8 Wrestlers Who Did Better Things In Retirement
5. Gorilla Monsoon
Name your five favourite Gorilla Monsoon matches. Go on: we'll wait.
It's not that easy, is it? Maybe the one against Muhammad Ali, perhaps? Beyond that, even the most ardent aficionado of WWE's pre-Golden Era would struggle to list more than two Monsoon matches they'd voluntarily watch for pleasure.
That's not to say Gorilla wasn't a draw in his day. As a heel, the gargantuan, grizzled New Yorker sold out arenas across the north east opposite Bruno Sammartino in the '60s, and was a similarly attractive prospect paired with Superstar Billy Graham as a fan favourite. Monsoon was massively popular in his home territory, but it was nothing compared to the worldwide adoration he'd earn in retirement.
In 1980, Monsoon put his career on the line against Ken Patera, and the stipulation stuck in defeat, as he was transitioned to an announcing role. The mic suited Gorilla's massive hands much as a banana does a... well, an actual gorilla. As the voice of WWE during the company's global expansion, Monsoon provided the soundtrack of childhoods the world over, his partnerships with Jesse Ventura and Bobby Heenan becoming the announcing template always strived for, but never matched.
His backstage legacy endures to this day also; the spot just behind the curtain directing traffic is affectionately referred to as the 'Gorilla Position'.