5 Best Big Men in WWE history

#4 WWE’s bodyguard turned champion: Kevin Nash/Diesel

Kevin Nash’s career was floundering when he got a call from WWE to come in and serve as Shawn Michaels bodyguard. His new character, a 7ft giant of a man with a leather jacket and dark sunglasses, soon became nearly as popular as the Show Stopper himself. By the time Kevin Nash aka Diesel’s first WWE run was over, he had become Big Daddy Cool and a true WWE Superstar in his own right.

Diesel’s action spoke louder than his words when he first appeared to protect the Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels. At 7ft tall and 328 lbs, Diesel was the rare big man that had the looks to go along with his imposing size.

Vince McMahon recognized the talent he had and soon elevated Diesel to the role of a regular in-ring performer. Diesel would go on to throw out 8 competitors in the 1994 Royal Rumble, claim his first title by defeating Razor Ramon for the Intercontinental title and win tag team gold with Shawn Michaels.

Before exiting WWE for WCW and becoming one of the founding members of the NWO as Kevin Nash, Diesel would also capture the WWE Title. He had the brawn, the looks and the appeal that made him a WWE legend and Hall of Famer.

#3 WWE’s mobile big man: Yokozuna

WWE Hall of Famer Yokozuna was listed as 6’4” and 568 pounds at the height of his success in the company. Some say that he got up well over 700 pounds before his untimely death at the age of 34 due to heart failure.

In his brief time in the WWE, Yokozuna was, pound for pound, one of the best performers in the company. He would capture the WWE title twice, the WWE tag titles twice and was the winner of the 1993 Royal Rumble.

Yokozuna was a member of the famous Anoaʻi family and was Samoan American rather than his billed Japanese heritage. His cousins include Roman Reigns, Rikishi, The Rock and Umaga to name a few. Brought in as a member of Mr. Fuji’s stable, Yokozuna quickly rose to the ranks as an unstoppable and nearly immovable big man.

He moved up the ranks quickly and had a match with Bret Hart at Wrestlemania IX for the WWE title. After winning the title, he lost it minutes later to Hulk Hogan in an impromptu match after his bout. He would then defeat Hogan at King of the Ring 1993 and hold onto the belt for 280 days.

Despite his immense size, Yoko was able to have quality matches with opponents ranging from Hogan to Hart to Lex Luger to The Undertaker. No less of a legend than 'Taker calls Yokozuna his toughest opponent ever.

It was always a spectacle to watch Yokozuna lumber to the ring in his kimono and prepare for battle. His Banzai Drop, in which he landed his ample backside on the chest of his opponent from a second rope drop, remains iconic.

WWE has had plenty of big men in its time as a company, but few matched the imposing presence of Yokozuna. Agile and nimble for such a large man, Yokozuna was one of the greatest big men to ever dawn the tights.