Throughout the history of Pro Wrestling there have been many big men and giants that have graced the squared circle. In this article, I'd like to look at five of the most memorable big men and giants that have left an indelible mark in the annals of pro wrestling. I would like to start with the greatest giant in the history of pro wrestling:
1. ANDRE THE GIANT
Andre The Giant was one of the greatest attractions in pro wrestling. He began his career in 1964 and traveled the world wrestling in places like France and Canada. In 1966 he began a world tour wrestling in the UK, Australia, Germany, Japan, and Africa. In 1973, he entered the WWE (then known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation) and began a career that would make him a pop culture icon. In the 1970's it was the heyday of the territory system and the WWE kept Andre on the road visiting different places once a year so that people would come in droves to see him. This made Andre a national superstar while other wrestlers were confined to their respective regional promotions. While in WWE, Andre never lost a match so he was billed as being undefeated from 1973 to 1986. The first person to beat him on the main roster was Hulk Hogan in 1987 at Wrestlemania 3.
2. HULK HOGAN
When Hulk Hogan entered the WWE in 1983, he was marketed as a superhero. He defeated the Iron Sheik, an Iranian sympathizer in 1984 to become the World Champion. This was a time when fans still remembered the Iranian hostage crisis and Hulk Hogan was an American hero. At 6'7 and 300 pounds, Hulk Hogan had a superhero appeal to fans. WWE marketed him to the hilt having him face all the major villains of that era like Rowdy Roddy Piper and monsters like King Kong Bundy. Hogan would have his biggest win, literally and figuratively against Andre The Giant at Wrestlemania 3. With that win Hogan cemented his legacy as a superstar. In 1994, Hogan left WWE for World Championship Wrestling. His presence in WCW made the company into a national powerhouse. Hulk Hogan is the only wrestler that was apart of two companies that he helped become mainstream entities.
3. THE ROCK
Before he was the biggest star in Hollywood, he was the most electrifying man in sports and entertainment. Dwayne Johnson a.k.a.The Rock has held the WWE World title eight times during his illustrious career. He had amazing feuds with Triple H, The Undertaker, Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle, and Hulk Hogan. His biggest feud was against Stone Cold Steve Austin who was the champion of the working class. The Rock in sharp contrast was Vince McMahon's corporate champion. His feud with Austin would make him the biggest star in the wrestling business and give WWE global notoriety. The Rock left the WWE in 2003 but has made sporadic appearances since 2011. In 2012 and 2013 he appeared at Wrestlemania to square off against John Cena.
This concludes Part 1 of this opinion piece. I hope you enjoyed it.
THE POP CULTURE PROFESSOR
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