Minton was also an actor in both . Sports Writer who loves the Sixers, Eagles, and the Phillies. John started his training at the age of 18. His character is one of the mostenduringin wrestling history and has reached a levelof legendaryproportions. He left the WWWF in February 1973. Their rivalry produced two of the most infamous moments in WWE history. Official Sites. But pro wrestling has also been filled with cherished giants loved by fans for years. Studd, who long had a reputation of not selling pain to wrestlers with little or no in-ring skills, wrestled a notable match with the "World's Strongest Man" Ted Arcidi at the Boston Garden in mid-1986. He also announced a $15000 cash prize for the individual who could slam him. For all of these wrestlers in the conversation of the greatest Royal Rumble performers of all time, one name that tends to go overlooked, is Big John Studd, who quietly won the second ever Rumble. While other lists of this nature have pointed to the girth of wrestlers, this one will be focusing strictly on their height. His rivalry with wrestlers like Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan became legendary within the WWF sphere. He was 47 years old and left behind a wife and three children, John Jr., Janelle and Sean. He made his WWWF debut with Kowalski as his tag team partner. In his career, Studd was a World Tag Team Champion, WrestleMania participant and Royal Rumble winner; his induction into the Hall of Fame, however, affirmed that Studd was one of sports-entertainment's true giants. $19.99 + $11.45 shipping. in 1976, leading to a Tag Team Title reign. Even when he was admitted to the hospital for the final time, he told close friend, wrestler Billy Graham, that he would be out in a few days; however, he would never be released from the hospital. [1] On September 12, 1972, Studd unsuccessfully challenged Pedro Morales for the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship. Around September 1994, Minton's lungs collapsed and he went back to the hospital. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. This enraged him and led to a rivalry with the Heenan family. The two attacked Andr at a WWF house show in the summer of 1985, injuring Andre's sternum. When no suitable bone marrow donor was found, and he was given around a month to live, Minton underwent an autotransplantation procedure with a 7% success rate. 27 and last eliminated Ted DiBiase to win the match. His first run as the "The Interrogator" didn't last long and his time as a solowrestler didn't last long either. 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 is known for competing in the World Wrestling Federation from 1982 to 1986 and from 1988 to 1989. He has held theWorld Heavyweight Championship seven times and is the only person to have held the ECW, WWE (both) and WCW world heavyweight championships. In 1976, Studd returned to the World Wide Wrestling Federation, where he donned a mask and performed as "Executioner#2", teaming with Executioner#1 as The Executioners. Although he wrestled under the names Captain USA, Chuck OConnor, the Executioner #2 and The Giant Stud, he is most popularly known as Big John Studd. Studd participated in the well-publicized 20 man over-the-top battle royal that took place at WrestleMania 2. Although the Big John Studd death is now two decades in the past, his memory lives on amongst fans and friends. 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. Minton, Jr. also participated in the fourth season of WWE Tough Enough. Big John StuddJohn William Minton1948 219 - 1995 320 . However, they were beaten while defending their title on October 26, 1976. He defeatedHulk Hogan to winthe WCW World Title. 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 . Winning an incredible 18 championships during his WWE career, Kane has been one of the most successful wrestlers ever. Big John Studd won the second ever Royal Rumble, but was gone from WWE six months later, without even a WrestleMania match in between. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan devient son manager et il se lance dans une rivalit contre Andr the Giant, ce qui amnera a un Body Slam contest (organis par Andre The Giant et o le vainqueur est celui qui arrive porter un bodyslam son adversaire) au premier Wrestlemania avec 15000$ en jeu. Minton made his acting debut in 1984 when he appeared as himself in the movie Micki & Maude. He was a part of several other movies, such as The Protector (1985), Double Agent (1987), Hyper Space (1989), Caged In Paradiso (1990), Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991), Shock Em Dead (1991) and The Marrying Man (1991). He made his television debut in an episode of The A-Team in 1985. Big John Studd facts John William Minton (February 19, 1948 - March 20, 1995) was an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name, Big John Studd. From 1982 to 1986 and from 1988 to 1989, John Minton was one of the most well known wrestlers in the WWF. It is important that we recognize these unique characters, no onecan recreate what these guys bring to the sport of wrestling. 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"). When wrestling fans reflect on the winners of the Royal Rumble, certain names tend to come up. While fighting without his partner, he was known by another stage name, Chuck OConnor.. Studd and Blassie had issued a "Bodyslam Challenge," offering $10,000 (and later, $15,000) to any wrestler who could slam him before boasting that he (Studd) could not be slammed. His last match before leaving WWF for two years was against The Machines. In the match, he was partnered with King Kong Bundy. Studd's last match during his original 1980s WWF run came on the November 15, 1986, episode of WWF Superstars of Wrestling, where he teamed with Bundy to defeat The Machines (a match that did not involve the Giant Machine). But at the same time, the whole purpose of professional wrestling was to give it all a larger than real life feel. He won NWA Florida Global Tag Team Championship with Jimmy Garvin at the Championship Wrestling in Florida. Falling off a motorcycle while filming this movie and frequent steroid use probably both accelerated his Hodgkins Disease. In the mid 80s the WWF, under 'Vince McMahon Jr.' took off, and Studd was along for the ride. En 1978, Studd fait quipe avec Ken Patera pour gagner les titres de champions par quipe de la Mid-Atlantic. 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. 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). Nash accomplished all this while being 6 feet 9 inches tall. An elated Bobby Heenan appeared on the set to welcome Studd back to the Heenan family. John William Minton, better known as Big John Studd, was a well-known American professional wrestler and actor. 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). 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. Studd held a number of championships over his career, including the NWA American Heavyweight Championship . Big John Studd was born in Butler. After WrestleMania, Studd formed an alliance with fellow Heenan Family member, 468lb (212kg) King Kong Bundy. He was also known as the masked executioner as he sported a mask while making his appearance with Kowalski. Every generation of wrestlers will have a few giantsbecause there will always be a needfora monster of a man in the ring. The Andre-Studd feud took on a new dimension in 1986, when, in the wake of Andre's increasing health problems related to gigantism and acromegaly, his role as Fezzik in the movie The Princess Bride, and his planned tour of Japan, a storyline was developed to have Andr compete in a tag team called The Machines. 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. Originally managed by Freddie Blassie, Studd later became a member of the Heenan Family, engaging in a long and storied rivalry with Andre the Giant over who was the "true giant" of WWE. 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. 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. As is often the case with Hodgkins disease, Big John Studds cancer returned and spread to his liver in 1994. It was in Texas that he picked up the Big John Studd moniker.Later, he moved to Jim Crockett's Mid Atlantic territory where he feuded with Greg Valentine and fellow giant Blackjack Mulligan (Bob Windham). As he grew older, he lost interest until some years later, attended a wrestling . It certainly didn't help his popularity thathe couldn't win in the ring. 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. Il mesurait 2,01 m et pesait au meilleur de sa forme prs de 165kg. There's Steve Austin who is the only man to have won the match three times, or Hulk Hogan . He was partnered with Ken Patera, and eventually won the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship. 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). Big John Studd), vouched for Savage's "real life" character, that he agreed to add Savage to his client list. In the beginning, he used the stage name The Mighty Milton.. It remitted after chemotherapy, and he was told he might wrestle again in six months, but it returned in 1994. Sponsored. Studd learned he had the disease in 1993 right after collapsing after his last match, against the Honky Tonk Man (Wayne Farris). Several times, the two met inside a steel cage, where Andr not only slammed Studd, but used a sitdown splash from the top rope onto his chest to knock him out. Trained by. Although he never got to see his famous father wrestle--due to his father's retirement a year before his son's birth, Sean held a passion for the sport. In addition to the match still being a new concept, its worth nothing that it didnt have any official stakes until arguably the greatest Royal Rumble in 1992, when a vacant WWE Championship was on the line. He's the author of the wrestling book, The Long Way Home. Big John Studd was an actor too, and starred in a few movies. Heenan successfully campaigned to get Andre suspended, only for Andre to reappear shortly thereafter in a mask and billing himself as the Giant Machine. Have a comment about BigJohn Studd? Amazingly, it did, and the wrestlers cancer went into remission. He later went to Texas and became the masked Captain America, feuding with Fritz Von Erich, Stan Hansen, and 'Andre the Giant'. Andr dominated their Wrestlemania match at Madison Square Garden and won by slamming Studd at 5:54.[6][8]. Although Big John Studd was largely retired by the 1990s, he would occasionally step into the ring. He appeared in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s and wrestled in the main event of . WWF Big John Studd Thumb Wrestler. Studd also made occasional trips to Canada to wrestle in Emile Dupre's Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling. He received several title shots at AWA champ Verne Gagne, but was unable to win the coveted strap. John Studd came out with his own line of workout and vitamin supplements. By the late 1980s, the tables had turned. On May 25, 1980, Masked Superstar II was unmasked after a match with Blackjack Mulligan in Toronto. Professional Wrestler/Entertainer. He then faced wrestlers like Gorilla Monsoon and Chief Jay Strongbow during his association with WWWF. 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. However, neither Studd, nor Bundy or Heenan, were able to unmask The Machines, and their true identities remained a secret. LJN Titan. Studd jumped to the World Wrestling Federation in late 1982, and was paired with manager "Classy" Freddie Blassie. John William Minton was born and raised in Butler, Pa. Minton was born to Helen Hayden and joined the United States Army and served as a military police officer. Follow him on Twitter @miketchin. Together, Studd and Kowalski won the WWF Tag Team Championship in 1976 as the Masked Executioners. Minton passed away on March 20, 1995 at the age of 47. Perry then extended his hand to Studd, but when the giant reached out to shake it, Perry pulled him over the top rope to eliminate him as well. Rather than reprising Studd vs. Andre at WrestleMania 5, Studd was instead the guest referee when Andre wrestled Jake Roberts. However, he continued wrestling using his stage name Chuck O Connor and later made his Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling debut in 1974. [7], Studd was trained by Killer Kowalski. Studd and Blassie had issued a "Bodyslam Challenge," offering $10,000 (and later, $15,000) to any wrestler that could slam him before boasting that he (Studd) could not be slammed. 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. Having worked in the WWWF, Mid Atlantic and the AWA, John had his most succesful run with the WWF beginning in the early 80s. He made his wrestling debut in 1972 under the name Chuck O'Connor. [1] [2] [3] His wins often became the talk of the town in the mid-80s. Later that month at Showdown at Shea, Studd lost to El Olympico by disqualification. Studd successfully eliminated Perry during the match, only to have Perry eliminate Studd while the two were shaking hands. The Bundy-Studd team also feuded with other established WWF tag teams in 1986, including The Islanders, and contended for the WWF Tag Team Championship held by The British Bulldogs. 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. Sean Minton is currently a professional wrestler known as Big Sean Studd. The author of the mostenduringin wrestling history and has reached a levelof legendaryproportions the well-publicized 20 man over-the-top royal... Some years later, attended a wrestling who loves the Sixers, Eagles, Studd. 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