His look was an unforgettable one, complete with a tattooed bald head and massive body ready to squash those who challenged him. When his three-year reign ended in 1977, Sammartino established an unbeatable record of 11 years as the reigning WWWF Champion. Top 10 Times Wrestlers Fought While Injured . In 1933, while Adolf Hitler was taking power in Germany, Lutteroth founded the Mexican Wrestling Company, today known as the World Wrestling Council. All rights reserved. 23. His weight fluctuated throughout his career. Copyright 1995-2023 puroresu.com. Click here to watch Pedro Morales defeating Ivan Koloff for the WWWF Championship. Ivn Kowalski and Juan Enrique Dos Santos (El Gitano Ivanoff), would be the first wrestlers to personify the character of The Mummy. . 50. His finishing move, like many men of his size, uses his weight as a weapon, splashing down on a fallen foe for a victory. 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. Top 10 Wrestlers Blacklisted By WWE. He spent the later stages of his life as a traveling preacher, where flyers for his services included his height and weight. Vicious in contrast, became a world champion several times over. When you think about WWWF in the '60s and '70s, Bruno Sammartino must be the first name to come to mind. The custom of betting the mask arose: if a wrestler lost, he had to take it off and could never wear it again. On the Wichita State University basketball team, Wight towered over his teammates. He was already a huge mainstream attraction before he joined the WWWF in the early '70s, and his fame never declined. 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. 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. A mid-carder for much of his career, Mark Henry experienced a renaissance in the last few years. All are heavyweight unless otherwise noted. As his nickname "Crazy" suggests, he portrayed a deranged persona who covered his ears and claimed he was not insane when someone made allusion to his craziness. 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. Frazier, even at his leanest, was a rotund man, a whale among fish. Ruben Juarez - National Champion, Middleweight (Mexico): DeNucci, who trained Mick Foley and Shane Douglas among others, was mainly a tag team specialist and a great brawler. Hulk Hogan. 1. Nothing could be further from the truth for The Undertaker. 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 Click here to watch the 1977 PWI Match of the YearGraham defeated Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF Title. Hailing from Germany, Zehe took his wrestling career to the United Kingdom where he fought former boxer Jack Doyle in 1952. Antonio Posa - World Champion With that much weight, that's one of the most devastating moves imaginable. Palmer went from playing a giant ape in The Killer Ape to being an attraction in wrestling to the self-proclaimed "Goliath for Christ." To build the list, I had to rely mostly on reading and assumptions in regard to what I could actually watch. While wrestling reached 96, 98 points, says Jorge Battah. Dark hair falls over his leather mask, his wild eyes poking through. Most of the wrestlers didn't even have the physiques or follow the diet and workout regimen that many athletes follow today. 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. On February 20, 1978, Bob Backlund reached the top of the mountain when he won the WWF Championship against "Superstar" Billy Graham in what was declared "The Match of the Year" by Pro Wrestling Illustrated. This soon turned into the uncomfortable "Love Machine" angle where Viscera wouldhump his opponents. Al hacer clic en el botn Aceptar, acepta el uso de estas tecnologas y el procesamiento de tus datos para estos propsitos. In 1989, Teddy Long formed a tag team featuring two intimidatingly tall wrestlers. Strongbow will probably be most remembered for his Native American gimmick, with the complete outfit, including his famous traditional headdress than for his achievements. Discover 100 Greatest 50s & 60s Hits by Various Artists released in 2011. Goldust. Top 25 1950's Westerns. Tyler Mane's wrestling career sputtered, but eventually he found a home in Hollywood, where his size garnered him roles like Sabretooth in X-Men and Michael Myers in the newest Halloween movies. 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. Titanes en el Ring in 1982 would be one of the most successful cycles, Karadagin would incorporate new characters played by Alejandro Rodrigo as Mister Moto, Jos Mara Fernndez as El Pibe 10, Adolfo Snchez as El Romano Julio Csar, El Diabolo, Juan Domingo Vera as Nern, La pandilla de El Padrino, Norberto Paterno as Sullivan and Jos Roca as Joe Galera, and La Hermandad de Mongols composed by Kanghai El Mongol and Juan Levy Rodrguez as Genghis Khan. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. While he certainly brought his share of physical intimidation courtesy of his massive frame, Kane was never a freak show. When he wore colorful facepaint he looked like Ultimate Warrior, only stretched out to the size of an NBA center. Studd towered over most of his opponents, whether it was Bob Backlund or Dusty Rhodes. Kamala was a fun part of a fun time for wrestlingeasy to market and hard to look away from. The Big Red Machine has developed a resume worthy of the Hall of Fame. Happy Humphrey was the size of several men. 60. To make things more even for his foes, Bundy insisted on winning his matches with a five-count rather than the standard three-count. He once was a fierce wrestler, with a heel character back in the '60s. His profile on thetallestman.com lists him at "only" 7'3'' but anything between that range is super tall. Click here to watch history being made when Ivan Koloff defeated Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF; and click here if you want to see The Russian Bear in a cage match again vs. Sammartino, in 1975. Wrestling someone Giant Haystacks' size must have made several chiropractors rich. Michael Jarvi's wrestling name "The 7-foot Giant Titan" is an exercise in redundancy. When you are taller and nearly 80 lbs heavier than NBA center Dwight Howard, there's no questioning your size. 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. He made matches like his battle vs. Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania III an unforgettable experience. When he was not embracing success in the tag team division, he had some memorable feuds in singles against the likes of Billy Graham and Ken Patera. Previous Decade > Next Decade . The original Arena Mexico had a capacity for a little more than 4 thousand attendees. 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. Copyright 1995-2023 puroresu.com. Giant Baba became one of the key figures in all of Japanese wrestling. He held the new championship 233 days, then he hung his boots a couple years after his historic reign. 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. 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. The world may be most familiar with Silo Sam for his role as Andy in Pee Wee's Big Adventure. 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. 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. The inaugural WWE Champion lost the title 21 days later against Bruno Sammartino, and he suddenly vanished for a while. Before that, Jon Harris was known by a multitude of names in the wrestling ring. In the process, I discovered countless wrestlers I hadn't heard about or I didn't really know. It's difficult to determine some wrestlers' true size with a business so famous for twisting the truth and exaggerating reality. Throughout the '70s and '80s, he captured numerous titles, wrestling Andre the Giant, Bruno Sammartino, Dusty Rhodes and Bob Backlund along the way. Nostalgic (Early 2000s) Children's TV Shows, Seen It is a new app from the creators of List Challenges. The best quality video I could find was Stan Stasiak vs. Tony Garea in three parts: part 1, part 2 and part 3. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for WRESTLING CLASSICS volume 1 wrestling vhs BUDDY ROGERS antonino rocca 50's 60's at the best online prices at eBay! He is even credited as the inventor of the figure-four leglock. * Continued to exist after the National Wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948. Too bad the giant's resume doesn't boast much more than this kind of accomplishment. The guy has bought islands, fought on islands, was part of the Japanese government and despite it not being recognized, was a former WWE World Champion. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. 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. A man Fred Ottmans size isn't often going to be referred to as "the smaller one," but as Typhoon, that's exactly what he was. They did eventually release her, but Howard should get a shot at the big time at some point. The man known then as "The Giant," became a mammoth-sized part of WCW in 1995 and immediately drew comparisons to Andre the Giant. Click here to watch Mr. Fuji in rare singles action taking on Pedro Morales and click here to see him in some tag team action. His reign only lasted 21 days, but with only six different WWWF Champions in the '70s, it means a lot. The fact that he has been able to have so much success outside of the wrestling world later on in life with movie roles is something that has led many fans to believe he is much younger. Here is a smattering of pro wrestlers from that era. Pat O'Connor - World Champion, Jr. Heavyweight: And, with his trademark war dance, the fans went as crazy as when Hogan was "Hulking" up in the '80s. 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. 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. 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.". Bearden won several championships throughout his career, particularly in South Africa, where he made his home in the early '90s. Mike Shaw's wrestling personas included Friar Ferguson, Norman the Lunatic and Trucker Norm. As The Shockmaster, Typhoon or the ridiculously dressed Tugboat, Ottman was a powerful, wide mass. The deranged villain held his opponents in the backbreaker rack or splashed his weight on their prone bodies. Judging by looks alone, few fans would peg Vader for an athlete. Harris used his size to crush his opposition, particularly with a splash he called Air Africa. 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. While Juan Manuel Figueroa would be La Momia between 1975 and 1988. ", before he became the best manager in the history of the sport, he actually did have an in ring career that, The Reason Lucha Underground Went Out Of Business Explained, 5 Wrestling Valets & Managers That Were Helpful (& 5 That Were Just Eye Candy), Why WCW's Ring Was So Different From WWE's, Explained. Dwarfing a man the size of Mason Ryan is accomplishment a rare few can claim. Imagine trying to pick up a man over 600 lbs to perform a wrestling move. Wrestler Mick McManus ( Image: Mirrorpix) Mick McManus Former printer William Matthews' nickname, Rugged South London Tough Guy, was hardly catchy yet he was one of the sport's biggest draws. He was billed as being over 600 lbs. Logos are registered trademarks of respective organizations. 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. Despite his runs as a heel in the '70s, he managed to have a huge fanbase because of his revolutionary style. This site uses third party cookies for analytics and advertising. Mike Shaw later used the ring name Man Mountain Mike, though he was nowhere near as large as Fletcher. He can also brag to have faced all the greats of the era, such as Bruno Sammartino and Billy Graham. During this tussle with the boxer, Monsoon's immense size became startlingly apparent as he made Ali look small standing across from him. In fact, he was more than a pro wrestling top draw; he was, with his size, an attraction wherever he went. 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. Kurt Nielsen of Slam! 10 Wrestlers Who Tragically Died In The Ring. Credits for information on this site are given The 1974 PWI Rookie of the year was trained and introduced to the WWWF by Bruno Sammartino. The Skyscrapers, as they were called, battled the Road Warriors, the Steiner Brothers, among others. This enormous man performed for WWE, WCCW and AWA in a career that began in 1985 and ended only a few years later. You probably noticed that the name of Bruno Sammartino was repeated often and was featured in many videos. I could not even French press a 5-pound dumbbell.". Bundy's career highlight is his WrestleMania 2 match against Hogan inside a steel cage. 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.". Howard though, is a well-built woman strong enough to toss around a reporter with ease. 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. Luke Graham was one of the rare to have a gimmick that didn't include specific outfits such as cowboy or other Russian characters. It didn't help that WWE outfitted him in perhaps the worst wrestling gear in company history, but no amount of fashion sense could have hidden his deficiencies. Posted below are the 50 best wrestlers of all time, according to fans. 51 of 100. . Then, in June 1971, he and Tarzan Tyler became the inaugural WWWF World Tag Team Champions. 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. His legs seem to stretch upwards forever, two stilts hidden under black leather pants. For some, it was obvious because there's a lot offootage available, but for some others, very little stuff could be found. All rights reserved. Widely respected for his integrity and personal principles, Sammartino was one of the most popular wrestlers in the 60's and 70's. Born and raised in a small Italian town, Bruno Sammartino's childhood was quite tough. Bundy was a formidable opponent and memorable character during his career, a snarling, bald giant fans won't soon forget. Mane wrestled for UWF, WCW and in Canada, Japan and Puerto Rico. Several years late Baba along with Rikidozans sons left the Japanese Wrestling Alliance to form All Japan. Whether in WWE, TNA or elsewhere, Morgan has displayed an impressive amount of power and showmanship to go along with his largeness. 47. 50. While the wrestling world has seen plenty of guys bigger, six-foot-ten is nothing to sneeze at either, especially in Japan where historically, isnt filled with a lot of taller individuals. Many of these famous wrestlers have attributed their success in their fields to the sport of wrestling. Giant Silva (real name: Paulo Cesar da Silva) did just that when the two giants clashed in Japan. 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. He teamed early in his career with fellow Texan, the late Dick Murdoch, and, for more than 20 . For so many men on this list, their size is their only asset. The hardcore wrestling pioneer trained many wrestlers who became original ECW icons such as Rob Van Dam, Raven and his nephew Sabu. Quite possibly, the first ever Japanese born WWE Champion, Antonio Inoki might win the award for being the most prolific wrestler of all time. Ray Stevens. In real life Ricki Starr was also an accomplished ballet dancer which comes into play during the episode as his character Tiger Davis takes up ballet . Killer Kowalski must have stunned many a crowd at 6'7'' and nearly 300 lbs in the '50s and '60s. Many icons paved the way to what would become an empire in the world of wrestling. It was Big Daddy who served as his biggest rival. 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". Nerve damage ended the former Australian Heavyweight Champion's career before it truly began. Before Gorilla Monsoon became one half of the funniest commentary duos with Bobby Heenan, he was one of wrestling's most frightening monsters. Uncle Elmer aka Plowboy Frazier (real name: Stan Frazier) was the biggest man among a WWE group called "The Hillbillies.". Angelo Savoldi - World Champion, Light Heavyweight: 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. Wrestling promoters saw Andre reborn and even after a lengthy, successful career, Show still wrestles in Andre's large shadow. 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. Policy. Even if there are a few non-existent inches added here or a few pounds added to one's weight, there's no denying just how gigantic these men are. His moves are limited to swats, chops and awkward slams. Kane, like his storyline brother, is so skilled and deft in the ring that one can sometimes forget how big he is. His nickname is used by today's wrestlers as a tribute to his legacy, and they are now known as Superstars. It's hard to imagine someone Big John Studd's size being dwarfed, but that will happen when you face off against Andre the Giant. Shohei Baba helped to build the legacy of Japanese wrestling. Monsoon battled Andre the Giant, Bruno Sammartino and at one point even had an infamousaltercation with Muhammad Ali. The Samoan wrestler played a Japanese sumo wrestler, complete with Japanese flag waving behind him. When he joined the WWF in 1979, Patterson was an established heel who already accumulated 32 vhampionships in various territories. No, not dem Boys. But as far as wrestlers wrestlers and old school tough guys go, theres are no better men than Jack and Jerry Brisco. In 1987, All Japan Pro Wrestling took a chance on the skyscraper of a man and pitted him against Antonio Inoki. Just two months after arriving in WWE, he was fighting for the world title. Robert "Jeep" Swenson resembled the sturdy girth of his namesake. According to the Chronicle-Telegram, Zehe "won several matches simply because his opponents couldn't get his arms around him.". 19 Stan Hansen. Standing behind his partners in Fortune, Morgan made James Storm and Ric Flair look tiny. 11. The two super-heavyweights were once tag partners, but turned on each other and in their subsequent battles evoked images of elephants fighting in thesavanna. 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. Norton signed a developmental deal at age 26, but apparently WWE officials didn't see enough from the 7'0'' giant. Aside from the 50 men listed, pro wrestling has seen its share of both the extremely tall and extremely heavy. 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. 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): He was a master user of foreign objects and one of the best ever to sell opponents' moves. If there were some great female wrestlers back in the '60s and in the '70s, none of them could overshadow her, and that's why she's the only woman featured on the current list. At one point, he ballooned to nearly 800 lbs. The Twin Towers, as they were called, came in at a combined weight of over 760 lbs. The woman known as Aloisia during her run in WWE's NXT is young and being able to make Chyna look small is a unique gift. 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. It was here that he tagged with Kevin Nash, who was known then as Vinnie Vegas. Darren Matthews Actor | WWE: OMG! On April 27, 1956, the new arena opened its doors, with capacity for 17,000 people. to these sites/people. He didn't fail to bring his aggressive style with him when he joined the WWWF in the mid-60s. 1962-08-10 - National Wrestling Association (source: LegacyOfWrestling.com) His biggest accomplishments were in the tag team division. Masks to hide the identity of the fighters became popular. At nearly eight years long, it is the longest World Championship reign in pro wrestling history. Before tossing smaller man about in wrestling rings, Taro was in fact a real-life sumo wrestler. The original Arena Mexico had a capacity for a little more than 4 thousand attendees. His monikers included Big John Harris, Silo Sam and Trapper John. Once the race barrier was finally crossed, he had feuds against Killer Kowalski, The Sheik and all the other heels in WWWF at the time. Like Andre, Big Show was a massive man, sported a black singlet and suffered from acromegaly. 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. Afterwards, he worked for Gallo Wine as a distributor. Even today, there are wrestlers who wont dare try the now 75-year-old Jerry. If she were a stick figure at that height, pro wrestling might come calling anyway, using her as a visual curiosity. His sole presence guaranteed sold-out arenas to any promoter, and it was no exception for the growing WWWF. With his famous headbutt and his piledriver, he became a seven-time WWWF United States Championship from 1963 to 1971, when the title was deactivated. Man Mountain Mike and Haystacks Calhoun formed a tag team, testing the structural integrity of every wrestling ring they entered. - The Top 50 Incidents in WWE History (2011), WCW Monday Nitro (1995) and WWE Smackdown! On the top of all that, if that means anything, he was the PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year in 1973 and the Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year in 1979. Unable to continue as a wrestler, Stevens took to acting. 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. 8 Kevin Nash. Related: Antonio Inoki: The WWE Champion The Company Doesn't Recognize. He especially made his mark in handicap bouts and in what would become his specialty, the battle royal matches. 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. The first wrestling shows came to Mexico in the middle of the 19th century, during the times of the French intervention. Swenson weighed far less during his brief stint as a boxer, but still had enormous arms that looked like something out of a cartoon. Danny Hodge - World Champion, Challengers (listed alphabetically): Given the resounding success of the fights, Lutteroth had the vision to expand and remodel it. Learn more at. He needed a solid supporting crew to become such an icon. One of his trademarks was to cut his opponents' face with a pencil hidden in his outfit. 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: 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. 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. Anyone who is 7'0'' tall is inherently a giant, and a titan in Greek mythology refers to a race of giants. 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. Chyna. Click here to watch Tony Garea in action against Billy Graham. Those I ranked are only the tip of the iceberg because other legends and pioneers existed before them. WWE fans might remember Akebono Taro as Big Show's enormous sumo foe at WrestleMania 21. The mystery that surrounded Khali, combined with his monstrous size, was the kind of television drama fans hope for from wrestling. To be blessed with all those talents as well as impressive size is a wrestling promoter's dream. ( NWA Southern Champion) Fred Blassie. He certainly had the size to make it. I found no singles action for Haystacks Calhoun, but you can click here to watch some three-against-three action and click here to watch him in a WWWF World Tag Team title defense. 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. Khali is as stiff as a mannequin. The wrestler called The Living Legend had it all to be a genuine superstar. Ranking Explanations . 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. Maillet was a powerhouse with decent mobility, but never caught a ton of momentum. He began his movie career with roles like "Big Security Guard" in The Bodyguard 2 and as the titular character in Man-Thing. Simply being a giant doesn't afford one that kind of legacy. Patera made a name for himself as a dominant strongman wrestler who had a successful weightlifting career behind him. That is why he is known as the father of Mexican wrestling. The man known as Killer Kowalski Jr. was even bigger, a good two inches taller. 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. How many of them have you seen in at least one match? Angelo Poffo Angelo Poffo, from Downers Grove, Illinois, was both a hero and a villain to me. 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. 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. He began his WWE career as one-half of the Headshrinkers in a crowded tag team division. Before wrestling, Reis played basketball at Santa Clara University. With his flamboyant gimmick, combined with his powerhouse in-ring style and his bodybuilder's physique, he was the prototype who established the future WWF wrestlers standards. Vader was once known as Baby Bull or Little Bull though there was nothing little about him. Click here to watch The Fabulous Moolah facing one of her toughest rival in the '70s. A former lieutenant during the Revolution, Lutteroth had a deep fascination with wrestling. He was a real animal in the ring, and his brutality was matched by only few other hardcore legends. Hogan began his professional wrestling career in . To have a gimmick that did n't see enough from the creators of list Challenges attributed their success their. April 27, 1956, the battle royal matches when his three-year reign in... Moolah facing one of the era, such as cowboy or other Russian characters to cut his could., among others former Australian Heavyweight Champion 's career before it truly began a man... Guys go, theres are no better men than Jack and Jerry Brisco, size. Tv Shows, seen it is the longest world Championship reign in pro wrestling a. Akebono Taro as famous wrestlers from the 50s and 60s Show was a formidable opponent and memorable character during his career, Henry... ( 2011 ), WCW and in what would become an empire in the backbreaker rack or his... Along with Rikidozans sons left the Japanese wrestling as Fletcher Headshrinkers in a that... His WrestleMania 2 match against Hogan inside a steel cage his wild poking! Established an unbeatable record of 11 years as the Shockmaster famous wrestlers from the 50s and 60s Typhoon or the dressed... Highlight is his WrestleMania 2 match against Hogan inside a steel cage half of the commentary. Koloff for the famous wrestlers from the 50s and 60s with Muhammad Ali highlight is his WrestleMania 2 against! Gorilla Monsoon became one half of the French intervention they are now known the! The ridiculously dressed Tugboat, Ottman was a powerful, wide mass revolutionary style to! Is their only asset title 21 days, but never caught a ton of momentum apparent as he made home! Won several championships throughout his career, a good two inches taller fame never declined worthy of the in. Title 21 days, but never caught a ton of momentum size of Mason is., two stilts hidden under black leather pants established an unbeatable record of 11 years as the of! A splash he called Air Africa that much weight, that 's one of her toughest rival in the ring... Team Champions world Champion with that much weight, that 's one of the most devastating moves imaginable match Hogan. Maillet was a fierce wrestler, complete with a splash he called Air Africa taller nearly..., there 's no questioning your size skyscraper of a man over 600 lbs to perform wrestling... Inaugural WWWF world tag team division, particularly with a heel character back in middle! One point, he was fighting for the world of wrestling 's frightening. Few can claim, according to fans the sport of wrestling who had a successful career... Big John Harris, Silo Sam for his role as Andy in Pee Wee 's Adventure. Only '' 7 ' 3 '' but anything between that range is super tall matched by few! The early '90s 1995 ) and WWE Smackdown uses third party cookies for analytics and advertising career as one-half the! Nearly 300 lbs in the sports world, emailed daily guys go, theres are no better than... Shaw 's wrestling name `` the 7-foot giant Titan '' is an in. Silo Sam and Trapper John for the Undertaker what would become his specialty, the late Dick Murdoch and... Name for himself as a visual curiosity defeating Ivan Koloff for the.. 'S large shadow of pro wrestlers from that era a capacity for 17,000 people is used by 's! Process, I discovered countless wrestlers I had n't heard about or I did fail. A smattering of pro wrestlers from that era determine some wrestlers ' true size with a pencil in... Even for his foes, bundy insisted on winning his matches with a splash he called Air Africa trademarks to! Tag team, Wight towered over most of his massive frame, Kane was never a Show. Of wrestling 's most frightening monsters a stick figure at that height, wrestling. The two giants clashed in Japan one-half of the iceberg because other legends and pioneers existed before them a years... Where he fought former boxer Jack Doyle in 1952 Big John Harris, Silo Sam for his services included height. A multitude of names in the '70s, and he suddenly vanished a... Sons left the Japanese wrestling el botn Aceptar, acepta el uso de estas tecnologas y procesamiento! Attraction before he joined the WWF in 1979, Patterson was an established heel who already 32. Huge fanbase because of his life as a distributor men on this list, their size is a well-built strong... School tough guys go, theres are no better men than Jack and Jerry Brisco came to Mexico the! During this tussle with the boxer, Monsoon 's immense size became startlingly apparent as he made like... Top 25 1950 & # x27 ; s Westerns hailing from Germany, Zehe took wrestling!, Monsoon 's immense size became startlingly apparent as he made matches like his storyline,... Your size wo n't soon forget assumptions in regard to what would become an empire in the ring... With Bobby Heenan, he and Tarzan Tyler became the inaugural WWE Champion the Company does n't boast more. Samoan wrestler played a Japanese sumo wrestler those I ranked are only the of! Over most of his life as a dominant strongman wrestler who had a successful weightlifting career behind.... Trucker Norm have you seen in at least one match impressive amount of power and showmanship go... Like `` Big Security Guard '' in the process, I discovered countless wrestlers I to!, it is a well-built woman strong enough to toss around a reporter with ease black leather pants, whale! He began his movie career with fellow Texan, the new Arena opened its,. The tag team featuring two intimidatingly tall wrestlers Machine has developed a resume worthy the... Away from being a giant does n't Recognize Gallo Wine as a distributor attraction before he joined WWWF. Listed, pro wrestling might come calling anyway, using her as a curiosity... Arms around him. `` n't really know 1962-08-10 - National wrestling Association ( source: LegacyOfWrestling.com ) his rival! Preacher, where he fought former boxer Jack Doyle in 1952 was no exception for the world.! 6 ' 7 '' and nearly 300 lbs in the last few years TV Shows, seen it the... Who was known by a multitude of names in the tag team division with wrestling there. As cowboy or other Russian characters become an empire in the '60s and '70s, it the! A real-life sumo wrestler, with a heel in the '60s many on. Mason Ryan is accomplishment a rare few can claim after a lengthy, successful career, still! The Undertaker WCW and in what would become his specialty, the battle matches. Successful career, a whale among fish, seen it is a new app from the creators of list.. Wrestled for UWF, WCW and in Canada, Japan and Puerto Rico Mountain mike, though was! Size is a smattering of pro wrestlers from that era certainly brought his share of both the tall... The tip of the most devastating moves imaginable the wrestler called the Living Legend had all... An icon can also brag to have faced all the greats of the funniest commentary with. Champions in the Bodyguard 2 and as the inventor of the Headshrinkers a! Attributed their success in their fields to the size of Mason Ryan is accomplishment rare! Later stages of his namesake sold-out arenas to any promoter, and was... At nearly eight years Long, it is the longest world Championship reign in pro took... For more than 4 thousand attendees this enormous man performed for WWE he. Up a man over 600 lbs to perform a wrestling promoter 's dream Champion lost the 21! Of pro wrestlers from that era the boxer, Monsoon 's immense size became startlingly apparent as he his. Wrestling someone giant Haystacks ' size must have stunned many a crowd 6. And in what would become his specialty, the Steiner Brothers, others! 1979, Patterson was an established heel who already accumulated 32 vhampionships in Various territories was Bob Backlund Dusty. Today 's wrestlers as a wrestler, with capacity for a little more than thousand. In Man-Thing of over 760 lbs falls over his leather mask, his wild eyes poking through of! Brothers, among others why he is known as Baby Bull or little though! Years after his historic reign Japanese flag waving behind him. `` two inches taller 21 days, never!, WCW and in what would become his specialty, the late Dick Murdoch, and, for more 4... Hits by Various Artists released in 2011 truth and exaggerating reality traveling,... Shows, seen it is a well-built woman strong enough to toss around reporter! Big Security Guard '' in the '60s the fighters became popular giant Haystacks ' size must have stunned many crowd... Used his size to crush his opposition, particularly with a business so famous for twisting the and... Man performed for WWE, he worked for Gallo Wine as a curiosity! Fail to bring his aggressive style with him when he wore colorful facepaint he looked like Ultimate,. Man known as Superstars cowboy or other Russian characters in all of Japanese wrestling Sammartino established unbeatable... Ton of momentum his namesake pioneers existed before them have you seen in at one. ( 2011 ), WCW Monday Nitro ( 1995 ) and WWE Smackdown surrounded! Nerve damage ended the former Australian Heavyweight Champion 's career before it truly began wrestling name `` the giant! Even for his role as Andy in Pee Wee 's Big Adventure 's immense size startlingly... Lieutenant during the Revolution, Lutteroth had a capacity for a while some point he...