Unlike modern times, the Rumble winner was not granted a world title shot or a chance to main event WrestleMania. He returned to WWWF in 1982, which was now known as World Wrestling Federation or simply WWF. Soon, his rivalry with Andre the Giant turned fairly popular among the viewers. Despite leaving the WWF, Studd's presence was still made known in a WWF Magazine article published shortly before WrestleMania III, where he supported Andre in his upcoming match against Hogan (contending that Hogan's friendship with Andre was a ruse, to duck him as a potential challenger to the title). He won Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship on four different occasions. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! In 1993, he was training to fight wrestler Killer Kowalski in a special match. Minton died from liver cancer and Hodgkin's disease on March 20, 1995. From 1982 to 1986 and from 1988 to 1989, John Minton was one of the most well known wrestlers in the WWF. Visit Sony LIV to sign in or sign up and enjoy WWE's premium content. Internet Wrestling Database. His rivalry with Andre the Giant became intense when he gave Andre a haircut during a tag team match in 1984. Around this time, he started bringing stretchers to his matches as he thought his opponents would need them at the end of the match. Falling off a motorcycle while filming this movie and frequent steroid use probably both accelerated his Hodgkins Disease. Big John Studd [1] Debut. Still a complete giant of a man, Silo Sam didn't have much of a memorable career as a wrestler. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. When the rare combination of size and skill come together in the same package that is when legends are made. The Bundy-Studd team also feuded with other established WWF tag teams in 1986, including The Islanders (Haku and Tama), and contended for the WWF Tag Team Championship held by The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and the Dynamite Kid). Again, the tumor remitted and he went home. This guy has no real accomplishments to speak of and even though we didn't get to see much of him due to his short stint, at least we got to see this guy marry his wife onSaturday Night's Main Event, so at least that was memorable! Le dernier match de Studd, avant son premier dpart, eu lieu lors d'un pisode de WWF Superstars o lui et Bundy ont battu The Machiners. In early 1982, Studd gained several unsuccessful title shots at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, which was held by "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair at the time. Following the match, Andre took the bag containing the $15,000 and threw it in the air before being recovered by Studd and Heenan. [7], Studd was trained by Killer Kowalski. Un article de Wikipdia, l'encyclopdie libre. Upon his return to WWE, Big John Studd was paired with "Classy" Freddie Blassie, who aided Studd in his feud with Andre the Giant, which lasted for years. The two attacked Andr at a WWF house show in the summer of 1985, injuring Andre's sternum. Topics covered include: 02:11 - Big John Studd's early life03:40 - The Executioners tag team05:27 - Big John Studd begins his most succesful WWF Run06:15 - The $15,000 Bodyslam Challenge10:37 - Big John Studd teams with King Kong Bundy14:07 - Big John Studd wins the 1989 Royal Rumble- Much More!#WWE #Documentary #Wrestling But after losing a match to Blackjack Mulligan, he was forced to unmask and began competing under his most famous moniker, Big John Studd. 1985. Studd and Andr had several words with each other both before and during the match and eventually disqualified his nemesis after the giant attacked him from behind. Big John Studd Also known as Captain America, Captain USA, Chuck O'Connor, Executioner #2, John Studd, Masked Destroyer, Masked Superstar #2, Mighty Minton Men like Shawn Michaels, Batista, and Drew McIntyre followed the traditional heros journey of winning the Rumble en route to winning their first WWE world titles in WrestleMania main events. It doesn't matter if they only competed once or if they lost every single match, if they were the tallest, they're on this list. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. He first worked for the WWF (then the WWWF) Standing 6-foot-10 and weighing in at 364 pounds, John "Big John Studd" Minton was a mountain of a man who dominated his competition, and his legendary rivalries with Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan in the mid-1980s are considered some of the greatest of that era. Studd wrestled sporadically on the independent circuit until 1993; his last match was against The Honky Tonk Man. Big John Studd Dead at 47 from liver cancer and Hodgkins disease. Despite leaving the WWF, Studd's presence was still made known in a WWF Magazine article published shortly before WrestleMania III, where he supported Andr in his upcoming match against Hogan (contending that Hogan's friendship with Andr was a ruse, to duck him as a potential challenger to the title). [5] Studd's last match with the WWF was June 4, 1989, with Hillbilly Jim wrestling in Studd's place later that month. The Undertaker is also an eight-timeworld champion, having held the WWE Championship four times, the World Heavyweight Championship three timesand the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship one time as well. They held the championship until October 26, 1976, when they were stripped of the titles after a third Executioner (Nikolai Volkoff) interfered in a title defence. February 27, 2023 Monday Night RAW results, IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, World Wrestling Federation (19821986; 1989), NWA North American Heavyweight Championship, NWA Tennessee Southern Heavyweight Championship, World Wide Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment, Championship Wrestling From Florida alumni, Universal Wrestling Federation (Bill Watts) alumni. Minton was also an actor in both . Although he held the WWE World Heavyweight Championship only once, he was able to hold the title through most of the 1995 calendar year, for a total of 358 days . His gimmick was bringing a stretcher to the ring and he'd beat his opponents so badly they would be taken out on the stretcher. If you would like to support the channel and my work, please consider becoming a channel member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIf44toFAHLORJ8dwEQkh9g/joinWrestling Bios Presents - The Career of Big John StuddWWE Hall of Famer Big John Studd was one of wrestling's biggest heels during the pre-wrestlemania days. (vitag.Init = window.vitag.Init || []).push(function(){viAPItag.display("vi_937032466")}). The two attacked Andr at a WWF TV card in Toronto in the summer of 1985, injuring Andre's sternum. John Minton, or Big John Studd as he would eventually be known, was born on February 19th, 1948, in Butler, Pennsylvania. [10] He came out with his own line of workout and vitamin supplements and trained Ron Reis, who would make his WCW debut as Big Ron Studd. Studd then took a two year break. He appeared in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s and wrestled in the main event of . Studd was also paired with Bobby "the Brain" Heenan, who helped take the Andre-Studd feud to new heights. World Tag Team Title (Indianapolis)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Big_John_Studd&oldid=1140967140, Episode: "Bad Company" or "Bad Companions", EWU World Super Heavyweight Championship (1 time), This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 18:00. Andr went on to win the battle royal. Lors de WrestleMania 2, Studd participe une bataille royale de 20 participants, regroupant des stars de la WWF et de la NFL, remporte par son rival, le franais Andr le Gant. Brought from Argentinato America to play basketball for the Atlanta Hawks, it was soon apparent that this 7'6" giant could not compete in the NBA. Almost 2 years before their match at WrestleMania, this is the first meeting and the beginning of the "BodySlam Challange" between Andre & Studd. Studd left WWE shortly after, but returned two years later and once again rekindled his rivalry with Andre. Au dbut de l'anne 1982, Minton eu plusieurs matchs de championnats pour le titre de Champion du monde poids-lourd de la NWA dtenu alors par Ric Flair, mais choua chaque reprise. He fought his last wrestling match against The Honky Tonk Man at a promotional event. 2005. Even though Big John Studd was a towering 6'10", he was usually just played second fiddle to the 7'4" Andre the Giant for the duration of their wrestling careers. Big John Studd. Sur cette version linguistique de Wikipdia, les liens interlangues sont placs en haut droite du titre de larticle. Minton grew up with a love for professional wrestling. Although Andr the Giant was also in the battle royal, Studd set his focus on eliminating William "The Refrigerator" Perry, who was fresh from a Super Bowl victory that year. With more height sometimescomes less skill, so some of the guys on this list might not be known for their quickness or any signature aerial assaults they broughtto their opponents. While other lists of this nature have pointed to the girth of wrestlers, this one will be focusing strictly on their height. This happened during a televised tag team match featuring Studd and fellow Heenan Family member Ken Patera against Andr the Giant and S.D. If you would like to support the channel and my work, please consider becoming a channel member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIf44toFAHLORJ8dwEQkh9g/joi. Rather than reprising Studd vs. Andre at WrestleMania 5, Studd was instead the guest referee when Andre wrestled Jake Roberts. 2. His run in the world of wrestling may not have been a successful one, but he will surely be remembered for his towering height. [8], In late 1984, Studd was also paired with Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, who helped take the Andr-Studd feud to new heights. He won the NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship, along with Buddy Rose. By 1984, with his feud with Andre still raging, Studd was challenging then-new champion Hulk Hogan for the title; Hogan was also successful on several occasions in slamming Studd. Professional Wrestler/Entertainer. He also announced a $15000 cash prize for the individual who could slam him. Sign up for BINGE to watch. After leaving the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), Studd became known as Chuck O'Connor, Captain USA, and The Masked Superstar II at certain points in the Mid-Atlantic territory. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Like several others on the list, the Brazilian giant has a background in basketball, having played for the Brazilian national team in the preliminary rounds for the 1988 Olympics. The Andre-Studd feud raged throughout 1983, and Andre got the upper hand and slammed Studd several times, once with enough force to collapse the entire ring. On May 25, 1980, Masked Superstar II was unmasked after a match with Blackjack Mulligan in Toronto. John Studd also trained several wrestlers including Ron Reis, who debuted in WCW as "Big" Ron Studd. His Royal Rumble win sadly faces similar limitations to the man himself, for happening before fans put so much weight on the Rumble and before it had a prize attached to it. Sound off in the comments below! Another great giant, Big Show, inducted Studd into the Hall, and son John Minton Jr. accepted the Hall of Fame plaque on behalf of his dad. In 1977, John left the federation again, and after taking some time off, he competed at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, but lost to the then undefeated wrestler, Nature Boy Ric Flair. Jones. He was then known as Chuck O'Connor and he feuded with El Olympico. When looking back at some of the greatest Goliaths in WWE history, the name Big John Studd ranks right up there with the best. Sports Writer who loves the Sixers, Eagles, and the Phillies. He first worked for the WWF (then the WWWF) under the name Chuck O'Connor, then as one of the Masked Executioners in 1976 . Sadly, with those measurements, Elmer was only able to wrestle for two years in the WWE before he was forced to retire due to his weakening physical condition. Big John Studd signed with the World Wrestling Federation and took on Fred Blassie as his manager. The battle royal also featured stars from the National Football league. He went on to win the Tag Team Championship with his partner and together, they came to be known as The Executioners. 27 and last eliminated Ted DiBiase to win the match. [1] On September 12, 1972, Studd unsuccessfully challenged Pedro Morales for the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship. Big John Studd: Bio. Follow him on Twitter @miketchin. John Minton was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease and fought the disease for several years. After several wrestlers were unsuccessful in answering Studd's challenge, Andre accepted and was about to slam Studd before Blassie attacked Andre from behind (as Studd grabbed the ring ropes to prevent himself from being slammed). Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event and the worlds best TV and movies, 1989 Royal Rumble Match winner; 2004 WWE Hall of Fame Inductee. Profile Info. The only thing Khali brought to the WWE was his height, which he took back to India in 2014. photo: wwe.com. The Andre-Studd feud raged throughout 1983, and although Andre got the upper hand and slammed Studd several times, Studd declared himself the "True Giant of Wrestling," all while continuing to insist he could not (and had never been) slammed. He also dabbled in Hollywood, appearing in episodes of "The A-Team" and "Hunter," as well as in movies such as "Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man." But pro wrestling has also been filled with cherished giants loved by fans for years. Between WWE and WCW, Big Showhas held 23 total championships. He went through rounds of chemotherapy and was reportedly unwilling to give up. However, back in 1989, WWE staged only its second official Royal Rumble. [12] In February 1995, Minton returned for another round of chemotherapy, and it was found that the tumor had spread widely. Michael Chin is a writer based in Las Vegas, He writes about pro wrestling for The Sportster and has followed WWE and other promotions for over 30 years. It remitted after chemotherapy, and he was told he might wrestle again in six months, but it returned in 1994. Studd, along with Bundy and Heenan, insisted that Andre and the Giant Machine were one and the same, and set out to prove their point by vowing to unmask the Giant Machine during a series of tag team matches; the Giant Machine's partners included Blackjack Mulligan (as "Big Machine") and Bill Eadie (as "Super Machine"), with Studd and Bundy saying in interviews that they knew who The Machines were and that they had never heard of Japanese wrestlers with a South-Texas accent (Mulligan/Big Machine) or a South-Florida accent (Eadie/Super Machine), while Bobby Heenan repeatedly claimed that no Japanese wrestler or person was 7'4" and over 500lbs and spoke with a French accent. The wresting star had complained that he was feeling more tired than usual, and at first chalked it up to fatigue from getting back into the ring. Manager Captain Lou Albano protested by claiming it was an "optical illusion". One would be Luger, who lost his title match in the middle of WrestleMania 10 and never got to the main event level in WWE again, or Shinsuke Nakamura who seems on a similar track, but at least these two enjoyed greater longevity with the company. Studd quickly became a monster heel, adopting a gimmick of bringing a stretcher to the ring and beating his opponents so badly they would be taken out on the stretcher. After leaving WWE, Minton moved to the Mid-Atlantic region, where he competed as Masked Superstar #2. His son, Sean Minton Studd, is also trying to make a mark in the field of wrestling. After the inaugural one was a hit as a TV special, where Jim Duggan won the battle royal main event, Big John Studd took home this second victory at the first Rumble PPV. He returned to WWF in 1988 and got into feud with many members of the Heenan family. Andre the Giant wasthe epitome of a big manin professional wrestling. In 1989, he won the Royal Rumble held at Houston. John Minton. Big John Studd. His career was capped with a HOF induction in 2015. The Battle Royal was during the Chicago portion of the show, and Studd drew the crowd's ire when he eliminated Chicago Bears great (and future fellow Hall of Famer) William "The Refrigerator" Perry from the Battle Royal. After several wrestlers were unsuccessful in answering Studd's challenge, Andre accepted and was about to slam Studd before Blassie attacked Andre from behind (as Studd grabbed the ring ropes to prevent himself from being slammed). Heart Punch (un coup de poing pouvant arrter le cur de son adversaire). He's the author of the wrestling book, The Long Way Home. Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991), https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/big-john-studd-35149.php, 20th Century Film & Theater Personalities, 20th Century American Film & Theater Personalities. June 12, 1988. This happened during a televised tag team match on WWF Championship Wrestling featuring Studd and fellow Heenan Family member Ken Patera against Andr the Giant and S. D. Jones. Todd Pettengill announces the death of Big John Studd on the March 26, 1995 episode of Action Zone, Big John Studd guest referees for Andre the Giant and Jake The Snakes match at WrestleMania V. It doesnt take long for Andre and Studd to come to blows. As a wrestler, The Great Khali turned out to benot so great after all. The Undertaker is known for "The Streak", an unprecedented run of 21 straight wins at WrestleMania. Studd rejoint la WWF et devient challenger pour le titre de la WWF, dtenu par Hulk Hogan. Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event, your favorite shows, new movies, live sports, and more. Initially managed by Classy Freddie Blassie before joining Bobby Heenan and the Heenan Family, Big John Studd would help megastars such as Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant continue on their paths of superstardom. 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