10 More Wrestlers You'll NEVER Believe Shared The Same Ring
Japan: Where Cactus Jack can battle Andre the Giant, and Chyna can face NJPW royalty!
Last November saw us here at WhatCulture Wrestling highlight some of those wrestling match-ups that you never thought were possible, and now there's another batch of 'that really happened?' matches to delve into.
Previously, it was the likes of Ultimate Warrior vs. Orlando Jordan, John Cena vs. Frankie Kazarian, Daniel Bryan vs. Kamala and somehow Big Vito vs. Mitsuharu Misawa that were under the spotlight - and you can find that full article here.
After the feedback to that original article, it seemed only natural to dive deeper into further matches that seem out of the bounds of reality. As in, there are just some wrestlers who it seems absolutely impossible that they could have somehow existed in the same wrestling stratosphere, let alone step into the ring to lock up against one another.
When you really think about it, though, at its core that's part of the beauty of professional wrestling; that matches thought unconceivable are still able to happen - just those bouts may well have slipped under your own personal radar.
Keeping that in mind, then, and here are ten examples of wrestlers who you will struggle to believe ever locked up in a ring together...
10. Chris Candido & The Great Khali
Some may not be aware that The Great Khali actually competed in New Japan Pro Wrestling before signing with WWE in 2006. Some may not be aware that the late, great Chris Candido likewise competed for NJPW. And even more mind-blowing, is that Khali and Candido actually crossed paths during their respective times in New Japan.
Many have long said how Wrestler A is so good that he could wrestle a broom and have a great match. Here, replace Wrestler A with Chris Candido, and replace the broom with The Great Khali.
Never has there been as great an example of somebody stupidly held back because of their size as Candido. The New Jersey-born grappler was jacked and was as smooth as they come in the ring, but a billed height of 5'8" meant that he wasn't afforded the opportunities that his talent truly deserved.
The match-up between Khali and Candido took place on a January 2002 NJPW Fighting Spirit offering, with Khali - then known as Giant Singh - picking up the win after four minutes. But man, if Candido didn't bump his ass off to make his mammoth opponent look a million bucks.
Giant Bomb into the ring from Khali for the win!! #NJPW pic.twitter.com/Q1qRleSTEH
— SirLARIATO (@SirLARIATO) March 24, 2021
To be fair to Khali, he moved a whole lot easier during those pre-knee surgery days, with him even signed to WCW before the company closed its doors.
As for Candido, around this same time he also had matches against another unlikely opponent in Amazing Red. While footage of those bouts is tricky to find, one has to imagine that those two wrestlers of different generations would've tore it up.