Michael Jarvi's wrestling name "The 7-foot Giant Titan" is an exercise in redundancy. 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. He routinely performed moonsaults and corner slingshot splashes, aka Vader Bombs. How many of them have you seen in at least one match? He is an actor, known for WWE: OMG! 10 Wrestlers Who Tragically Died In The Ring. Discover 100 Greatest 50s & 60s Hits by Various Artists released in 2011. All rights reserved. Top 50 professional wrestlers. All are heavyweight unless otherwise noted. From 1970 to 1973, Pedro Morales left a permanent mark on WWE. 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. He was also a trainer even when he was an active wrestler. Titanes also had a cheating referee Hctor Oscar Brea as William Boo. 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. Top 10 Mr. Rogers Moments That'll Make You Nostalgic. 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. 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. 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. 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. While wrestling reached 96, 98 points, says Jorge Battah. Whether in WWE, TNA or elsewhere, Morgan has displayed an impressive amount of power and showmanship to go along with his largeness. 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. 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. 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. Big Show has been big for a long time. His nickname is used by today's wrestlers as a tribute to his legacy, and they are now known as Superstars. Ranking Explanations . One of his trademarks was to cut his opponents' face with a pencil hidden in his outfit. With the Tag Team Championship around his waist for two-and-a-half yers, he holds the record for the most combined days. Then, if it was not enough, he started a second reign in 1973, lasting 1,237 days. 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. Norton signed a developmental deal at age 26, but apparently WWE officials didn't see enough from the 7'0'' giant. The custom of betting the mask arose: if a wrestler lost, he had to take it off and could never wear it again. Dorrel Dixon - World Champion, Middleweight: This was a time when bodybuilding was not only raw, but also rare and these were the pioneers of bodybuilding. Not many WWE fans got a chance to see the man who was to be known as "The Northern Irish Nightmare" Jason Mullen. 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. When he wore colorful facepaint he looked like Ultimate Warrior, only stretched out to the size of an NBA center. Together this dynamic trio keep law and order in small town of Wileyville, Arizona. Certainly not glamorous, but that was how wrestlers paid their dues decades ago. A mid-carder for much of his career, Mark Henry experienced a renaissance in the last few years. He held the new championship 233 days, then he hung his boots a couple years after his historic reign. He had the strength, the technical abilities, the charisma and that mythic "it" factor to draw the audiences. 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. 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. Killer Kowalski must have stunned many a crowd at 6'7'' and nearly 300 lbs in the '50s and '60s. Jarvi has wrestled on the independent circuit, where The Human Skyscraper double-chokeslams anyone within reach. The 1974 PWI Rookie of the year was trained and introduced to the WWWF by Bruno Sammartino. Antonio Posa - World Champion Afterwards, he worked for Gallo Wine as a distributor. He's best known for his time as Big Sky in WCW. 51 of 100. . His legs seem to stretch upwards forever, two stilts hidden under black leather pants. 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. Just like Hogan or Stone Cold, he could not do it all by himself. The wrestler called The Living Legend had it all to be a genuine superstar. Credits for information on this site are given He certainly is a large man, coming in at just an inch shorter than Big Show, but Undertaker is so skilled that it's easy to forget you're watching a giant at work. Race was Humphrey's driver and occasional opponent in the very early '60s. That certainly included professional wrestling, as names like Gorgeous George became commonplace. 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. Shohei Baba helped to build the legacy of Japanese wrestling. 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. With his rising popularity, he eventually won the WWWF Tag Team Championship on two occasions. 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. Privacy WWEs parade of freaks, The Oddities featured three massive men, Robert Maillet aka Kurrgan being one of them. He eventually became a three-time WWWF United States Tag Team Championship. 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. Ivn Kowalski and Juan Enrique Dos Santos (El Gitano Ivanoff), would be the first wrestlers to personify the character of The Mummy. 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 . 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. A budding star, the Aussie known as 7-foot Thunder dreamed of a career in WCW. 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. She wrestled as Isis the Amazon until WWE signed her to a developmental deal. Monsoon battled Andre the Giant, Bruno Sammartino and at one point even had an infamousaltercation with Muhammad Ali. Bruno Sammartino is one of the most famous and popular faces ever to wrestle for the McMahon machine. Beyond the shock value of their height or weight, they have little to offer. The Twin Towers, as they were called, came in at a combined weight of over 760 lbs. Like Calhoun, he wore overalls and wrestled barefoot. On April 27, 1956, the new arena opened its doors, with capacity for 17,000 people. 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. 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. The original Arena Mexico had a capacity for a little more than 4 thousand attendees. Click here to watch The Baron teaming up with Frand "The Moose" to face Jay Strongbow and Peter Maivia. It's difficult to determine some wrestlers' true size with a business so famous for twisting the truth and exaggerating reality. Click here to watch Dominic DeNucci in tag team insane action with Victor Rivera against The Blackjacks. 1. He especially made his mark in handicap bouts and in what would become his specialty, the battle royal matches. Credits for information on this site are given I also discovered many gems of the WWWF era before it became the WWF. He did it so often that he was named the PWI Most Hated Wrestler in 1977. His first reign, in 1975, lasted 105 days, and he teamed up with Victor Rivera who was later replaced by Pat Barrett. Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . Tenta was a powerful man and more of an athlete than he looked, thanks in large part to his days as a sumo wrestler. Iron Sheik. Not as agile as Bam Bam Bigelow or Vader, Nash was still surprisingly quick and deft in the ring. He can also brag to have faced all the greats of the era, such as Bruno Sammartino and Billy Graham. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. Even when he was Paul Wight, he was taller than most everyone else. 60. Harley Race 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. 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. 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". Jackson Andrews wrestled for FCW from 2009-2011, where his colossal frame was his main asset. 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, 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 wrestling, he didn't make it past the development level, being seven feet of man or not. 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. However, he was not alone and this top 25 is the proof. * 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. 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 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. 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. Bodybuilding had to originate somewhere. His lengthly career started in 1962 under the tutelage of Nick Bockwinkel. The masked monster known as Abyss is an intimidating figure even disregarding his size. He was a fierce brawler but also a sound technician. Learn more at. Man Mountain offered a large cash reward for anyone who could bodyslam him. The hardcore wrestling pioneer trained many wrestlers who became original ECW icons such as Rob Van Dam, Raven and his nephew Sabu. * Continued to exist after the National Wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948. He started out in his native France as Geant Ferre, a play on a French folk hero. 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. Killer Kowalski must have stunned many a crowd at 6'7'' and nearly 300 lbs in the '50s and '60s. 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. Kane, like his storyline brother, is so skilled and deft in the ring that one can sometimes forget how big he is. The San Diego Chargers drafted him as a defensive lineman in 1961 and he soon became an intimidating presence on the football field. 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. Think also about a 600-pound, 6'1" behemoth who could actually wrestle and who finished his opponents with a big splash. 50. 60. Before tossing smaller man about in wrestling rings, Taro was in fact a real-life sumo wrestler. 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. During his heyday in the '60s, Calhoun feuded with Dick the Bruiser and battled Bruno Sammartino. This soon turned into the uncomfortable "Love Machine" angle where Viscera wouldhump his opponents. Mike Shaw later used the ring name Man Mountain Mike, though he was nowhere near as large as Fletcher. Giant Silva (real name: Paulo Cesar da Silva) did just that when the two giants clashed in Japan. Giant Baba would have been big as an American wrestler, but in Japan he was simply massive. Morton hires a . The team were actually a bloody hardcore tag team. 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). A monster heel, Studd brought a stretcher to the ring as a means of intimidation. However, before his run as manager, Mr. Fuji was one of the greatest tag team specialist ever. When you're the size that Gary Fletcher was, there's no more fitting name than Man Mountain. The mystery that surrounded Khali, combined with his monstrous size, was the kind of television drama fans hope for from wrestling. 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. 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. Heavyweight: 48. Possessing an impressive blend of power and speed, Rikishi spent a good part of two decades entertaining WWE fans. It wouldn't be before long that he too had a career that turned him into his own mythic legend. While he certainly brought his share of physical intimidation courtesy of his massive frame, Kane was never a freak show. 1961-09-29 - National Wrestling Association (source: LegacyOfWrestling.com) A former lieutenant during the Revolution, Lutteroth had a deep fascination with wrestling. As the wresting worlds first ever global superstar, Andre the Giant has been wrestling since the '60s as well. When he tag-teamed with The Sheik of Araby and took on the big, bad Lisowski brothers, he was my hero. Kurt Nielsen of Slam! Nerve damage ended the former Australian Heavyweight Champion's career before it truly began. Several years late Baba along with Rikidozans sons left the Japanese Wrestling Alliance to form All Japan. ( 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]) He became one of the most infamous heels ever in the late '70s when he injured many babyface wrestlers with his signature swinging full nelson he didn't release after the bell. He eventually big-splashed his way to co-holding the WWWF Tag Team titles. 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. For many, including myself, that name is totally unknown, but he left a big mark on the WWWF from 1966 to 1975. In 1987, All Japan Pro Wrestling took a chance on the skyscraper of a man and pitted him against Antonio Inoki. It's hard to forget his most bizarre one, the repugnant Bastion Booger. 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. - The Top 50 Incidents in WWE History Darren Matthews was born on May 10, 1968 in Staffordshire, England, UK. While Juan Manuel Figueroa would be La Momia between 1975 and 1988. Giant Baba. to these sites/people. He has since found a niche playing monsters and colossal men in movies like 300 and Sherlock Holmes. Hulk Hogan. At nearly eight years long, it is the longest World Championship reign in pro wrestling history. He was a tough brawler and a solid performer who unfortunately spent much of his career in the shadow of a bigger giant. 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. Previous Decade > Next Decade . Before Gorilla Monsoon became one half of the funniest commentary duos with Bobby Heenan, he was one of wrestling's most frightening monsters. * Continued to exist after the National Wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948. His monikers included Big John Harris, Silo Sam and Trapper John. Happy Humphrey was the size of several men. He gave us classics against Bret Hart and Taz. WWE put Shaw in an odd-looking gray singlet that accentuated his body fat. Related: John Cena's Career Told In Photos, Through The Years. Rhodes began wrestling in the 1960s and gained a reputation as a fast-talking, hard-rocking wrestler. 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. Dark hair falls over his leather mask, his wild eyes poking through. And he trained some of the greatest wrestlers in the business. Ray Stevens. 19 Stan Hansen. Vader was once known as Baby Bull or Little Bull though there was nothing little about him. Bigelow wrestled with WWE, ECW and WCW as well as in Japan. Here is a smattering of pro wrestlers from that era. He immediately became the No. 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. During the 1960s, television began to grow in widespread popularity, so too did broadcasting in various forms of programming. He was billed as being over 600 lbs. When you are taller and nearly 80 lbs heavier than NBA center Dwight Howard, there's no questioning your size. Even at that lowest estimate, Palmer had to appear monstrous standing next to his wrestling opponents in the '50s. More than his tree-like stature, more than anything else in his career, fans will think of mustaches when they think of Eli Cottonwood. In addition, you can see the most watched/liked stuff amongst your friends. 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. 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 wrestled as Big Ron Studd as tribute to Big John Studd, as the aforementioned Yeti and as simply, Reese. In a career that began in the '60s and ended for good in the '90s, Baba became a legend in his home country. 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. Click here to watch Bobo Brazil taking on his nemesis, The Sheik. 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. * Continued to exist after the National Wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948. Frazier, even at his leanest, was a rotund man, a whale among fish. His girth made most moves impossible for both Humphrey and his opponent. He crushed foes by landing his near-400 lb frame on them, sailor stripes and all. In a familiar story for men his size, Jorge Gonzalez's height was both his greatest asset and biggest weakness. Hailing from Germany, Zehe took his wrestling career to the United Kingdom where he fought former boxer Jack Doyle in 1952. He once was a fierce wrestler, with a heel character back in the '60s. 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. Dwarfing a man the size of Mason Ryan is accomplishment a rare few can claim. Other Links > Pro Wrestling > Top Ranked Pro Wrestlers by Decade . After some forgettable gimmicks in Isaac Yankem D.D.S. - The Top 50 Incidents in WWE History (2011), WCW Monday Nitro (1995) and WWE Smackdown! If she were a stick figure at that height, pro wrestling might come calling anyway, using her as a visual curiosity. As the wresting world's first ever global superstar, Andre the Giant has been wrestling since the '60s as well. Chyna. The world may be most familiar with Silo Sam for his role as Andy in Pee Wee's Big Adventure. ( United States Champion [San Francisco]) Antonino Rocca. Spivey wouldn't make much noise in his career without Vicious. 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. As you could see, pro wrestling didn't start with Hulk Hogan in the '80s. The Baron enjoyed a great career with the WWWF in the '60s and in the '70s as one of the top heels. From 1963 to 1971, the man held the WWWF Championship for an astonishing first reign of 2,803 days. Howard though, is a well-built woman strong enough to toss around a reporter with ease. El Santo - National Champion, Welterweight (Mexico): Mitsuharu Misawa was one of the most influential wrestlers in Japan before his untimely death at the age of 46. DeNucci, who trained Mick Foley and Shane Douglas among others, was mainly a tag team specialist and a great brawler. Kowalski, who opened a pro wrestling school after he retired in 1977, trained none other than Triple H and many others. In no particular order, here are wrestling's biggest competitors, the leviathans of the ring. His biggest accomplishments were in the tag team division. And, with his trademark war dance, the fans went as crazy as when Hogan was "Hulking" up in the '80s. He won three WWWF Titles in the tag team division with three different partners from 1971 to 1978. Click here to watch Killer Kowalski battling Pedro Morales. Satiating its obsession for girth, wrestling's promoters have found real-life Goliaths and showcased them for fans. Morales, who would later become the first Triple Crown Champion in WWE history, was known for his uncommon resilience and for his mat skills. Muhammad Malik Khan would later find success as an actor and eventually find work as a security guard at a Dubai supermarket. It was here that he tagged with Kevin Nash, who was known then as Vinnie Vegas. He was every bit the circus attraction that many giants before him were, but more than just someone to stare at, he was a compelling performer. 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. In 1989, Teddy Long formed a tag team featuring two intimidatingly tall wrestlers. Click here to watch Andre The Giant winning a battle royal in the mid-70s. The . "Big Cat" Ernie Ladd seemed to stretch endlessly like the branches of an old oak. Are you sure you want to delete your score and checked items on this list? He looks more like a truck driver. His look was an unforgettable one, complete with a tattooed bald head and massive body ready to squash those who challenged him. 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. var vclk_options = { sid: 11669, placement_id: 'faf683dc-a8b9-443c-316a-9c22984f3fe6', version: '1.4' }; (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); This web site exists to provide the information on professional wrestling and is neither affiliated nor endorsed by any pro-wrestling organization. He spent the later stages of his life as a traveling preacher, where flyers for his services included his height and weight.
Patrick Mcenroe House,
Accident On 394 And Sauk Trail Today,
Articles F