WWE: Big Show and the 25 Best Big Men Ever

Big Show is part of a long tradition of behemoths that have competed in a WWE ring.  Where does he rank among the other giants of wrestling?

Human skyscrapers and men exceeding 400 lbs have entertained us with their hammer hands and tank-like bodies.

Masked men, brawlers and Samoans fill the list. 

Some have made weapons of their girth and some have transcended big-man status, marking their name among the all-time greats.  

25. Viscera

Viscera's career is one of unfulfilled promise which can be partly blamed on terrible gimmicks.

Viscera began his WWE career as one-half of the purple-clad, rap-happy Men on a Mission. 

Wrestling as Mabel, he eventually went onto a singles career highlighted by a match against then-WWE champ Diesel and winning the 1995 King of the Ring.

Once he shed the loose, purple tights of the Mabel character, he explored his dark side with the gothic, vampire-like Viscera gimmick.  This soon turned into the uncomfortable "Love Machine" angle where Viscera would hump his opponents. 

In spite of that ridiculousness, he managed to come off as intimidating and often impressed with his spinning heel kick.  

24. John Tenta

Tenta spent most of his WWE career as Earthquake, crashing his large frame square on the chest of many a jobber.

He got a big push early, feuding with the Hulkster in less than a year after his debut. 

A convincing but cartoony monster heel, Tenta never sustained a ton of momentum. 

He had an unmemorable stint as one-half of the Natural Disasters with Typhoon and later spent a few years floundering in WCW as Avalanche and the Shark. 

Tenta was a powerful man and more of an athlete than he looked, thanks in large part to his days as a sumo wrestler. 

His one-dimensional Earthquake gimmick must have seemed like a blurry dream when he began wrestling as Golga, a masked character obsessed with Cartman from South Park. 

23. Kamala

One of the more colorful characters in wrestling history, Kamala fit right in with the cartoonish WWE of the '80s. 

The Ugandan Giant faced off against the biggest names in the company, from Hulk Hogan to Jake Roberts, the Undertaker to Andre the Giant. 

He played his character so convincingly—in his demeanor, his movements, his whole being—that many fans are shocked to find out Kamala is actually an American man named Jim Harris. 

Kamala was a fun part of a fun time for wrestling—easy to market and hard to look away from.  

22. Mike Awesome

Mike Awesome never received the push he deserved with WWE.

Brimming with physical ability, it would only take a solid gimmick to rocket him to stardom.  Instead, WWE fans saw Awesome come and go during the Invasion angle. 

He began his stint battling for the Hardcore Title and ended it serving as a glorified jobber.

He achieved much more success with WCW and ECW, where they appreciated his exciting suicide dives and power moves, even if he was given ridiculous gimmicks like "The Fat Chick Thriller."

21. Big John Studd

When WWE was gaining momentum in the '80s, Big John Studd was right in the mix.

He faced Bob Backlund, Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant.  Though Studd was 6'10" and 364 lbs, he was dwarfed by Andre during their battles.

A monster heel, Studd brought a stretcher to the ring as a means of intimidation.

He was a tough brawler and a solid performer who unfortunately spent much of his career in the shadow of a bigger giant. 

20. Rikishi

Possessing an impressive blend of power and speed, Rikishi spent a good part of two decades entertaining WWE fans.

He began his WWE career as one-half of the Headshrinkers in a crowded tag team division.

They experimented with a few gimmicks for him, including the poorly conceived Sultan who resided in mid-card status.

With his now famous bleached blonde hair and sumo-style thong, Rikishi gained his highest level of popularity.  I'm sure he enjoyed the success but resented how goofy he had to be to get there.

He's now more famous for delivering stinkfaces than anything else. 

He was a highly skilled wrestler who could have been so much more than he was.  

19. King Kong Bundy

King Kong Bundy is known for two things: his matches with Hulk Hogan where he inevitably fell victim to the "Hulking up" routine and for insisting on pinning opponents with a five count.

Their most famous encounter came at WrestleMania II inside a steel cage. 

Fritz Von Erich also chose Bundy as his opponent for his retirement match in 1982, which speaks a lot to the respect Bundy had earned in the industry.

The monstrous Bundy squashed a long line of opponents including S.D. Jones in a nine-second match at WrestleMania I.  

18. Yokozuna

Yokozuna's immense weight was his greatest attraction, but it was also ultimately his downfall.

A member of the famous Samoan wrestling family, the Anoa’is, he found success in the '90s as a brooding, merciless sumo wrestler. 

Yokozuna's size made nearly every match a David and Goliath battle, even with a man as large as Hulk Hogan.  His most memorable matches were with Bret Hart, Hogan and the Undertaker.

He seemed to be obsessed with his weight.  As his stock began to fall with WWE, perhaps he thought the only way to get back into the main event picture was to get even bigger.

At one point, he ballooned to nearly 800 lbs.

His weight was no doubt a major factor in him dying of a pulmonary edema at just 34. 

17. Haystacks Calhoun

Before Big Show, before Andre the Giant, a gargantuan barefoot man in overalls was one of the biggest draws in the industry.

Calhoun's enormity turned him somewhat into a circus attraction.  He was billed as being over 600 lbs.  But he was never just a physical oddity; he was a compelling performer in the ring.

During his heyday in the '60s, Calhoun feuded with Dick the Bruiser and battled Bruno Sammartino.  He eventually big-splashed his way to co-holding the WWWF Tag Team titles.  

16. Gorilla Monsoon

More famous for his commentary and backstage work to some generations, Gorilla Monsoon was also a fantastic worker.

Flourishing in the role of monster heel, Monsoon battled Andre the Giant and Bruno Sammartino. Monsoon worked the character well, playing the frightening and deranged character extremely well.  

Perhaps his most famous moment came after a brief match with Mikel Scicluna, where he got into an altercation with Muhammad Ali, airplane spinning the champ as the cameras clicked.  

15. Bam Bam Bigelow

The most amazingly agile big man of all time, Bam Bam Bigelow captured the fans' attention with his flaming skull tattoo and then wowed them with his deftness. 

A 400-lb man should not be able to perform such a beautiful enzuigiri or be able to pull off so many slingshot moves. 

His excellent match with Bret Hart in the 1993 King of the Ring finals is one of the biggest highlights of his career in WWE.  He also made Lawrence Taylor look tons better than he was in their WrestleMania XI match. 

He was an underutilized talent and one of the most unforgettable men in wrestling.  

14. Mark Henry

A mid-carder for much of his career, Mark Henry experienced a renaissance late in his career.  He found his groove as a scowling monster heel. 

The World's Strongest Man has been wrestling with WWE since the Attitude Era. 

He was a member of the Nation of Domination and was involved in one of the most tasteless and bizarre angles where he impregnated Mae Young and she birthed a hand.

It's only recently that we've seen Henry realize his true potential, adding bodies to his Hall of Pain.  Suddenly, his interviews are more compelling, disturbing and intense. 

His ring work has tightened and he's very convincingly dominant and destructive. 

Hopefully he'll continue to produce at this level for a few more years.  

13. Umaga

After a strange run as a wanna-be gangster named Jamal, Eddie Fatu found a far more fitting gimmick in the savage monster heel Umaga.

His (fake) tattooed face in a constant snarl, Umaga burst onto the WWE scene dominating.  The company thought highly of him, booking him as an enforcer for the McMahons.

Umaga carried on the great tradition of Samoan wrestlers, acting like a human wrecking ball during his matches. 

One of his most memorable bouts was against John Cena in a brutal Last Man Standing match that made both men look tough.

Sadly, he died at only 36, suffering from an overdose.  

12. Abdullah the Butcher

Few men have brought us such a vicious style of wrestling.  Abdullah's matches often left a ring covered in blood.

He used sharp objects to open up many a man's head. 

The deep scars in his forehead and his massive, imposing physique helped create a sense of fear for both fans and opponents.

Abdullah's time with WWE was short, as it was with most promotions, as he tended to be a wrestling vagabond.

Whether in Puerto Rico, Japan or the United States, Abdullah caught our attention and refused to let it go.  

11. Sid Eudy

Sid Justice aka Sid Vicious aka Sycho Sid once wrestled under the apt name Lord Humongous. 

He was a dominant powerhouse who time and again executed booming powerbombs. 

From his days as part of the Skyscrapers to his final run with WCW in the late '90s, Sid was a fascinating force to watch.

His WWE tenure saw him go up against Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart, among others. He was consistently in the world title picture, capturing the WWE title twice.

Unfortunately, Sid suffered a nasty injury to his leg after a botched aerial move that shortened his career.  

10. Bruiser Brody

The unpredictable and unstable Bruiser Brody perfected the art of brawling.  Like a barbarian, he stomped around the ring and tore into his opponents.

He spent time in nearly every wrestling promotion in the U.S. as well as working in Japan.

During his WWWF career, he faced off against numerous big names, including, most famously, Bruno Sammartino at Madison Square Garden.

While infamous for refusing to sell or job to other wrestlers, he made a name for himself in brutal battles with Abdullah the Butcher and Carlos Colon. 

He was stabbed in a shower after a match at age 42, capping a strange ride of a life.  

9. Ernie Ladd

One of the most under-appreciated big men of all time, Big Cat Ernie Ladd earned a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame on the strength of his raw power and charisma. 

At a time where African-Americans didn't often play heels, Ladd flourished in that role.  He insulted all his opponents with an entertaining flair. 

Throughout the '70s and '80s, he captured numerous titles, wrestling Andre the Giant, Bruno Sammartino Mil Mascaras and Bob Backlund along the way.  

8. Big Show

The man known as the World's Largest Athlete carried the extra weight of everyone expecting him to be the next Andre the Giant. 

Once he dropped the "Giant" nickname, the Big Show began to loosen up and allow us to see his true self, a battering ram of a man with an excess of charm.    

Many of his greatest triumphs involved him playing the powerhouse in Triple Threat matches or battle royals.  Show has been a great athlete to plug in when dominance and muscle is needed.   

7. Kane

The wrestling world was far better off when Glenn Jacobs finally found a gimmick that stuck.  In one of the most exciting debuts of all time, Kane entered amidst exploding flames to interrupt his brother's Hell in a Cell match. 

Besides being one of Undertaker's greatest rivals, Kane was also an enthralling character. 

Few wrestlers have been more frightening and have made sadism as fun to watch as him. 

A long career has seen him win numerous titles, but more importantly, create such a memorable character that the image of him conjuring fire from the center of the ring will be carved into our brains forever.    

6. Kevin Nash

As Diesel, Nash stormed into WWE, jackknife powerbombing and big booting his way to the WWE Championship. 

His initial WWE days featured a great battle between him and Bret Hart at the 1995 Survivor Series. 

Nash's legacy was built, though, in WCW, where he helped found one of the biggest and most effective stables in wrestling history, New World Order.

He, Scott Hall and Hulk Hogan dominated WCW programming for years. 

Not as agile as Bam Bam or Vader, Nash was still surprisingly quick and deft in the ring.  For his size, his skills were quite impressive.  

5. Batista

Batista's so ripped that you might not think of him as a big man in the way that Big Show and Haystacks Calhoun are, but at 6’6’’ and 290 lbs, he is certainly a titan.

Starting so late in life (Batista made his WWE debut at age 33) and having such a short career kept him from achieving his full potential, but he made quite the impact on the wrestling world.

His matches were loaded with high-impact moves and uncanny strength.

He had great feuds with Triple H in 2005 and Undertaker in 2007.  Both of these rivalries earned Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Feud of the Year awards. 

As a member of Evolution, he provided the raw muscle and grew as a performer under the wings of Ric Flair and Triple H.

4. Vader

The colossal Vader had a number of moves in his repertoire that a man his size had no business being able to do.  Watching him do a moonsault was an eye-widening shock every time.

Whether in Japan, WCW or WWE, he was an enthralling, destructive force. 

His highlights include a back-and-forth battle with Kenta Kobashi, classics with Ric Flair and Sting as well as an entertaining feud with Shawn Michaels. 

WWE didn’t seem to appreciate Vader fully, reducing him to a jobber during his last year ('98) with the company. 

We may never see a man do what Vader did in the ring again, an electric fusion of brute strength, agility and intensity.  

3. Killer Kowalski

One of the first giants to ever enter a ring, Killer Kowalski must have stunned many a crowd at 6'7'' and nearly 300 lbs.  In the '50s and '60s, that size was practically unheard of.

His opponents looked legitimately terrified when they saw the lanky behemoth charging at them. 

Apparently, a very personable guy outside the ring, Kowalski played the vicious heel to perfection, ending many a match with his famous claw. 

He wrestled for three decades with the AWA and various NWA territories before making his mark with the then WWWF, where he won the tag titles with Big John Studd and challenged Bruno Sammartino for his world title. 

A no-brainer for any Hall of Fame, the Killer will always be remembered as one of the greats.    

2. Andre the Giant

Andre doesn't earn his spot here based on amazing athletic skill.  Even in his younger days, before his body failed him, he was never a crisp technician in the ring. 

But Andre's influence and impact on the sport are undeniable.

He drew fans to arenas like few other wrestlers.  What would WrestleMania and Hulkamania have been without Andre? 

Had Hogan not slammed Andre at WrestleMania III, the landscape of WWE and of wrestling itself would not be the same. 

His size wasn't enough to capture all the fans he did, though.  He also possessed a great magnetism.

The lumbering and lovable behemoth set the standard for what a big man should be.   

1. Undertaker

The incomparable Undertaker is easily the best big man of all time.

With how skilled he is, it's easy to forget that he's a giant.  Many men leaned heavily on their size to become successful, to draw a crowd, while the Undertaker's big-man status was only one of many tools in his arsenal.

Having one of the greatest gimmicks of all time and managing the longevity that he has would be enough to earn him entry into the Hall of Fame. 

The Dead Man has gone much further than that, though, in cementing his legacy. 

He's given us classic match after classic match.

Constantly evolving and improving, the Undertaker went from having good matches to iconic performances. 

His resume boasts the greatest Hell in a Cell matches, multiple WrestleMania masterpieces and brutal brawls. 

One of his greatest attributes has been his ability to put guys over.  Edge, Batista and Kane can all thank the Undertaker for helping make them into stars.