Last updated on May 8th, 2022 at 11:15 am
For quite a long time, the size of an athlete has played a significant role in the world of wrestling
During the earlier years, wrestling fans adored towering giants and thus many wrestling promotions went all guns out in an effort to capitalize on this new obsession
As most promotions were going after 7-foot giants especially during the Transition and Golden Era, a new crop of wrestlers emerged
Unlike the typical giants that many fans had become accustomed to, this new breed of wrestlers did very little to stay fit and thus ended up weighing more than 600 pounds
While these wrestlers did not look anything like a typical wrestler would, the reception among the wrestling fans back then was great
There was simply something great about seeing a 600-pound giant in the ring
From the world’s heaviest twins The McGuire Twins to the likes of Happy Humphrey to Giant Haystacks, these wrestlers proved to be quite a hit as thus ended up filling up various stadiums and arenas to the brink
Due to their lack of athleticism, many of these wrestlers often relied on their massive weight and massive strength during wrestling matches
As a result, many of these wrestlers went unbeaten for a bigger part of their wrestling careers
Moreover, many of these wrestlers were often placed in battle royals which made it not only entertaining but also quite difficult for average-sized wrestlers to throw them over the top rope
That said, let us look at the 10 heaviest wrestlers to ever step into the squared circle
A renowned Japanese-American wrestler, Akebono Taro began his career as a professional Sumo Wrestler in 1988
By the year 1993, Akebono Taro made history, by becoming the first ever non-Japanese born wrestler to attain the title, Yokozuna
After his sumo wrestling career came to an end, Akebono Taro entered into the world of MMA and kickboxing after a string of financial problems
In 2005, Akebono made his on-screen debut for the WWE, to accept Big Show’s challenge for a sumo wrestling match
During his WWE debut, Akebono managed to defeat Eddie Vegas a renowned jobber
At WrestleMania 21, Taro went head to head against The Big Show in a sumo wrestling match
Akebono Taro would win the match after executing a koshinage
After his rather short stint with the WWE, Akebono Taro signed with AJPW in 2005, where he took part in a string of singles and tag team matches
9 Andre the Giant: 525 pounds
One of the biggest and most popular wrestlers of the 1970s, Andre the Giant was a towering behemoth, who unlike most wrestlers his size tried to wrestle
Before signing with the WWWF, Andre the Giant could effortlessly execute drop kicks and several other moves
His huge size saw him not only pull crowds but also travel across various territories and promotions in North America
Before signing with the WWE, Vince McMahon became his booking agent
In 1974, his first year in the United States, The Guinness Book of Records claimed that Andre the Giant made a whopping $400,000
However, as time went by, wrestling fans began to get bored mainly because Andre the Giant was simply unbeatable which made most of his bookings easy to predict
In a bid to prevent Andre the Giant’s body from breaking down and improve his overall appeal, Vince McMahon came up with a new proposition
The new proposition entailed Andre the Giant dropping most of his moves and embracing a methodical approach to wrestling
In the 1980’s Andre the Giant ultimately signed with the WWE
Although, at this point, his body was already falling apart, Andre the Giant still managed to become a household name, thanks to McMahon’s input
Vince McMahon had just purchased the company from his father the previous year and was keen on expanding the promotion to other territories
Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan and Big John Studd were just but a few of the wrestlers who played a crucial role in McMahon’s expansion plan
8 Man Mountain Mike: 600 pounds
Way before Yokozuna, Rikishi or The Big Show, wrestling fans had Man Mountain Mike and Haystacks Calhoun
Discovered at all you can eat buffet, Man Mountain Mike was a towering behemoth who weighed an approximated 600 pounds
Despite his immense size, Man Mountain Mike could put forth decent fights
Since he wrestled at a time when many wrestling fans were more invested in size more than wrestling skills, Man Mountain Mike often fought with or against Haystacks Calhoun
While man Mountain Mike never signed with the WWWF(WWE), he was still a household name back in Los Angeles, Florida and AWA
In the early 1970’s Man Mountain Mike signed with Championship Wrestling based in Florida where he took part in many battle royals
Due to his size many of his opponents were not able to throw the 600-pound giant over the rope and thus Man Mountain Mike ended up winning many of these events effortlessly
Because of his wins, promotions and wrestling analysts named him the “King of Battle Royals”
Later, Man Mountain Mike signed with NWA, where he managed to win the promotions tag team championship title alongside Butcher Branigan
After his brief stint with both NWA and Championship Wrestling, Man Mountain Mike embarked on his tour of Japan
While in Japan, Man Mountain Mike took on the greatest Japanese wrestler of all time, Antonio Inoki in a string of matches
Due to Inoki’s dominance and popularity back in Japan, Man Mountain Mike was unable to win any of these matches
Considered to be the largest wrestler of his time, Blimp Levy was a major wrestling attraction back in the 1930s and 1940s
The New York Times described Levy as “the most meat to ever step into the squared circle, while The Boston Globe stated that “there is no challenging Levy to become the World’s biggest
Prior to becoming a professional wrestler, blimp Levy worked as a fat man in a side show organized at Coney Island
It is while working as a fat man that Jack Pfeffer, a renowned promoter discovered Blimp Levy
Unlike most similar sized wrestlers, Blimp Levy was quite agile in the ring and at one point managed to kick a metal can that was hanging six feet above the ground
Throughout his illustrious wrestling career, Blimp Levy wrestled across various territories in the United States
By the end of his wrestling career, Blimp Levy held wins against Buddy Rogers “The Nature Boy”, Gorgeous George, and Tor Johnson
In Paul Boesch biographical book, Paul states that Blimp Levy was not only one of the biggest wrestler at the time but also managed to sell out all the arenas he ever wrestled in
As a result, Levy began to wrestle in other territories such as Singapore and Malaysia
In 1951, Levy officially retired from professional wrestling
Widely remembered for his hilly-Billy performance, Haystacks Calhoun was one of the most popular wrestlers back in the 1960’s and 1970’s
His massive size saw him become a fan favorite and was often placed in matches against fellow behemoths
Although Haystacks was not born in Arkansas, many wrestling promotions often used this angle and to further add more realism to the hilly-billy persona, Haystacks had to don a white T-shirt, bushy beard, a horse shoe around his neck and blue overalls
Due to his massive size and ability to dominate matches, Haystacks Calhoun hardly lost any of the matches that he took part in
Thus, many wrestling promotions early on in his career often placed him either in battle royals or handicap matches
During the early 1960s, Haystacks Calhoun teamed up with fellow giant Happy Humphry in a series of sold-out matches at Madison Square Garden
Because Happy Humphry was heavier than Haystacks Calhoun, he was often quite slow and many at times would easily lose a match via count-out since he was not able to get back to the ring on time
5 Giant Haystacks: 686lbs
The Loch Ness Monster was undeniably one of the most renowned wrestlers within the British wrestling scene back in the 80’s and 90’s
Due to his massive size, Giant Haystacks was a fan favorite
Throughout his illustrious wrestling career, Giant Haystacks was able to not only win the British Heavyweight Championship but also the European Heavyweight Championship title
Often portrayed a superheavyweight heel, Giant Haystacks teamed up with Big Daddy, with one mission in mind; crush all the blue-eyed babyfaces of the company
The result was a rather long and entertaining feud that brought up ITV’s rating as more and more wrestling fans became highly interested in this one of a kind feud
Although the feud started late in the 70’s, it would run for nearly two decades until Big Daddy’s ultimate retirement from pro wrestling
Giant haystacks managed to become a household name in his home country, which often drew interest from various promotions across the world
While wrestling in Canada, Giant Haystacks managed to win the Stampede Tag Team title on two separate occasions with Bret Hart and Dynamite Kid In 1996, Giant Haystacks ultimately retired from pro wrestling after being diagonized with cancer and returned to his home country, Britain
Billed at 750lbs, Yokozuna is the heaviest WWE champion of all time and one of the most dominant wrestlers to ever step into the squared circle
During his meteoric rise to the WWE’s upper card division, Yokozuna defeated various seasoned wrestlers such as Bret “The Hitman” Hart, Hulk Hogan and The Undertaker
While the WWE marketed Yokozuna as a Japanese wrestler, Yokozuna was a Samoan American wrestler and member of the famous, Anoi’a family
Unlike many main event wrestlers, Yokozuna was a heel who could go to extreme lengths to win matches
In his second match for the promotion, Yokozuna would drop his former gimmick and instead use his new gimmick Yokozuna, a Sumo wrestler
Several months the line, Yokozuna would eliminate Randy Savage to win the 1993 Royal Rumble match
This win cemented Yokozuna’s place in the promotions main event scene and was now one of the top dogs in the company
At Wrestlemania X1, Yokozuna won his first ever WWF World Championship after defeating Bret “The Hitman” Hart thanks to Mr Fiji’s interference
However, Yokozuna would lose the title on the same night to Hulk Hogan after Mr Fiji accidentally threw salt into Yokozuna’s eyes
Currently, Yokozuna holds the fourth shortest time to win the WWF Championship title after his debut, behind Rick Flair, Sheamus and Brock Lesnar
Billy McGuire is the third heaviest wrestler of all time and weighed an average of 784 pounds throughout his wrestling career
Just like his brother Benny McGuire, Billy McGuire also suffered a string of injuries, however, his injuries were mainly caused by his weight and not fans
Due to their massive size, the McGuire brothers have had rings collapse on them on various occasions
In a Big Men competition held at Madison Square Garden, all the competing wrestlers were more than 400 pounds
Wrestlers who participated in this match included Andre the Giant and Haystacks Calhoun
Like most giant wrestlers, Billy and Benny were not always large
Widely known for their wrestling moves the big splash and the steamroller, the McGuire twins were a sensation hit back in the 1960s
The twins were quite dominant in the tag team division of any promotion that they got booked in and many at times this did not sit well with many local fans especially those outside the United States
After annihilating the Japanese tag team champions and local favorites back in Tokyo, an irate fan took upon himself to inflict a 6-inch stab wound on Benny McGuire
According to the twins, Japan was one of the countries where the wrestling fans truly hated them
This would mark just one of the many instances when the McGuire twins were on the receiving ends from the fans
While on a tour in Kentucky, another wrestling fan decided to throw a bag full of rattlesnakes into the McGuire’s twins dressing room
Considered to be the heaviest wrestler of all time, Happy Humphrey was undeniably a powerhouse and one of the most popular wrestlers back in the 1950s and 1960s
While he averaged around 750 pounds for most of his wrestling career, historical records show that Happy Humphrey peaked at 900 pounds
Due to his massive size, Happy Humphrey often went head to head against fellow giants specifically, Haystacks Calhoun
While he had a rather promising wrestling career earlier on, Humphrey’s most memorable match would come at Madison Square against Calhoun under Vince McMahon’s promotion
While Humphrey’s massive size proved to be a major selling point for many promoters, there were certain challenges that came along with the weight
After wrestling for more than a decade, Happy Humphrey developed a heart condition that forced him into early retirement
After following a strict diet, Happy Humphrey managed to lose more than 570 pounds, setting a new Guinness World Record
NEXT: The 10 Strongest Wrestlers of All Time
Tags: Heaviest Wrestlers, Heaviest Wrestlers of all time
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Last updated on June 15th, 2022 at 05:17 pm
Fans loved these types of matches and wrestling franchises acted swiftly to make these dream matches come true
From Andre the Giant to Giant Baba to Mountain Mike to the Great Khali, these wrestling behemoths easily pulled crowds
While many of the biggest wrestlers in history lacked speed and impressive athletic abilities, their massive power always paid dividends, especially when facing smaller opponents
In addition, wrestling fans back in the ’60s to the ’80s were willing to spend money just to see these giants
This new approach to wrestling saw many of these towering behemoths fail to get the spotlight and recognition they once did
Having a massive build is now not enough to guarantee success in pro wrestling
Although many of the wrestlers in this list lacked impressive in-ring skills, personality, and overall creativity, they are still iconic in their own unique ways
Many giants who came after the ’90s had to have personality and that marketability element
While it is quite difficult to rank all these wrestlers, we did a little bit of research and ranked these giants as follows
That said, these are the 15 biggest wrestlers of all time
While he has used various monikers and gimmicks during his illustrious 17-year wrestling career, Abyss was undoubtedly one of the biggest stars in TNA
A real-life monster, Abyss currently holds the record for the longest reign by a TNA champion, 396 days
In his 17 year stint with TNA, Abyss took part in some of the most hardcore matches in the history of sports entertainment
When the WWE came calling, Abyss turned down the offer and instead opted to remain with Impact wrestling
It would really have been great to see this giant feud with the Undertaker per the initial plans by the WWE
Currently, Abyss, real name Joseph Parker currently works for WWE as a backstage producer
A 1-time Intercontinental champion, and a 2-time tag team champion, Rikishi Fatu was a household name back in the ’90s thanks to his rather strange and unique in-ring gimmicks
While Rikishi joined WWE during the attitude era, it soon became clear that the wrestler with the most unimpressive tights needed more than just skill and speed to thrive in one of the most competitive industries
Rikishi not only needed his gimmick but also needed something that the WWE fans could hold on to and remember him for long after his matches ended
Rikishi’s signature move dubbed the Stinkface also became an instant hit with the WWE fans
After successfully reinventing his gimmick, it did not take long before Rikishi would capture the world-tag team championship titles as part of the stable Headshrinkers from the Quebecers on Monday Night Raw as well as the Intercontinental title
One of the most iconic figures in sports entertainment, The Undertaker is simply a man who needs no introduction
A 7-time world champion, The Undertaker has not only fought just about anybody in the business but also accomplished so much
After his WWE debut back in 1990, many people did not expect Mark Callaway’s gimmick to last for more than 5 years
The Undertaker’s sheer dedication, constant re-invention, and top-notch performances saw “The Phenom” become one of the most revered wrestlers in the world
During his 17 year career with the WWE, The Undertaker became a household name and one of the most memorable superstars to ever grace the squared circle
Like Kevin Nash, The Undertaker did not have any wrestling background in his early years
Many wrestling fans will be more than happy to learn that The Undertaker’s plan to become a pro basketball player did not work out
One of the most controversial wrestlers of all time, Kevin Nash’s accomplishments at both WWE and WCW speaks volumes
With both promotions, Nash managed to lift the most prized belts, the World heavyweight titles
While many wrestling fans believe that it’s his coolness that helped him remain relevant for so many years, we’ve come to learn that Nash was a political mastermind backstage
Prior to becoming a wrestler, Kevin Nash was a professional basketballer, thanks to his height and build
Nash’s basketball career came to a crashing end after the wrestler tore his cruciate ligament
He would later try out a couple of jobs before joining WCW as a professional wrestler
Like many wrestlers in sports entertainment, Kevin Nash underwent a series of evolution before becoming the brand that he is today
In 1993, Kevin Nash joined the WWE as Diesel, all thanks to Shawn Michaels
After a Shawn Michael’s interference, Nash would win his first-ever title in the WWF, only a few months after his debut
In August the same year, Diesel and Nash would win the WWE Tag team titles
During his tenure in the WWE, The Ugandan Giant was among the few wrestlers who knew exactly how to invoke fear not only in his opponents but also fans alike
Considering he was with the company at a time when many people believed that kayfabe was real, he would often invoke fear into the hearts of young unsuspecting fans
Looking back in time, it’s clear to see that many of his stunts and that of other wrestlers especially the Wild Samoans were somewhat far-fetched
You can only imagine the reaction that he got from young WWE fans
One of the most colorful wrestlers in WWE, Kamala was a wrestler whose strength, body, and size earned him a respected presence in the ring
As was the case with the WWE and other promotions, Kamala was often placed in matches against fellow giants such as Andre The Giant and Yokozuna
In the early years, Andre the Giant and Kamala worked together in a number of matches in Mid-South wrestling
Many of these matches attracted huge crowds thanks to their colossal size
Thus, when Andre the Giant finally invited Kamala to WWE, it was all fireworks for the company
Dubbed “The World Strongest Man” Mark Henry is a wrestler who did not shy off from displaying his raw and pure strength when presented with the opportunity
An Olympian and former professional powerlifter, Mark Henry was among the few wrestlers who were able to lift some of the heaviest wrestlers in the WWE including The Big Show during his tenure in the WWE
Just like in the squared, Mark Henry was also able to achieve similar success as a powerlifter
Apart from becoming a two-time National Weightlifting champion, Mark Henry also holds the record for squats and deadlifts
In the WWE, Mark Henry went toe to toe to some of its brightest stars including Shawn Michaels, Kane, and the Big Show
While his run in the WWE was quite impressive, injuries began to take a toll on him which led him to consider early retirement from pro wrestling
A renowned member of the Anoi’a family, Yokozuna was one of the most memorable wrestlers during the Attitude Era A two-time world champion, Yokozuna climbed the ranks in the WWE pretty quickly and in no time found himself in the main event scene locking horns with well-established names like The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, and many others
Contrary to popular beliefs at the time, Yokozuna was not from Japan
During his illustrious WWE career, Yokozuna managed to register impressive wins against highly talented superstars such as The Undertaker, Hulk Hogan, and Bret Hart
Yokozuna had no issue playing the villain and by the time his career came to an end, he had established himself as a leader and one of the greatest wrestlers of all time
In 2012, Yokozuna was finally inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame
8 Man Mountain Mike
Billed at 623 pounds, Mountain Mike is the heaviest wrestler of all time
Discovered at an all-you-can-eat buffet in the state of California, Mountain Mike would begin his pro wrestling training under the tutelage of The Great Bollock
Man Mountain Mike finally made his wrestling debut in 1968
On the West Coast, Mountain Mike would form a tag team with fellow wrestler, Haystacks Calhoun who weighed about 600 pounds
Despite his huge size, Mountain Mike was fast and nifty when he needed to be
As a professional wrestler, Mountain Mike holds various titles under his name
At NWA, Mountain Mike won the Americas Tag Team championship with Butcher Brannigan as well as the Beat the Champ television championship title
Related: The 15 Greatest 70’s Wrestlers of All Time
Because of his massive size, Man Mountain Mike took part in various battle royals
Many opponents had difficulties throwing the 623-pound giant over the top and thus, Man Mountain Mike ended up winning many of these battle royals
In 1972, Man Mountain Mike was named “The King of Battle Royals”
After his brief stint in the US, Man Mountain Mike embarked on a series of tours in Japan, where he wrestled with Antonio Inoki who took all the wins
During this period in time, Man Mountain Mike would sign with the WWWF for only one year, before retiring in 1976
Widely known for his gimmick of the World’s Largest Love Making Machine, Viscera was a wrestler who was quite strange in his own unique ways
During his early years, Viscera used a different moniker, Mabel, and was mostly involved in WWE’s tag team division as part of the duo, Men on a Mission
While entering the ring, wrestling fans would jam to their songs while throwing their hands back and forth
After losing the tag team titles after only being champions for two days, the stable would split up with Mabel turning heel
During the 1995 King of the Ring tourney, Mable managed to not only win the tournament but also defeat both the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels in the process
After winning the tournament, it was quite clear that the WWE had greater plans for Mabel
A few months down the line, Mabel would enter the main event scene, challenging Diesel for the grandest prize of all, the WWF World Heavyweight Championship
With everything set, Mabel gave his heart out in what’s considered to be one of his greatest matches with the company
However, Mabel ultimately came short and from this point onwards, his wrestling career took a decline
Despite his WWE gimmick, the Funksaurus can get down to business when needed to
Widely known for his entrance “Somebody Call My Momma”, Brodus Clay definitely knew how to bring the WWE universe onto its feet
Together with the Funkadactyls, Brodus Clay would constantly hype crowds prior to matches
In the squared circle, Brodus displayed impressive strength with an outlandish attitude
While the Fankasaurus was a serious wrestler when he needed to, the WWE creatives would push for a comedic angle thereby taking off more from a rather promising wrestler
The Big Red Machine is undeniably one of the biggest wrestlers in the WWE
His monstrous size has seen him dominate many of the matches he featured in
While he’s not the fastest wrestler in the WWE, Kane definitely knows how to work the ropes
The Undertaker’s on-screen brother, Kane’s feud with The Undertaker remains one of the best feuds in the WWE
Standing 7 feet tall and weighing approximately 300 pounds, Kane has gone head to head with some of the biggest superstars in the WWE including Edge, Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold, and The Undertaker
Apart from lifting the WWE championship title, Kane is also an ECW Champion and a tag team champion
Just like Mark Henry, The Big Show worked as a professional bodybuilder and powerlifter prior to becoming a pro wrestler
A third generational superstar, The Big Show comes from a family that’s heavily invested in the wrestling business
On his first attempt to become a pro wrestler, The Big Show got rejected by WWE with the company citing his lack of wrestling experience as the main reason for the rejection
However, the Big Show would, later on, sign a contract with WWE
This was after he had gained some wrestling experience working for WCW and ECW
Although his gimmick revolved around a ruthless 7-foot giant, there were instances when we felt that the company’s creative team placed The Big Show in some really weird storylines or situations
Related: The 15 Best Bald Wrestlers of All Time
For instance, the WWE creative team has always used the Big Show as a celebrity punching bag
From Floyd “Moneybag” Mayweather to Akenebo, The Big Show has always been on the receiving end whenever a celebrity decides to pay the WWE a brief visit
In addition, Wrestlers like The Undertaker have constantly enjoyed impressive winning streaks at Wrestlemania
On the other hand, the Big Show has always found himself on the losing end at nearly all Wrestlemania events that he took part in
With WCW, the Big Show managed to lift the WCW heavyweight championship on two occasions, with the first title coming after an impressive victory on Hulk Hogan
With the WWE, the Big Show won the WWF World Championship title, the WWE tag team championship titles as well as the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
This meant that the Big Show became the first man to win the ECW, WCW, and WWE championships
Also known by his monikers of Bastion Booger and Norman the Lunatic, Mike Shaw makes it to the biggest wrestlers ever list
While he may not be a household name, many wrestling fans will remember Mike Shaw for his feud with Bam Bam Bigelow
As a wrestling star, Mike Shaw’s success was marginal since he served as a jobber for the company’s main stars
Booger’s biggest win came at the All-American Wrestling where he recorded a clean pinfall on Owen Hart
Born on 27th August 1972 to a Punjabi family, Great Khali always stood out from the rest during his early years
His overwhelming size saw The Great Khali turn heads whenever he went
Prior to becoming a WW wrestler, Great Khali would work as a security guard in Shimla, India before eventually joining the local police force
Related: The 15 Worst Wrestlers in WWE’s History
Being the first native Indian to join the WWE, Great Khali immediately became a cultural icon and one of the most loved athletes in his home country
Khali’s overwhelming size and warrior spirit made him a threat to all wrestlers in the WWE
In the WWE, Great Khali managed to register wins against renowned superstars such as The Undertaker, John Cena, Shawn Michaels, and Kane
2 Giant Gonzalez
When it comes to size, there is no superstar in sports entertainment who came close to Giant Gonzalez
The 8-foot monster was a force to reckon with earning respect from the likes of Andre the Giant and The Great Khali and is one of the biggest wrestlers ever
At 14 years, Giant Gonzalez stood an impressive 6’4
At the age of 16 years, Giant Gonzalez began his professional basketball career back in his home country of Argentina
After a rather disappointing career in the NBA, Giant Gonzalez turned to pro-wrestling all thanks to Ted Turner
During his stint with WCW, Giant Gonzalez was involved in one of the longest feuds with Ric Flair and Sid Vicious
Several years down the line, the WWE came calling
Before signing with WWE, Giant Gonzalez briefly joined NJPW in 1993
During his debut, Giant Gonzalez attacked The Undertaker
In a recent interview, The Undertaker revealed that McMahon always asked him to face some of the biggest guys recently signed by WWE
1 Andre the Giant
Andre the Giant is the biggest wrestler of all time
Unlike many renowned superstars in the WWE such as Stone Cold and The Rock, Andre the Giant captivate the audience in a totally different way
Despite his huge size, Andre the Giant was also gifted athletically
For instance, with Andre the Giant, people came to believe that he chugged hundreds of beers in one sitting
NEXT: The 10 Richest Professional Wrestlers of All Time
Tags: Impact Wrestling, TNA, Wrestling, WWE