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. To counteract his significant size advantage, some of his matches featured special stipulations. Ivn Kowalski and Juan Enrique Dos Santos (El Gitano Ivanoff), would be the first wrestlers to personify the character of The Mummy. However, before his run as manager, Mr. Fuji was one of the greatest tag team specialist ever. Monsoon battled Andre the Giant, Bruno Sammartino and at one point even had an infamousaltercation with Muhammad Ali. Ladd played both basketball and football before becoming a pro wrestler. Kurt Zehe made men look like boys when he stood next to them. He was a tough brawler and a solid performer who unfortunately spent much of his career in the shadow of a bigger giant. 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. Fans were enthralled by him, curious to watch a man his size and perhaps were pulled in by his larger-than-life aura. 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. While Juan Manuel Figueroa would be La Momia between 1975 and 1988. Mike Shaw later used the ring name Man Mountain Mike, though he was nowhere near as large as Fletcher. However, on many occasions, he was caught at his own game, and it ended in a bloodbath after his rival returned the illegal object against him. Shohei Baba helped to build the legacy of Japanese wrestling. Officially, according the WWE, she held the Women's Championship for 28 years without interruption, from 1956 to 1984. * 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. 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. Angelo Poffo Angelo Poffo, from Downers Grove, Illinois, was both a hero and a villain to me. Vader used that agility along with powerful strikes and the powerbomb to become WCW champ three times, beating Sting and Ron Simmons in the process. . The Skyscrapers, as they were called, battled the Road Warriors, the Steiner Brothers, among others. Couple that with him weighing at nearly 500 lbs and Harris was clearly one of wrestling's largest men. Not as agile as Bam Bam Bigelow or Vader, Nash was still surprisingly quick and deft in the ring. Billed at 7'7'', his actual height is debated. He certainly had the size to make it. When a man stands tall enough to look down on Kane, he's sure to make jaws drop as he passes by. The world may be most familiar with Silo Sam for his role as Andy in Pee Wee's Big Adventure. His wrestling career didn't last long. 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. 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. On the Wichita State University basketball team, Wight towered over his teammates. ( United States Champion [San Francisco]) Antonino Rocca. 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. His most notable feud, that lasted for over two decades in and out WWWF, was against Bobo Brazil, and in the process, he became a two-time WWWF US Champion. 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. Nelson Frazier began his WWE career as one-half of the purple-clad, rap-happy Men on a Mission. Baba was extremely proficient as a technical wrestler considering his size. Jones certainly had Undertaker's size and an impressive physique, but never did much more than tread water with the company. 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. You probably noticed that the name of Bruno Sammartino was repeated often and was featured in many videos. For so many men on this list, their size is their only asset. These famous Americans are from the political, business, entertainment and professional . In 1994, Bundy returned from a long hiatus, only to become The Undertaker's fourth victim during his famed WrestleMania undefeated streak. His look was an unforgettable one, complete with a tattooed bald head and massive body ready to squash those who challenged him. Who knows how much of that is wrestling promoters building things up, but regardless of any exaggeration, Calhoun was undoubtedly large. 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. Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . Most men Bigelow's size probably have trouble getting in and out of their car, but his career was a constant defiance of physics. Giant Baba would have been big as an American wrestler, but in Japan he was simply massive. Fuji's tag team partner at the time. He made matches like his battle vs. Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania III an unforgettable experience. Iron Sheik. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. There isnt a single person reading this list that doesnt understand the level of greatness behind Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. Dark hair falls over his leather mask, his wild eyes poking through. Just two months after arriving in WWE, he was fighting for the world title. It wouldnt be before long that he too had a career that turned him into his own mythic legend. 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. His impressive reign lasted until December 1, 1973 when Stan "The Man" Stasiak defeated him for the title in a shocking moment. Australian powerlifter Nathan Jones charged onto the WWE scene as The Undertaker's right-hand man. Terry Eugene Bollea, better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler and television personality. He did it so often that he was named the PWI Most Hated Wrestler in 1977. While wrestling reached 96, 98 points, says Jorge Battah. In addition to his championships, he left his mark on the WWE hardcore scene, with his uncommon mix of technician and brawler's skills.Click here to watch Pat Patterson defending the Intercontinental Championship against Dominic DeNucci. In between, he floated between gimmicks, WCW trying to find a way to best use Reis' immense size. Esta web utiliza cookies propias para su correcto funcionamiento. She wrestled as Isis the Amazon until WWE signed her to a developmental deal. Now in his 50s, Suzuki has done amazing work in recent years whenever he gets into a feud with fellow veterans like Jushin Thunder Liger and Yuji Nagata. They experimented with a few gimmicks for him, including the poorly conceived Sultan, who resided in mid-card status. The wrestler called The Living Legend had it all to be a genuine superstar. When he joined the WWWF in 1977, he quickly made his way into the world championship picture as a top heel. He won the WWWF World Tag Team Championship in 1976 with one of his students, Big John Studd. . When he wore colorful facepaint he looked like Ultimate Warrior, only stretched out to the size of an NBA center. Pro wrestling has been home to its share of giants, enormous men who forced our necks to tilt upward and rings to strain. 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. He eventually big-splashed his way to co-holding the WWWF Tag Team titles. Anyone who is 7'0'' tall is inherently a giant, and a titan in Greek mythology refers to a race of giants. It's hard to forget his most bizarre one, the repugnant Bastion Booger. His run as the World Champion officially lasted 2,083 days, and it took him less than one year with the company to win the title. He had a brief run in WWE as Waylon Mercy, a psychopath/Southern gentleman. Steve Reeves was the first bodybuilder to put . There's no Buddy Rogers WWWF footage available but click here to watch a little gem from the '50s between him and Johnny Valentine. The Atlanta Hawks drafted Gonzalez in the 1988 NBA draft. His profile on thetallestman.com lists him at "only" 7'3'' but anything between that range is super tall. His Gargantua ring name couldn't have been more apt. Free shipping for many products! It's normal because he was like the main attraction for all those years. 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. I hope you enjoyed that ride back to the old school universe, and as usual, your comments are more than welcomeespecially if I missed anyone on the list and/or if you disagree with the order. 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. Click here to watch The Fabulous Moolah facing one of her toughest rival in the '70s. Despite ripping off Tosh Togo later in his career, The Devious One was a fearsome competitor, winning tag team gold several times during his career with Professor Toru Tanaka and the legendary Masa Saito. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 1980s. Throughout the '70s and '80s, he captured numerous titles, wrestling Andre the Giant, Bruno Sammartino, Dusty Rhodes and Bob Backlund along the way. A mid-carder for much of his career, Mark Henry experienced a renaissance in the last few years. Top 10 Worst Buddy Cop Films. Eddie Graham. He spent the later stages of his life as a traveling preacher, where flyers for his services included his height and weight. Previous Decade > Next Decade . I could not even French press a 5-pound dumbbell.". Top 50 professional wrestlers. He can also brag to have faced all the greats of the era, such as Bruno Sammartino and Billy Graham. Certainly not glamorous, but that was how wrestlers paid their dues decades ago. With wrestlers not wrestling exclusively for one promotion, Andre became the most popular wrestler of the decade. Morales, who would later become the first Triple Crown Champion in WWE history, was known for his uncommon resilience and for his mat skills. 2. Top 10 Buddy Cops on TV. Karloff Lagarde - World Champion, Challengers: El Califa, Blue Demon, Juan Diaz, Ruby Garcia, Jalisco Gonzales, Red Man, Joe Martin, Mishima Ota, Alex Romano, El Rebelde. 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. 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. He was also a trainer even when he was an active wrestler. He routinely performed moonsaults and corner slingshot splashes, aka Vader Bombs. Then, if it was not enough, he started a second reign in 1973, lasting 1,237 days. Unable to continue as a wrestler, Stevens took to acting. Time will tell if WWE can find a way to utilize their latest mastodon. Posted below are the 50 best wrestlers of all time, according to fans. 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. His moves are limited to swats, chops and awkward slams. As for pro wrestling's scale-strainers, Abdullah the Butcher weighed 360 lbs, Umaga came in at about 350 lbs and Englishman Big Daddy weighed 375 lbs. Unlike Khali, Silva could move quite well in the ring, even mixing in some flying moves. He even wrestled Bruno Sammartino during The Living Legends first insurmountable title reign. 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. With that much weight, that's one of the most devastating moves imaginable. He began his movie career with roles like "Big Security Guard" in The Bodyguard 2 and as the titular character in Man-Thing. After I completed my previous top 25 lists covering the 1990s and the 2000s, I thought about doing one more list with the '80s, but there are already two of those that have been published recently. Wrestlers in the 66 to 68 range include Hillbilly Jim, Bruiser Brody, Jim Moran, Vance Archer and the legendary Hulk Hogan. Related: Antonio Inoki: The WWE Champion The Company Doesn't Recognize. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. There is a trio of wrestlers who perhaps have not been given enough credit, they are Tito Santana, who won a pair of Intercontinental Championships and the same amount of gold in pairs; there is also Essa Rios, who today is better known as Mr. Aguila, the tapato won the Semicompleto Championship in his time with the company; finally there is Juventud Guerrera who twice lifted the Crucero Championship. In 1971, he and Bruno Sammartino put the hand on the short-lived WWWF International Tag Team Championship, a secondary Title. One built a reputation just meeting him in the ring. His weight fluctuated throughout his career. His monikers included Big John Harris, Silo Sam and Trapper John. 51 of 100. . He is an actor, known for WWE: OMG! When he tag-teamed with The Sheik of Araby and took on the big, bad Lisowski brothers, he was my hero. He was a fierce brawler but also a sound technician. Strong Female Characters That Are Unforgettable! Harris used his size to crush his opposition, particularly with a splash he called Air Africa. 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. His girth made most moves impossible for both Humphrey and his opponent. Back then it was a foreign exhibition, but when a man named Enrique Ugartechea became known as the first Mexican-made wrestler in the early 20th century, a new craze for the discipline was born. Before Big Show, before Andre the Giant, a gargantuan barefoot man in overalls was one of the biggest draws in the industry. Those I ranked are only the tip of the iceberg because other legends and pioneers existed before them. As for any similar list, I considered many factors to rank the wrestlers. Scars line his arms. The Valiant Brothers The curious thing was that none of the so-called wrestlers were true athletes. Possessing an impressive blend of power and speed, Rikishi spent a good part of two decades entertaining WWE fans. One of his trademarks was to cut his opponents' face with a pencil hidden in his outfit. * Continued to exist after the National Wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948. Credits for information on this site are given Together this dynamic trio keep law and order in small town of Wileyville, Arizona. 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. 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. 1959-11 - National Wrestling Association (source: LegacyOfWrestling.com) In no particular order, here are wrestling's biggest competitors, the leviathans of the ring. Policy. Logos are registered trademarks of respective organizations. Nerve damage ended the former Australian Heavyweight Champion's career before it truly began. 8 Kevin Nash. 1. Rhodes began wrestling in the 1960s and gained a reputation as a fast-talking, hard-rocking wrestler. The hardcore wrestling pioneer trained many wrestlers who became original ECW icons such as Rob Van Dam, Raven and his nephew Sabu. Many greats, including Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold, Ric Flair and Triple H, were inspired by him to forge their characters. Chyna. One. He found his groove as a scowling monster heel, winning the World Heavyweight Championship in 2011. A former NWA and ECW World Champion, and a violent hardcore wrestler. He only spent one year with the company in the '70s, but what a year it was! Him at `` only '' 7 ' 3 '' but anything between that range is super tall a heel. You probably noticed that the name of Bruno Sammartino and at one point even had an infamousaltercation with Muhammad.. 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