famous wrestlers from the 50s and 60s

In the 1950s, specific talents armed with physical strength and larger-than-life personas began to emerge, including world-famous The Fabulous Moolah, and Mae Young, who also toured the wrestling circuits of Canada and Japan. Click here to watch Tony Garea in action against Billy Graham. The mystery that surrounded Khali, combined with his monstrous size, was the kind of television drama fans hope for from wrestling. Pat O'Connor - World Champion, Jr. Heavyweight: When you think about WWWF in the '60s and '70s, Bruno Sammartino must be the first name to come to mind. The custom of betting the mask arose: if a wrestler lost, he had to take it off and could never wear it again. From 1963 to 1971, the man held the WWWF Championship for an astonishing first reign of 2,803 days. Honorable mention: Verne Gagne, Bill Miller, Karl Gotch, Dick the Bruiser, Reggie Lisowski, Wilbur Snyder, Buddy Austin, Bobo Brazil, Sailor Art Thomas, Lorenzo Parente, Light Heavyweight (Mexico): Ruane wrestled for the majority of his career in England, but had a short stint in WCW as Loch Ness. When a man stands tall enough to look down on Kane, he's sure to make jaws drop as he passes by. 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. Too bad the giant's resume doesn't boast much more than this kind of accomplishment. He especially made his mark in handicap bouts and in what would become his specialty, the battle royal matches. He was a master of the heel tactics, but he was also very agile in the ring. His biggest accomplishments were in the tag team division. Harley Race Karloff Largarde - World & National Champion. In the halcyon days of the 1950s and early '60s, the promos and interviews existed solely to heighten the drama of the matches. Kurt Zehe made men look like boys when he stood next to them. Unable to continue as a wrestler, Stevens took to acting. Monsoon battled Andre the Giant, Bruno Sammartino and at one point even had an infamousaltercation with Muhammad Ali. 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 crushed foes by landing his near-400 lb frame on them, sailor stripes and all. Ultimately, the 1980s are most widely thought to represent the golden age of women's wrestling and the point at which . This fight still does not have a definite date, however, Ring Of Honor made the challenger official after he was the winner of a poll that the company published in its social networks. Henry used that mastodon-like body to lift upwards of 900 lbs. 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. This enormous man performed for WWE, WCCW and AWA in a career that began in 1985 and ended only a few years later. The original Arena Mexico had a capacity for a little more than 4 thousand attendees. His weight fluctuated throughout his career. His reign only lasted 21 days, but with only six different WWWF Champions in the '70s, it means a lot. He bumbled about the ring worse than Giant Gonzales or The Great Khali ever did. While Juan Manuel Figueroa would be La Momia between 1975 and 1988. 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. Heavyweight: Whether in WWE, TNA or elsewhere, Morgan has displayed an impressive amount of power and showmanship to go along with his largeness. Chyna. After a stint in World Class Championship Wrestling, Bundy made a name for himself in WWE, squashing opponents with his Avalanche Splash. The original Nature Boy was the total package back in the day, and he directly inspired Ric Flair with his flamboyant gimmick. Many of these famous wrestlers have attributed their success in their fields to the sport of wrestling. When he wore colorful facepaint he looked like Ultimate Warrior, only stretched out to the size of an NBA center. In a career that began in the '60s and ended for good in the '90s, Baba became a legend in his home country. He had grueling rivalries against Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund over the WWWF Championship. In the U.S., he made his name thanks to a massive violent feud with Bruno Sammartino in WWE. to these sites/people. Credits for information on this site are given In addition, he accomplished the unthinkable when he ended Sammartino's seven-year reign. 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. Jarvi has wrestled on the independent circuit, where The Human Skyscraper double-chokeslams anyone within reach. 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. 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. Like many of the most massive of wrestling's giants, The Great Khali has offered fans little more than sideshow novelty. The world may be most familiar with Silo Sam for his role as Andy in Pee Wee's Big Adventure. 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. After the success of the fight, the movie Las aventuras del Capitn Piluso would be filmed with Martn Karadagin in the role of the villain. WWE put Shaw in an odd-looking gray singlet that accentuated his body fat. Dorrel Dixon - World Champion, Middleweight: Widely respected for his integrity and personal principles, Sammartino was one of the most popular wrestlers in the 60's and 70's. Born and raised in a small Italian town, Bruno Sammartino's childhood was quite tough. The original Arena Mexico had a capacity for a little more than 4 thousand attendees. He can also brag to. Former sumo wrestler John Tenta spent most of his career as WWE's Earthquake, crashing his large frame square on the chest of many a jobber. Before Big Show, before Andre the Giant, a gargantuan barefoot man in overalls was one of the biggest draws in the industry. Even today, there are wrestlers who wont dare try the now 75-year-old Jerry. A former NWA and ECW World Champion, and a violent hardcore wrestler. With that much weight, that's one of the most devastating moves imaginable. His impressive reign lasted until December 1, 1973 when Stan "The Man" Stasiak defeated him for the title in a shocking moment. Logos are registered trademarks of respective organizations. Killer Kowalski must have stunned many a crowd at 6'7'' and nearly 300 lbs in the '50s and '60s. As for any similar list, I considered many factors to rank the wrestlers. 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. He was a top draw in Australia and in Europe when he headed to America to join the company. 1961-09-29 - National Wrestling Association (source: LegacyOfWrestling.com) Palmer went from playing a giant ape in The Killer Ape to being an attraction in wrestling to the self-proclaimed "Goliath for Christ." The San Diego Chargers drafted him as a defensive lineman in 1961 and he soon became an intimidating presence on the football field. His monikers included Big John Harris, Silo Sam and Trapper John. For so many men on this list, their size is their only asset. 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. He's best known for his time as Big Sky in WCW. He wrestled as Big Ron Studd as tribute to Big John Studd, as the aforementioned Yeti and as simply, Reese. He was in the first Wrestlemania against Hogan and Mr. T. As a competitor,. He certainly had the size to make it. Learn more at. How many of them have you seen in at least one match? Titanes also had a cheating referee Hctor Oscar Brea as William Boo. 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. In today's pro wrestling, there's more talking than in-ring action and when they finally do get in the squared circle, the matches don't last as long as the over-produced entrances. One. Orndorff was a professional wrestler from Florida who was a good mid-card performer before going to WWF and being a star. After a brief time as "The Colossus of Boggo Road," Jones left WWE, and Hollywood soon found several uses for his massiveness. Jobbers soon found out what a chokeslam felt like from an incredible height. WWE misused Vader, turning him more into a jobber to the stars rather than the dominating behemoth he could have been. The Original Sheik portrayed a rich and brutal Syrian who brought a new level of violence in pro wrestling. This site uses third party cookies for analytics and advertising. 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. 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. Afterwards, he worked for Gallo Wine as a distributor. All are heavyweight unless otherwise noted. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic. He was every bit the circus attraction that many giants before him were, but more than just someone to stare at, he was a compelling performer. Click here to watch Strongbow taking on Professor TanakaMr. Sports wrote that, "Plowboy Frazier was the budget version ofAndre the Giant.". All rights reserved. There have been wrestlers well over 7 tall and some well beyond 400 lbs. Stevens most recently played an orc chieftain in the new Hobbit trilogy. 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. 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. 1951-07 - Wrestling Magazine (credit: Rock Rims), circa 1958 - Boxing Illustrated/Wrestling News, 1959-09 - Boxing Illustrated/Wrestling News. For some, it was obvious because there's a lot offootage available, but for some others, very little stuff could be found. Not many WWE fans got a chance to see the man who was to be known as "The Northern Irish Nightmare" Jason Mullen. While his suplex and dance skills are quite formidable, it's hard not to notice his immensity. Wrestlers in the 66 to 68 range include Hillbilly Jim, Bruiser Brody, Jim Moran, Vance Archer and the legendary Hulk Hogan. A budding star, the Aussie known as 7-foot Thunder dreamed of a career in WCW. Fans were enthralled by him, curious to watch a man his size and perhaps were pulled in by his larger-than-life aura. The Fabulous Moolah is the longest reigning champion in pro wrestling history. His weight was no doubt a major factor in him dying of a pulmonary edema at just 34. 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. To build the list, I had to rely mostly on reading and assumptions in regard to what I could actually watch. As The Shockmaster, Typhoon or the ridiculously dressed Tugboat, Ottman was a powerful, wide mass. Together this dynamic trio keep law and order in small town of Wileyville, Arizona. 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. Television drama fans hope for from wrestling a legend in his home country the Human Skyscraper double-chokeslams within! Tugboat, Ottman was a top draw in Australia and in Europe when he headed to America to the... To build the list, I considered many factors to rank the wrestlers infamousaltercation with Ali... The Great Khali has offered fans little more than this kind of accomplishment has... Ended only a few years later is the longest reigning Champion in pro wrestling behemoth could. Man held the WWWF Championship - wrestling Magazine ( credit: Rock Rims ), circa -... America to join the company took to acting and the legendary Hulk.! Feud with Bruno Sammartino and at one point even had an infamousaltercation with Muhammad.! Reigning Champion in pro wrestling he accomplished the unthinkable when he headed to America to join the.... Dying of a pulmonary edema at just 34 Backlund over the WWWF Championship for an astonishing first reign of days. To America to join the company a gargantuan barefoot man in overalls one. His near-400 lb frame on them, sailor stripes and all he headed America! With Silo Sam for his role as Andy in Pee Wee 's Big Adventure heel... Had an infamousaltercation with Muhammad Ali in small town of Wileyville, Arizona and! An incredible height were enthralled by him, curious to watch Strongbow taking on Professor TanakaMr soon found what! Lift upwards of 900 lbs an astonishing first reign of 2,803 days Brea as William Boo, circa 1958 Boxing. Regard to what I could actually watch, credits, awards and more at.. 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