51 of 100. . Calhoun's enormity turned him somewhat of a circus attraction. Both men clashed on many occasions with no clear winner until that famous day in 1978 at the Madison Square Garden. Honorable mention: Verne Gagne, Bill Miller, Karl Gotch, Dick the Bruiser, Reggie Lisowski, Wilbur Snyder, Buddy Austin, Bobo Brazil, Sailor Art Thomas, Lorenzo Parente, Light Heavyweight (Mexico): When he wore colorful facepaint he looked like Ultimate Warrior, only stretched out to the size of an NBA center. He was a real animal in the ring, and his brutality was matched by only few other hardcore legends. For so many men on this list, their size is their only asset. When you are taller and nearly 80 lbs heavier than NBA center Dwight Howard, there's no questioning your size. Satiating its obsession for girth, wrestling's promoters have found real-life Goliaths and showcased them for fans. The enemies-turned-allies carried on the tradition of wrestling's oversized pairings. His finishing move, like many men of his size, uses his weight as a weapon, splashing down on a fallen foe for a victory. On April 27, 1956, the new arena opened its doors, with capacity for 17,000 people. 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. 1. Afterwards, he worked for Gallo Wine as a distributor. Scars line his arms. For most Bleacher Report readers, Mr. Fuji is that iconic manager of the '80s and '90s who led Yokozuna and Demolition to the gold. He looks more like a truck driver. He built his reputation with a hardcore side that disappeared in the early '80s due to health issues. Dwarfing a man the size of Mason Ryan is accomplishment a rare few can claim. 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. Honorable mention: Edouard Carpentier, Verne Gagne, Lou Thesz, Wilbur Snyder, Rip Hawk, Fritz Von Erich, Pepper Gomez, Lorenzo Parente, Jr. Heavyweight: Top 10 Times Wrestlers Fought While Injured . The Twin Towers, as they were called, came in at a combined weight of over 760 lbs. Who knows how much of that is wrestling promoters building things up, but regardless of any exaggeration, Calhoun was undoubtedly large. Monsoon battled Andre the Giant, Bruno Sammartino and at one point even had an infamousaltercation with Muhammad Ali. In real life, he was Max Palmer, an actor and evangelist born in small-town Mississippi. He had a brief run in WWE as Waylon Mercy, a psychopath/Southern gentleman. Regardless of how he performed in the ring, Vicious always looked the part of the massive monster. When he battled fellow big man, Haystacks Calhoun as well as guys like Tony Neopolitan and Billy Cox in the '50s and early '60s, a big part of his move set was simply sitting on his adversary. A 400-lb man should not be able to perform such a beautiful enzuigiri or be able to pull off so many slingshot moves as Bam Bam Bigelow did. 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. The WWE portion of his career was not nearly as successful. 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. In 1933, while Adolf Hitler was taking power in Germany, Lutteroth founded the Mexican Wrestling Company, today known as the World Wrestling Council. Those I ranked are only the tip of the iceberg because other legends and pioneers existed before them. Strongbow will probably be most remembered for his Native American gimmick, with the complete outfit, including his famous traditional headdress than for his achievements. Greatest '50s TV Westerns. Even without the name, it's clear that Jarvi is a large man. 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.". Just like Hogan or Stone Cold, he could not do it all by himself. "Big Cat" Ernie Ladd seemed to stretch endlessly like the branches of an old oak. 60. Nostalgic (Early 2000s) Children's TV Shows, Seen It is a new app from the creators of List Challenges. As for any similar list, I considered many factors to rank the wrestlers. Ray Stevens. He has been married to Christina Beddoes since November 8, 1986. His biggest accomplishments were in the tag team division. The inaugural WWE Champion lost the title 21 days later against Bruno Sammartino, and he suddenly vanished for a while. and the fake Diesel, WWE found the perfect fit for Glenn Jacobs. In 1978 DeNucci enjoyed his second reign with Dino Bravo as his partner, and they held the belt for 104 days. He had the strength, the technical abilities, the charisma and that mythic "it" factor to draw the audiences. As Kane, he was the perfect size to play a hellish monster capable of challenging The Undertaker. His wrestling career didn't last long. 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. Yokozuna's weight was his greatest attraction, but it was also ultimately his downfall. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. The original Nature Boy was the total package back in the day, and he directly inspired Ric Flair with his flamboyant gimmick. 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. His first reign, in 1975, lasted 105 days, and he teamed up with Victor Rivera who was later replaced by Pat Barrett. He was a rigid wrestler on redwood-like legs. Bundy's career highlight is his WrestleMania 2 match against Hogan inside a steel cage. He was an instant top babyface who battled Gorilla Monsoon and The Sheik among others. It wouldnt be before long that he too had a career that turned him into his own mythic legend. 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. Terry Eugene Bollea, better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler and television personality. From 1972 to 1978, in an age when tag team wrestling actually meant a lot, Fuji portrayed the stereotypical heel Japanese persona, and he was often involved in anti-American storylines. Sports wrote that, "Plowboy Frazier was the budget version ofAndre the Giant.". Cameras captured one of wrestling's most awkward moments when Cottonwood, a NXT competitor at the time was asked to freestyle on the topic of mustaches. * Some NWA promoters recognized Moolah as world champion However, the highlight of his career was the first ever babyface vs. babyface championship match, at the legendary main event of "Showdown at Shea 1972" against Bruno Sammartino. * Championships in parentheses ( ) are noted according to the approximate date of the information, usually three or four months prior to the publishing date, in order to give a better idea of why the wrestlers may be ranked. 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. The Skyscrapers, as they were called, battled the Road Warriors, the Steiner Brothers, among others. King Kong Bundy was one of many giants Hulk Hogan was asked to slay during his dominant run in the '80s. Despite he never broke out of the tag team division, he was very over with the fans, and he was one of the best technical wrestlers of his time. However, he was not alone and this top 25 is the proof. Hogan doesn't often get considered a big-man wrestler though he is 67 and 300 lbs. Norton signed a developmental deal at age 26, but apparently WWE officials didn't see enough from the 7'0'' giant. He put his large behind to good use, utilizing it as one of his main weapons in the ring. 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. The Baron enjoyed a great career with the WWWF in the '60s and in the '70s as one of the top heels. advertisememt. 1. Steve Reeves was the first bodybuilder to put . 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. Had the creative team seen something other than an opportunity for low humor with Shaw, we may be remembering him for more than the smelly "Trip to the Batcave.". Baba was extremely proficient as a technical wrestler considering his size. One. Here is a smattering of pro wrestlers from that era. When a man battles The Great Khali and stands face to face with him, there's no doubt about his enormity. Free shipping for many products! Top 10 Mr. Rogers Moments That'll Make You Nostalgic. Pat O'Connor - World Champion, Jr. Heavyweight: All rights reserved. A monster heel, Studd brought a stretcher to the ring as a means of intimidation. Ron Reis will always be remembered most for being the large man in the ridiculous costume as The Yeti, who attacked Hulk Hogan at Halloween Havoc 1995. The Atlanta Hawks drafted Gonzalez in the 1988 NBA draft. Luke Graham was one of the rare to have a gimmick that didn't include specific outfits such as cowboy or other Russian characters. 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. Paul Bunyan had to seem as unreal as the lumberjack from American folklore from who he took his ring name. Rhodes began wrestling in the 1960s and gained a reputation as a fast-talking, hard-rocking wrestler. 2. Heavyweight: It's unfortunate that Shaw became such a joke because he, unlike many men his size, had decent moves in the ring. As El Gigante in WCW or Giant Gonzalez in WWE, he was nothing more than a spectacle. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. He flies through the air like a much smaller man. Not as agile as Bam Bam Bigelow or Vader, Nash was still surprisingly quick and deft in the ring. It was here that he tagged with Kevin Nash, who was known then as Vinnie Vegas. Despite being a decade or two away from the dawn of Hulkamania and a seismic shift in the wrestling industry, plenty of superstars debuted during the era of the space race, free love, and the Civil Rights Movement. In a familiar story for men his size, Jorge Gonzalez's height was both his greatest asset and biggest weakness. 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. When he joined the WWWF in 1977, he quickly made his way into the world championship picture as a top heel. Click here to watch Killer Kowalski battling Pedro Morales. So, I took in consideration the impact, the popularity, the legacy and the "it" factor when I could. There isnt a single person reading this list that doesnt understand the level of greatness behind Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. Buffalo Bill, Jr. (1955-1956) Buffalo Bill Jr. and his kid sister Calamity are raised under the watchful eye of Judge Ben 'Fair and Square" Wiley. That is why he is known as the father of Mexican wrestling. 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. Mitsuharu Misawa was one of the most influential wrestlers in Japan before his untimely death at the age of 46. 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. ) Children 's TV Shows, Seen it is a large man the day, and he inspired! The Road Warriors, the Steiner Brothers, among others is an American retired professional wrestler television... List Challenges WWE as Waylon Mercy, a psychopath/Southern gentleman the proof big-man wrestler though he 67... 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