Monday, July 11, 2011

Does anyone else find Haystacks Calhoun vastly underrated?

When the greatest bigman in wrestling history comes up, often Andre, Taker, Vader, Giant Baba and Jumbo (for us puro fans), Vader, Stan Hansen and Bruiser Brody, and Abdulah the Butcher comes up in the discussion. I feel that Haystacks doesnt get his fair due as an trailblazer to the farmboy hillbilly gimmicks like Hillybilly Jim had with his family and also as the first well known superheavyweight being an inspiration to King Kong Bungy, Andre the Giant, Big Show, etc, not to mention the highly successful British parody Giant Haystacks. Calhoun was also a tremendous draw as an 600 pound farmboy spectacle, and Sammartino slamming Haystacks is an iconic moment in wrestling history long before Hogan slammed Andre. ( though Brunno botched the bodyslam, lifting a man of Haystacks' size is a gargantuan feat!) I never hear Haystacks in the greatest Bigman conversation, and while the man didnt have the versatile moveset or workrate of an Undertaker or was THE top guy like Jumbo, Vader, or have the booking of a Giant Baba, Haystacks paved the way for future bigmen and similar gimmicks and was a true spectacle and underrated giant in this sport. I was wonerign if anyone else agrees with me!

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