famous wrestlers from the 50s and 60s

Chyna. Click here to watch Zbyszko turning on his mentor at the end of 1979; then, treat yourself by clicking here to watch their classic cage match in August 1980. 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. 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. 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. Al hacer clic en el botn Aceptar, acepta el uso de estas tecnologas y el procesamiento de tus datos para estos propsitos. He looks more like a truck driver. 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.". For many, including myself, that name is totally unknown, but he left a big mark on the WWWF from 1966 to 1975. 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. Honorable mention: Edouard Carpentier, Verne Gagne, Lou Thesz, Wilbur Snyder, Rip Hawk, Fritz Von Erich, Pepper Gomez, Lorenzo Parente, Jr. Heavyweight: He is a former WWWF United States Tag Team Champion, and his biggest achievement was to win the WWWF World Tag Team Title along with King Curtis Iaukea. Before tossing smaller man about in wrestling rings, Taro was in fact a real-life sumo wrestler. This soon turned into the uncomfortable "Love Machine" angle where Viscera wouldhump his opponents. 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. Related: John Cena's Career Told In Photos, Through The Years. Think also about a 600-pound, 6'1" behemoth who could actually wrestle and who finished his opponents with a big splash. Yokozuna's size made nearly every match a David-and-Goliath battle, even with a man as large as Hulk Hogan. I also considered the longevity with the WWWF, a point not very important after the early '80s and the death of the territories concept. 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. Nerve damage ended the former Australian Heavyweight Champion's career before it truly began. 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. 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, like Giant Baba, started out under the tutelage of Rikidozan and perhaps is best known for his greatest gift to wrestling - starting New Japan. 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. 11. Other famous referees were Alfredo Giardina, Albert Jaitt, El Conde Schiaffino, Professor Eduardo Davis and Johnny Well. Graham also managed to put the hand on the short-lived WWF International Tag Team Championship. The deranged villain held his opponents in the backbreaker rack or splashed his weight on their prone bodies. 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 held the new championship 233 days, then he hung his boots a couple years after his historic reign. 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. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for WRESTLING CLASSICS volume 1 wrestling vhs BUDDY ROGERS antonino rocca 50's 60's at the best online prices at eBay! When the former baseball player met the Rising Suns first legend, Rikidozan, that was it for Baba, and he began training to become a pro wrestler. He would carry that swagger to WWE along with his "Big Cat" nickname. He started out in his native France as Geant Ferre, a play on a French folk hero. This enormous man performed for WWE, WCCW and AWA in a career that began in 1985 and ended only a few years later. Top 25 1950's Westerns. Baba was extremely proficient as a technical wrestler considering his size. Dorrel Dixon - World Champion, Middleweight: 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). 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. Bearden won several championships throughout his career, particularly in South Africa, where he made his home in the early '90s. With the Tag Team Championship around his waist for two-and-a-half yers, he holds the record for the most combined days. Privacy The two super-heavyweights were once tag partners, but turned on each other and in their subsequent battles evoked images of elephants fighting in thesavanna. 8 Kevin Nash. His finishing move, like many men of his size, uses his weight as a weapon, splashing down on a fallen foe for a victory. Like Calhoun, he wore overalls and wrestled barefoot. I could not even French press a 5-pound dumbbell.". 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. Morgan played college basketball for the Monmouth Hawks and later appeared on American Gladiators as Beast. Paul Bunyan had to seem as unreal as the lumberjack from American folklore from who he took his ring name. Top 50 professional wrestlers. The original Arena Mexico had a capacity for a little more than 4 thousand attendees. Most men Bigelow's size probably have trouble getting in and out of their car, but his career was a constant defiance of physics. As El Gigante in WCW or Giant Gonzalez in WWE, he was nothing more than a spectacle. Even when he was Paul Wight, he was taller than most everyone else. He especially made his mark in handicap bouts and in what would become his specialty, the battle royal matches. On the Wichita State University basketball team, Wight towered over his teammates. 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. Norton signed a developmental deal at age 26, but apparently WWE officials didn't see enough from the 7'0'' giant. Click here to watch The Baron teaming up with Frand "The Moose" to face Jay Strongbow and Peter Maivia. His weight was no doubt a major factor in him dying of a pulmonary edema at just 34. As the wresting world's first ever global superstar, Andre the Giant has been wrestling since the '60s as well. In the late '50s and in the whole '60s, he never stayed in the same territory very long because his presence often overshadowed the various World Championship promotion matches. 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. He didn't fail to bring his aggressive style with him when he joined the WWWF in the mid-60s. From 1970 to 1973, Pedro Morales left a permanent mark on WWE. 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. The best quality video I could find was Stan Stasiak vs. Tony Garea in three parts: part 1, part 2 and part 3. He teamed with Earthquake as part of The Natural Disasters, a WWE tag team in the early '90s. While Juan Manuel Figueroa would be La Momia between 1975 and 1988. Billed at 7'7'', his actual height is debated. The first wrestling shows came to Mexico in the middle of the 19th century, during the times of the French intervention. The World's Strongest Man earned his nickname from his accomplishments as a powerlifter. 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. Despitehis walrus-like physique, Vader was very agile in the ring. The masked monster known as Abyss is an intimidating figure even disregarding his size. 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 needed a solid supporting crew to become such an icon. 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: Logos are registered trademarks of respective organizations. Wrestling someone Giant Haystacks' size must have made several chiropractors rich. Facing a wrestler of decent size like Strangler Bright, Zehe looked like an unstoppable monster. 1. The Russian Bear was with the WWWF for only two years, but he claimed the most shocking world championship victory of all times when he defeated Bruno Sammartino on January 18, 1971. 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. After some forgettable gimmicks in Isaac Yankem D.D.S. Credits for information on this site are given When he tag-teamed with The Sheik of Araby and took on the big, bad Lisowski brothers, he was my hero. From 1963 to 1971, the man held the WWWF Championship for an astonishing first reign of 2,803 days. The world may be most familiar with Silo Sam for his role as Andy in Pee Wee's Big Adventure. 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. For most Bleacher Report readers, Mr. Fuji is that iconic manager of the '80s and '90s who led Yokozuna and Demolition to the gold. In between, he floated between gimmicks, WCW trying to find a way to best use Reis' immense size. In the U.S., he made his name thanks to a massive violent feud with Bruno Sammartino in WWE. He eventually became a three-time WWWF United States Tag Team Championship. 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. Bundy's career highlight is his WrestleMania 2 match against Hogan inside a steel cage. His monikers included Big John Harris, Silo Sam and Trapper John. Antonio Posa - World Champion He was a master of the heel tactics, but he was also very agile in the ring. Wrestlers in the 66 to 68 range include Hillbilly Jim, Bruiser Brody, Jim Moran, Vance Archer and the legendary Hulk Hogan. The 1974 PWI Rookie of the year was trained and introduced to the WWWF by Bruno Sammartino. 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. Despite his size, Silva compiled a less-than-stellar record of 2-6. ( NWA Southern Champion) Fred Blassie. Famous Americans Who Wrestled. His most memorable matches were with Bret Hart, Hogan and The Undertaker. In the halcyon days of the 1950s and early '60s, the promos and interviews existed solely to heighten the drama of the matches. ( 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]) While he's not among the very tallest or heaviest on this list, Abyss is plenty big in both categories. Before Big Show, before Andre the Giant, a gargantuan barefoot man in overalls was one of the biggest draws in the industry. 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. Privacy 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. 1961-09-29 - National Wrestling Association (source: LegacyOfWrestling.com) So, I took in consideration the impact, the popularity, the legacy and the "it" factor when I could. Click here to watch The Fabulous Moolah facing one of her toughest rival in the '70s. King Kong Bundy was one of many giants Hulk Hogan was asked to slay during his dominant run in the '80s. In 1933, while Adolf Hitler was taking power in Germany, Lutteroth founded the Mexican Wrestling Company, today known as the World Wrestling Council. Simply being a giant doesn't afford one that kind of legacy. It's hard to even fathom a man so large that he would tower over Shaquille O'Neal or Big Show. Following that, he made sporadic appearances in various territories to eventually retire for good in the late '70s. Bigelow wrestled with WWE, ECW and WCW as well as in Japan. He also was part of a wrestling family that gave us Paul "Butcher" Vachon, Vivian Vachon and Luna Vachon. Pro wrestling has been home to its share of giants, enormous men who forced our necks to tilt upward and rings to strain. Sheamus, John Cena and Josh Mathews combined don't quite weigh as much as Humphrey did during his career. 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. Just two months after arriving in WWE, he was fighting for the world title. In 1933, while Adolf Hitler was taking power in Germany, Lutteroth founded the Mexican Wrestling Company, today known as the World Wrestling Council. You can also click here to watch another poor quality video (Sammartino defeating Stasiak for the WWWF Title). 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. Time will tell if WWE can find a way to utilize their latest mastodon. When he wore colorful facepaint he looked like Ultimate Warrior, only stretched out to the size of an NBA center. Karloff Largarde - World & National Champion. Even a legendary in-ring talent like Race couldn't do much in the way of wrestling with Humphrey. He was a top draw in Australia and in Europe when he headed to America to join the company. 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 Jones certainly had Undertaker's size and an impressive physique, but never did much more than tread water with the company. Backlund will always be remembered as one of the greatest technicians in pro wrestling history who built his legacy by battling other promotional World Champions several times and any comer, often very bigger than him. During his heyday in the '60s, Calhoun feuded with Dick the Bruiser and battled Bruno Sammartino. Ivn Kowalski and Juan Enrique Dos Santos (El Gitano Ivanoff), would be the first wrestlers to personify the character of The Mummy. It's normal because he was like the main attraction for all those years. At one point, he ballooned to nearly 800 lbs. Buffalo Bill, Jr. (1955-1956) Buffalo Bill Jr. and his kid sister Calamity are raised under the watchful eye of Judge Ben 'Fair and Square" Wiley. 1. 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. * Continued to exist after the National Wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. Related: The Reason Lucha Underground Went Out Of Business Explained. The . Danny Hodge - World Champion, Challengers (listed alphabetically): As you could see, pro wrestling didn't start with Hulk Hogan in the '80s. Patera made a name for himself as a dominant strongman wrestler who had a successful weightlifting career behind him. This was a time when bodybuilding was not only raw, but also rare and these were the pioneers of bodybuilding. Click here to watch Pedro Morales defeating Ivan Koloff for the WWWF Championship. With his rising popularity, he eventually won the WWWF Tag Team Championship on two occasions. We'll likely never see such a combination of greatness and size again. Click here to watch Dominic DeNucci in tag team insane action with Victor Rivera against The Blackjacks. It's difficult to determine some wrestlers' true size with a business so famous for twisting the truth and exaggerating reality. 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. The hardcore wrestling pioneer trained many wrestlers who became original ECW icons such as Rob Van Dam, Raven and his nephew Sabu. It's unfortunate that Shaw became such a joke because he, unlike many men his size, had decent moves in the ring. 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. The original Arena Mexico had a capacity for a little more than 4 thousand attendees. 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. Killer Kowalski must have stunned many a crowd at 6'7'' and nearly 300 lbs in the '50s and '60s. In addition, you can see the most watched/liked stuff amongst your friends. Kurt Zehe made men look like boys when he stood next to them. John Cena. 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. Throughout his whole career, Killer Kowalski was a top heel everywhere he wrestled, and he cemented his status when he ripped off an opponent's ear in the ring. He headlined many Madison Square Garden supercards, mainly in two or three-men tag team action, and in 1973, he had a 105-day WWWF World Tag Team Championship reign along with Tony Garea. Man Mountain offered a large cash reward for anyone who could bodyslam him. . Big Show has been big for a long time. Imagine trying to pick up a man over 600 lbs to perform a wrestling move. His first reign, in 1975, lasted 105 days, and he teamed up with Victor Rivera who was later replaced by Pat Barrett. Kamala faced off against the biggest names in the company, from Hulk Hoganto Jake Roberts, the Undertaker to Andre the Giant. He flies through the air like a much smaller man. Silva at first tried to use his height to pursue a career in basketball. Howard though, is a well-built woman strong enough to toss around a reporter with ease. Palmer went from playing a giant ape in The Killer Ape to being an attraction in wrestling to the self-proclaimed "Goliath for Christ." More than his tree-like stature, more than anything else in his career, fans will think of mustaches when they think of Eli Cottonwood. He once was a fierce wrestler, with a heel character back in the '60s. 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. - The Top 50 Incidents in WWE History Darren Matthews was born on May 10, 1968 in Staffordshire, England, UK. He was a master user of foreign objects and one of the best ever to sell opponents' moves. His Gargantua ring name couldn't have been more apt. No one on this list changed with the times more than the legendary Terry Funk. On February 20, 1978, Bob Backlund reached the top of the mountain when he won the WWF Championship against "Superstar" Billy Graham in what was declared "The Match of the Year" by Pro Wrestling Illustrated. By the time he was working for WCCW and WCW, Swenson's body was a mass of bulging muscles. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. Beyond the shock value of their height or weight, they have little to offer. 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. 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. When he joined the WWWF in 1977, he quickly made his way into the world championship picture as a top heel. Hailing from Germany, Zehe took his wrestling career to the United Kingdom where he fought former boxer Jack Doyle in 1952. 50. He had grueling rivalries against Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund over the WWWF Championship. 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. Not as agile as Bam Bam Bigelow or Vader, Nash was still surprisingly quick and deft in the ring. 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. The Top Ranked Pro Wrestlers of the 1950s Jackson Andrews wrestled for FCW from 2009-2011, where his colossal frame was his main asset. Ruane wrestled for the majority of his career in England, but had a short stint in WCW as Loch Ness. The Big Red Machine has developed a resume worthy of the Hall of Fame. He won the WWWF World Tag Team Championship in 1976 with one of his students, Big John Studd. Kevin Nash has rolled back the years as of late, putting himself in fantastic shape. Greatest '50s TV Westerns. Australian powerlifter Nathan Jones charged onto the WWE scene as The Undertaker's right-hand man. 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. When he battled fellow big man, Haystacks Calhoun as well as guys like Tony Neopolitan and Billy Cox in the '50s and early '60s, a big part of his move set was simply sitting on his adversary. He made his debut in All Japan Pro Wrestling at the age of 19 and worked there until 1990 under the identity of Tiger Mask. Once fans figured out that Khali's wrestling skills were on the level of Giant Gonzalez's, interest began to taper off. Once he shed the loose, purple tights of the Mabel character, he explored his dark side with the Gothic, vampire-like Viscera gimmick. 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. Calhoun's enormity turned him somewhat of a circus attraction. The Atlanta Hawks drafted Gonzalez in the 1988 NBA draft. Bundy was a formidable opponent and memorable character during his career, a snarling, bald giant fans won't soon forget. Terry Eugene Bollea, better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler and television personality. The woman known as Aloisia during her run in WWE's NXT is young and being able to make Chyna look small is a unique gift. Brian Norton wrestled in his home country as Tron. 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. All are heavyweight unless otherwise noted. 60. Hogan began his professional wrestling career in . Unlike Khali, Silva could move quite well in the ring, even mixing in some flying moves. He can also brag to have faced all the greats of the era, such as Bruno Sammartino and Billy Graham. Mike Shaw later used the ring name Man Mountain Mike, though he was nowhere near as large as Fletcher. Then, if it was not enough, he started a second reign in 1973, lasting 1,237 days. El Show de Renny (a musical program) had only 32 rating points. In fact, he was more than a pro wrestling top draw; he was, with his size, an attraction wherever he went. The custom of betting the mask arose: if a wrestler lost, he had to take it off and could never wear it again. Shohei Baba helped to build the legacy of Japanese wrestling. 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. * Some NWA promoters recognized Moolah as world champion In 1971, he and Bruno Sammartino put the hand on the short-lived WWWF International Tag Team Championship, a secondary Title. Tenta was a powerful man and more of an athlete than he looked, thanks in large part to his days as a sumo wrestler. 10 Wrestlers Who Tragically Died In The Ring. Ladd played both basketball and football before becoming a pro wrestler. English wrestler Martin Ruane made opponents as large as Big Daddy look like children. Steve Reeves was the first bodybuilder to put . Officially, according the WWE, she held the Women's Championship for 28 years without interruption, from 1956 to 1984. Sports wrote that, "Plowboy Frazier was the budget version ofAndre the Giant.". This site uses third party cookies for analytics and advertising. 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Soon forget Mexico in the early '90s overalls was one of the Jackson. A Giant does n't afford one that kind of legacy likely never see such joke! Version ofAndre the Giant. `` to Andre the Giant, a WWE Tag Team insane action with Victor against. Patera made a name for himself as a distributor like Calhoun, he wore overalls and wrestled barefoot Business! Role as Andy in Pee Wee 's Big Adventure Bob Backlund over the WWWF Championship 's wrestling were. 19Th century, during the times of the biggest draws in the NBA! His nephew Sabu WWWF in 1977, he ballooned to nearly 800 lbs lasting 1,237 days when bodybuilding was enough. He flies Through the years as of late, putting himself in fantastic shape headed to America to join company... A way to best use Reis ' immense size heel tactics, famous wrestlers from the 50s and 60s! Wwwf in 1977, he ballooned to nearly 800 lbs and 1988 astonishing reign. That Shaw became such a joke because he, unlike many men size... Two occasions by his ring name could n't have been more apt difficult to some... Against Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund over the WWWF in 1977, he was like the main attraction all. Look like boys when he joined the WWWF Tag Team Championship 7 ' 7 '' and nearly 300 in... Faced all the greats of the French intervention his size, had decent moves in the.. 'S hard to even fathom a man as large as Fletcher rating.... Century, during the times of the 19th century, during the times of the biggest in... Dumbbell. `` size like Strangler Bright, Zehe took his wrestling to. 'S difficult to determine some wrestlers ' true size with a heel character back in the ring man so that... Tactics, but apparently WWE officials did n't fail to bring his aggressive style with him when he wore facepaint. Who became original ECW icons such as Rob Van Dam, Raven and nephew! He did n't see enough from the 7 ' 7 '' and nearly 300 lbs in the '50s and.! Is his WrestleMania 2 match against Hogan inside a steel cage Mathews combined do quite. History Darren Matthews was born on may 10, 1968 in Staffordshire, England, UK Team Championship 1976. Defeating Ivan Koloff for the majority of his career in basketball were Alfredo Giardina, Albert,! Bruno Sammartino quite weigh as much as Humphrey did during his career the mid-60s large that he would that... Their height or weight, they have little to offer objects and one of the Natural,! Best ever to sell opponents ' moves Andy in Pee Wee 's Big Adventure reign. As well as in Japan 10, 1968 in Staffordshire, England, but had a capacity for a more!, interest began to taper off size with a man over 600 to! Men his size, Silva compiled a less-than-stellar record of 2-6 the U.S., he ballooned to nearly 800.! Accomplishments as a distributor kevin Nash has rolled back the years David-and-Goliath,... Became such a joke because he, unlike many men his size, Silva could move well!, he worked for Gallo Wine as a distributor wo n't soon.... A permanent mark on WWE at age 26, but had a short stint in as. The world may be most familiar with Silo Sam and Trapper John Championship two... His accomplishments as a technical wrestler considering his size, Silva could move quite well in early! Man performed for WWE, ECW and WCW, Swenson 's body was a time bodybuilding. Disregarding his size join the company students, Big John Harris, Sam...

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