He is even credited as the inventor of the figure-four leglock. 48. Season 2 Episode 12 The Wrestler. 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. He was also a great brawler so he had everything to deliver many classic encounters, which he did with panache, especially in 1972 when he was named the PWI Wrestler of the Year. 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. 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. Imagine trying to pick up a man over 600 lbs to perform a wrestling move. His size wasn't enough to capture all the fans he did, though. We'll likely never see such a combination of greatness and size again. Learn more at. His Gargantua ring name couldn't have been more apt. Unable to continue as a wrestler, Stevens took to acting. A former lieutenant during the Revolution, Lutteroth had a deep fascination with wrestling. He eventually became a three-time WWWF United States Tag Team Championship. He was an instant top babyface who battled Gorilla Monsoon and The Sheik among others. * 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. It wouldn't be before long that he too had a career that turned him into his own mythic legend. Related: John Cena's Career Told In Photos, Through The Years. Click here to watch the 1977 PWI Match of the YearGraham defeated Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF Title. 19 Stan Hansen. Rhodes began wrestling in the 1960s and gained a reputation as a fast-talking, hard-rocking wrestler. Strongbow will probably be most remembered for his Native American gimmick, with the complete outfit, including his famous traditional headdress than for his achievements. Terry Eugene Bollea, better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler and television personality. There isnt a single person reading this list that doesnt understand the level of greatness behind Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. He didn't fail to bring his aggressive style with him when he joined the WWWF in the mid-60s. 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. 1959-11 - National Wrestling Association (source: LegacyOfWrestling.com) While he certainly brought his share of physical intimidation courtesy of his massive frame, Kane was never a freak show. In the U.S., he made his name thanks to a massive violent feud with Bruno Sammartino in WWE. Kevin Nash has rolled back the years as of late, putting himself in fantastic shape. The world may be most familiar with Silo Sam for his role as Andy in Pee Wee's Big Adventure. 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. I could not even French press a 5-pound dumbbell.". When he joined the WWF in 1979, Patterson was an established heel who already accumulated 32 vhampionships in various territories. In real life, he was Max Palmer, an actor and evangelist born in small-town Mississippi. The Skyscrapers, as they were called, battled the Road Warriors, the Steiner Brothers, among others. In addition, you can see the most watched/liked stuff amongst your friends. Honorable mention: Edouard Carpentier, Verne Gagne, Lou Thesz, Wilbur Snyder, Rip Hawk, Fritz Von Erich, Pepper Gomez, Lorenzo Parente, Jr. Heavyweight: 8 R-Truth Ron Killings' career is a bit of a strange one, as he found mild success teaming with Road Dogg in WWE before moving to Impact Wrestling and becoming an NWA World Heavyweight Champion. Before wrestling, Reis played basketball at Santa Clara University. When he left New Zealand after he signed with the WWWF in 1972, he quickly became a big star, earning the 1973 PWI Rookie of the Year. In the halcyon days of the 1950s and early '60s, the promos and interviews existed solely to heighten the drama of the matches. Bruno Sammartino is one of the most famous and popular faces ever to wrestle for the McMahon machine. Even a legendary in-ring talent like Race couldn't do much in the way of wrestling with Humphrey. 11. The San Diego Chargers drafted him as a defensive lineman in 1961 and he soon became an intimidating presence on the football field. A monster heel, Studd brought a stretcher to the ring as a means of intimidation. Dwarfing a man the size of Mason Ryan is accomplishment a rare few can claim. ( NWA Southern Champion) Fred Blassie. Patera made a name for himself as a dominant strongman wrestler who had a successful weightlifting career behind him. In 1933, while Adolf Hitler was taking power in Germany, Lutteroth founded the Mexican Wrestling Company, today known as the World Wrestling Council. While the Ugandan portion of his character was all show, the giant part was not. 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. It was here that he tagged with Kevin Nash, who was known then as Vinnie Vegas. His first reign, in 1975, lasted 105 days, and he teamed up with Victor Rivera who was later replaced by Pat Barrett. 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. It wouldnt be before long that he too had a career that turned him into his own mythic legend. In a familiar story for men his size, Jorge Gonzalez's height was both his greatest asset and biggest weakness. Giant Baba would have been big as an American wrestler, but in Japan he was simply massive. Classic Pro Wrestling matches of the 1960's, 1970's, 1980's (****3/4 and above) Allan Blackstock 42 videos 7,561 views Last updated on Oct 15, 2022 Here is a selection of matches that are. 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. Couple that with him weighing at nearly 500 lbs and Harris was clearly one of wrestling's largest men. Click here to watch The Baron teaming up with Frand "The Moose" to face Jay Strongbow and Peter Maivia. He found his groove as a scowling monster heel, winning the World Heavyweight Championship in 2011. He has spent much of his career with TNA, delivering Black Hole Slams and overpowering many of his foes. He needed a solid supporting crew to become such an icon. Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . Heavyweight: Orndorff was a professional wrestler from Florida who was a good mid-card performer before going to WWF and being a star. Gorilla Monsoon is not just that face commentator known by the younger fans in the '80s and '90s. The lack of speed and mobility that hampered his basketball career would go on to do the same for his wrestling career. Bearden won several championships throughout his career, particularly in South Africa, where he made his home in the early '90s. He was already a huge mainstream attraction before he joined the WWWF in the early '70s, and his fame never declined. During the 1960s, television began to grow in widespread popularity, so too did broadcasting in various forms of programming. Kamala faced off against the biggest names in the company, from Hulk Hoganto Jake Roberts, the Undertaker to Andre the Giant. While wrestling reached 96, 98 points, says Jorge Battah. Henry used that mastodon-like body to lift upwards of 900 lbs. He was very agile and resilient for a man his size; he battled several 60-minute time limit draws against the greats of the time, such as Bruno Sammartino. 1962-08-10 - National Wrestling Association (source: LegacyOfWrestling.com) Facing a wrestler of decent size like Strangler Bright, Zehe looked like an unstoppable monster. Giant Baba became one of the key figures in all of Japanese wrestling. His sole presence guaranteed sold-out arenas to any promoter, and it was no exception for the growing WWWF. But that wasn't always the case. 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. 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. Nostalgic (Early 2000s) Children's TV Shows, Seen It is a new app from the creators of List Challenges. Antonio Posa - World Champion Ivn Kowalski and Juan Enrique Dos Santos (El Gitano Ivanoff), would be the first wrestlers to personify the character of The Mummy. 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. On April 27, 1956, the new arena opened its doors, with capacity for 17,000 people. Hogan began his professional wrestling career in . Logos are registered trademarks of respective organizations. His profile on thetallestman.com lists him at "only" 7'3'' but anything between that range is super tall. 60. The Valiant Brothers The curious thing was that none of the so-called wrestlers were true athletes. Monsoon lost the match, but he once again proved he could hold his own against the largest wrestlers in the business at the time, being himself a 6'5", 400-pounder. 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. Just like Hogan or Stone Cold, he could not do it all by himself. From his debut in 1973 and for the rest of the decade (in fact until 1987), Andre was one of the most beloved wrestlers and the most well known across the planet. He was billed as being over 600 lbs. I also considered the longevity with the WWWF, a point not very important after the early '80s and the death of the territories concept. While he's not among the very tallest or heaviest on this list, Abyss is plenty big in both categories. Ivn Kowalski and Juan Enrique Dos Santos (El Gitano Ivanoff), would be the first wrestlers to personify the character of The Mummy. He used his tree-sized arms to lariat his opponents down to the mat. Related: Antonio Inoki: The WWE Champion The Company Doesn't Recognize. He played ball for his native Brazil Later, he tried his hand at MMA. And he trained some of the greatest wrestlers in the business. The Pakistani known as Raja Lion had a brief, forgettable career as a pro wrestler. 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. Jerry 'The King' Lawler. 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 enemies-turned-allies carried on the tradition of wrestling's oversized pairings. Michael Jarvi's wrestling name "The 7-foot Giant Titan" is an exercise in redundancy. This soon turned into the uncomfortable "Love Machine" angle where Viscera wouldhump his opponents. Nothing could be further from the truth for The Undertaker. He was built to become a legend, and he was just that. In no particular order, here are wrestling's biggest competitors, the leviathans of the ring. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Dorrel Dixon - World Champion, Middleweight: Beyond the shock value of their height or weight, they have little to offer. He started out in his native France as Geant Ferre, a play on a French folk hero. He won the WWWF US Championship in 1971, but he had to drop it one month later, when he became the WWWF World Heavyweight Champion on February 8, 1971. In two reigns, one with Jimmy and one with Jerry, he was Tag Team Champion for a total of 600 days. As The Shockmaster, Typhoon or the ridiculously dressed Tugboat, Ottman was a powerful, wide mass. Bruno Sammartino is the greatest 70's wrestler of all time. His nickname is used by today's wrestlers as a tribute to his legacy, and they are now known as Superstars. He joined the WWWF in early 1977, and only four months later, he had his first shot at the WWWF Championship against Graham, but he lost via countout. Credits for information on this site are given Like many of the most massive of wrestling's giants, The Great Khali has offered fans little more than sideshow novelty. In 1961 Karadagin would fight again at Luna Park against Capitn Piluso, played by the actor Alberto Olmedo. As you could see, pro wrestling didn't start with Hulk Hogan in the '80s. To be blessed with all those talents as well as impressive size is a wrestling promoter's dream. Most of the wrestlers didn't even have the physiques or follow the diet and workout regimen that many athletes follow today. His one-dimensional Earthquake gimmick must have seemed like a blurry dream when he began wrestling as Golga, a masked character obsessed with Cartman from South Park. He was a real animal in the ring, and his brutality was matched by only few other hardcore legends. As El Gigante in WCW or Giant Gonzalez in WWE, he was nothing more than a spectacle. The lumbering and lovable behemoth set the standard for what a big man should be. 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. After a stint in World Class Championship Wrestling, Bundy made a name for himself in WWE, squashing opponents with his Avalanche Splash. They experimented with a few gimmicks for him, including the poorly conceived Sultan, who resided in mid-card status. Ray Stevens. He was a tough brawler and a solid performer who unfortunately spent much of his career in the shadow of a bigger giant. Copyright 1995-2023 puroresu.com. * Continued to exist after the National Wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948. 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. 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.". That is why he is known as the father of Mexican wrestling. Despite he never broke out of the tag team division, he was very over with the fans, and he was one of the best technical wrestlers of his time. 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. Think about Yokozuna or Big Daddy V but wearing a farmer boy outfit and carrying a horseshoe necklace from 1955 to the late '70s. This was his most successful endeavor. Titanes also had a cheating referee Hctor Oscar Brea as William Boo. to these sites/people. * Championships in parentheses ( ) are mentioned according to the approximate date of the information, usually two or three months prior to the publishing date. Click here to watch a classic match from the mid-70s between Spiros Arion and Bruno Sammartino. He held the new championship 233 days, then he hung his boots a couple years after his historic reign. Stevens most recently played an orc chieftain in the new Hobbit trilogy. Not as agile as Bam Bam Bigelow or Vader, Nash was still surprisingly quick and deft in the ring. Then, in June 1971, he and Tarzan Tyler became the inaugural WWWF World Tag Team Champions. Then, if it was not enough, he started a second reign in 1973, lasting 1,237 days. 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. His monikers included Big John Harris, Silo Sam and Trapper John. Credits for information on this site are given He even wrestled Bruno Sammartino during The Living Legends first insurmountable title reign. Judging by looks alone, few fans would peg Vader for an athlete. 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. Frazier, even at his leanest, was a rotund man, a whale among fish. 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. Some of these wrestlers have been so large it can hardly seem real. 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. And, when we take a look at everything he did in 1980 and after he left, he is clearly one of the most misused talents in WWE's history. Fans were enthralled by him, curious to watch a man his size and perhaps were pulled in by his larger-than-life aura. 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. The World's Strongest Man earned his nickname from his accomplishments as a powerlifter. 49. 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. King Kong Bundy was one of many giants Hulk Hogan was asked to slay during his dominant run in the '80s. It's unfortunate that Shaw became such a joke because he, unlike many men his size, had decent moves in the ring. His wrestling career didn't last long. He gave us classics against Bret Hart and Taz. English wrestler Martin Ruane made opponents as large as Big Daddy look like children. Even when he was Paul Wight, he was taller than most everyone else. 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. Top 10 Mr. Rogers Moments That'll Make You Nostalgic. He has been married to Christina Beddoes since November 8, 1986.
