10 Greatest Fake Pro Wrestlers In Movies

This 1950 film noir classic had one of the most violent and prolonged fight scenes ever put to film in its day. Real life pro wrestler Mike Mazurki portrays The Strangler, a (literally) deadly combatant who challenges Stanislaus Zbyzko’s (no relation to Larry) Gregorious The Great, an ageing veteran of the ring.

Centred on an overly ambitious, mishap-prone hustler, the film follows him as he attempts a major con in the London wrestling scene. Boasting the convoluted plots one normally expects of the noir genre, Night and the City is chock full of sinister characters. Even so, The Strangler stands out as a particularly menacing figure who grows more devastating as the story progresses.

Often noted as a groundbreaking piece of cinema, Night and the City was one of the first films to feature zero sympathetic characters. Additionally, The Strangler contributes to the notoriously bleak and fatal ending. 1 of the earliest film depictions of professional wrestling and its colourful, often intimidating characters on this list, the film provides several candidates. The Strangler takes the cake due to his monstrous presence and integral, antagonistic role in the film.