10 "Foreign" Wrestlers Who Weren't Really Foreign At All
1. Gorilla Monsoon
Providing one of the most iconic voices in wrestling broadcast history, Gorilla Monsoon was first a very accomplished in-ring performer. As a mute heel, Monsoon tore through the WWWF as the terrifying giant hailing from Manchuria.
Because kayfabe is fantastic, Monsoon supposedly travelled across the countryside with gypsy caravaners, fought bears, ate their raw flesh and drank the blood of his victims. Hooray wrestling.
It's a much more fearsome story than that of Robert Marella's upbringing, who attended high school in Rochester, New York, became a standout multi-sport athlete and joined pro wrestling as the proud Italian-American, Gino Marella. The decision to evolve into Gorilla Monsoon was fueled by the financial benefits given to heels.