Can Giants In WWE Work In The Modern Era Of Wrestling?
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In legitimate combat sports, weight classes exist for a reason. Whether it’s mixed martial arts, boxing, or a range of other endeavors, if the objective is to physically subdue an opponent, a significant weight advantage tends to be very difficult to overcome, or even unsafe. Pro wrestling is different, though. When the outcomes are predetermined and the objective is typically to entertain fans much more so than to actually prove anyone’s combat superiority, there is room for giants to do battle with adversaries of relatively average proportions. Indeed, there’s a long history of David vs. Goliath style stories in wrestling, and particularly in WWE. But there are real questions about how well this formula works today.
The History Of Giants In Professional Wrestling
In an episode of 83 Weeks (h/t Wrestling Inc), Eric Bischoff discussed the appeal of wrestlers who pass “the airport test.” A number of individuals have credited Vince McMahon with this line of thinking, but Cody Rhodes referenced it in the early days of recruiting talent for AEW too, and promoters have considered it throughout the ages. The premise is that a compelling pro wrestling talent may be one who turns heads at airports. Seeing a giant inevitability causes onlookers to stop and take notice, perhaps wondering where that person came from, what they do for a living, and where the observer might be able to see them again.
Wrestling has seen super heavyweights like Haystacks Calhoun and larger than life characters like Big John Studd. No discussion of the history of giants in pro wrestling would be complete, though, without Andre the Giant. Andre traveled the globe, was well-protected, and was such a truly enormous person by every physical dimension that there was absolutely no debating his giant credibility.
Related: 10 Things You Should Know About Andre The Giant's Wrestling Career In The 1980sGiants have traditionally worked best as heels—monsters who overwhelm most opponents before crossing paths with that rare superhero who can overcome the odds and hang with them. Indeed, much of Hulk Hogan’s mythos was built around overcoming not only Andre, but also figures like Studd, King Kong Bundy, One Man Gang, and Earthquake. There’s also a rich tradition of giant babyfaces, too, though, including the majority of Andre’s own career, El Gigante having Flyin’ Brian Pillman’s back in early 1990s WCW, or The Undertaker being a force of justice for much of his WWE career.
The Limitations Giants Tend To Have In Modern Wrestling
It is tougher to sell a giant in modern wrestling. Today’s wrestling fans tend to have a higher degree of scrutiny around the quality of in-ring performance—expecting a faster pace and more complex maneuvers than they did in earlier eras of the business. A number of traditional giants had a tendency to lean heavily on their sheer size—working short matches with the most basic move sets. These dynamics have aged quite poorly into the current era.
On top of higher expectations for performance, fans who have been better educated by modern combat sports like MMA understand that seeing a smaller person beat up a much larger one stretches credibility. As such, a successful giant has to be capable of convincing fans of their vulnerability against opponents who probably wouldn’t stand much chance against them in a real fight.
Performers like Brock Lesnar have continued to work well because, while he’s huge (albeit, debatably a true “giant” at 6’3” and under 300 pounds) he also delivers dynamic offense, has real combat credentials, and sells opponents' offense well. By contrast, his contemporaries like The Great Khali and Omos, despite being significantly bigger, floundered for coming across as largely one-dimensional giants who were “just” big. WWE has a mixed track record of using other large wrestlers well.
Giants Will Always Have The Potential To Work In Pro Wrestling
Ultimately, giants will always have a place in pro wrestling. Indeed, even giants like Satnam Singh in AEW or Omos in WWE, who haven’t exactly won over fans by any dimension other than their sheer size, have nonetheless enjoyed some success in “heater” roles—big bodies who can realistically intimidate and interfere on behalf of more polished coworkers.
Related: Why Omos Is Best In A Tag Team (& Why He Should Be A Singles Star)Braun Strowman is another example, as a giant it only made sense for WWE to re-sign under Triple H’s direction. He’s a huge human and may not be the most polished in ring performer or promo guy, but has developed his game in each of these areas and was a credible world champion in the past, even if it was mostly on account of his size. While there’s not much appeal to a roster full of talents like Strowman, having a few of the best of the giants in the wrestling world does have real value in appealing to casual fans in particular and telling stories befitting a Monster Among Men.
Giants don’t carry quite the same cache in wrestling that they did in yesteryear when fans had lower expectations for work rate and more readily believed in unrealistic fight dynamics. Just the same, giants with the right skill sets, used the right way, certainly do still have a place in wrestling, and they probably always will.
