Pro Wrestling can be strange. Here is your weekly look at the strangest.
Giant Gonzalez
After an injury killed his pro basketball career, Jorge Gonzalez began a pro-wrestling career. He was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA draft, who were also owned by WCW owner Ted Turner. Being billed at 7’8” and 460 lbs his size certainly lent itself to being a pro wrestling spectacle. He made his WCW debut in 1990. He saw decent success in WCW. Highlights include wrestling Ric Flair for the world championship and being named #112 on Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s list of 500 best wrestlers of the year. He left WCW in late 1992 and signed with the WWE in the beginning of 1993.
WWE is where things got a bit strange. He made his WWE debut as Giant Gonzalez at the 1993 Royal Rumble match. Even though he was not competing in the match he eliminated The Undertaker. He did this wearing a full body suit that was airbrushed like the human body. That’s not all the suit was trimmed in fur/hair in the shoulders, forearms, legs, and uhh crotch regions. An almost 8 foot guy in a full bodysuit with fur trim was definitely a sight to behold. Flanked by his manager Harvey Whippleman he began working a program with The Undertaker. This feud led Gonzalez being one of ‘Taker’s oppoents during the famed “Streak”. Gonzalez was once again defeated by The Undertaker at Summerslam 1993 in a “Rest in Peace” match. After the match Giant Gonzalez turned on Harvey Whippleman and began a short run as a babyface. His last appearance in WWF came in October 1993 during a 20 man battle royal. He went on to have a run in Japan before hanging up his boots.
After retiring from the ring due to health complications he moved back to his home country of Argentina. His health continued to decline and he passed away at age 44 in 2010. Giant Gonzalez wasn’t really that strange of a wrestler. However, that body suit… That body suit was without a doubt one of the strange pieces of ring attire in the history of professional wrestling.
[youtube id=”njTGVvJ05sg” width=”620″ height=”360″]
Check out other strange wrestlers here.
