Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic. Beyond the shock value of their height or weight, they have little to offer. In films like Troy, The Protector and Conan the Barbarian, Jones played monstrous men, roles that didn't take much work from the special effects department. Click here to watch the 1977 PWI Match of the YearGraham defeated Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF Title. In June, he defeated Ted DiBiase to win the WWF North American Championship, and in September, he merged that title with the South American version to become the first ever Intercontinental Champion. Kane, like his storyline brother, is so skilled and deft in the ring that one can sometimes forget how big he is. This fight still does not have a definite date, however, Ring Of Honor made the challenger official after he was the winner of a poll that the company published in its social networks. In addition, he accomplished the unthinkable when he ended Sammartino's seven-year reign. Related: The Reason Lucha Underground Went Out Of Business Explained. From 1970 to 1973, Pedro Morales left a permanent mark on WWE. Goldust. In no particular order, here are wrestling's biggest competitors, the leviathans of the ring. The deranged villain held his opponents in the backbreaker rack or splashed his weight on their prone bodies. The best quality video I could find was Stan Stasiak vs. Tony Garea in three parts: part 1, part 2 and part 3. Titanes also had a cheating referee Hctor Oscar Brea as William Boo. He flies through the air like a much smaller man. 1962-08-10 - National Wrestling Association (source: LegacyOfWrestling.com) He spent a good chunk of the '70s and '80s delivering gigantic leg drops to foes in Memphis, AWA and eventually WWE stars like Roddy Piper and Adrian Adonis. 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. For so many men on this list, their size is their only asset. Considering his height, it's not surprising that Cottonwood (real name: Kipp Christianson) played basketball at St. John's (Minn.) as well as for the Dallas Mavericks and Milwaukee Bucks during the summer league. His impressive reign lasted until December 1, 1973 when Stan "The Man" Stasiak defeated him for the title in a shocking moment. He was a master of the heel tactics, but he was also very agile in the ring. Stan Hansen was one of the toughest wrestlers in the '70s, running through everyone and making his name in both the United States and Japan. Masks to hide the identity of the fighters became popular. Records differ on Palmer's actual height. Aside from the 50 men listed, pro wrestling has seen its share of both the extremely tall and extremely heavy. * Some NWA promoters recognized Moolah as world champion 1 Lou Thesz 2 Karl Gotch 3 Sailor Art Thomas 4 Brute Bernard 5 Judy Grable 6 Chief Don Eagle 7 Johnny Valentine 8 Primo Carnera 9 El Santo 10 "Killer" Buddy Austin 11 Mark Lewin 12 The Great Bolo 13 "Butcher" Vachon 14 Wilbur Snyder 15 "Mad Dog" Vachon 16 Ray Gunkel 17 Sputnik Monroa 18 "Wild" Red Berry 19 Mildred Burke 20 The Sicilians 21 Judging by looks alone, few fans would peg Vader for an athlete. Gorilla Monsoon is not just that face commentator known by the younger fans in the '80s and '90s. That is why he is known as the father of Mexican wrestling. That certainly included professional wrestling, as names like Gorgeous George became commonplace. The interesting career of The Bushwhackers began as cousin Luke and cousin Butch started out as The Kiwis in their native New Zealand before traversing the globe as the ultra violent Sheepherders in the late 1970s. All are heavyweight unless otherwise noted. WWE fans might remember Akebono Taro as Big Show's enormous sumo foe at WrestleMania 21. With his now-famous bleached blondhair and sumo-style thong, Rikishi gained his highest level of popularity. Credits for information on this site are given However, at the end of the decade, he could not get rid of his "Sammartino's Protg" label, and he turned heel, to eventually leave in 1981. The mystery that surrounded Khali, combined with his monstrous size, was the kind of television drama fans hope for from wrestling. 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. He had the strength, the technical abilities, the charisma and that mythic "it" factor to draw the audiences. Hogan began his professional wrestling career in . Karloff Largarde - World & National Champion. Jones certainly had Undertaker's size and an impressive physique, but never did much more than tread water with the company. He held the new championship 233 days, then he hung his boots a couple years after his historic reign. 2. Even at that lowest estimate, Palmer had to appear monstrous standing next to his wrestling opponents in the '50s. Heavyweight: In the U.S., he made his name thanks to a massive violent feud with Bruno Sammartino in WWE. A budding star, the Aussie known as 7-foot Thunder dreamed of a career in WCW. One. He crushed foes by landing his near-400 lb frame on them, sailor stripes and all. 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 Baron enjoyed a great career with the WWWF in the '60s and in the '70s as one of the top heels. Jerry 'The King' Lawler. The original Arena Mexico had a capacity for a little more than 4 thousand attendees. You probably noticed that the name of Bruno Sammartino was repeated often and was featured in many videos. 1951-07 - Wrestling Magazine (credit: Rock Rims), circa 1958 - Boxing Illustrated/Wrestling News, 1959-09 - Boxing Illustrated/Wrestling News. With a body that looks capable of no more than stumbling around, Baba dropkicked, headlocked and chopped his opponents in his more than 3,000 matches. Ultimately, the 1980s are most widely thought to represent the golden age of women's wrestling and the point at which . He was in the first Wrestlemania against Hogan and Mr. T. As a competitor,. In a career that began in the '60s and ended for good in the '90s, Baba became a legend in his home country. With his rising popularity, he eventually won the WWWF Tag Team Championship on two occasions. Vader was once known as Baby Bull or Little Bull though there was nothing little about him. He immediately became the No. 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. 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. He could've been a world champion in any promotion, but he preferred the freedom of travelling all over the USA thus becoming the most popular wrestler in the country. 11. Throughout his whole career, Killer Kowalski was a top heel everywhere he wrestled, and he cemented his status when he ripped off an opponent's ear in the ring. Ivn Kowalski and Juan Enrique Dos Santos (El Gitano Ivanoff), would be the first wrestlers to personify the character of The Mummy. Famous Americans Who Wrestled. He is an actor, known for WWE: OMG! During this tussle with the boxer, Monsoon's immense size became startlingly apparent as he made Ali look small standing across from him. I started to watch wrestling around the age of nine, and it was in the middle of the '80s so I had to do extensive research to complete the following slideshow. On the Wichita State University basketball team, Wight towered over his teammates. Zbyszko slowly climbed the ladder in singles competition until he won the WWWF Tag Team Championship along with Tony Garea, for a 105-day reign. 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. The hardcore wrestling pioneer trained many wrestlers who became original ECW icons such as Rob Van Dam, Raven and his nephew Sabu. Season 2 Episode 12 The Wrestler. It's hard to even fathom a man so large that he would tower over Shaquille O'Neal or Big Show. He left that match bloodied and without the WWE title. Even without the name, it's clear that Jarvi is a large man. Jobbers soon found out what a chokeslam felt like from an incredible height. He was billed as being over 600 lbs. He can also brag to have faced all the greats of the era, such as Bruno Sammartino and Billy Graham. He was a master of in-ring psychology and an ace on the mic who could generate heat like no others. He did it so often that he was named the PWI Most Hated Wrestler in 1977. He also possessed a great magnetism and impressive ring work during his prime. Wrestlers in the 6 . The contest ended after an hour-and-16 minute time limit draw in front of a crowd that went nuts after the officials declared they had to comply with a curfew. 47. 49. Esta web utiliza cookies propias para su correcto funcionamiento. Click here to watch Bobo Brazil taking on his nemesis, The Sheik. He, like Giant Baba, started out under the tutelage of Rikidozan and perhaps is best known for his greatest gift to wrestling - starting New Japan. He was a fierce brawler but also a sound technician. He began his movie career with roles like "Big Security Guard" in The Bodyguard 2 and as the titular character in Man-Thing. El Santo - National Champion, Welterweight (Mexico): The Skyscrapers, as they were called, battled the Road Warriors, the Steiner Brothers, among others. Click here to watch Bruno Sammartino in a WWWF Title defense against Ernie Ladd, a wrestler who barely made the cut on the current list. var vclk_options = { sid: 11669, placement_id: 'faf683dc-a8b9-443c-316a-9c22984f3fe6', version: '1.4' }; (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); This web site exists to provide the information on professional wrestling and is neither affiliated nor endorsed by any pro-wrestling organization. Nothing could be further from the truth for The Undertaker. Related: John Cena's Career Told In Photos, Through The Years. His monikers included Big John Harris, Silo Sam and Trapper John. This was a time when bodybuilding was not only raw, but also rare and these were the pioneers of bodybuilding. Simply being a giant doesn't afford one that kind of legacy. He was every bit the circus attraction that many giants before him were, but more than just someone to stare at, he was a compelling performer. Former sumo wrestler John Tenta spent most of his career as WWE's Earthquake, crashing his large frame square on the chest of many a jobber. Kurt Nielsen of Slam! The NWCA is very proud of the rich history of the sport of wrestling and many famous Americans who have once wrestled. Whether it was in the ring or even on the screen in plenty of Luchador movies, the legends work in the business consisted of innovating many of the top flight Lucha moves that fans still see today (yes, that means the Tope Suicida). 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. Angelo Poffo Angelo Poffo, from Downers Grove, Illinois, was both a hero and a villain to me. 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. 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. Chyna. Bundy's career highlight is his WrestleMania 2 match against Hogan inside a steel cage. During his heyday in the '60s, Calhoun feuded with Dick the Bruiser and battled Bruno Sammartino. Australian powerlifter Nathan Jones charged onto the WWE scene as The Undertaker's right-hand man. Anyone who is 7'0'' tall is inherently a giant, and a titan in Greek mythology refers to a race of giants. Unable to continue as a wrestler, Stevens took to acting. Policy. * Continued to exist after the National Wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948. When he joined the WWWF in 1977, he quickly made his way into the world championship picture as a top heel. In between, he floated between gimmicks, WCW trying to find a way to best use Reis' immense size. 1. The Twin Towers, as they were called, came in at a combined weight of over 760 lbs. He was very agile and resilient for a man his size; he battled several 60-minute time limit draws against the greats of the time, such as Bruno Sammartino. Whether he wrestled as G-Rilla, The Mastodon of Mayhem or the only living,breathing, rompin, stompinFunkasaurus in captivity, Brodus Clay's ring names and nicknames have all been references to his size. When the former baseball player met the Rising Suns first legend, Rikidozan, that was it for Baba, and he began training to become a pro wrestler. 48. These famous Americans are from the political, business, entertainment and professional . Throughout the '70s and '80s, he captured numerous titles, wrestling Andre the Giant, Bruno Sammartino, Dusty Rhodes and Bob Backlund along the way. Pro wrestling has been home to its share of giants, enormous men who forced our necks to tilt upward and rings to strain. 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