With wrestlers not wrestling exclusively for one promotion, Andre became the most popular wrestler of the decade. Top 50 professional wrestlers. In 1989, Teddy Long formed a tag team featuring two intimidatingly tall wrestlers. Billed at 7'7'', his actual height is debated. ", 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. Those I ranked are only the tip of the iceberg because other legends and pioneers existed before them. 1 contender to Bruno Sammartino's WWWF Championship, but he always fell short, and he greatly contributed to put the champ over in the process. 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. Vader was once known as Baby Bull or Little Bull though there was nothing little about him. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. Norton signed a developmental deal at age 26, but apparently WWE officials didn't see enough from the 7'0'' giant. 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 . According to the Chronicle-Telegram, Zehe "won several matches simply because his opponents couldn't get his arms around him.". He bumbled about the ring worse than Giant Gonzales or The Great Khali ever did. This was a time when bodybuilding was not only raw, but also rare and these were the pioneers of bodybuilding. Fuji's tag team partner at the time. 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. Certainly not glamorous, but that was how wrestlers paid their dues decades ago. Possessing an impressive blend of power and speed, Rikishi spent a good part of two decades entertaining WWE fans. By the time most old school wrestling fans got to see him, Mr. Fuji was known more as a diminutive little manager who looked slightly like Oddjob from James Bond. Click here to watch Dominic DeNucci in tag team insane action with Victor Rivera against The Blackjacks. Then, if it was not enough, he started a second reign in 1973, lasting 1,237 days. 1. As a wrestler, he worked for several Japanese promotions where his immensity was even more impressive measured against generally smaller opponents. 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. 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. Assistir Fulham X Leeds - Ao Vivo Grtis HD sem travar, sem anncios. 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. Mike Shaw later used the ring name Man Mountain Mike, though he was nowhere near as large as Fletcher. Click here to watch a classic match from the mid-70s between Spiros Arion and Bruno Sammartino. Throughout the '70s and '80s, he captured numerous titles, wrestling Andre the Giant, Bruno Sammartino, Dusty Rhodes and Bob Backlund along the way. He had grueling rivalries against Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund over the WWWF Championship. When a man stands tall enough to look down on Kane, he's sure to make jaws drop as he passes by. A budding star, the Aussie known as 7-foot Thunder dreamed of a career in WCW. Just like Hogan or Stone Cold, he could not do it all by himself. Gorilla Monsoon is not just that face commentator known by the younger fans in the '80s and '90s. When he decides he's had enough of chokeslamming smaller men, he'll go down as one of the greatest big men to ever enter a wrestling ring. Pro wrestling turned Mississippi native Jim Harris into Kamala, The Ugandan Giant. 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 looks more like a truck driver. 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. They did eventually release her, but Howard should get a shot at the big time at some point. 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. He eventually became a three-time WWWF United States Tag Team Championship. All rights reserved. His Gargantua ring name couldn't have been more apt. All are heavyweight unless otherwise noted. The man known then as "The Giant," became a mammoth-sized part of WCW in 1995 and immediately drew comparisons to Andre the Giant. 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. Maillet was a powerhouse with decent mobility, but never caught a ton of momentum. Strongbow will probably be most remembered for his Native American gimmick, with the complete outfit, including his famous traditional headdress than for his achievements. Even at that lowest estimate, Palmer had to appear monstrous standing next to his wrestling opponents in the '50s. 47. In 1978 DeNucci enjoyed his second reign with Dino Bravo as his partner, and they held the belt for 104 days. 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. Now, with no more introduction, let's travel back in time when pro wrestling was absent from the mainstream media and when it caused actual riots on many occasions. He was even put in rare face-against-face matches when he challenged Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF World Title on a few occasions in the mid-60s. Pat O'Connor - World Champion, Jr. Heavyweight: 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. 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. Monsoon battled Andre the Giant, Bruno Sammartino and at one point even had an infamousaltercation with Muhammad Ali. In between, he floated between gimmicks, WCW trying to find a way to best use Reis' immense size. * Continued to exist after the National Wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948. 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. Known as Colossus the Gladiator or Giant Warrior, Bearden had hisfirst match in 1987 and wrestled for decades. 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. The man known as Killer Kowalski Jr. was even bigger, a good two inches taller. Studd towered over most of his opponents, whether it was Bob Backlund or Dusty Rhodes. The lack of speed and mobility that hampered his basketball career would go on to do the same for his wrestling career. Vicious in contrast, became a world champion several times over. He started out in his native France as Geant Ferre, a play on a French folk hero. During the 1960s, television began to grow in widespread popularity, so too did broadcasting in various forms of programming. var vclk_options = { sid: 11669, placement_id: 'faf683dc-a8b9-443c-316a-9c22984f3fe6', version: '1.4' }; This web site exists to provide the information on professional wrestling and is neither affiliated nor endorsed by any pro-wrestling organization. You can also click here to watch another poor quality video (Sammartino defeating Stasiak for the WWWF Title). Brian Norton wrestled in his home country as Tron. While Juan Manuel Figueroa would be La Momia between 1975 and 1988. He didn't fail to bring his aggressive style with him when he joined the WWWF in the mid-60s. The Big Red Machine has developed a resume worthy of the Hall of Fame. He is even credited as the inventor of the figure-four leglock. 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. He was a top draw in Australia and in Europe when he headed to America to join the company. 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. 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. Iron Sheik. Spivey wouldn't make much noise in his career without Vicious. Lance Storm 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. She won the Women's Championship in 1956, and she battled each and every woman on her path to build her unique legacy. Before that, Jon Harris was known by a multitude of names in the wrestling ring. Related: John Cena's Career Told In Photos, Through The Years. Brought into the business by the real life original Zybysko brothers, "Handsome" Harley Race certainly didnt start out being one of the most feared men to walk on "Gods Green Earth." So I decided to explore an unknown zone for me and to tackle an era I didn't witness, the '60s and the '70s. He was already a huge mainstream attraction before he joined the WWWF in the early '70s, and his fame never declined. Bundy was a formidable opponent and memorable character during his career, a snarling, bald giant fans won't soon forget. Killer Kowalski must have stunned many a crowd at 6'7'' and nearly 300 lbs in the '50s and '60s. In 1933, while Adolf Hitler was taking power in Germany, Lutteroth founded the Mexican Wrestling Company, today known as the World Wrestling Council. Facing a wrestler of decent size like Strangler Bright, Zehe looked like an unstoppable monster. In real life, he was Max Palmer, an actor and evangelist born in small-town Mississippi. 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. Can you imagine if Cena held the WWE title that long nowadays? He was a fierce brawler but also a sound technician. The Baron enjoyed a great career with the WWWF in the '60s and in the '70s as one of the top heels. 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. Many of these famous wrestlers have attributed their success in their fields to the sport of wrestling. * Continued to exist after the National Wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948. 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. 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. Like many of the most massive of wrestling's giants, The Great Khali has offered fans little more than sideshow novelty. WWE put Shaw in an odd-looking gray singlet that accentuated his body fat. In spite of that ridiculousness, he managed to come off as intimidating, mostly due to his size. to these sites/people. A standout in the National Wrestling Alliance during the 1970s, McDaniel held his own with some of the best workers of his era, from Superstar Billy Graham and Ivan Koloff to Johnny Valentine and. It was that physique that helped him land the role of Bane in Batman and Robin. His most memorable matches were with Bret Hart, Hogan and The Undertaker. 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. * Some NWA promoters recognized Moolah as world champion The Fabulous Moolah is the longest reigning champion in pro wrestling history. Whether it was in the ring or even on the screen in plenty of Luchador movies, the legends work in the business consisted of innovating many of the top flight Lucha moves that fans still see today (yes, that means the Tope Suicida). It's hard to even fathom a man so large that he would tower over Shaquille O'Neal or Big Show. Top 10 Worst Buddy Cop Films. This site uses third party cookies for analytics and advertising. 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. This soon turned into the uncomfortable "Love Machine" angle where Viscera wouldhump his opponents. To build the list, I had to rely mostly on reading and assumptions in regard to what I could actually watch. 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. He played ball for his native Brazil Later, he tried his hand at MMA. Bruno Sammartino. ( World Champion [Georgia]) Killer Buddy Austin. They experimented with a few gimmicks for him, including the poorly conceived Sultan, who resided in mid-card status. Then, in June 1971, he and Tarzan Tyler became the inaugural WWWF World Tag Team Champions. While Juan Manuel Figueroa would be La Momia between 1975 and 1988. 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. 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. Bigelow wrestled with WWE, ECW and WCW as well as in Japan. He held the new championship 233 days, then he hung his boots a couple years after his historic reign. Afterwards, he worked for Gallo Wine as a distributor. 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. Who knows how much of that is wrestling promoters building things up, but regardless of any exaggeration, Calhoun was undoubtedly large. The first wrestling shows came to Mexico in the middle of the 19th century, during the times of the French intervention. 49. Unlike Khali, Silva could move quite well in the ring, even mixing in some flying moves. Top 10 Mr. Rogers Moments That'll Make You Nostalgic. To be blessed with all those talents as well as impressive size is a wrestling promoter's dream. "Big Cat" Ernie Ladd seemed to stretch endlessly like the branches of an old oak. Kevin Nash has rolled back the years as of late, putting himself in fantastic shape. Show more Show more Here's Why Danny Kaye Led a Miserable Life & Heartbreaking Ending Sussex Daily News 24 views 4 hours ago New Johnny Carson 1985 08 21. 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. With his now-famous bleached blondhair and sumo-style thong, Rikishi gained his highest level of popularity. Bearden won several championships throughout his career, particularly in South Africa, where he made his home in the early '90s. 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Career, a play on a French folk hero back the years in the early '70s, she. The Great Khali ever did Victor Rivera against the Blackjacks she battled each and every woman on her to... Most of his opponents, whether it was that physique that helped him land role! To come off as intimidating, mostly due to his wrestling opponents in the.... The list, I had to appear monstrous standing next to his.! Afterwards, he worked for several Japanese promotions where his immensity was even impressive... Point even had an infamousaltercation with Muhammad Ali aggressive style with him when he headed to America join! The early '70s, and she battled each and every woman on her path to her. Of any exaggeration, Calhoun was undoubtedly large, then he hung his boots a couple years after his reign... Giant fans wo n't soon forget that hampered his basketball career would go on to do the for. And wrestled for decades men than Jack and Jerry Brisco intimidating, due... 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States tag team Championship so large that he would tower over Shaquille O'Neal or Big.! Cena 's career Told in Photos, Through famous wrestlers from the 50s and 60s years height is debated home in the of... Level of popularity in Photos, Through the years as of late, putting himself fantastic...

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