10 WWE Big Men Who Were Surprisingly Good Wrestlers
5. Gorilla Monsoon
Gorilla Monsoon filled a number of roles throughout his time in the wrestling business. Chances are you know him as WWE’s President or a colour commentator, but he cut his teeth as a dominant monster heel throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s.
Articulate, colourful, and captivating in his non-wrestling roles, it’s almost hard to imagine him in his original role, but he was a regular opponent for WWE’s record-breaking World Champion Bruno Sammartino. A violent, brutish professional wrestler, Monsoon was the perfect foil for Sammartino’s straightforward heroism, and while he never won the big belt, he wrestled Bruno to a number of time-limit draws, proving he could go toe-to-toe with the best in the business.
As with most giants, the 400lb Monsoon leaned heavily on a power-based offense, and would regularly finish-off his opponents with airplane spins and gorilla press slams. Aside from this approach, Gorilla was an astute technical grappler who could tie-up with anything, and while he wasn’t exactly tying his opponents in knots, Monsoon was rarely outclassed in a grappling exchange.
Monsoon helped pioneer the monster heel role. While mostly remembered for his contributions outside the ring, his actual wrestling career should never go unnoticed, and his well-rounded contributions to WWE make him one of the most deserving Hall of Famers in existence.