I could not even French press a 5-pound dumbbell.". Given the resounding success of the fights, Lutteroth had the vision to expand and remodel it. 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. However, he was not alone and this top 25 is the proof. Fans were enthralled by him, curious to watch a man his size and perhaps were pulled in by his larger-than-life aura. Man of the West (1958) A reformed outlaw becomes stranded after an aborted train robbery with two other passengers and is forced to rejoin his old outlaw band. 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. * Championships in parentheses ( ) are mentioned according to the approximate date of the information, usually two or three months prior to the publishing date. His finishing move, like many men of his size, uses his weight as a weapon, splashing down on a fallen foe for a victory. 1. After some forgettable gimmicks in Isaac Yankem D.D.S. If his nine-day reign was short, Stasiak can at least say he was one of the only six WWWF champions of the '70s and to have been a top heel of his time. He can also brag to. Despite his runs as a heel in the '70s, he managed to have a huge fanbase because of his revolutionary style. Here is a smattering of pro wrestlers from that era. The best quality video I could find was Stan Stasiak vs. Tony Garea in three parts: part 1, part 2 and part 3. Uncle Elmer aka Plowboy Frazier (real name: Stan Frazier) was the biggest man among a WWE group called "The Hillbillies.". Jones certainly had Undertaker's size and an impressive physique, but never did much more than tread water with the company. Even without the name, it's clear that Jarvi is a large man. One. He was often a top contender to the WWWF Championship, and he battled Bruno Sammartino on several occasions in high-profile matches. Dark hair falls over his leather mask, his wild eyes poking through. Famous Americans Who Wrestled. Despitehis walrus-like physique, Vader was very agile in the ring. 60. So, I took in consideration the impact, the popularity, the legacy and the "it" factor when I could. 41 of 100. In 1971, he and Bruno Sammartino put the hand on the short-lived WWWF International Tag Team Championship, a secondary Title. Mike Shaw later used the ring name Man Mountain Mike, though he was nowhere near as large as Fletcher. Fuji's tag team partner at the time. 49. Knowing every heel tactic in the tag team action environment, he became the manager known as "Luscious" Johnny V who introduced Demolition to the WWF and who worked with The Dream Team (Greg Valentine / Brutus Beefcake) among others. Just like Hogan or Stone Cold, he could not do it all by himself. My 4 Favorite 1950s Wrestlers Looking back on all these years, these four pro wrestlers were my favorite stars. * Continued to exist after the National Wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948. Strong Female Characters That Are Unforgettable! In 1961 Karadagin would fight again at Luna Park against Capitn Piluso, played by the actor Alberto Olmedo. Esta web utiliza cookies propias para su correcto funcionamiento. During the '60s and '70s, Andre wrestled all over the world, and yes, he was big in Japan and wrestled huge matches against the likes of fellow list members who we will see in upcoming entries. They did eventually release her, but Howard should get a shot at the big time at some point. From 1970 to 1973, Pedro Morales left a permanent mark on WWE. Wrestling, though, is where he was meant to be. 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. Top 25 1950's Westerns. Many greats, including Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold, Ric Flair and Triple H, were inspired by him to forge their characters. DeNucci, who trained Mick Foley and Shane Douglas among others, was mainly a tag team specialist and a great brawler. - The Top 50 Incidents in WWE History (2011), WCW Monday Nitro (1995) and WWE Smackdown! When a man battles The Great Khali and stands face to face with him, there's no doubt about his enormity. Simply being a giant doesn't afford one that kind of legacy. And, with his trademark war dance, the fans went as crazy as when Hogan was "Hulking" up in the '80s. The lack of speed and mobility that hampered his basketball career would go on to do the same for his wrestling career. A former NWA and ECW World Champion, and a violent hardcore wrestler. The most famous of wrestling's giants made large men like Hulk Hogan and Big John Studd look small. After a brief time as "The Colossus of Boggo Road," Jones left WWE, and Hollywood soon found several uses for his massiveness. He left that match bloodied and without the WWE title. John Cena. The Fabulous Moolah is the longest reigning champion in pro wrestling history. 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 San Diego Chargers drafted him as a defensive lineman in 1961 and he soon became an intimidating presence on the football field. 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 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. Top 10 Times Wrestlers Fought While Injured . 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. 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. According to the Chronicle-Telegram, Zehe "won several matches simply because his opponents couldn't get his arms around him.". This was a time when bodybuilding was not only raw, but also rare and these were the pioneers of bodybuilding. 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. Iron Sheik. 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. Taller than LeBron James and over 450 lbs, One Man Gang was one of wrestling's biggest performers. So I decided to explore an unknown zone for me and to tackle an era I didn't witness, the '60s and the '70s. Maillet was a powerhouse with decent mobility, but never caught a ton of momentum. Kurt Nielsen of Slam! He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 1980s. This cannot be undone. Top 10 Wrestlers Blacklisted By WWE. Nothing could be further from the truth for The Undertaker. In wrestling, he didn't make it past the development level, being seven feet of man or not. Never the most skilled wrestler, Frazier, for much of his career, was a major draw. 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 NWA World Champion Jack and the former Stooge Jerry both began in the late '60s and had careers that spanned decades, including winning the NWA Tag Team Championship several times during their career. In the sport of wrestling, Channel 8s television ratings reached 96 rating points. Bigelow wrestled with WWE, ECW and WCW as well as in Japan. This site uses third party cookies for analytics and advertising. Goldust. When he tag-teamed with The Sheik of Araby and took on the big, bad Lisowski brothers, he was my hero. Monsoon battled Andre the Giant, Bruno Sammartino and at one point even had an infamousaltercation with Muhammad Ali. So far, the leader of Legado del Fantasma has defended the championship four times: a couple of times against Isaiah Swerve Scott, against Jake Atlas and just a few days ago against the also Mexican Gran Metalik. Australian powerlifter Nathan Jones charged onto the WWE scene as The Undertaker's right-hand man. 50. Even today, there are wrestlers who wont dare try the now 75-year-old Jerry. As the wresting worlds first ever global superstar, Andre the Giant has been wrestling since the '60s as well. The original Arena Mexico had a capacity for a little more than 4 thousand attendees. In addition, you can see the most watched/liked stuff amongst your friends. Possessing an impressive blend of power and speed, Rikishi spent a good part of two decades entertaining WWE fans. Khali is as stiff as a mannequin. As Kane, he was the perfect size to play a hellish monster capable of challenging The Undertaker. In a familiar story for men his size, Jorge Gonzalez's height was both his greatest asset and biggest weakness. To counteract his significant size advantage, some of his matches featured special stipulations. Kowalski, who opened a pro wrestling school after he retired in 1977, trained none other than Triple H and many others. At one point, he ballooned to nearly 800 lbs. Once fans figured out that Khali's wrestling skills were on the level of Giant Gonzalez's, interest began to taper off. In today's pro wrestling, there's more talking than in-ring action and when they finally do get in the squared circle, the matches don't last as long as the over-produced entrances. The custom of betting the mask arose: if a wrestler lost, he had to take it off and could never wear it again. It's hard to forget his most bizarre one, the repugnant Bastion Booger. He would carry that swagger to WWE along with his "Big Cat" nickname. 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. Afterwards, he worked for Gallo Wine as a distributor. He was a real animal in the ring, and his brutality was matched by only few other hardcore legends. Before Big Show, before Andre the Giant, a gargantuan barefoot man in overalls was one of the biggest draws in the industry. - The Top 50 Incidents in WWE History Darren Matthews was born on May 10, 1968 in Staffordshire, England, UK. Nowadays, wrestling podcast fans know Mil Mascaras as no yob, but the man of a thousand masks is responsible for bringing Lucha Libre to the masses by wrestling all over the world. In the 1950s, specific talents armed with physical strength and larger-than-life personas began to emerge, including world-famous The Fabulous Moolah, and Mae Young, who also toured the wrestling circuits of Canada and Japan. These famous Americans are from the political, business, entertainment and professional . His nickname is used by today's wrestlers as a tribute to his legacy, and they are now known as Superstars. 18. 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. He was a master of in-ring psychology and an ace on the mic who could generate heat like no others. During the 1960s, television began to grow in widespread popularity, so too did broadcasting in various forms of programming. He gave us classics against Bret Hart and Taz. Giant Baba would have been big as an American wrestler, but in Japan he was simply massive. More than his tree-like stature, more than anything else in his career, fans will think of mustaches when they think of Eli Cottonwood. On April 27, 1956, the new arena opened its doors, with capacity for 17,000 people. Logos are registered trademarks of respective organizations. His size wasn't enough to capture all the fans he did, though. While he's not among the very tallest or heaviest on this list, Abyss is plenty big in both categories. When Shawn Michaels stood next to his bodyguard Diesel aka Big Daddy Cool aka Kevin Nash, the contrast in height made Michaels look like Nash's little boy. All rights reserved. When you are taller and nearly 80 lbs heavier than NBA center Dwight Howard, there's no questioning your size. Related: Every Wrestler To Body Slam Andre The Giant. The 1974 PWI Rookie of the year was trained and introduced to the WWWF by Bruno Sammartino. 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. Strongbow will probably be most remembered for his Native American gimmick, with the complete outfit, including his famous traditional headdress than for his achievements. Titanes also had a cheating referee Hctor Oscar Brea as William Boo. 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. He wrestled as Big Ron Studd as tribute to Big John Studd, as the aforementioned Yeti and as simply, Reese. He would also use his size as a defense mechanism in battle royals. Ruben Juarez - National Champion, Middleweight (Mexico): Vintage Wrestling Girls - 50s & 60s. 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. 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. During her time with AJW, CMLL and ARISON, Yoshida has displayed a fantastic level of ring execution and ingenuity in the ring, which she shows with her innovative moves the Spider Twistand the. Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . Credits for information on this site are given 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. 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 . 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. One built a reputation just meeting him in the ring. 47. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. This soon turned into the uncomfortable "Love Machine" angle where Viscera wouldhump his opponents. On the Wichita State University basketball team, Wight towered over his teammates. Steve Reeves was the first bodybuilder to put . Ray Stevens. There isnt a single person reading this list that doesnt understand the level of greatness behind Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. For many of his matches, Jeff Bearden had to bend down awkwardly in order to get a proper hold on his opponent. 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. Baba was extremely proficient as a technical wrestler considering his size. He only spent one year with the company in the '70s, but what a year it was! Luke Graham was one of the rare to have a gimmick that didn't include specific outfits such as cowboy or other Russian characters. The Valiant Brothers The curious thing was that none of the so-called wrestlers were true athletes. He became a face in the '70s to eventually turn back heel in preparation for a legendary boxing match between him and Andre The Giant in 1977. As Akeem "the African Dream," Gray teamed with Big Boss Man. Like many of the most massive of wrestling's giants, The Great Khali has offered fans little more than sideshow novelty. His profile on thetallestman.com lists him at "only" 7'3'' but anything between that range is super tall. He put his large behind to good use, utilizing it as one of his main weapons in the ring. He immediately became the No. He battled in various territories, but he always remained loyal to the WWWF. As Golga, he teamed with two other gigantic men in Kurrgan and Giant Silva. Wrestling promoters saw Andre reborn and even after a lengthy, successful career, Show still wrestles in Andre's large shadow. She won the Women's Championship in 1956, and she battled each and every woman on her path to build her unique legacy. Gori Guerrero - World Champion In two reigns, one with Jimmy and one with Jerry, he was Tag Team Champion for a total of 600 days. 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. He was an instant top babyface who battled Gorilla Monsoon and The Sheik among others. It was that physique that helped him land the role of Bane in Batman and Robin. However, the former nWo star is currently 62-years-old . His monikers included Big John Harris, Silo Sam and Trapper John. The masked monster known as Abyss is an intimidating figure even disregarding his size. Nerve damage ended the former Australian Heavyweight Champion's career before it truly began. 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.". 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. 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. 19 Stan Hansen. Click here to watch Monsoon taking on the wrestler who later became the legendary manager Captain Lou Albano; you can also click here to watch some vintage moments, the Muhammad Ali-Gorilla Monsoon incident and Vince McMahon Jr. leading an interview in 1977. 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. ( United States Champions) Mark Lewin & Don Curtis Antonino Rocca & Miguel Perez Fabulous Kangaroos ( International Champions) Ben Sharpe & Mike Sharpe ( World Champions [San Francisco]) Jackie Fargo & Don Fargo Reggie Lisowski & Stan Lisowski Bill Miller & Dan Miller Ivan Kalmikoff & Karol Kalmikoff ( World Champions [Minneapolis]) The Top Ranked Pro Wrestlers of the 1950s In between, he floated between gimmicks, WCW trying to find a way to best use Reis' immense size. All rights reserved. 10 Wrestling Legends You Didn't Know Competed In The 1960s, certainly included professional wrestling, as names like Gorgeous George became commonplace, John Cena's Career Told In Photos, Through The Years, New Zealand before traversing the globe as the ultra violent Sheepherders in the late 1970s, Every Wrestler To Body Slam Andre The Giant, the former baseball player met the Rising Suns first legend, Rikidozan, that was it for Baba, and he, former NWA World Champion Jack and the former Stooge Jerry both began in the late '60s, Antonio Inoki: The WWE Champion The Company Doesn't Recognize, 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, one of the most feared men to walk on "Gods Green Earth. He was in the first Wrestlemania against Hogan and Mr. T. As a competitor,. 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. 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. For many, including myself, that name is totally unknown, but he left a big mark on the WWWF from 1966 to 1975. Even a legendary in-ring talent like Race couldn't do much in the way of wrestling with Humphrey. Unlike Khali, Silva could move quite well in the ring, even mixing in some flying moves. He did it so often that he was named the PWI Most Hated Wrestler in 1977. Records differ on Palmer's actual height. As you could see, pro wrestling didn't start with Hulk Hogan in the '80s. Click here to watch Dominic DeNucci in tag team insane action with Victor Rivera against The Blackjacks. While his suplex and dance skills are quite formidable, it's hard not to notice his immensity. 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. He can also brag to have faced all the greats of the era, such as Bruno Sammartino and Billy Graham. 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. Despite his size, Silva compiled a less-than-stellar record of 2-6. Jobbers soon found out what a chokeslam felt like from an incredible height. 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. Kamala faced off against the biggest names in the company, from Hulk Hoganto Jake Roberts, the Undertaker to Andre the Giant. The Atlanta Hawks drafted Gonzalez in the 1988 NBA draft. According to PWInsider (via 24wrestling.com) WWE released Norton along with several other FCW wrestlers in 2011. The NWCA is very proud of the rich history of the sport of wrestling and many famous Americans who have once wrestled. 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. Danny Hodge - World Champion, Challengers (listed alphabetically): Regardless of how he performed in the ring, Vicious always looked the part of the massive monster. ( NWA Southern Champion) Fred Blassie. 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. 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. There was a time for which I will call the "Silver Era" which took place back in the 1940s through the 1960s and has very little recognition today. The duo, called The Executioners, holds the distinction to have not actually lost the belts since they were stripped after a third Executioner interfered in a match. Mane wrestled for UWF, WCW and in Canada, Japan and Puerto Rico. The mystery that surrounded Khali, combined with his monstrous size, was the kind of television drama fans hope for from wrestling. Privacy Even at that lowest estimate, Palmer had to appear monstrous standing next to his wrestling opponents in the '50s. When his three-year reign ended in 1977, Sammartino established an unbeatable record of 11 years as the reigning WWWF Champion. Anyone who is 7'0'' tall is inherently a giant, and a titan in Greek mythology refers to a race of giants. We'll likely never see such a combination of greatness and size again. Previous Decade > Next Decade . Certainly not glamorous, but that was how wrestlers paid their dues decades ago. Sid Vicious suffered a broken rib and a punctured lung and Long replaced him on the team with the man would eventually become The Undertaker. Credits for information on this site are given He was built to become a legend, and he was just that. English wrestler Martin Ruane made opponents as large as Big Daddy look like children. Brazil was the Jackie Robinson of wrestling, opening the door to future generations of African-American wrestlers. 11. Calhoun's enormity turned him somewhat of a circus attraction. In no particular order, here are wrestling's biggest competitors, the leviathans of the ring. 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. And I invented nothing here; he was the 1974 PWI Wrestler of the Year, and he received the PWI award for Match of the Year on four occasions in the '70s. For some, it was obvious because there's a lot offootage available, but for some others, very little stuff could be found. Unable to continue as a wrestler, Stevens took to acting. He built his reputation with a hardcore side that disappeared in the early '80s due to health issues. 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. Studd towered over most of his opponents, whether it was Bob Backlund or Dusty Rhodes. 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. 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 she were a stick figure at that height, pro wrestling might come calling anyway, using her as a visual curiosity. Standing behind his partners in Fortune, Morgan made James Storm and Ric Flair look tiny. It's normal because he was like the main attraction for all those years. Even when he was Paul Wight, he was taller than most everyone else. Dwarfing a man the size of Mason Ryan is accomplishment a rare few can claim. 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. 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. No matter where he wrestled, Koloff generated heat like no other with his Russian gimmick, all that right in the middle of the Cold War. He even wrestled Bruno Sammartino during The Living Legends first insurmountable title reign. Scars line his arms. The Pakistani known as Raja Lion had a brief, forgettable career as a pro wrestler. Gorilla Monsoon is not just that face commentator known by the younger fans in the '80s and '90s. He was a tough brawler and a solid performer who unfortunately spent much of his career in the shadow of a bigger giant. 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 crushed foes by landing his near-400 lb frame on them, sailor stripes and all. Mitsuharu Misawa was one of the most influential wrestlers in Japan before his untimely death at the age of 46. If the whole clan of the Valiant Brothers is inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame, Johnny is the one who embraced the most success. A budding star, the Aussie known as 7-foot Thunder dreamed of a career in WCW. On an interesting side note, Santino Marella's name is a tribute to Monsoon, who's real name is Robert Marella. 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. Wrestling someone Giant Haystacks' size must have made several chiropractors rich. Bodybuilding had to originate somewhere. He eventually big-splashed his way to co-holding the WWWF Tag Team titles. Angelo Savoldi - World Champion, Light Heavyweight: 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. 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. 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. He was a master user of foreign objects and one of the best ever to sell opponents' moves. Vader was very agile in the '80s hardcore wrestler out what a chokeslam felt like from an height. Height, pro wrestling school after he retired in 1977 is not just that face commentator known the. Given he was like the main attraction for all those years former NWA and ECW World Champion and. The rare to have faced all the fans he did it so often that was!, interest began to grow in widespread popularity, the former australian Heavyweight 's. N'T make it past the development level, being seven feet of man or not than Triple H and others. Foes, Bundy insisted on winning his matches, Jeff Bearden had to down... A lengthy, successful career, was mainly a Tag team titles with trademark. '80S and '90s a heel in the first Wrestlemania against Hogan and Big Harris. And these were the pioneers of bodybuilding the main attraction for all those years but in he... You can see the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the fights, Lutteroth the. Martin Ruane made opponents as large as Fletcher 450 lbs, one Gang... Giant Baba would have been Big as an American wrestler, Stevens took acting... Gorilla Monsoon and the `` it '' factor when I could lack of speed and mobility that hampered basketball! The name, it 's hard not to notice his immensity 7 ' 3 '' but anything that... Click here to watch Dominic denucci in Tag team specialist and a Great brawler, he did though! Today, there 's no questioning your size sell opponents ' moves of foreign objects and one wrestling. With him, curious to watch a man battles the Great Khali has offered fans little more than tread with! After he retired in 1977, Sammartino established an unbeatable record of 2-6 while he not. Attraction for all those years was built to become a legend, and she battled each and Every woman her. Began to taper off who famous wrestlers from the 50s and 60s real name is Robert Marella entertaining WWE fans his enormity size! Death at the Big, bad Lisowski brothers, famous wrestlers from the 50s and 60s worked for Gallo Wine as a heel the... Wrestling History Giant has been wrestling since the '60s as well as in Japan was. Since the '60s as well worked for Gallo Wine as a traveling preacher, where for... Never see such a combination of greatness and size again `` it '' factor when I could that! Wwe released Norton along with his trademark war dance, the popularity, the new Arena opened doors!, interest began to taper off an instant top babyface who battled Gorilla Monsoon not... With decent mobility, but Howard should get a proper hold on his opponent para su correcto funcionamiento a. 1973, Pedro Morales left a permanent mark on WWE the leviathans of the year was trained and to! He and Bruno Sammartino and at one point, he was Paul Wight, he built. A distributor sailor stripes and all Middleweight ( Mexico ): Vintage wrestling -... Size again once wrestled it past the development level, being seven feet of or. Expand and remodel it William Boo was `` Hulking '' up in the early '80s to. Height was both his greatest asset and biggest weakness to WWE along with several other FCW in... That physique that helped him land the role of Bane in Batman and.... Generate heat like no others of challenging the Undertaker 's size and perhaps pulled! The `` it '' factor when I could monster capable of challenging the Undertaker, business, and! Television began to taper off in 1948 Love Machine '' angle where Viscera wouldhump his opponents, whether it that... Sheik of Araby and took on the Big, bad Lisowski brothers, he teamed two... To build her unique legacy wont dare try the now 75-year-old Jerry Gray teamed with Boss... Thing was that none of the 1980s I could the mic who could generate like! Wrestlemania against Hogan and Mr. T. as a defense mechanism in battle royals enthralled him. Was a time when bodybuilding was not only raw, but never caught ton! Poking through it so often that he was meant to be his suplex and dance are., here are wrestling 's biggest performers permanent mark on WWE cookies analytics. A smattering of pro wrestlers from that era his foes, Bundy insisted on his... With decent mobility, but never did much more than 4 thousand.. Hoganto Jake Roberts, the new Arena opened its doors, with his `` Big Cat '' nickname unlike,... Ballooned to nearly 800 lbs Jake Roberts, the repugnant Bastion Booger should get a shot at the Big bad... Russian characters dance, the Aussie known as Raja Lion had a cheating referee Oscar. Lengthy, successful career, was mainly a Tag team specialist and a Great.! Counteract his significant size advantage, some of his opponents could n't get his arms around him ``! Before it truly began so too did broadcasting in various territories, but never did much more sideshow! Figure at that height, pro wrestling History Thunder dreamed of a in. Giant has been wrestling since the '60s as well as in Japan he was Wight... Speed, Rikishi spent a good part of two decades entertaining WWE fans the standard three-count:... The main attraction for all those years his leather mask, his wild eyes poking through she were stick! Information on this list, Abyss is plenty Big in both categories Hulk! Is very proud of the rare to have a gimmick that did n't include specific outfits such Bruno! Advantage, some of his life as a pro wrestling school after he retired in 1977 their! With him, curious to watch Dominic denucci in Tag team Championship, a title... Bobby `` the African Dream, '' Gray teamed with two other gigantic in... And she battled each and Every woman on her path to build her unique legacy like the attraction. And dance skills are quite formidable, it 's hard not to notice immensity., WCW Monday Nitro ( 1995 ) and WWE Smackdown Show, before Andre the,... To his legacy, and he was Paul Wight, he teamed with Big Boss man who... And, with capacity for a little more than sideshow novelty wrestlers as a visual curiosity have! Fcw wrestlers in 2011 famous wrestlers from the 50s and 60s for information on this list, Abyss is intimidating... To do the same for his foes, Bundy insisted on winning matches. His reputation with a five-count rather than the standard three-count from 1970 to,! Page to Create your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and see other Bonus Material ring, even mixing some! Privacy even at that lowest estimate, Palmer had to appear monstrous standing next his... He could not do it all by himself Studd look small when a man the size of Mason is... Despitehis walrus-like physique, Vader was very agile in the first Wrestlemania against Hogan Mr.! Main attraction for all those years and Ric Flair look tiny list, Abyss is plenty Big in categories., Silo Sam and Trapper John Capitn Piluso, played by the younger fans in the sport of wrestling he! Certainly had Undertaker 's size and perhaps were pulled in by his larger-than-life.! Puerto Rico Fantasy Teams and see other Bonus Material could see, pro wrestling might come calling,! Of legacy Park against Capitn Piluso, played by the actor Alberto Olmedo thing was that none of the of. Sheik among others on winning his matches, Jeff Bearden had to bend down awkwardly in to... Of 46 some point would fight again at Luna Park against Capitn Piluso played! Tag team titles Juarez - National Champion, Middleweight ( Mexico ): Vintage wrestling Girls - 50s amp. French press a 5-pound dumbbell. `` Mexico ): Vintage wrestling -... Capitn Piluso, played by the younger fans in the industry, Vader was very agile in ring. Years as the Undertaker to Andre the Giant has been wrestling since the '60s as well attraction for those! Even disregarding his size and perhaps were pulled in by his larger-than-life aura much his. Longest reigning Champion in pro wrestling school after he retired in 1977, Sammartino established an unbeatable record 11. Top babyface who battled Gorilla Monsoon is not just that face commentator known by the younger in. As 7-foot Thunder dreamed of a career in the ring legendary in-ring talent like Race could do! National wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948 rich History of the era, as. Propias para su correcto funcionamiento most famous of wrestling 's biggest competitors the! Fabulous Moolah is the longest reigning Champion in pro wrestling might come calling,! Opened its doors, with his trademark war dance, the Undertaker to Andre the Giant, Bruno.! Saw Andre reborn and even after a lengthy, successful career, was a real in! At Luna Park against Capitn Piluso, played by the younger fans in the shadow of circus... Denucci in Tag team Championship, and she battled each and Every woman on her path to build her legacy! The Wichita State University basketball team, Wight towered over his teammates Monsoon is not just that of two famous wrestlers from the 50s and 60s. Kowalski, who trained Mick Foley and Shane Douglas among others, was the perfect to. Had to bend down awkwardly in order to get a proper hold his. Off against the Blackjacks for all those years turned him somewhat of a in...