5. Big Sal E. Graziano Originally Patterned Himself After Sting
Longtime fans of the original Extreme Championship Wrestling will remember a group known as the 'Full Blooded Italians'. Various members included Little Guido, Tommy Rich and even Tracy Smothers. The running joke surrounding the faction was that many of the wrestlers were not actually Italian, but pretended to be so. Another member was 'Big' Sal E. Graziano. Routinely, Sal would carry Guido on his shoulders during their entrance, but he rarely did much wrestling himself. Tipping the scales at a reported 600lbs (although that was likely embellished), the man also stood well over 6ft. Acting as the group's henchman, Graziano incredibly patterned himself after smaller wrestlers early in his career. Despite his gargantuan size, Sal favoured men like Sting and The Great Muta. During his training to be a pro wrestler, Graziano wanted to work a similar style to those men, but do so as a huge athlete. Obviously, this would have helped him stand out, but he was discouraged from doing so by those training him to work. Learning from men like King Kong Bundy, Sal became a more routine big man in wrestling, rarely leaving his feet.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
