When Big Men Ruled The Wrestling Ring
King of Sports Championship Wrestling is introducing a super heavyweight division.
There was a time, in my lifetime, that professional wrestling was dominated by athletes that I couldn’t fathom. They were giants among men. Bigger, stronger, taller, faster, more powerful, fearless, and wild. There monsters like Big John Studd, King Kong Bundy, One Man Gang, Haystacks Calhoun, Plowboy Frazier and many others that would roam from territory to territory dominating the competition. People would come from all over to see these big men as they displayed athletic feats that most of us could only imagine.
Then came the rise of the luchador in modern wrestling, and the art, craft and force of the big men was lost. Professional wrestling became about flipping off the ropes and diving onto each other. Gone were the barrel-chested brutes of the ‘70s and ‘80s. Instead, the smaller, quicker athletes became popular on television and at local events.
The paradigm shifted from 6’6” and 450 pounds to 5’9” and 180 pounds. The level of athleticism was and remains incredibly high, but the focus of the wrestling shifted dramatically. Instead of embracing both styles and the hybrids that would have been a natural growth from that, the big man style was often overlooked.
Thankfully, the tide has begun to shift back. Last month, King of Sports Championship Wrestling President Joe Briscoe announced the creation of a true super heavyweight division with a Super Heavyweight Championship. This new division will adhere to traditional weight class standards, meaning that it’s open to all competitors weighing over 285 pounds. All matches in the division will follow traditional professional wrestling rules and mandates, usually involving a single pin fall or submission to score victory.
The announcement has signaled to the wrestling community what many had already noticed: crowds are reacting to the variety of the big men again. Especially in rural Texas, where there is a history and tradition of super heavyweight professional wrestling, the tales of chain matches and steel cages with larger-than-life athletes are being retold.
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Wrestling has skipped a generation in rural America. It is not the fathers telling the sons the stories, but the grandfathers walking in with their eight- and nine-year-old grandsons that are pontificating on the time they saw Bundy throw Kevin Von Erich over the top rope. This cross generational phenomenon means that the history of wrestling, pre-Attitude Era, is alive and well. With that comes the return of the super heavyweights!
On March 26, in Paris, TX, at Chisum High School, King of Sports presents another battle of the super heavyweights. Vince Steele, flying in from New York to make his Texas debut, will face Scott Murdoch, a dominate force in Texas wrasslin’ for years. This burgeoning division also includes the likes of Angel Camacho and Sam Stackhouse. Of course, there will be plenty of new talent seeking the gold in the coming months.
This renaissance marks the return to when big men ruled the ring!
King of Sports Championship Wrestling is a traditional wrestling territory promotion that serves Northeast Texas, Southeastern Oklahoma, Southwestern Arkansas and Northwestern Louisiana. KOS welcomes competitors from across North America as it provides the highest quality professional wrestling. KOS is “Texas Strong Style,” and always strives to be “A First-Class Sporting Event.”
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How many times I saw the late Haystacks (Bill) Calhoun at the old Madison Square Garden! I will never forget when Bruno Sammartino (before becoming champ and when Vince Senior was still an NWA member) succeeded in lifting him off the mat. The Garden exploded with cheers – – and that was a face-vs-face match.