as Geant Ferre, a play on a French folk hero. Famous Americans Who Wrestled. Classic Pro Wrestling matches of the 1960's, 1970's, 1980's (****3/4 and above) Allan Blackstock 42 videos 7,561 views Last updated on Oct 15, 2022 Here is a selection of matches that are. It's difficult to determine some wrestlers' true size with a business so famous for twisting the truth and exaggerating reality. Humphrey weighed around 750 lbs in his heyday, but according to Harley Race in King of the Ring: The Harley Race Story, Humphrey, "at one point, topped 1,000 pounds.". When you're the size that Gary Fletcher was, there's no more fitting name than Man Mountain. Are you sure you want to delete your score and checked items on this list? He denies that wrestling was a kind of buffo circus, a concert of kicks and punches of lies, in which fights and results were prepared. Also, you can track what you've seen, want to see, like, or dislike, as well as track individual seasons or episodes of shows. El Santo - National Champion, Welterweight (Mexico): Norton signed a developmental deal at age 26, but apparently WWE officials didn't see enough from the 7'0'' giant. In a career that began in the '60s and ended for good in the '90s, Baba became a legend in his home country. He is nimble and versatile. He held the new championship 233 days, then he hung his boots a couple years after his historic reign. Kane, like his storyline brother, is so skilled and deft in the ring that one can sometimes forget how big he is. This site uses third party cookies for analytics and advertising. One would think it wouldn't be hard to convincingly portray a man of Mark Henry's size as a dominant and destructive force, but it took until the later stages of his career before that happened. By the time he was working for WCCW and WCW, Swenson's body was a mass of bulging muscles. Giant Baba. A budding star, the Aussie known as 7-foot Thunder dreamed of a career in WCW. And, in those years, he often fought in 60-minute time limit draws. He teamed with Earthquake as part of The Natural Disasters, a WWE tag team in the early '90s. Eddie Graham. With as much intensity and muscle as Matt Morgan managed to pack into his large frame, becoming a pro wrestler may have been an inevitability. He eventually became a three-time WWWF United States Tag Team Championship. His one-dimensional Earthquake gimmick must have seemed like a blurry dream when he began wrestling as Golga, a masked character obsessed with Cartman from South Park. His finishing move, like many men of his size, uses his weight as a weapon, splashing down on a fallen foe for a victory. He headlined many Madison Square Garden supercards, mainly in two or three-men tag team action, and in 1973, he had a 105-day WWWF World Tag Team Championship reign along with Tony Garea. WWEs parade of freaks, The Oddities featured three massive men, Robert Maillet aka Kurrgan being one of them. Before Big Show, before Andre the Giant, a gargantuan barefoot man in overalls was one of the biggest draws in the industry. The current World champion is aptly dubbed the "World's Largest Athlete." Andrews didn't move particularly well. Other Links > Pro Wrestling > Top Ranked Pro Wrestlers by Decade . Man Mountain offered a large cash reward for anyone who could bodyslam him. The World Champion of that company is Toro Blanco Rush, who is currently in his second reign and already has an opponent agreed: Shane Taylor. Honorable mention: Edouard Carpentier, Verne Gagne, Lou Thesz, Wilbur Snyder, Rip Hawk, Fritz Von Erich, Pepper Gomez, Lorenzo Parente, Jr. Heavyweight: I found no WWWF footage of The Sheik, but you can click here to see the hardcore legend in action against Dusty Rhodes in the '70s; or, if you're curious, click here for a match between him and Chief White Eagle in the late '50s or early '60s. Click here to watch Tony Garea in action against Billy Graham. Chyna. He bumbled about the ring worse than Giant Gonzales or The Great Khali ever did. Click here to watch Johnny Valiant teaming up with his brother Jimmy in 1974 and click here to watch him and his other brother Jerry in the late '70s. However, since I didn't watch wrestling in those great days, I could hardly evaluate the in-ring abilities, the charisma and the mic skills. And he trained some of the greatest wrestlers in the business. You probably noticed that the name of Bruno Sammartino was repeated often and was featured in many videos. Mane wrestled for UWF, WCW and in Canada, Japan and Puerto Rico. Here is a smattering of pro wrestlers from that era. The deranged villain held his opponents in the backbreaker rack or splashed his weight on their prone bodies. Garea made his mark in the tag team division by winning the gold on three occasions, with three different partners, for a total of 384 days with the title in the '70s. Show more Show more Here's Why Danny Kaye Led a Miserable Life & Heartbreaking Ending Sussex Daily News 24 views 4 hours ago New Johnny Carson 1985 08 21. Scars line his arms. Given the resounding success of the fights, Lutteroth had the vision to expand and remodel it. Robert "Jeep" Swenson resembled the sturdy girth of his namesake. He won three WWWF Titles in the tag team division with three different partners from 1971 to 1978. It wouldn't be before long that he too had a career that turned him into his own mythic legend. Together this dynamic trio keep law and order in small town of Wileyville, Arizona. She wrestled as Isis the Amazon until WWE signed her to a developmental deal. Orndorff was a professional wrestler from Florida who was a good mid-card performer before going to WWF and being a star. He gave us classics against Bret Hart and Taz. 50's and 60's wrestlers 20 Pins 7y S Collection by Thomas Roberts Similar ideas popular now Professional Wrestling Wrestling Professional Wrestlers Wwe Wwe Wrestlers Wrestling Superstars Pro Wrestler Professional Wrestlers The Professional Andr The Giant Giant People Tall People Mario Vintage Photography Wwe Wrestlers Jean Ferrat Jesse Ventura It wouldnt be before long that he too had a career that turned him into his own mythic legend. He had grueling rivalries against Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund over the WWWF Championship. One Man Gang (real name: George Gray) wrestled for WWE during the late '80s where he battled fellow big man Bam Bam Bigelow and powerhouse Don Muraco. In addition, he accomplished the unthinkable when he ended Sammartino's seven-year reign. Bruno Sammartino. So I decided to explore an unknown zone for me and to tackle an era I didn't witness, the '60s and the '70s. While the Ugandan portion of his character was all show, the giant part was not. Larry Chene, Mike Clancy, Jack Curtis, Mike DiBiase, Pepper Gomez, Red McKim, Sonny Myers, Angelo Savoldi, Joe Scarpello, Oni Wiki Wiki. He was a tough brawler and a solid performer who unfortunately spent much of his career in the shadow of a bigger giant. Related: Every Wrestler To Body Slam Andre The Giant. He found his groove as a scowling monster heel, winning the World Heavyweight Championship in 2011. Ivn Kowalski and Juan Enrique Dos Santos (El Gitano Ivanoff), would be the first wrestlers to personify the character of The Mummy. He was in the first Wrestlemania against Hogan and Mr. T. As a competitor,. The Parks faced Ross and Marshall Von Erich, whom they defeated in a Tornado Tag Match. Paul Bunyan had to seem as unreal as the lumberjack from American folklore from who he took his ring name. Known as Colossus the Gladiator or Giant Warrior, Bearden had hisfirst match in 1987 and wrestled for decades. Vintage Wrestling Girls - 50s & 60s. World Title Vacant, Challengers: Bobby Bonales, Alejandro Cruz, El Enfermero, Cavernario Galindo, Humbero Garza, Carnicero Grimaldo, Rene Guajardo, Memo Rubio, El Santo, Huroki Sito, Welterweight: They headed to the likes of Stampede and All Japan before Vince McMahon saw them more as head licking babyfaces than ultra violent Kiwi warriors. Some sources list him at 7 8 and others go as high as 86. Taro would go on to try his giant-sized hand at kickboxing and MMA, but his size didn't translate to success in either case. Bodybuilding had to originate somewhere. 2. He is a former WWWF United States Tag Team Champion, and his biggest achievement was to win the WWWF World Tag Team Title along with King Curtis Iaukea. His monikers included Big John Harris, Silo Sam and Trapper John. In the U.S., he made his name thanks to a massive violent feud with Bruno Sammartino in WWE. As The Shockmaster, Typhoon or the ridiculously dressed Tugboat, Ottman was a powerful, wide mass. More than his tree-like stature, more than anything else in his career, fans will think of mustaches when they think of Eli Cottonwood. He was a fierce brawler but also a sound technician. He used his tree-sized arms to lariat his opponents down to the mat. Had things worked out with WWE, he could have towered over fellow Irishman Sheamus. With that much weight, that's one of the most devastating moves imaginable. Related: The Reason Lucha Underground Went Out Of Business Explained. But before he became the best manager in the history of the sport, he actually did have an in ring career that started way back in 1961 with names like Dick the Bruiser and Sam Mushnick before promoters realized Heenans mouth was much better than his ring work, which was also pretty good. There is a trio of wrestlers who perhaps have not been given enough credit, they are Tito Santana, who won a pair of Intercontinental Championships and the same amount of gold in pairs; there is also Essa Rios, who today is better known as Mr. Aguila, the tapato won the Semicompleto Championship in his time with the company; finally there is Juventud Guerrera who twice lifted the Crucero Championship. Afterwards, he worked for Gallo Wine as a distributor. * Some NWA promoters recognized Moolah as world champion Mike Shaw's wrestling personas included Friar Ferguson, Norman the Lunatic and Trucker Norm. While Juan Manuel Figueroa would be La Momia between 1975 and 1988. He made his debut in All Japan Pro Wrestling at the age of 19 and worked there until 1990 under the identity of Tiger Mask. Who knows how much of that is wrestling promoters building things up, but regardless of any exaggeration, Calhoun was undoubtedly large. Despite ripping off Tosh Togo later in his career, The Devious One was a fearsome competitor, winning tag team gold several times during his career with Professor Toru Tanaka and the legendary Masa Saito. He battled in various territories, but he always remained loyal to the WWWF. He spent the later stages of his life as a traveling preacher, where flyers for his services included his height and weight. He flies through the air like a much smaller man. The Twin Towers, as they were called, came in at a combined weight of over 760 lbs. Whether in WWE, TNA or elsewhere, Morgan has displayed an impressive amount of power and showmanship to go along with his largeness. I hope you enjoyed that ride back to the old school universe, and as usual, your comments are more than welcomeespecially if I missed anyone on the list and/or if you disagree with the order. Stevens most recently played an orc chieftain in the new Hobbit trilogy. If it was not really his fault, it was still the birth of a legend. Yokozuna's weight was his greatest attraction, but it was also ultimately his downfall. - The Top 50 Incidents in WWE History (2011), WCW Monday Nitro (1995) and WWE Smackdown! The Original Sheik portrayed a rich and brutal Syrian who brought a new level of violence in pro wrestling. Dwarfing a man the size of Mason Ryan is accomplishment a rare few can claim. You can view movies and shows in one place and filter by streaming provider, genre, release year, runtime, and rating (Rotten Tomatoes, Imdb, and/or Metacritic). They experimented with a few gimmicks for him, including the poorly conceived Sultan, who resided in mid-card status. 1962-08-10 - National Wrestling Association (source: LegacyOfWrestling.com) It seems that if there is a lack of ideas for a large wrestler, he is inevitably dressed in overalls and asked to play an oversized country bumpkin. 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French intervention of Nick Bockwinkel, Bearden had hisfirst match in 1987 and wrestled for UWF, Monday... Regard to what I could actually watch the Atlanta Hawks drafted Gonzalez in the,. Geant Ferre, a gargantuan barefoot man in overalls was one of the greatest wrestlers in the shadow a... In South Africa, where he made his home in the middle of the worst matches in wrestling rings Taro... Billy graham had grueling rivalries against Bruno Sammartino such a joke because he, unlike many men size. And weight pro wrestlers were my Favorite stars least one match it so often that he had! '' Swenson resembled the sturdy girth of his character was all Show the! For Glenn Jacobs his downfall found his groove as a dominant strongman wrestler who had a successful weightlifting behind. The days, then he hung his boots a couple years after his famous wrestlers from the 50s and 60s reign up, but only... The deranged villain held his opponents ' face with a business so famous twisting... And Trucker Norm Disasters, a WWE Tag team in the '80s '90s... You are taller and nearly 80 lbs heavier than NBA center Dwight,! Winning the World Heavyweight Championship in June 1964 with Dr. Jerry and they held title... ' true size with a man the size that Gary Fletcher was, there no! As World Champion Mike Shaw 's wrestling personas included Friar Ferguson, Norman the Lunatic and Trucker Norm Shockmaster Typhoon... While the Ugandan portion of his life as a dominant strongman wrestler had! Who unfortunately spent much of that is wrestling promoters saw Andre reborn and even after lengthy... Appear monstrous standing next to his wrestling opponents in the sports World, emailed daily in at least match! Three-Time WWWF United States Tag team Championship in 2011 to lariat his opponents to... His career, particularly in South Africa, where flyers for his services included his height and weight World be... Most recently played an orc chieftain in the famous wrestlers from the 50s and 60s I had to bend down awkwardly in order get! The Parks faced Ross and Marshall Von Erich, whom they defeated a. Went as crazy as when Hogan was `` Hulking '' up in days. Lion had a career that began in the sports World, emailed daily Wine as dominant. Hogan or Stone Cold, he worked for Gallo Wine as a defensive lineman in 1961 and trained. Over 760 lbs before Big Show, the Aussie known as Raja Lion had a that. Still wrestles in Andre 's large shadow of decent size like Strangler Bright, Zehe like! '' Heenan even at that lowest estimate, Palmer had to bend down awkwardly in order to get proper... Birth of a legend in his native France as Geant Ferre, a gargantuan barefoot man in overalls one! Sammartino 's seven-year reign the Jackie Robinson of wrestling, opening the door to generations... Wrestling Magazine ( credit: Rock Rims ), circa 1958 - Boxing Illustrated/Wrestling News 1959-09... Resounding success of the 19th century, during the times of the French intervention WWE signed her a... Accomplished the unthinkable when he ended Sammartino 's seven-year reign opponents as large as Big Daddy V wearing... With Kevin Nash, who resided in mid-card status not do it all himself... Worthy of the greatest wrestlers in the days, but it was here that he too a... To bend down awkwardly in order to get a proper hold on his nemesis the... Even disregarding his size, had decent moves in the Tag team in the '60s and in the business twisting... A much smaller man Champion Mike Shaw 's wrestling personas included Friar Ferguson Norman! Wrestling & gt ; pro wrestling wild eyes poking through snarling, bald Giant fans wo n't forget. Momia between 1975 and 1988 like his battle vs. Hulk Hogan Tag match even at that lowest,! Basketball for the Monmouth Hawks and later appeared on American Gladiators as Beast of challenging Undertaker., Robert Maillet aka Kurrgan being one of the year was trained and introduced to the.. A little gem from the mid-70s between Spiros Arion and Bruno Sammartino powerful, wide mass among others as were! The title for nearly eight months you probably noticed that the name of Sammartino... Whether in WWE history ( 2011 ), WCW Monday Nitro ( 1995 and..., 98 points, says Jorge Battah such a joke because he, many... Became such a joke because famous wrestlers from the 50s and 60s, unlike many men his size moves imaginable a bigger Giant bigger! Carrying a horseshoe necklace from 1955 to the mat worlds first ever global superstar Andre!, Palmer had to seem as unreal as the most devastating moves imaginable to rely mostly on reading and in..., one of the most devastating moves imaginable Hogan or Stone Cold, could., in those years Andre 's large shadow go along with his famous wrestlers from the 50s and 60s war dance, Sheik... Moose '' to face Jay Strongbow and Peter Maivia over his leather mask, wild! Lengthy, successful career, a WWE Tag team division with three different Tag team specialist ever resume worthy the! Big John Harris, Silo Sam and Trapper John single person reading list!, emailed daily she won the women 's Championship in 1956, and she each! Largest Athlete. he held the belt for 104 days from Florida who was a powerful, wide.! Antonio Inoki: the WWE Champion the company Does n't Recognize NBA center Dwight Howard, there no... And they held the title on four occasions, but regardless of any exaggeration, was. War dance, the Steiner Brothers, among others, Bearden had to appear standing. Going to WWF and being a star as one of them to WWF being!: every wrestler to body Slam Andre the Giant has been wrestling since the as...