5 best Giants in the history of the WWE

Over the years, Professional Wrestling has seen superstars of various designs come up and make it big. The WWE has never failed to use distinct methods to attract audiences and cement its place as the top industry in this business. And over time, one of those methods has been to attract strong and powerful superstars such as Brock Lesnar, whose very presence creates a unique aura.However, another such tactic has been to bring in giant superstars, who have an imposing figure and assert their dominance in the business. We have seen numerous attempts by the WWE to incorporate this ‘Giant’ card successfully and it wouldn’t be wrong to say that they have failed miserably quite a number of times.One of them would be Giant Gonzalez who was brought in with lot of expectations but failed due to his limited ability in the ring. That has been the problem with many such superstars but there are some who broke this stance and made it big with the WWE. Let’s take a look at the 5 best giants over the years:

#5 Vader

While a common complaint with the giants is their lack of versatility in the ring, Vader was perhaps the most proficient big wrestler in the ring. At 6”5 and 450 pounds, he could perform moonsaults of the top rope. In fact, his moonsault off the top rope was voted as the best wrestling manoeuvre in 1993. After stints with AWA, WCW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Vader finally joined WWE in 1996.

Initially, he was in a supposed WrestleMania match against Yokozuna, but that was later turned into a tag team match, thus denying the fans of a potential giant clash. Although his stay in the WWE was relatively short, for three years, he managed to make the most of it. At a time when the attitude era was slowly growing, and gimmick-based wrestlers increasing, Vader didn’t have much except his big-guy image. And in his short stint of three years, he challenged for every title in the company, despite never winning the ultimate prize. Towards the end, he mutually agreed to move out in favour of going back to New Japan Pro Wrestling.

#4 Earthquake

This Canadian 6”7, 468 pound man made his name as a Sumo Wrestler, at start. However, with concerns regarding that lifestyle, he made the switch to professional wrestling, and first appeared at All Japan Pro Wrestling. However, seeing the potential in him, Vince was never going to leave him and not so much later, he joined the WWE in 1989.

After an initial feud with the Ultimate Warrior, he was soon turned into a monster heel going by Earthquake and for the first time, in WrestleMania VI, he faced Hercules and defeated him. Eventually, Earthquake even had a feud with Hulk Hogan, arguably one of the high points of his WWE career but the best would be his tag title win in 1992 along with Typhoon.

As a team, they were known as “Natural Diasasters”, and despite a short-lived title run, it was the most successful point of his career. Following the loss, Earthquake temporarily left WWE only to return in 1994 but then, he left four months into his return. In 2006, he died of cancer and the WWE had a tribute for him in RAW and SmackDown the corresponding week.

#3 Yokozuna

Perhaps the most notable Anoa’i family member after The Rock, Yokozuna had a big impact in his six years with the WWE. Although not the best wrestler in the ring, he was given a big push initially owing to his ‘giant’ stature and effective work telling a story in the ring. The immediate year after his arrival, he won the Royal Rumble in 1993 eliminating Macho Man and went on to headline WrestleMania IX. Unfortunately for him, it turned out to be a rather forgettable one where he went on to lose the WWE Title minutes after winning it from Bret Hart.

It was an infamous finish to the WrestleMania with Hulk Hogan winning the title while that Mania is generally regarded as one of the worst of all time. However, subsequently he would go on to defeat Hogan and win the title back, thus becoming the only man to defeat both Hogan and “The Hitman” for the WWE title. Not to mention, he was the first of the famed Anoa’i family to lift the WWE title. Due to his health concerns, he passed away at the age of 34 but was nevertheless, honoured by the WWE as he was inducted into the hall of fame in 2012.

#2 Big Show

He is without a doubt the most successful person featuring on this list. Ever since his transfer from the WCW to WWE and assuming a new name as Big Show, he has constantly been in the headlines. Known for his frequent transformation between face and a heel, Big Show has always played his part well. Despite being a 7”0 foot guy at 455 pounds, he is good in the ring and above average of what is expected from someone of his size.

His achievements and belts speak for themselves, and a cursory glance suggests that he has won around 18 titles in his tenure at the WWE while winning the big prize twice and the Heavyweight Championship twice. Recently, he added the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal to his collection and is potentially looking at retirement in the near future. For all we can say, he has had a stellar career in the WWE and is a sure Hall-of-famer in the future.

#1 Andre the Giant

He is the big daddy of them all. Undoubtedly, the most famous and legendary Giant to have been in the WWE, Andre revolutionised the business. He was in the WWE from 1973 to 1992 in a legendary career that led to him becoming the first Hall of Famer, inducted in 1993. And in our list, he is the biggest and heaviest superstar, at 2.24 m and 520 pounds, which was a result of an excess in the growth hormone.

However, he did not let that get in the way of his career as he became on the long-standing faces of professional wrestling in the 1970s and 80s. Nicknamed the “Eighth wonder of the World”, it was often stressed by Guerilla Monsoon as to how he had never been pinned in 15 years. But then, all this ended in WrestleMania III, as Andre was recipient to a Hulk Hogan body-slam leading to one of the greatest WrestleMania moments. As Hulk Hogan pinned Andre, 93000 people at the Silverdome erupted to celebrate his victory. Despite being on the receiving end, he could proudly claim to be a part of one of the most memorable moments in WWE history.

He was a one-time WWF Champion, but left behind a great legacy. He died in 1993, just months after quitting the WWE and 22 years into his departure from the world, the WWE are yet to find a ‘giant’ wrestler as significant and charismatic as him. The WWE has commemorated him in various ways and one of which is the Memorial Battle Royal that has become a feature at WrestleMania since 2014.