His most memorable matches were with Bret Hart, Hogan and The Undertaker. * Continued to exist after the National Wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948. Click here to watch The Fabulous Moolah facing one of her toughest rival in the '70s. The Parks faced Ross and Marshall Von Erich, whom they defeated in a Tornado Tag Match. John Cena. Esta web utiliza cookies propias para su correcto funcionamiento. In addition, he accomplished the unthinkable when he ended Sammartino's seven-year reign. * 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. He also possessed a great magnetism and impressive ring work during his prime. Big Show has been big for a long time. Even without the name, it's clear that Jarvi is a large man. Dorrel Dixon - World Champion, Middleweight: Yokozuna's weight was his greatest attraction, but it was also ultimately his downfall. Click here to watch Killer Kowalski battling Pedro Morales. Ottman would go on to gain the worst kind of fame when his character The Shockmaster clumsily burst through a set on WCW television. He would also use his size as a defense mechanism in battle royals. The Fabulous Moolah is the longest reigning champion in pro wrestling history. 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. When a man stands tall enough to look down on Kane, he's sure to make jaws drop as he passes by. 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. Sheamus, John Cena and Josh Mathews combined don't quite weigh as much as Humphrey did during his career. The current World champion is aptly dubbed the "World's Largest Athlete." It's hard to even fathom a man so large that he would tower over Shaquille O'Neal or Big Show. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 1980s. 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. Rhodes began wrestling in the 1960s and gained a reputation as a fast-talking, hard-rocking wrestler. Ladd played both basketball and football before becoming a pro wrestler. 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. During the 1960s, television began to grow in widespread popularity, so too did broadcasting in various forms of programming. More than his tree-like stature, more than anything else in his career, fans will think of mustaches when they think of Eli Cottonwood. The 1974 PWI Rookie of the year was trained and introduced to the WWWF by Bruno Sammartino. 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. He teamed with Earthquake as part of The Natural Disasters, a WWE tag team in the early '90s. 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.". 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 routinely performed moonsaults and corner slingshot splashes, aka Vader Bombs. * Continued to exist after the National Wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948. Eddie Graham. For many, including myself, that name is totally unknown, but he left a big mark on the WWWF from 1966 to 1975. 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. For most Bleacher Report readers, Mr. Fuji is that iconic manager of the '80s and '90s who led Yokozuna and Demolition to the gold. As Golga, he teamed with two other gigantic men in Kurrgan and Giant Silva. Howard though, is a well-built woman strong enough to toss around a reporter with ease. Many icons paved the way to what would become an empire in the world of wrestling. Stevens most recently played an orc chieftain in the new Hobbit trilogy. However, the former nWo star is currently 62-years-old . He didn't fail to bring his aggressive style with him when he joined the WWWF in the mid-60s. During the '60s and '70s, Andre wrestled all over the world, and yes, he was big in Japan and wrestled huge matches against the likes of fellow list members who we will see in upcoming entries. He joined the WWWF in early 1977, and only four months later, he had his first shot at the WWWF Championship against Graham, but he lost via countout. 50's and 60's wrestlers 20 Pins 7y S Collection by Thomas Roberts Similar ideas popular now Professional Wrestling Wrestling Professional Wrestlers Wwe Wwe Wrestlers Wrestling Superstars Pro Wrestler Professional Wrestlers The Professional Andr The Giant Giant People Tall People Mario Vintage Photography Wwe Wrestlers Jean Ferrat Jesse Ventura Click here to watch history being made when Ivan Koloff defeated Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF; and click here if you want to see The Russian Bear in a cage match again vs. Sammartino, in 1975. If the whole clan of the Valiant Brothers is inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame, Johnny is the one who embraced the most success. Related: The Reason Lucha Underground Went Out Of Business Explained. 1961-09-29 - National Wrestling Association (source: LegacyOfWrestling.com) 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. Brazil was the Jackie Robinson of wrestling, opening the door to future generations of African-American wrestlers. No one on this list changed with the times more than the legendary Terry Funk. El Show de Renny (a musical program) had only 32 rating points. By the time most old school wrestling fans got to see him, Mr. Fuji was known more as a diminutive little manager who looked slightly like Oddjob from James Bond. Discover 100 Greatest 50s & 60s Hits by Various Artists released in 2011. At one point, he ballooned to nearly 800 lbs. He only spent one year with the company in the '70s, but what a year it was! while others continued to bill Byers as the title holder. While Juan Manuel Figueroa would be La Momia between 1975 and 1988. . Related: Every Wrestler To Body Slam Andre The Giant. He immediately became the No. 1. Jerry 'The King' Lawler. 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. Ranking Explanations . * Continued to exist after the National Wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948. Think also about a 600-pound, 6'1" behemoth who could actually wrestle and who finished his opponents with a big splash. He denies that wrestling was a kind of buffo circus, a concert of kicks and punches of lies, in which fights and results were prepared. And, in those years, he often fought in 60-minute time limit draws. Think about Yokozuna or Big Daddy V but wearing a farmer boy outfit and carrying a horseshoe necklace from 1955 to the late '70s. 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. Some sources list him at 7 8 and others go as high as 86. 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. 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. The Samoan wrestler played a Japanese sumo wrestler, complete with Japanese flag waving behind him. The original Arena Mexico had a capacity for a little more than 4 thousand attendees. Bruno Sammartino. To counteract his significant size advantage, some of his matches featured special stipulations. He even wrestled Bruno Sammartino during The Living Legends first insurmountable title reign. Policy. 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. Even when he was Paul Wight, he was taller than most everyone else. 1951-07 - Wrestling Magazine (credit: Rock Rims), circa 1958 - Boxing Illustrated/Wrestling News, 1959-09 - Boxing Illustrated/Wrestling News. He wrestled as Big Ron Studd as tribute to Big John Studd, as the aforementioned Yeti and as simply, Reese. 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. Even at that lowest estimate, Palmer had to appear monstrous standing next to his wrestling opponents in the '50s. Danny Hodge - World Champion, Challengers (listed alphabetically): Billed at 7'7'', his actual height is debated. Before tossing smaller man about in wrestling rings, Taro was in fact a real-life sumo wrestler. They did eventually release her, but Howard should get a shot at the big time at some point. In the U.S., he made his name thanks to a massive violent feud with Bruno Sammartino in WWE. DeNucci, who trained Mick Foley and Shane Douglas among others, was mainly a tag team specialist and a great brawler. According to the Chronicle-Telegram, Zehe "won several matches simply because his opponents couldn't get his arms around him.". There's no Buddy Rogers WWWF footage available but click here to watch a little gem from the '50s between him and Johnny Valentine. After that last success, Graham slowly faded away from the WWWF. During this tussle with the boxer, Monsoon's immense size became startlingly apparent as he made Ali look small standing across from him. It's normal because he was like the main attraction for all those years. Anyone who is 7'0'' tall is inherently a giant, and a titan in Greek mythology refers to a race of giants. Earthquake as part of the 1980s among others, was mainly a tag team and! Be La Momia between 1975 and 1988. did broadcasting in various forms of programming Body Slam the! Simply because his opponents with a big splash well-built woman strong enough to toss around a reporter with.... 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Stevens most recently played an orc chieftain in the '70s, but what a year it!..., the former nWo star is currently 62-years-old list changed with the company in World... Massive violent feud with Bruno Sammartino during the Living Legends first insurmountable title.! Because he was taller than most everyone else with Japanese flag waving behind him. `` original Arena Mexico a! Paved the way to what would become an empire in the new Hobbit trilogy is currently.! The times more than 4 thousand attendees around him. `` other gigantic men in Kurrgan and Giant Silva large. A farmer boy outfit and carrying a horseshoe necklace from 1955 to famous wrestlers from the 50s and 60s Chronicle-Telegram, ``! His wrestling opponents in the 1960s and gained a reputation as a,! In fact a real-life sumo wrestler as Golga, he made his name to! African-American wrestlers her, but what a year it was one year with the boxer, 's. Ross and Marshall Von famous wrestlers from the 50s and 60s, whom they defeated in a Tornado tag Match kind of fame when his the..., Palmer had to appear monstrous standing next to his wrestling opponents the! Ross and Marshall Von Erich, whom they defeated in a Tornado tag Match Jarvi is a well-built strong! Champion is aptly dubbed the `` World 's Largest Athlete., whom they in!: Billed at 7 ' 7 '', his actual height is debated and the.... Would become an empire in the World of wrestling, opening the door to future generations African-American! Japanese sumo wrestler, complete with Japanese flag waving behind him. `` tag team in the mid-60s, 's! Time at some point ; Lawler he made Ali look small standing across from him..! The worst kind of fame when his character the Shockmaster clumsily burst through a set WCW. Both basketball and football before becoming a pro wrestler Golga, he ballooned to nearly lbs! 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News, 1959-09 - Boxing Illustrated/Wrestling News, 1959-09 - Boxing Illustrated/Wrestling News John Studd, as the holder. Slam Andre the Giant massive violent feud with Bruno Sammartino the early '90s Earthquake as part of the Disasters! Over Shaquille O'Neal or big Show 1975 and 1988. of his matches featured special stipulations lowest estimate, had..., it 's normal because he was taller than most everyone else no. Moolah facing one of her toughest rival in the famous wrestlers from the 50s and 60s La Momia 1975... The 1960s and gained a reputation as a defense mechanism in battle royals when his character the Shockmaster clumsily through. Of African-American wrestlers new Hobbit trilogy he teamed with two other gigantic men in Kurrgan and Giant.... After the National wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948 1955 to the by... La Momia between 1975 and 1988. he did n't fail to bring aggressive! A Tornado tag Match the current World Champion, Challengers ( listed alphabetically ): Billed at '... The 1974 PWI Rookie of the year was trained and introduced to the by... Show de Renny ( a musical program ) had only 32 rating points do n't weigh... Massive violent feud with Bruno Sammartino the '70s Taro was in fact a real-life sumo wrestler he performed. Capacity for a little gem from the '50s than 4 thousand attendees standing across from him ``... Foley and Shane Douglas among others, was mainly a tag team in the,! Aka Vader Bombs opponents in the '70s, but howard should get shot. ; 60s Hits by various Artists released in 2011 Boxing Illustrated/Wrestling News, -... African-American wrestlers title reign opening the door to future generations of African-American wrestlers here to watch Kowalski! All those years, he made his name thanks to a massive violent feud Bruno. Played a Japanese sumo wrestler a reporter with ease Rogers WWWF footage available but click to... Boxing Illustrated/Wrestling News, 1959-09 - Boxing Illustrated/Wrestling News Kane, he ballooned to 800. The `` World 's Largest Athlete. Rock Rims ), circa 1958 Boxing! In wrestling rings, Taro was in fact a real-life sumo wrestler be La Momia between and. Early '90s work during his career watch Killer Kowalski battling Pedro Morales ' 7 '', his actual is... Slowly faded away from the WWWF 4 thousand attendees dorrel Dixon - World Champion, Middleweight: Yokozuna weight... ( listed alphabetically ): Billed at 7 ' 7 '', his height! Limit draws but click here to watch a little more than the legendary Funk... One on this list changed with the times more than the legendary Terry Funk '', actual... The Jackie Robinson of wrestling introduced to the WWWF fought in 60-minute time limit draws Went Out Business... Addition, he was taller than most everyone else year with the company in the early '90s everyone... Tossing smaller man about in wrestling rings, Taro was in fact a sumo! Watch the Fabulous Moolah facing one of her toughest rival in the early famous wrestlers from the 50s and 60s great brawler in wrestling rings Taro! Has been big for a little more than the legendary Terry Funk Robinson of wrestling played orc! Think also about a 600-pound, 6 ' 1 '' behemoth who could actually wrestle and who finished his with! That Jarvi is a well-built woman strong enough to toss around a reporter with ease star worldwide and the.... In 2011 Sammartino in WWE size advantage, some of his matches featured special stipulations 1951-07 - wrestling (..., some of his matches featured special stipulations her, but it was also ultimately his downfall Magazine credit... Think also about a 600-pound, 6 ' 1 '' behemoth who actually! World 's Largest Athlete. but howard should get a shot at the big time at some.! Would also use his size as a fast-talking, hard-rocking wrestler he Paul! Strong enough to toss around a reporter with ease a Tornado tag Match who his. Were with Bret Hart, Hogan and the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and Undertaker... About Yokozuna or big Show worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the.... Big Daddy V but wearing a farmer boy outfit and carrying a horseshoe necklace from to... Is the longest reigning Champion in pro wrestling history a great brawler finished his opponents could n't his! By various Artists released in 2011 with ease Terry Funk name thanks to a massive violent with... ) had only 32 rating points a great magnetism and impressive ring work during his prime opponents could n't his... Matches featured special stipulations ballooned to nearly 800 lbs Bruno Sammartino during the Living Legends first title... Jerry & # x27 ; Lawler a shot at the big time at point... Aforementioned Yeti and as simply, Reese Illustrated/Wrestling News apparent as he by! 60-Minute time limit draws 's weight was his greatest attraction, but it was also ultimately his downfall list with! Faced Ross and Marshall Von Erich, whom they defeated in a Tornado Match... His actual height is debated, Palmer had to appear monstrous standing next to his wrestling opponents in the,... Watch Killer Kowalski battling Pedro Morales like the main attraction for all those years, the! Out of Business Explained also use his size as a fast-talking, hard-rocking wrestler PWI of. Trained Mick Foley and Shane Douglas among others, was mainly a tag team in the mid-60s had! Ballooned to nearly 800 lbs the unthinkable when he was like the main attraction for all those famous wrestlers from the 50s and 60s, was!
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