Giant Gonzalez
Giant Gonzalez (January 1966 – September 2010) was an Argentine actor, wrestler and a professional basketball player. He was best known for his height, heavyweight body and different wrestlings in the World Wrestling Federation, He died in 2010 at the age of 44. Gonzalez was born in San Carlos, Argentina. He started his career at the age of 16, as a basketball player, by playing for the Argentine national team.
He later played for some other NBA teams in American championships before retiring from basketball in 1995. Gonzalez then began a career in professional wrestling, debuting in 1996. He quickly gained attention due to his massive size; at 7 feet 7 inches (2.31 m) tall and weighing 450 pounds, he was one of the largest wrestlers in the business. Gonzalez wrestled for several years before joining the World Wrestling Federation in 1993.
After leaving the WWF in 1994, Gonzalez returned to wrestling sporadically until his retirement in 1995. He died on September 21, 2010. The cause of his death is diagnosed to be diabetes and severe heart issues.
Above is the introduction, this article will be covering some insights about Giant Gonzales; his height, career, early Life, education, and other interesting information relating to his life.
Giant Gonzalez early life and physicality
Gonzalez was born in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina in a poor family. At age 10, he was diagnosed with acromegaly, a rare condition caused by a tumor on the pituitary gland that results in excess growth hormone production. As a result of the condition,
Gonzalez grew to an extraordinary height of 8’11” and weighed over 450 pounds in his lifetime.
Despite his massive size, Gonzalez was an agile athlete and excelled in both basketball and rugby. In 1988, he began his professional wrestling career in Argentina under the name “El Gigante.”
Given his towering height and imposing stature, it’s of no surprise that Giant Gonzalez is one of the most physically tall and powerful wrestlers of his time. His size was so unusual that he had to have all of his clothes custom-made. He used to wear specially made size 24 shoes. Gonzalez had to design his specially made wrestling boots from a specific company, as no company made boots large enough to fit him.
In the ring, Gonzalez was a fearsome opponent. In order to dominate his opponents, he relied on his strengths of muscles and his size.
Giant Gonzalez was also the tallest member of his family. Gonzalez crossed over his siblings at a young age and dwarfed both his parents. It wasn’t long before he began to draw attention to his extraordinary height.
In 1988, he decided to pursue a career in professional wrestling. Standing at an impressive 7’7”, Gonzalez was an intimidating figure, and he quickly made a name for himself in the world of wrestling. Due to his height and strength, he was popular as one of the most feared wrestlers. However, his time in the spotlight was cut short due to illness.
Education
There is no official news about any formal education Giant Gonzales had studied in his life. Though he was only active in the wrestling world for a few years, Giant Gonzalez left a lasting impact on the sport.
Career
Giant Gonzales had not only done wrestling and became popular among people but also he was an actor and a professional basketball player as well. He also had wrestling duties in World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling.
Career in BasketBall
Giant Gonzalez is still considered one of the tallest NBA players of all time. He began his basketball career with the national team before being drafted into the NBA in 1988. Later on, he played for the Atlanta Hawks and the San Antonio Spurs during his NBA career but struggled to adapt to the game’s physicality and speed. Gonzalez retired from basketball in 1999, and left his mark on the sport. Gonzalez’s size and agility made him a unique player, and his presence on the court was always felt by opponents. Although he never reached the level of success that his talent promised, Gonzalez’s NBA career was still a remarkable one.
Career in Wrestling
At 8 feet 7 inches, Giant Gonzalez was one of the tallest wrestlers in history. He started his career in Argentina as a member of the national basketball team. He then moved to Japan, where he worked as a professional wrestler. In 1992, he made his debut in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the name “El Gigante”.
While he was not a particularly skilled wrestler, his size and strength made him an intimidating opponent. He fought with some of the top wrestlers in the WWF, including The Undertaker and Hulk Hogan. In 1993, he wrestled Andre the Giant in a highly publicized match. This match would be his last before his death.
Giant Gonzalez emerged victorious, but the match was widely criticized for being “slow and boring”. After leaving the WWF in 1995, Giant Gonzalez competed in Mexico and Japan before retiring from wrestling in 1997. In the WWF, Gonzalez feuded with The Undertaker, culminating in a match at WrestleMania IX that saw Gonzalez lose after being choked and slammed through ring ropes and onto the concrete floor.
Career in Acting
Although best known for his work as a professional wrestler, Giant Gonzalez also enjoyed a successful career as an actor. After retiring from wrestling in the early 1990s, Gonzalez began to focus on acting and has done several roles in several WWF-related films and television shows. His performance was well-received by critics and helped to raise his profile as an actor. Although he only appeared in a handful of episodes, Gonzalez’s performances were once again lauded by critics. Overall, Giant Gonzalez’s acting career was short but impressive, and he proved that he was more than just a professional wrestler.
Who is the greatest wrestler ever?
González’s height was 2.31 m (7 ft 7 in), that nevertheless made him the tallest in wrestlers & tied for the crown in basketball. He was advertised as being 8 ft 0 in (2.44 m), earning him the biggest WWE wrestler & Argentine handball player in history.
Giant Gonzalez Net Worth
According to different online magazines and resources, Gonzalez’s net worth has been estimated at $5 million. Most of his wealth came from his wrestling career, but he also made appearances in some films and television shows and earned money from there. After his death, Gonzalez’s family sued the WWE for $1 million, alleging that the company knew about his concussions but did not properly treat them.
Giant Gonzalez’s Accomplishments
Giant Gonzalez was an Argentinian Basketball player who had a successful but short-lived career in the NBA. Standing at an impressive 7 feet, 7 inches tall, Gonzalez was one of the tallest players in the league and used his height to his advantage on the court. During his time in the Atlanta Hawks national team, he averaged 10 points and 6 rebounds per game. He also had a block percentage of 3.4, which was decent for a player of his size. While he never won any major awards or titles, Gonzalez was still a solid player who helped his team to win games. After leaving the NBA, he went on to have a successful career in Europe before retiring from basketball altogether. Though he only played in the NBA for a few years, Giant Gonzalez made a lasting impression on the game of basketball. In wrestling, some of the accomplishments he received are;
PWI (Professional Wrestling Illustrated) magazine rankings;
- He was ranked No. 112 in 1991 out of the 500 best singles wrestlers in PWI 500 rankings.
- In 1993, he was again ranked in the same magazine on No. 498 out of the top 500 best singles wrestlers.
Wrestling Observer Newsletter;
- Worst Feud of the Year (1993) vs. The Undertaker
Conclusion
Giant Gonzalez was a tall man, a heavyweight wrestler, and an imposing figure in the wrestling world and had a successful career. His accomplishments both inside and outside the ring will live on in memory.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
