Both men clashed on many occasions with no clear winner until that famous day in 1978 at the Madison Square Garden. It's unfortunate that Shaw became such a joke because he, unlike many men his size, had decent moves in the ring. Steve Reeves was the first bodybuilder to put . His finishing move, like many men of his size, uses his weight as a weapon, splashing down on a fallen foe for a victory. 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. Most of the wrestlers didn't even have the physiques or follow the diet and workout regimen that many athletes follow today. He used his tree-sized arms to lariat his opponents down to the mat. 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. 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. 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. Credits for information on this site are given After a brief time as "The Colossus of Boggo Road," Jones left WWE, and Hollywood soon found several uses for his massiveness. Happy Humphrey was the size of several men. 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. The wrestler called The Living Legend had it all to be a genuine superstar. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Copyright 1995-2023 puroresu.com. He held the new championship 233 days, then he hung his boots a couple years after his historic reign. The mystery that surrounded Khali, combined with his monstrous size, was the kind of television drama fans hope for from wrestling. In addition, you can see the most watched/liked stuff amongst your friends. When you think about WWWF in the '60s and '70s, Bruno Sammartino must be the first name to come to mind. With his rising popularity, he eventually won the WWWF Tag Team Championship on two occasions. Also, you can track what you've seen, want to see, like, or dislike, as well as track individual seasons or episodes of shows. His Gargantua ring name couldn't have been more apt. 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. Click here to watch The Baron teaming up with Frand "The Moose" to face Jay Strongbow and Peter Maivia. top 10 wrestlers from the 50s and 60s. Wrestling someone Giant Haystacks' size must have made several chiropractors rich. Couple that with him weighing at nearly 500 lbs and Harris was clearly one of wrestling's largest men. The lumbering and lovable behemoth set the standard for what a big man should be. The Big Red Machine has developed a resume worthy of the Hall of Fame. Brazil was the Jackie Robinson of wrestling, opening the door to future generations of African-American wrestlers. In a familiar story for men his size, Jorge Gonzalez's height was both his greatest asset and biggest weakness. Not many WWE fans got a chance to see the man who was to be known as "The Northern Irish Nightmare" Jason Mullen. However, the former nWo star is currently 62-years-old . The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. Kane, like his storyline brother, is so skilled and deft in the ring that one can sometimes forget how big he is. Bruno Sammartino. He also possessed a great magnetism and impressive ring work during his prime. 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. 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). 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. It's normal because he was like the main attraction for all those years. 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. 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. For some, it was obvious because there's a lot offootage available, but for some others, very little stuff could be found. Top 10 Buddy Cops on TV. Those I ranked are only the tip of the iceberg because other legends and pioneers existed before them. Scars line his arms. As a wrestler, he worked for several Japanese promotions where his immensity was even more impressive measured against generally smaller opponents. Rhodes began wrestling in the 1960s and gained a reputation as a fast-talking, hard-rocking wrestler. 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. Muhammad Malik Khan would later find success as an actor and eventually find work as a security guard at a Dubai supermarket. Facing a wrestler of decent size like Strangler Bright, Zehe looked like an unstoppable monster. Too bad the giant's resume doesn't boast much more than this kind of accomplishment. WWE fans might remember Akebono Taro as Big Show's enormous sumo foe at WrestleMania 21. Following that, he made sporadic appearances in various territories to eventually retire for good in the late '70s. The Parks faced Ross and Marshall Von Erich, whom they defeated in a Tornado Tag Match. A budding star, the Aussie known as 7-foot Thunder dreamed of a career in WCW. 1. His lengthly career started in 1962 under the tutelage of Nick Bockwinkel. Luke Graham was one of the rare to have a gimmick that didn't include specific outfits such as cowboy or other Russian characters. Howard though, is a well-built woman strong enough to toss around a reporter with ease. Morton hires a . and the fake Diesel, WWE found the perfect fit for Glenn Jacobs. 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. In 1989, Teddy Long formed a tag team featuring two intimidatingly tall wrestlers. Yokozuna's size made nearly every match a David-and-Goliath battle, even with a man as large as Hulk Hogan. He once was a fierce wrestler, with a heel character back in the '60s. Killer Kowalski must have stunned many a crowd at 6'7'' and nearly 300 lbs in the '50s and '60s. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. Hogan doesn't often get considered a big-man wrestler though he is 67 and 300 lbs. 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. The best quality video I could find was Stan Stasiak vs. Tony Garea in three parts: part 1, part 2 and part 3. * Continued to exist after the National Wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948. He made matches like his battle vs. Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania III an unforgettable experience. His girth made most moves impossible for both Humphrey and his opponent. Posted below are the 50 best wrestlers of all time, according to fans. Brian Norton wrestled in his home country as Tron. The Skyscrapers, as they were called, battled the Road Warriors, the Steiner Brothers, among others. At one point, he ballooned to nearly 800 lbs. The Twin Towers, as they were called, came in at a combined weight of over 760 lbs. 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. 1962-08-10 - National Wrestling Association (source: LegacyOfWrestling.com) Related: John Cena's Career Told In Photos, Through The Years. 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. To build the list, I had to rely mostly on reading and assumptions in regard to what I could actually watch. Honorable mention: Edouard Carpentier, Verne Gagne, Lou Thesz, Wilbur Snyder, Rip Hawk, Fritz Von Erich, Pepper Gomez, Lorenzo Parente, Jr. Heavyweight: 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. He was a real animal in the ring, and his brutality was matched by only few other hardcore legends. 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. Jackson Andrews wrestled for FCW from 2009-2011, where his colossal frame was his main asset. He eventually became a three-time WWWF United States Tag Team Championship. The lack of speed and mobility that hampered his basketball career would go on to do the same for his wrestling career. Reis left WCW in 1998, his height being the quality fans remember the most about him. He was in the first Wrestlemania against Hogan and Mr. T. As a competitor,. Many icons paved the way to what would become an empire in the world of wrestling. He towered over most of his competition in Puerto Rico orindy promotions like Professional Championship Wrestling. while others continued to bill Byers as the title holder. to these sites/people. Ivn Kowalski and Juan Enrique Dos Santos (El Gitano Ivanoff), would be the first wrestlers to personify the character of The Mummy. Mane wrestled for UWF, WCW and in Canada, Japan and Puerto Rico. 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. Iron Sheik. He was a master user of foreign objects and one of the best ever to sell opponents' moves. Shohei Baba helped to build the legacy of Japanese wrestling. All rights reserved. Beyond the shock value of their height or weight, they have little to offer. Imagine trying to pick up a man over 600 lbs to perform a wrestling move. His impressive reign lasted until December 1, 1973 when Stan "The Man" Stasiak defeated him for the title in a shocking moment. Once Upon A Time In The West (1968) 'Once Upon A Time in the West' follows a rail baron named Morton who is seeking to take possession of a piece of land near the town of Flagstone. Zbyszko slowly climbed the ladder in singles competition until he won the WWWF Tag Team Championship along with Tony Garea, for a 105-day reign. Regardless of how he performed in the ring, Vicious always looked the part of the massive monster. Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . Jones certainly had Undertaker's size and an impressive physique, but never did much more than tread water with the company. In no particular order, here are wrestling's biggest competitors, the leviathans of the ring. To make things more even for his foes, Bundy insisted on winning his matches with a five-count rather than the standard three-count. It was Big Daddy who served as his biggest rival. Jobbers soon found out what a chokeslam felt like from an incredible height. As Golga, he teamed with two other gigantic men in Kurrgan and Giant Silva. Dark hair falls over his leather mask, his wild eyes poking through. One would think it wouldn't be hard to convincingly portray a man of Mark Henry's size as a dominant and destructive force, but it took until the later stages of his career before that happened. You can also click here to watch another poor quality video (Sammartino defeating Stasiak for the WWWF Title). Wrestlers in the 66 to 68 range include Hillbilly Jim, Bruiser Brody, Jim Moran, Vance Archer and the legendary Hulk Hogan. - The Top 50 Incidents in WWE History Darren Matthews was born on May 10, 1968 in Staffordshire, England, UK. 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. Titanes en el Ring in 1982 would be one of the most successful cycles, Karadagin would incorporate new characters played by Alejandro Rodrigo as Mister Moto, Jos Mara Fernndez as El Pibe 10, Adolfo Snchez as El Romano Julio Csar, El Diabolo, Juan Domingo Vera as Nern, La pandilla de El Padrino, Norberto Paterno as Sullivan and Jos Roca as Joe Galera, and La Hermandad de Mongols composed by Kanghai El Mongol and Juan Levy Rodrguez as Genghis Khan. 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. Click here to watch Killer Kowalski battling Pedro Morales. He's best known for his time as Big Sky in WCW. It didn't help that WWE outfitted him in perhaps the worst wrestling gear in company history, but no amount of fashion sense could have hidden his deficiencies. Giant Baba became one of the key figures in all of Japanese wrestling. 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. 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. One. When you're the size that Gary Fletcher was, there's no more fitting name than Man Mountain. Even at that lowest estimate, Palmer had to appear monstrous standing next to his wrestling opponents in the '50s. It was here that he tagged with Kevin Nash, who was known then as Vinnie Vegas. Even today, there are wrestlers who wont dare try the now 75-year-old Jerry. Harley Race On an interesting side note, Santino Marella's name is a tribute to Monsoon, who's real name is Robert Marella. 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. Mike Shaw's wrestling personas included Friar Ferguson, Norman the Lunatic and Trucker Norm. Rogers mostly worked for Capitol Wrestling Corporation, the promotion that was the ancestor of the new WWWF created in 1963; he then became the first world champion on April 29 the same year. King Kong Bundy was one of many giants Hulk Hogan was asked to slay during his dominant run in the '80s. If it was not really his fault, it was still the birth of a legend. Once he shed the loose, purple tights of the Mabel character, he explored his dark side with the Gothic, vampire-like Viscera gimmick. Ruane wrestled for the majority of his career in England, but had a short stint in WCW as Loch Ness. Sheamus, John Cena and Josh Mathews combined don't quite weigh as much as Humphrey did during his career. Graham also managed to put the hand on the short-lived WWF International Tag Team Championship. It was one of the most turbulent decades in human history and some of the wrestlers who debuted during that time had careers that lasted practically into the next millennium. With his famous headbutt and his piledriver, he became a seven-time WWWF United States Championship from 1963 to 1971, when the title was deactivated. In spite of that ridiculousness, he managed to come off as intimidating, mostly due to his size. He played ball for his native Brazil Later, he tried his hand at MMA. He bumbled about the ring worse than Giant Gonzales or The Great Khali ever did. 1. 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. And he trained some of the greatest wrestlers in the business. Kurt Zehe made men look like boys when he stood next to them. Before tossing smaller man about in wrestling rings, Taro was in fact a real-life sumo wrestler. The history of professional wrestling is a long and complicated one, and in the 1960s, the business was much different for the wrestlers involved. For so many men on this list, their size is their only asset. In the halcyon days of the 1950s and early '60s, the promos and interviews existed solely to heighten the drama of the matches. Top 50 professional 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. 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! According to PWInsider (via 24wrestling.com) WWE released Norton along with several other FCW wrestlers in 2011. 10 Wrestlers Who Tragically Died In The Ring. Records differ on Palmer's actual height. They experimented with a few gimmicks for him, including the poorly conceived Sultan, who resided in mid-card status. In 1994, Bundy returned from a long hiatus, only to become The Undertaker's fourth victim during his famed WrestleMania undefeated streak. Killer Kowalski must have stunned many a crowd at 6'7'' and nearly 300 lbs in the '50s and '60s. 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. Dwarfing a man the size of Mason Ryan is accomplishment a rare few can claim. His nickname is used by today's wrestlers as a tribute to his legacy, and they are now known as Superstars. Kevin Nash has rolled back the years as of late, putting himself in fantastic shape. 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. As for any similar list, I considered many factors to rank the wrestlers. While the wrestling world has seen plenty of guys bigger, six-foot-ten is nothing to sneeze at either, especially in Japan where historically, isnt filled with a lot of taller individuals. * Continued to exist after the National Wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948. On the top of all that, if that means anything, he was the PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year in 1973 and the Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year in 1979. His reign only lasted 21 days, but with only six different WWWF Champions in the '70s, it means a lot. However, at the end of the decade, he could not get rid of his "Sammartino's Protg" label, and he turned heel, to eventually leave in 1981. There have been wrestlers well over 7 tall and some well beyond 400 lbs. Policy. 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. 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. Nostalgic (Early 2000s) Children's TV Shows, Seen It is a new app from the creators of List Challenges. 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. It's hard to even fathom a man so large that he would tower over Shaquille O'Neal or Big Show. Logos are registered trademarks of respective organizations. More than his tree-like stature, more than anything else in his career, fans will think of mustaches when they think of Eli Cottonwood. With the Tag Team Championship around his waist for two-and-a-half yers, he holds the record for the most combined days. Like Andre, Big Show was a massive man, sported a black singlet and suffered from acromegaly. Simply being a giant doesn't afford one that kind of legacy.
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