10 Old-School Wrestlers Whose Physiques Were Integral To Their Characters
Many fans may think the era of larger-than-life characters in wrestling with huge physiques came in the 1980s. However, even the "old days" had guys with impressive bodies, whether they had impressive muscle-mass or they were very tall. For some, that was pretty much their only real trait, although a few could also be good workers in their own right. A few truly stood out from the pack in how their physiques were integral to their characters.
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For some, it was because of how huge they were and being legit giants in the ring. Others made it their character to brag about being the best-looking guy around and able to back it up. It's tricky to narrow down, but these ten old-school wrestlers of the 1970s and '80s made their physiques central to their character to shine well in this time.
10 Giant Baba
A legend in Japan, Baba was taller than many Japanese men, just under seven feet. That alone would have made him impressive, but Baba was also a good worker who handled himself well against smaller and faster guys. He even held the NWA World title three times.
Baba is also known as the co-founder of All Japan Pro Wrestling and its top attraction. However, Baba's impressive height was always why fans flocked to see him and become a mainstay in Japanese wrestling culture.
9 Ken Patera
A legit Olympic powerlifter, Ken Patera could boast being able to bench press over 500 pounds. That led to a good wrestling career, including the second-ever Intercontinental champion.
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Patera lived up to his Olympic gimmick, always posing with his muscles and bragging about being the strongest man in wrestling. A prison sentence marred his career, but he came out still looking impressive with his muscles and selling himself as an actual power wrestler with good in-ring skills long before Kurt Angle came around.
8 Andre the Giant
There were big men in wrestling…and then was Andre the Giant. Towering over seven feet fall and often over 300 pounds, Andre was a wonder anywhere he went. Even as he slowed down, it was incredible seeing someone that huge in a wrestling ring and when he was more mobile, he could turn in some good matches.
Andre was smart to travel around and get good paydays off his fame, building to the epic heel turn and WrestleMania 3 match. His legacy is intact as one of the best big men in wrestling history and truly a giant in many ways.
7 Tony Atlas
As a former bodybuilder and powerlifter, Tony Atlas loved making his impressive physique a showcase for himself. It got him attention in the indies before journeying to WWE in 1979.
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There, Atlas really took off from doing weight-lifting competitions to teaming up with Rocky Johnson to win the WWE tag team titles. He had more runs (including the infamous Saba Simba), yet Atlas broke a lot of ground for African-American wrestlers and showed his amazing strength on full.
6 Jesse Ventura
When you nickname yourself "the Body," you better live up to it. Luckily, Jesse Ventura did. A former Navy SEAL and weightlifter, Ventura would do a lot of the classic "bench press" challenges in the ring.
He was also a top worker with he and Adrian Adonis forming a terrific tag team. Ventura would draw a lot of inspiration from Superstar Billy Graham, but he had his own unique vibe and from arm wrestling to strength challenges. He was better known later as a commentator, but Ventura backed up being "the Body" nicely in the ring.
5 Paul Orndorff
"Mr. Wonderful" was a good worker in his early days but really took off in WWE. Orndorff made being jealous over the physiques of others a major part of his character, feuding with Hulk Hogan and Rick Rude over it.
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He kept it up in his later WCW run, which included tag team and TV champion, and still looked pretty impressive before his retirement in 1995. As a guy who loved showing his muscles off, Orndorff really was wonderful in his prime.
4 Rick Rude
Few guys got more mileage out of their physique than Rick Rude did. From his breakout in World Class to JCP and then WWE and later WCW, Rude's entrance was always the same. Coming out in a robe, getting on the mic to address "all you fat, lazy sweathogs" then sliding off the robe to show off those abs.
He would do pose-downs and more, but Rude also backed it up as a great worker and stellar heel. It was sad his career ended due to injury, but the Ravishing One's legend is secure thanks to how well he made that body work for his act.
3 Lex Luger
From the beginning, Lex Luger was always about that physique. "The Total Package" lived up to it, a rare powerful muscleman for Jim Crockett Promotions and flexing his muscles a lot in the ring. Luger did turn into a good worker, including the longest-reigning US champion, and his backbreaker was impressive.
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He even tried a stint at bodybuilding before an accident ruined it. His early WWE act as the Narcissist played on that and might have done better before his face turned. Either way, Luger did have one of the most impressive physiques in wrestling at the time that aided his success.
2 Superstar Billy Graham
A groundbreaker in so many ways, Billy Graham came along when guys had impressive physiques but in an athletic way. Graham was something else with that incredibly muscular body that he'd flaunt every way he could.
Added by the tie-dyed shirts and incredible promos, Graham took off as WWE Champion and set a new bar for the musclemen who followed. Granted, that body would cause him issues years later, but it can't be denied how he became a true Superstar because of it.
1 Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan always admitted to stealing so much of Superstar Graham's act, and that included his impressive body. In his early heel days, Hogan made it all about his height and muscles that he'd constantly flaunt.
When his character became a hero, he still kept it up as anyone watching WWE back then will remember the talk on "the 24-inch pythons" and his posing after a win. There was a bit more to Hogan with his superhero persona, but that physique is what got him over in the first place and remained a key part of his character afterward.
