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Top 5 Best Big Men in Wrestling History

By: comic_book_fan

What is a big man in wrestling you might ask. Most of them are giants. Well, among wrestling fans it is a wrestler that weighs over 310 pounds or is 6'9 or taller. So, lets start my list.

5. Kane

ht. 7'0 wt. 323 pounds

Kane has been a great since his first appearance. He has been intimidating and is one of the most recognizable wrestlers ever, with his mask and evil stalking demeanor. He is a former World Champion and has held many titles over the years. But, his most memorable moments are from his cruel acts, such as lighting JR (Jim Ross) on fire and shocking Shane McMahon (the boss's son) with a car battery. But, the main reason he makes this list is his ring presence.

4. Kevin Nash

ht. 7'0 wt. 330 pounds

Kevin Nash was one of the few big guys who could cut a promo. He would entertain with his mic work, but in the ring he was pure power. He would strut down to the ring and just ruthlessly pound the snot out of someone. He came about in an era where most big men tried to come off the top rope more, but only a few could pull that off. Nash knew what he was a bruiser who just pulverized people. He was also smarter than most big guys. He was hugely involved in several of the biggest stables in wrestling history and, without a doubt, the biggest of the era - the Cliq and the NWO. He is a 6 time World Champion and 11 time Tag Champion.

3. Vader

ht. 6'5 wt. 450 pounds

Vader was one of the most underrated wrestlers of all time. He was best known for feuds against Sting and Hulk Hogan in WCW. He is also known throughout Japan. He has won titles all over the world and was well known for being a monster in the ring. He broke several wrestlers noses, and was famous for the incident that cost Cactus Jack (Mick Foley) a good chunk of his ear and many of his head injuries. He was so brutal in ring, he caused a lot of wrestlers to quit the business when they found out they had to wrestle him. Vader was also known for his ability to fly off the top rope. He could do moonsaults which is very rare for 400 plus pound wrestlers, and he made several guest appearances on one of my favorite sitcoms - Boy Meets World - as Frankie the Enforcer's father. He was also well known for being arrested after slapping around a talk show host who had the nerve to ask him if wrestling was fake.

2. Undertaker

ht. 6'10 wt. 328 pounds

The real question here is why isn't he number one. Well, that's coming a little bit later. The Undertaker is known for his unbelievable gimmick and his ability to make you believe he had superpowers. He first appeared at Survivor Series, where he beat a whole team by himself and later would beat Hulk Hogan in his first year. Nope, that's not a typo. He beat Hulk Hogan his rookie year. He had a great blend of balance, strength, speed, and agility and a great move set that showcased this. He would walk across the top rope which was unheard of for a guy his size, and his move set only grew as his career went on. He added submissions to his move set, and had one of the best looking and most fitting finishers ever. He has had the second most impressive streak in wrestling history, going 21 and 0 at Wrestlemainia until losing to Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 30.

1. Andre The Giant

ht. 7'4 wt. 520 pounds

Andre The Giant is the most iconic giant in wrestling history. You think 'Taker's streak was impressive? Andre went 15 years without even being knocked off his feet. He was an icon, appearing in several movies and is truly a modern day myth. Like the time he drank over 100 beers in one sitting, or in a fit of rage, flipped a car onto it's roof. He was one of the biggest attractions both literally and figuratively. He helped make wrestling what it was, and Hulk Hogan was afraid to wrestle him until he agreed to put Hogan over. And Andre was the first to ever be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He was to the WWE what Wilt Chamberlain was to the NBA. That is why he is my all time best big man in pro wrestling.

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OldSchool80s Posted on Dec 08, 2014 at 03:32 PM

It's surprising to see Vader on the list, but not Big Show or Yokozuna. Even the 80s guys like Studd and Bundy.

I am impressed with many of the "Big Men" that have some actual wrestling ability and incredible athleticism. I think that will just continue to evolve.

vkimo Posted on Dec 01, 2014 at 05:32 PM

Wasn't he also the crocodile monster dude in Conan the Barbarian?

Vaporman87 Posted on Dec 01, 2014 at 03:39 PM

Yeah. You can't help but love Andre in The Princess Bride. He really brought heart to that movie. I true classic.

Hoju Koolander Posted on Dec 01, 2014 at 04:06 AM

The most interesting thing about this list is that Vader isn't the only one with acting credits. Kane made the See No Evil movies, Nash was Super Shredder in TMNT 2 among more recent projects, The Undertaker was a bad guy in Suburban Commando and of course Andre was unforgettable in The Princess Bride. If the list was expanded to six to include The Giant/Big Show, we could be celebrating his performance as Captain Insano in The Waterboy. Giant wrestlers make for memorable movie moments.

vkimo Posted on Nov 30, 2014 at 04:38 PM

The main requirement for any wrestler to attain "Giant" status? Getting into the ring by legging up over the top rope.

comic_book_fan Posted on Nov 30, 2014 at 02:13 AM

i almost made and honorable mention list that would have had bam bam yoko and bigshow and more but the list was bigger than the article list so i left it off.

Vaporman87 Posted on Nov 30, 2014 at 01:40 AM

I think it's their limitations that made some of the standouts like Vader impressive. The ones who could, as cbf mentioned, perform acts of balance, agility, etc. really impressed us. And those like Nash and Undertaker made up for theirs with presentation.

vkimo Posted on Nov 30, 2014 at 12:57 AM

I think wrestlers billed heights and weights are often exaggerated a bit, but these are still huge men.

I definitely would list The Big Show in my top 5, and probably The Giant Gonzales because I think he was one of the largest ever. It always seemed like the Giant class wrestlers were the only ones who could use the Choke Slam as a signature move.

Mr Magic Posted on Nov 30, 2014 at 12:11 AM

How about Yokozuna?

Vaporman87 Posted on Nov 30, 2014 at 12:00 AM

I think honorable mentions could be made for The Big Show, King Kong Bundy, Big John Stud, and Earthquake.

This is a pretty accurate list I think. I would probably put these guys together in this same order for my own list... though I'd be tempted to put Kane in at third, and move Vader to fourth and Nash to fifth.

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