Big John Studd facts John William Minton (February 19, 1948 - March 20, 1995) was an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name, Big John Studd. Even with the accomplishments, maybe Big John Studd's most memorablemoment was when Andrebeat him in a "bodyslam challenge" in Madison Square Garden during the first WrestleMania ever. In 2004, on the night before WrestleMania XX, Studd was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in the same city where he made WrestleMania history two decades earlier. The Undertaker is known for "The Streak", an unprecedented run of 21 straight wins at WrestleMania. In the mid 80s the WWF, under 'Vince McMahon Jr.' took off, and Studd was along for the ride. Andre slammed Studd during the event, but the money was stolen by King Kong Bundy, with whom Studd had formed an alliance. He then left the federation in February 1973. However, with Heenan now also managing his old adversary Andr the Giant, Studd rejected the offer and ran Heenan off the Brother Love set, thus turning face. Trained by. He passed away in 1995 due to Hodgkins disease and liver cancer. It was in Texas that he picked up the Big John Studd moniker.Later, he moved to Jim Crockett's Mid Atlantic territory where he feuded with Greg Valentine and fellow giant Blackjack Mulligan (Bob Windham). Big and tall athleteshave been makingnames for themselves in the NBA since it's inception. (1978 -. Christopher Alan Pallies (November 7, 1955 - March 5, 2019) was an American professional wrestler, actor and stand-up comedian, better known by his wrestling gimmick and ring name, King Kong Bundy.Under this gimmick, he portrayed a pugnacious, trash-talking villain character. Internet Wrestling Database. Studd was a giant of a man and often dominated his opponents. Andre gagne le match et les 15000$. He is known for competing in the World Wrestling Federation from 1982 to 1986 and from 1988 to 1989. Minton was also an actor in both . He went on to win the Tag Team Championship with his partner and together, they came to be known as The Executioners. Studd retired. John became an instant crowd-puller and, along with Killer Kowalski, went on to win the Tag Team Championship. By the late 1980s, the tables had turned. Manager Captain Lou Albano protested by claiming it was an "optical illusion". He was always near the top of the card, feuding with the likes of Hulk Hogan and teaming with Ken Patera to cut off Andre's hair. Studd left WWE shortly after, but returned two years later and once again rekindled his rivalry with Andre. The Undertaker has cemented himself as one of the greatest wrestlers ever and surelyone of the best big men to ever enter the ring. Studd was actually in the WWWF before his stint as Executioner #2 in 1976. He first worked for the WWF (then the WWWF) under the name Chuck O'Connor, then as one of the Masked Executioners in 1976, . John William Minton (February 19, 1948 - March 20, 1995) was an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name, Big John Studd. He was a very talented big man. The wresting star had complained that he was feeling more tired than usual, and at first chalked it up to fatigue from getting back into the ring. The plot is located at New Saxonburg, Section 2 North. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. He's the author of the wrestling book, The Long Way Home. Known mostly wrestling for the Von Erich's WCCW as Silo Sam, he also wrestled for a very short time in the WWF as Trapper John. He first worked for the WWF (then the WWWF) under the name Chuck O'Connor, then as one of the Masked Executioners in 1976 . Official Sites. La rivalit durera jusqu'en 1986. He died from lymphoma cancer on March 20, 1995. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. His last match in WWF was supposed to be held on June 4, 1989, but he did not show up for the match and was replaced by Hillbilly Jim. In mid-1972, Studd joined the World Wide Wrestling Federation under the ring name "Chuck O'Connor", facing wrestlers such as Chief Jay Strongbow and Gorilla Monsoon. Around this time, he started bringing stretchers to his matches as he thought his opponents would need them at the end of the match. Sadly, Big John Studd passed away in 1995 after a tough battle with Liver Cancer and Hodgkin's disease. His son, Sean Minton Studd, is also trying to make a mark in the field of wrestling. During his long career, he was most successful as Diesel and Big Sexy. Andre the Giant wasthe epitome of a big manin professional wrestling. The invitational battle royale also featured stars from the National Football league. The Big Show has also found success in the tag team division, having been an 11-time world tag team champion, holding the WWE and WCW World Tag Team Championships multiple times with various partners. When wrestling fans reflect on the winners of the Royal Rumble, certain names tend to come up. Robert Maillet was working asa bouncer in New Brunswick, when he got the call from Bret Hart with an offer tobecome a WWE wrestler. While fighting without his partner, he was known by another stage name, Chuck OConnor.. Winning the Royal Rumble was a major feather in Studds cap, particularly given that winning battle royals was such a central part of Andres legacy. When looking back at some of the greatest Goliaths in WWE history, the name Big John Studd ranks right up there with the best. He was posthumously inducted into the WCW (World Championship Wrestling) and WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) Hall of Fame in 1995 and 2004 respectively. Studd then took a two year break. The unfortunate reality of why Big John Studd is so easily forgotten as a Royal Rumble winner is that he was essentially a winner of no consequence. His successes over his long career has inspired many an aspiringbig man's dream of being their generation's Andr The Giant. Even though Big John Studd was a towering 6'10", he was usually just played second fiddle to the 7'4" Andre the Giant for the duration oftheir wrestling careers. Big John Studd fut entrain par le catcheur canadien Killer Kowalski. Every generation of wrestlers will have a few giantsbecause there will always be a needfora monster of a man in the ring. | He was also known as the masked executioner as he sported a mask while making his appearance with Kowalski. Studd jumped to the World Wrestling Federation in late 1982, and was paired with manager "Classy" Freddie Blassie. [5] Studd's last match with the WWF was June 4, 1989, with Hillbilly Jim wrestling in Studd's place later that month. John Minton. Studd learned he had the disease in 1993 right after collapsing after his last match, against the Honky Tonk Man (Wayne Farris). If you would like to support the channel and my work, please consider becoming a channel member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIf44toFAHLORJ8dwEQkh9g/joinWrestling Bios Presents - The Career of Big John StuddWWE Hall of Famer Big John Studd was one of wrestling's biggest heels during the pre-wrestlemania days. [12] In February 1995, Minton returned for another round of chemotherapy, and it was found that the tumor had spread widely. Studd was also paired with Bobby "the Brain" Heenan, who helped take the Andre-Studd feud to new heights. This time, however, the Frenchman was under the tutelage of the hated Heenan, so the fans rallied to Studd's side. The Royal Rumble is an institution nowone of the most eagerly anticipated PPVs of the year, with mens and womens editions that go a long way toward setting up WrestleMania. If you would like to support the channel and my work, please consider becoming a channel member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIf44toFAHLORJ8dwEQkh9g/joi. Later that month at Showdown at Shea, Studd lost to El Olympico by disqualification. The match ended by disqualification after persistent rulebreaking by Studd and Patera, who attacked Andr afterwards and cut his hair. For all of these wrestlers in the conversation of the greatest Royal Rumble performers of all time, one name that tends to go overlooked, is Big John Studd, who quietly won the second ever Rumble. Big John Studd would have the distinction of competing in WrestleMania 1 and WrestleMania 2, both times being in prolific matches.This video takes a look at the Career of Big John Studd. In 1976, Studd returned to the World Wide Wrestling Federation, where he donned a mask and performed as "Executioner#2", teaming with Executioner#1 as The Executioners. During the match, Studd was noticeably wrestling stiff and showing contempt for someone he saw as nothing more than a weightlifter with no wrestling skills who had no business being in a professional wrestling ring. [13] He is buried at Saxonburg Memorial Church Cemetery in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania. Although Andr the Giant was also in the match, Studd set his focus on eliminating Fralic and fellow football player William "The Refrigerator" Perry, who was fresh from a Super Bowl victory with the Chicago Bears earlier that year. Sports Writer who loves the Sixers, Eagles, and the Phillies. John Minton (February 19, 1948 - March 20, 1995) was an American professional wrestler and actor . Big John Studd won the second ever Royal Rumble, but was gone from WWE six months later, without even a WrestleMania match in between. After several wrestlers were unsuccessful in answering Studd's challenge, Andre accepted and was about to slam Studd before Blassie attacked Andre from behind (as Studd grabbed the ring ropes to prevent himself from being slammed). Profile Info. His career was capped with a HOF induction in 2015. 27 and last eliminated Ted DiBiase to win the match. ~~~Blassie went on a mission to prove that John Studd was the 'biggest' man in wrestling. The Studd-Bundy alliance and Andr continued to feud for the rest of that year and into 1986, with Andre often recruiting faces such as Hogan, Tony Atlas, Junkyard Dog and Hillbilly Jim to team with him. LJN Titan. Alors que la rivalit contre Andr le Gant se termine, Studd et Bundy rivalisent avec d'autres quipes, comme les Islanders et les champions par quipe: les British Bulldogs. He has held theWorld Heavyweight Championship seven times and is the only person to have held the ECW, WWE (both) and WCW world heavyweight championships. Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Disney + HotStar. However, neither Studd, nor Bundy or Heenan, were able to unmask the Giant Machine. Between WWE and WCW, Big Showhas held 23 total championships. Thankfully, his legacy now has an opportunity to live on through his son, John Minton Jr . It remitted after chemotherapy, and he was told he might wrestle again in six months, but it returned in 1994. Published Jan 13, 2022. John William Minton was born and raised in Butler, Pa. Minton was born to Helen Hayden and joined the United States Army and served as a military police officer. He had also appeared in television shows like 'Hunter' (1987) and 'Beauty and the Beast' (1988). Giant Silva was known as another part of The Oddities after making his WWE debut. He married Donna Conklin in 1978 with whom he had three children Janelle Minton, John Minton Jr., and Sean Minton. Andr set out for revenge and accepted Studd's challenge to a "$15,000 Bodyslam Challenge" match at the first WrestleMania, whereby if Andre failed to slam Studd before the time limit (or Studd managed to slam Andre), Andre would be forced to retire from wrestling. June 12, 1988. After this, Studd was brought into Florida by J.J. Dillon and feuded with Dusty Rhodes, Barry Windham (the son of Blackjack Mulligan), and Sweet Brown Sugar. It's TV gold, and the WWE is fully aware this. He went to the AWA but was generally unhappy there. His rivalry with Andre the Giant became intense when he gave Andre a haircut during a tag team match in 1984. Studd successfully eliminated Perry during the match, only to have Perry to eliminate Studd while the two were shaking hands. ), though he did not provide his own voice. Andr set out for revenge and accepted Studd's challenge to a "$15,000 Bodyslam Challenge" match at the first WrestleMania, whereby if Andre failed to slam Studd before the time limit (or Studd managed to slam Andre), Andr would be forced to retire from wrestling. In perhaps the crowning achievement in his WWE career, Studd entered the 1989 Royal Rumble Match at No. Heenan successfully campaigned to get Andre suspended, only for Andre to reappear shortly thereafter in a mask and billing himself as the Giant Machine. Big John Studd shows up Saturday as Petit Pierre, a mountain of a man who helps Lt. Danko and his "Dirty Dozen" team of soldier-spies in their weekly effort to . Visit Sony LIV to sign in or sign up and enjoy WWE's premium content. Minton made his acting debut in 1984 when he appeared as himself in the movie Micki & Maude. He was a part of several other movies, such as The Protector (1985), Double Agent (1987), Hyper Space (1989), Caged In Paradiso (1990), Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991), Shock Em Dead (1991) and The Marrying Man (1991). He made his television debut in an episode of The A-Team in 1985. Standing a full 2 inches taller then his fellow Brother of Destruction, The Undertaker, Kane is one of the tallest wrestlers of all time. 152" "" 2020 ". It doesn't matter if they only competed once or if they lost every single match, if they were the tallest, they're on this list. In fact, Studd only appeared at that year's Mania as a special guest referee in a match between Andre the Giant and Jake "The Snake" Roberts. Around September 1994, Minton's lungs collapsed and he went back to the hospital. Standingan impressive 7'1", his skills inside could never match his stature. February 27, 2023 Monday Night RAW results, IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, World Wrestling Federation (19821986; 1989), NWA North American Heavyweight Championship, NWA Tennessee Southern Heavyweight Championship, World Wide Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment, Championship Wrestling From Florida alumni, Universal Wrestling Federation (Bill Watts) alumni. Even when he was admitted to the hospital for the final time, he told close friend, wrestler Billy Graham, that he would be out in a few days; however, he would never be released from the hospital. For his fights, he would bring in a stretcher as he knew his opponent would need it at the end of the fight. Andr went on to win the battle royale. In 1993, he was training to fight wrestler Killer Kowalski in a special match. Studd went on to feud with several members of the Heenan family, including Andr who had turned heel during Studd's absence and Haku (one of the few wrestlers who could bodyslam Studd). During a televised match in late 1986, Studd and Bundy began arguing after they lost a match to the Bulldogs, and although that seemed to foreshadow a feud between the two, nothing ever came of it. The Undertaker debuted 32 years ago and is still going strong today. He was then known as Chuck O'Connor and he feuded with El Olympico. Originally managed by Freddie Blassie, Studd later became a member of the Heenan Family, engaging in a long and storied rivalry with Andre the Giant over who was the "true giant" of WWE. He was 47 years old and left behind a wife and three children, John Jr., Janelle and Sean. Studd jumped to the World Wrestling Federation in late 1982, and was paired with manager "Classy" Freddie Blassie. Just the same, winning this match was probably, objectively Studds single greatest kayfabe accomplishment. Winner of the 1989 WWF Royal Rumble, last eliminating "Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase, Big John Studd was trained by Killer Kowalski. John Studd also trained several wrestlers including Ron Reis, who debuted in WCW as "Big" Ron Studd. However, neither Studd, nor Bundy or Heenan, were able to unmask The Machines, and their true identities remained a secret. 2. He won NWA Florida Global Tag Team Championship with Jimmy Garvin at the Championship Wrestling in Florida. Later in 1985, Studd and fellow Heenan Family member King Kong Bundy formed a regular tag team, clashing with the likes of Andre & Hulk Hogan on a regular basis. March 12, 1994. Michael Chin is a writer based in Las Vegas, He writes about pro wrestling for The Sportster and has followed WWE and other promotions for over 30 years. Andr went on to win the battle royal. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! He made his wrestling debut in 1972 under the name Chuck O'Connor. Topics covered include: 02:11 - Big John Studd's early life03:40 - The Executioners tag team05:27 - Big John Studd begins his most succesful WWF Run06:15 - The $15,000 Bodyslam Challenge10:37 - Big John Studd teams with King Kong Bundy14:07 - Big John Studd wins the 1989 Royal Rumble- Much More!#WWE #Documentary #Wrestling Aprs avoir quitt la WWWF, Studd deviendra connu sous le nom de Chuck O'Connor, Captain USA, et The Masked Superstar II certains endroits du Mid-Atlantic. John William Minton, better known as Big John Studd, was a well-known American professional wrestler and actor. Ils sont mme devenus Champions par quipe de la WWF en 1976 en tant que l'quipe masqus des Executioners. Studd was forced to retire due to some personal reasons involving his health, and died in 1995. He appeared in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s and wrestled in the main event of . The battle royal also featured stars from the National Football league. His height didn't go unnoticed though, and he wassoon given a opportunityin the WCW. Unlike modern times, the Rumble winner was not granted a world title shot or a chance to main event WrestleMania. He started Professional Wrestler/Entertainer. He made his WWWF debut with Kowalski as his tag team partner. Although Big John Studd was largely retired by the 1990s, he would occasionally step into the ring. An elated Bobby Heenan appeared on the set to welcome Studd back to the Heenan family. Wrestling in Florida would like to support the channel and my work, please consider becoming a channel member https... - March 20, 1995 Rumble winner was not granted a World title shot or a chance main. Cut his hair between WWE and WCW, Big John Studd was in. Mcmahon Jr. ' took off, and the Phillies part of the fight, Rumble. His legacy now has an opportunity to Live on through his son, Sean Minton makingnames! 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