famous wrestlers from the 50s and 60s

and the fake Diesel, WWE found the perfect fit for Glenn Jacobs. Yokozuna's weight was his greatest attraction, but it was also ultimately his downfall. Facing a wrestler of decent size like Strangler Bright, Zehe looked like an unstoppable monster. Ray Stevens. To counteract his significant size advantage, some of his matches featured special stipulations. 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. WWE misused Vader, turning him more into a jobber to the stars rather than the dominating behemoth he could have been. This soon turned into the uncomfortable "Love Machine" angle where Viscera wouldhump his opponents. His profile on thetallestman.com lists him at "only" 7'3'' but anything between that range is super tall. 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! He was often a top contender to the WWWF Championship, and he battled Bruno Sammartino on several occasions in high-profile matches. He gave us classics against Bret Hart and Taz. Related: The Reason Lucha Underground Went Out Of Business Explained. Brazil was the Jackie Robinson of wrestling, opening the door to future generations of African-American wrestlers. In 1933, while Adolf Hitler was taking power in Germany, Lutteroth founded the Mexican Wrestling Company, today known as the World Wrestling Council. In 1989, Teddy Long formed a tag team featuring two intimidatingly tall wrestlers. Pat O'Connor - World Champion, Jr. Heavyweight: Giant Baba would have been big as an American wrestler, but in Japan he was simply massive. while others continued to bill Byers as the title holder. Tenta was a powerful man and more of an athlete than he looked, thanks in large part to his days as a sumo wrestler. Bigelow wrestled with WWE, ECW and WCW as well as in Japan. That is why he is known as "the father of Mexican wrestling". The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. In fact, he was more than a pro wrestling top draw; he was, with his size, an attraction wherever he went. 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. 2. Ladd played both basketball and football before becoming a pro wrestler. In the sport of wrestling, Channel 8s television ratings reached 96 rating points. The inaugural WWE Champion lost the title 21 days later against Bruno Sammartino, and he suddenly vanished for a while. Robert "Jeep" Swenson resembled the sturdy girth of his namesake. It wouldnt be before long that he too had a career that turned him into his own mythic legend. 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. Bundy's career highlight is his WrestleMania 2 match against Hogan inside a steel cage. He spent a good chunk of the '70s and '80s delivering gigantic leg drops to foes in Memphis, AWA and eventually WWE stars like Roddy Piper and Adrian Adonis. When he joined the WWWF in 1977, he quickly made his way into the world championship picture as a top heel. Darren Matthews Actor | WWE: OMG! Top 25 1950's Westerns. Many of these famous wrestlers have attributed their success in their fields to the sport of wrestling. He found his groove as a scowling monster heel, winning the World Heavyweight Championship in 2011. He teamed with Earthquake as part of The Natural Disasters, a WWE tag team in the early '90s. 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: Stevens most recently played an orc chieftain in the new Hobbit trilogy. 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. In real life, he was Max Palmer, an actor and evangelist born in small-town Mississippi. Free shipping for many products! Dorrel Dixon - World Champion, Middleweight: Top 10 Buddy Cops on TV. Ivn Kowalski and Juan Enrique Dos Santos (El Gitano Ivanoff), would be the first wrestlers to personify the character of The Mummy. Graham also managed to put the hand on the short-lived WWF International Tag Team Championship. Before tossing smaller man about in wrestling rings, Taro was in fact a real-life sumo wrestler. During his heyday in the '60s, Calhoun feuded with Dick the Bruiser and battled Bruno Sammartino. Even when he was Paul Wight, he was taller than most everyone else. He was already a huge mainstream attraction before he joined the WWWF in the early '70s, and his fame never declined. Several years late Baba along with Rikidozans sons left the Japanese Wrestling Alliance to form All Japan. Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . During this tussle with the boxer, Monsoon's immense size became startlingly apparent as he made Ali look small standing across from him. In addition to his championships, he left his mark on the WWE hardcore scene, with his uncommon mix of technician and brawler's skills.Click here to watch Pat Patterson defending the Intercontinental Championship against Dominic DeNucci. 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. 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. Making Ron Simmons look diminutive is an impressive feat. And, with his trademark war dance, the fans went as crazy as when Hogan was "Hulking" up in the '80s. 18. 60. Unofficially, she lost the title on four occasions, but she only spent 70 days without the gold in that 10,778-day time frame. Click here to watch the 1977 PWI Match of the YearGraham defeated Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF Title. They experimented with a few gimmicks for him, including the poorly conceived Sultan, who resided in mid-card status. Danny Hodge - World Champion, Challengers (listed alphabetically): In addition, he accomplished the unthinkable when he ended Sammartino's seven-year reign. Despite his runs as a heel in the '70s, he managed to have a huge fanbase because of his revolutionary style. He left that match bloodied and without the WWE title. 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. 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. 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 The Fabulous Moolah is the longest reigning champion in pro wrestling history. When you're the size that Gary Fletcher was, there's no more fitting name than Man Mountain. The Skyscrapers, as they were called, battled the Road Warriors, the Steiner Brothers, among others. He could've been a world champion in any promotion, but he preferred the freedom of travelling all over the USA thus becoming the most popular wrestler in the country. Man Mountain Mike and Haystacks Calhoun formed a tag team, testing the structural integrity of every wrestling ring they entered. But the man from the Double Cross Ranch started when wrestling was much more about headlocks and working armbars than it was branding people and setting fire to arenas. Nash, one of the founders of the New World Order and a former WWE champ, spent much of his career looking down on slighter opponents. In the halcyon days of the 1950s and early '60s, the promos and interviews existed solely to heighten the drama of the matches. Had the creative team seen something other than an opportunity for low humor with Shaw, we may be remembering him for more than the smelly "Trip to the Batcave.". Anyone who is 7'0'' tall is inherently a giant, and a titan in Greek mythology refers to a race of giants. He was in the first Wrestlemania against Hogan and Mr. T. As a competitor,. The original Arena Mexico had a capacity for a little more than 4 thousand attendees. 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. The first wrestling shows came to Mexico in the middle of the 19th century, during the times of the French intervention. Click here to watch Dominic DeNucci in tag team insane action with Victor Rivera against The Blackjacks. According to the Chronicle-Telegram, Zehe "won several matches simply because his opponents couldn't get his arms around him.". The Master of the Heart Punch had one of the shortest reigns as world champion in WWE history, but he holds the unique distinction to have ended Pedro Morales' 1,027-day reign. The best quality video I could find was Stan Stasiak vs. Tony Garea in three parts: part 1, part 2 and part 3. Despite his size, Silva compiled a less-than-stellar record of 2-6. Greatest '50s TV Westerns. "Big Cat" Ernie Ladd seemed to stretch endlessly like the branches of an old oak. Hogan began his professional wrestling career in . * Some NWA promoters recognized Moolah as world champion Here is a smattering of pro wrestlers from that era. Other Links > Pro Wrestling > Top Ranked Pro Wrestlers by Decade . In a career that began in the '60s and ended for good in the '90s, Baba became a legend in his home country. He once was a fierce wrestler, with a heel character back in the '60s. Palmer went from playing a giant ape in The Killer Ape to being an attraction in wrestling to the self-proclaimed "Goliath for Christ." Howard though, is a well-built woman strong enough to toss around a reporter with ease. 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. Logos are registered trademarks of respective organizations. Wrestling, though, is where he was meant to be. 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. Big Show has been big for a long time. Uncle Elmer aka Plowboy Frazier (real name: Stan Frazier) was the biggest man among a WWE group called "The Hillbillies.". Discover 100 Greatest 50s & 60s Hits by Various Artists released in 2011. Gori Guerrero - World Champion 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 eventually big-splashed his way to co-holding the WWWF Tag Team titles. 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. Steve Reeves was the first bodybuilder to put . My 4 Favorite 1950s Wrestlers Looking back on all these years, these four pro wrestlers were my favorite stars. Mike Shaw's wrestling personas included Friar Ferguson, Norman the Lunatic and Trucker Norm. 1. John Cena. - The Top 50 Incidents in WWE History (2011), WCW Monday Nitro (1995) and WWE Smackdown! For many of his matches, Jeff Bearden had to bend down awkwardly in order to get a proper hold on his opponent. Hogan doesn't often get considered a big-man wrestler though he is 67 and 300 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. English wrestler Martin Ruane made opponents as large as Big Daddy look like children. Against Sailor Moran, Palmer had to win two consecutive falls in order to win. As Akeem "the African Dream," Gray teamed with Big Boss Man. His size wasn't enough to capture all the fans he did, though. 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. Simply being a giant doesn't afford one that kind of legacy. He is even credited as the inventor of the figure-four leglock. * 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. Before that, Jon Harris was known by a multitude of names in the wrestling ring. 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. 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 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. A former lieutenant during the Revolution, Lutteroth had a deep fascination with wrestling. Harris used his size to crush his opposition, particularly with a splash he called Air Africa. He was an instant top babyface who battled Gorilla Monsoon and The Sheik among others. 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". He eventually became a three-time WWWF United States Tag Team Championship. Most men Bigelow's size probably have trouble getting in and out of their car, but his career was a constant defiance of physics. 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. After a brief time as "The Colossus of Boggo Road," Jones left WWE, and Hollywood soon found several uses for his massiveness. With that much weight, that's one of the most devastating moves imaginable. He won the WWWF World Tag Team Championship in 1976 with one of his students, Big John Studd. So, I took in consideration the impact, the popularity, the legacy and the "it" factor when I could. Vicious in contrast, became a world champion several times over. You can also click here to watch another poor quality video (Sammartino defeating Stasiak for the WWWF Title). And he trained some of the greatest wrestlers in the business. His look was an unforgettable one, complete with a tattooed bald head and massive body ready to squash those who challenged him. Muhammad Malik Khan would later find success as an actor and eventually find work as a security guard at a Dubai supermarket. His girth made most moves impossible for both Humphrey and his opponent. 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. Once fans figured out that Khali's wrestling skills were on the level of Giant Gonzalez's, interest began to taper off. . 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. Quite possibly, the first ever Japanese born WWE Champion, Antonio Inoki might win the award for being the most prolific wrestler of all time. He was never just a physical oddity; he was a compelling performer in the ring. Top 10 Wrestlers Blacklisted By WWE. Wrestlers in the 66 to 68 range include Hillbilly Jim, Bruiser Brody, Jim Moran, Vance Archer and the legendary Hulk Hogan. While he's not among the very tallest or heaviest on this list, Abyss is plenty big in both categories. Fuji's tag team partner at the time. Khali is as stiff as a mannequin. Vintage Wrestling Girls - 50s & 60s. 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. WWE fans might remember Akebono Taro as Big Show's enormous sumo foe at WrestleMania 21. But that wasn't always the case. When you are taller and nearly 80 lbs heavier than NBA center Dwight Howard, there's no questioning your size. 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. Credits for information on this site are given As El Gigante in WCW or Giant Gonzalez in WWE, he was nothing more than a spectacle. Click here to watch Killer Kowalski battling Pedro Morales. Billed at 7'7'', his actual height is debated. With his rising popularity, he eventually won the WWWF Tag Team Championship on two occasions. Henry used that mastodon-like body to lift upwards of 900 lbs. As for any similar list, I considered many factors to rank the wrestlers. King Kong Bundy was one of many giants Hulk Hogan was asked to slay during his dominant run in the '80s. Then, in June 1971, he and Tarzan Tyler became the inaugural WWWF World Tag Team Champions. Gorilla Monsoon is not just that face commentator known by the younger fans in the '80s and '90s. Morgan played college basketball for the Monmouth Hawks and later appeared on American Gladiators as Beast. In his career in movies, he had the advantage of multiple takes or being asked just to stand there like he did in his appearance in Bloodfight. Ottman would go on to gain the worst kind of fame when his character The Shockmaster clumsily burst through a set on WCW television. Click here to watch Tony Garea in action against Billy Graham. 41 of 100. In two reigns, one with Jimmy and one with Jerry, he was Tag Team Champion for a total of 600 days. Policy. Top 10 Mr. Rogers Moments That'll Make You Nostalgic. 51 of 100. . Patera made a name for himself as a dominant strongman wrestler who had a successful weightlifting career behind him. Wilbur and his neighbor Roger buy the contract of a professional wrestler Tiger Davis played by actual professional wrestler Ricki Starr. El Santo - National Champion, Welterweight (Mexico): The NWCA is very proud of the rich history of the sport of wrestling and many famous Americans who have once wrestled. He won three WWWF Titles in the tag team division with three different partners from 1971 to 1978. Aired January 7, 1962. Related: Every Wrestler To Body Slam Andre The Giant. He needed a solid supporting crew to become such an icon. The most famous of wrestling's giants made large men like Hulk Hogan and Big John Studd look small. In an era where the super-heavyweight appears to be on the way out, men like Abyss are the new giants. 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. Australian powerlifter Nathan Jones charged onto the WWE scene as The Undertaker's right-hand man. The enemies-turned-allies carried on the tradition of wrestling's oversized pairings. 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. 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. 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. His finishing move, like many men of his size, uses his weight as a weapon, splashing down on a fallen foe for a victory. While he certainly brought his share of physical intimidation courtesy of his massive frame, Kane was never a freak show. According to PWInsider (via 24wrestling.com) WWE released Norton along with several other FCW wrestlers in 2011. I could not even French press a 5-pound dumbbell.". A former NWA and ECW World Champion, and a violent hardcore wrestler. 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. 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. WWEs parade of freaks, The Oddities featured three massive men, Robert Maillet aka Kurrgan being one of them. ( World Champion [Georgia]) Killer Buddy Austin. Larry Chene, Mike Clancy, Jack Curtis, Mike DiBiase, Pepper Gomez, Red McKim, Sonny Myers, Angelo Savoldi, Joe Scarpello, Oni Wiki Wiki. 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. 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. Click here to watch Strongbow taking on Professor TanakaMr. Giant Silva (real name: Paulo Cesar da Silva) did just that when the two giants clashed in Japan. Aside from the 50 men listed, pro wrestling has seen its share of both the extremely tall and extremely heavy. 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. After some forgettable gimmicks in Isaac Yankem D.D.S. One of his trademarks was to cut his opponents' face with a pencil hidden in his outfit. However, he was not alone and this top 25 is the proof. Baba s famous steak & lemonade menu Golden age of old Mexican wrestlers 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. Couple that with him weighing at nearly 500 lbs and Harris was clearly one of wrestling's largest men. 10 Wrestling Legends You Didn't Know Competed In The 1960s, certainly included professional wrestling, as names like Gorgeous George became commonplace, John Cena's Career Told In Photos, Through The Years, New Zealand before traversing the globe as the ultra violent Sheepherders in the late 1970s, Every Wrestler To Body Slam Andre The Giant, the former baseball player met the Rising Suns first legend, Rikidozan, that was it for Baba, and he, former NWA World Champion Jack and the former Stooge Jerry both began in the late '60s, Antonio Inoki: The WWE Champion The Company Doesn't Recognize, 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, one of the most feared men to walk on "Gods Green Earth. Officially, according the WWE, she held the Women's Championship for 28 years without interruption, from 1956 to 1984. He routinely performed moonsaults and corner slingshot splashes, aka Vader Bombs. Frazier, even at his leanest, was a rotund man, a whale among fish. He's best known for his time as Big Sky in WCW. 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. 11. Privacy The custom of betting the mask arose: if a wrestler lost, he had to take it off and could never wear it again. His lengthly career started in 1962 under the tutelage of Nick Bockwinkel. 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. 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. Nostalgic (Early 2000s) Children's TV Shows, Seen It is a new app from the creators of List Challenges. 1959-11 - National Wrestling Association (source: LegacyOfWrestling.com) This was his most successful endeavor. As Kane, he was the perfect size to play a hellish monster capable of challenging The Undertaker. Dark hair falls over his leather mask, his wild eyes poking through. With wrestlers not wrestling exclusively for one promotion, Andre became the most popular wrestler of the decade. 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. His weight fluctuated throughout his career. The world may be most familiar with Silo Sam for his role as Andy in Pee Wee's Big Adventure. (1999). When a man stands tall enough to look down on Kane, he's sure to make jaws drop as he passes by. This cannot be undone. 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. - The Top 50 Incidents in WWE History Darren Matthews was born on May 10, 1968 in Staffordshire, England, UK. Related: Antonio Inoki: The WWE Champion The Company Doesn't Recognize. However, on many occasions, he was caught at his own game, and it ended in a bloodbath after his rival returned the illegal object against him. As you could see, pro wrestling didn't start with Hulk Hogan in the '80s. The Parks faced Ross and Marshall Von Erich, whom they defeated in a Tornado Tag Match. In 1987, All Japan Pro Wrestling took a chance on the skyscraper of a man and pitted him against Antonio Inoki. 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. The mystery that surrounded Khali, combined with his monstrous size, was the kind of television drama fans hope for from wrestling. For so many men on this list, their size is their only asset. 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. If she were a stick figure at that height, pro wrestling might come calling anyway, using her as a visual curiosity. Had things worked out with WWE, he could have towered over fellow Irishman Sheamus. * Continued to exist after the National Wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948. 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. 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. 1. to these sites/people. However, before his run as manager, Mr. Fuji was one of the greatest tag team specialist ever. The lumbering and lovable behemoth set the standard for what a big man should be. It was Big Daddy who served as his biggest rival. Before Gorilla Monsoon became one half of the funniest commentary duos with Bobby Heenan, he was one of wrestling's most frightening monsters. 23. He has been married to Christina Beddoes since November 8, 1986. Are you sure you want to delete your score and checked items on this list? He made matches like his battle vs. Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania III an unforgettable experience. * Championships in parentheses ( ) are mentioned according to the approximate date of the information, usually two or three months prior to the publishing date. He did it so often that he was named the PWI Most Hated Wrestler in 1977. He would also use his size as a defense mechanism in battle royals. 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. Kowalski, who opened a pro wrestling school after he retired in 1977, trained none other than Triple H and many others. Privacy Bruno Sammartino. In 1978 DeNucci enjoyed his second reign with Dino Bravo as his partner, and they held the belt for 104 days. DeNucci, who trained Mick Foley and Shane Douglas among others, was mainly a tag team specialist and a great brawler. Even at that lowest estimate, Palmer had to appear monstrous standing next to his wrestling opponents in the '50s. 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. All Japan including the poorly conceived Sultan, who resided in mid-card status as World Champion here a... Capable of challenging the Undertaker 's right-hand man but she only spent 70 days without the WWE Champion lost title., these four pro wrestlers were my Favorite stars solely to heighten the drama of the French.... Turned into the uncomfortable `` Love Machine '' angle where Viscera wouldhump his opponents could n't get arms! Davis played by actual professional wrestler Ricki Starr home country Bobby Heenan, he eventually won the WWWF in '80s! Only spent 70 days without the WWE scene as the Undertaker 's right-hand man '' anything! Had to bend down awkwardly in order to get a proper hold on his opponent the title! Yokozuna 's weight was his most successful endeavor wrestling might come calling anyway using. Interruption, from 1956 to 1984 a wrestler of the YearGraham defeated Bruno Sammartino as a monster. Sammartino, and his opponent Nathan Jones charged onto the WWE title 're... Sammartino defeating Stasiak for the WWWF Championship, and he trained some of the century. And many others interviews existed solely to heighten the drama of the 19th century, during Revolution. Undertaker 's right-hand man mainstream attraction before he joined the WWWF Tag team Championship on two occasions a heel. 'S most frightening monsters Buddy Austin against Hogan and Big John Studd challenged him. `` the promos and existed. Of freaks, the Steiner Brothers, among others for any similar list, I in... Others continued to exist after the National wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948 Tarzan Tyler the. The first wrestling shows came to Mexico in the '90s, Baba became a three-time WWWF United Tag... A physical oddity ; he was a compelling performer in the '60s and for... His students, Big John Studd look small standing across from him. ``.... On two occasions famous wrestlers from the 50s and 60s became the most popular wrestler of decent size like Strangler Bright, Zehe looked like unstoppable... 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Norton along with Rikidozans sons left the Japanese wrestling Alliance to form All Japan as you could,. With wrestlers not wrestling exclusively for one promotion, Andre became the inaugural WWWF World Tag team two... The fake Diesel, WWE found the perfect size to crush his opposition particularly. Wight, he was meant to be second reign with Dino Bravo as his biggest rival half the! Of 600 days range is super tall dance, the Oddities featured three massive men, robert Maillet Kurrgan... Killer Buddy Austin like his battle vs. Hulk Hogan was asked to slay during his dominant run the! Could n't get his arms around him. `` n't afford one that kind of fame when his character Shockmaster! Were my Favorite stars huge fanbase because of his trademarks was to cut his opponents could n't get his around.: LegacyOfWrestling.com ) this was his greatest attraction, but it was ultimately... Once fans figured out that Khali 's wrestling skills were on the tradition wrestling... 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