Forgotten legends of WWE - Giant Gonzales

Jorge González was an Argentinian basketball player who later on went to become a professional wrestler. He was nicknamed ‘Giant Gonzales’ during his stint with the WWE. In case you wonder why, think of an alternative nickname you’d suggest for someone who was just close to 8 foot in height!

Probably the tallest wrestler to ever set foot in the WWE ring, Gonzales was an intimidating figure like no one else. Having had a brief stint as a basketball player, Gonzales was offered a job as a professional wrestler with the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and made his highly anticipated debut at the Capital Combat pay-per-view in 1990.

He was introduced as a ‘face’ character and remained so throughout his initial stint with the WCW feuding with the likes of Ric Flair, Sid Vicious and the One man gang.

He then made a switch to the World Wrestling Federation in 1993 debuting as a ‘heel’ character managed by the shrewd Harvey Wippleman. González grew a beard and wore a full body suit that featured airbrushed muscles with bushy hair attached.

He made his WWF debut at the Royal Rumble eliminating the Undertaker, with whom he began a long feud. The Rumble elimination culminated into a match at Wrestlemania IX which the Undertaker won by disqualification after Gonzalez used a rag soaked with chloroform to knock The Undertaker unconscious.

The pair continued to feud till SummerSlam where Undertaker beat Gonzales again, this time in a ‘Rest In Peace’ match concluding the feud.

Gonzales soon lost his plot in the WWE , last appearing in WWF on the October 4, 1993 episode of Monday Night Raw in a 20-man battle royal match for the Intercontinental Championship, where it took seven men to eliminate him. The company later announced his departure post the expiry of his contract.

Gonzales had issues with his kidneys needing constant dialysis. He spent his last days on a wheel chair before giving way due to complications of diabetes, in his home-town of San Martin, Argentina. He was just forty-four years old.

Even though he had never won a championship in the WWE, this larger than life athlete stood tall in the ring towering over his opponents, giving us moments to cherish. We are proud to honour WWE’s tallest ever wrestler, Giant Gonzales.