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Jorge González (wrestler)

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Jorge González
González in 1988
Born(1966-01-31)31 January 1966[1]
El Colorado, Formosa, Argentina[1]
Died22 September 2010(2010-09-22) (aged 44)
San Martín, Chaco, Argentina[2]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)El Gigante[3]
Giant Gonzalez[3]
El Yeti[3]
Billed height8 ft 0 in (244 cm)[3]
Billed weight460 lb (209 kg)[3][4]
Billed fromThe Andes Mountains
Argentina[3]
Trained byWCW Power Plant[5]
Debut1990[3][5]
Retired1996

Jorge González (31 January 1966 – 22 September 2010)[6][7] was an Argentine professional wrestler, basketball player and actor best known for his appearances in World Championship Wrestling under the ring name El Gigante and in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Giant Gonzalez.[8][3] González remains the tallest man to have competed for both companies and the tallest Argentinian to have ever lived.[9]

Early life

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Jorge González was born in El Colorado, Formosa, Argentina on 31 January 1966.[1] González suffered from gigantism.

Basketball career

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González was billed as being 8 ft 0 in (2.44 m),[3][2][6] making him the tallest WWE wrestler and Argentine basketball player in history; his true height was 2.31 m (7 ft 7 in), which still made him the tallest in wrestling and a tie for first place in basketball.[6][10] He started his career with the youths of Hindú Club de Resistencia at the age of 16, standing 2.19 m (7 ft 2 in) tall.[6] Subsequently, León Najnudel, then coach of the Argentine national team, recommended the board of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata to sign the player for the team's Argentine second division roster.[6] During 1986, González helped Gimnasia achieve promotion to the Argentine first division.[6] He then signed for Sport Club Cañadense, but saw little action due to an injury that left him off the court for nine months.[6]

National team

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Coach León Najnudel included González in the Argentine national team who took part of the 1985 South American Basketball Championship (bronze medal) and the 1988 Tournament of the Americas (5th place), where he attracted the attention of the Atlanta Hawks' scouts.[6][10]

NBA career

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González took part in the 1988 NBA draft, being chosen by the Atlanta Hawks in the third round (#54 selection). Along with Hernán Montenegro (drafted #57), they became the first Argentine players drafted in the NBA. The Hawks bought the player's rights from his Argentine team for a 30,000 Argentine australes fee.[2][6] However, he was unable to adapt to the physical demands of NBA basketball, partly due to a serious knee injury.[6]

Professional wrestling career

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World Championship Wrestling (1988-1992)

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In 1988, Hawks owner Ted Turner offered González a job as a professional wrestler in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), which Turner also owned. After over a year of training, González was introduced to fans as El Gigante on 19 May 1990 at the pay-per-view Capital Combat. Wearing shorts, he competed as a fan favorite and was billed as being close to eight feet tall.

Over the next two years, he feuded with Ric Flair for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, participated in a Chamber of Horrors match in 1991 and also had a date on TBS with Missy Hyatt. He also participated in a feud with Sid Vicious who stood 6 ft 9 in and One Man Gang who stood at 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m). The point of the feud was to determine who the real "giant of WCW" was. He also had a cross promotional stint in the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion before signing with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1993.

According to Ron Reis, Gonzalez was set to make a return to the company at their 1995 pay-per-view Halloween Havoc in the role of "The Yeti", an insurance policy put in place to make sure Hulk Hogan did not retain the WCW Championship against The Giant. The plan behind his return was to set up an idea Kevin Sullivan (who was the booker of the promotion at the time) had for the pay-per-view World War 3 1995 the following month. It would be a three ring, 60 man, over the top rope battle royal, with a giant occupying each of the three rings. But the idea fell through as González had a diabetes attack during preparation for his return at the Halloween Havoc pay-per-view leading him to having to be flown back to his native Argentina and Ron Reis had to take his spot in the role.[11]

González (left) performing at Wrestlemania IX against The Undertaker in 1993

World Wrestling Federation (1993)

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González competed as Giant Gonzalez during his time in the WWF. González grew a beard and wore a full body suit that featured airbrushed muscles with bushy hair attached. He was introduced at the Royal Rumble in January 1993, where he eliminated Harvey Wippleman's nemesis The Undertaker from the Royal Rumble match despite not being an official participant.[4] At WrestleMania IX, González lost to The Undertaker by disqualification after he knocked out the Undertaker using chloroform.[12] After another loss to The Undertaker at SummerSlam,[13] the feud came to an end, and after the match, Wippleman berated him, before González turned on Wippleman himself, turning face in the process.[4] He lost to Randy Savage on WWF on TSN on 1 September.

The foundation was later set for a feud between González and Adam Bomb, but it never truly began. His last appearance in WWF was on 4 October episode of Monday Night Raw in a 20-man battle royal match for the Intercontinental Championship. González was the first eliminated by "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Diesel, Bastion Booger, 1-2-3 Kid, Marty Jannetty, Adam Bomb and Bam Bam Bigelow. Three days later, WWF announced that González left the company after his WWF contract had expired on 7 October 1993.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling and WAR (1994–1995)

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After his departure from the WWF, González wrestled in the Japanese promotions NJPW and WAR (Wrestle and Romance) until his retirement from wrestling, and used his old ring name El Gigante. His last singles match was on 8 February 1995, when he lost to The Great Muta. On 8 December 1995, González wrestled his final match, teaming with Kōji Kitao in a loss to Shinja and Typhoon by countout.

Acting career

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González played the role of Manny, a carnival sideshow giant in a 1993 episode of Baywatch, who befriends Hobie, but later falls into the water and his large size makes it difficult to be rescued. González also had roles in the 1993 and 1994 Thunder in Paradise double-episode turned movies. In 1994 González made a short appearance as Eryx the Boxer in Hercules in the Underworld, a television prequel film from the television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.

Retirement and personal life

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In January 1996, González retired from professional wrestling due to serious health issues and returned home to Argentina.

After his retirement from wrestling, González lived on a ranch in Argentina in his later years.[14] His former manager Harvey Wippleman would send his own money to maintain González and his family.[15] In October 2009, he began using a wheelchair, and also had to use a dialysis machine due to his failing kidneys.[14] The Argentine Basketball Federation also helped Gonzalez with finances in his final years, including donations of appliances for his house, clothes and medicine.[16] González was married and had one step-daughter.

Death

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González died due to complications from diabetes type 1 and heart issues on 22 September 2010, in his hometown of San Martin, Argentina at the age of 44.[6][7]

Reception

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The Undertaker, who worked with González in WWF, was very vocal about him. Undertaker criticised González's lack of wrestling ability.[17][18] He also revealed that, during their match at WrestleMania 9, Undertaker shot on González after González was careless in the ring.[19] He also mentioned his feud with him "took years off my career".[20]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1992 Swamp Thing M'tama Episode: "This Old House of Mayan"
1993 Thunder in Paradise Terremoto
1993 Baywatch Manny/Pelican Man Episode: "Blindside"
1993 Thunder in Paradise Mortador / Terremoto 4 episodes
1994 Hercules in the Underworld Eryx the Boxer Television film
1994 Thunder in Paradise II Mortador

Championships and accomplishments

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Giant Gonzalez's Warned Profile". Warned. Archived from the original on 20 February 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2008.
  2. ^ a b c "Un dolor Gigante". Olé (in Spanish). 24 September 2010. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Giant González". WWE.com. WWE. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  4. ^ a b c Shields, Brian and Kevin Sullivan (2009). WWE Encyclopedia. DK/BradyGAMES. p. 112. ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0.
  5. ^ a b "Remembrances 2010". 1wrestling. Archived from the original on 20 February 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Adiós al Gigante González, un personaje de leyenda del básquet argentino". Clarín (in Spanish). 25 September 2010. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  7. ^ a b "WWE News, Rumors, Results & InformationFormer WWE Star Giant Gonzalez Passes Away". Rajah.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
  8. ^ "Jorge Gonzales". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 25 January 2008.
  9. ^ "Data view of Jorge González from Tallest Men dataset".
  10. ^ a b "Falleció el basquetbolista más alto de Argentina". Télam (in Spanish). 24 September 2010. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  11. ^ ""The Yeti" Ron Reis reveals WCW's original plans for the Yeti character, the famous star he replaced in the booking plans, Yeti returning to WWE or TNA, and more". Pro Wrestling Insider. 24 November 2009. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  12. ^ "Full WrestleMania IX Results". WWE. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  13. ^ "Full Event Results". WWE. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  14. ^ a b "Whatever Happened To Giant Gonzalez?, Jim Cornette Speaks Out, Paul Orndorff". Rajah.com. Archived from the original on 1 November 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
  15. ^ "Jim Ross: Harvey Wippleman was sending money to Giant Gonzalez before his death so he and his family could eat". Wrestling News | Wwe and Aew Results, Spoilers, Rumors & Scoops. 17 November 2019.
  16. ^ "El Gigante / Giant Gonzalez passes away". Slam Wrestling. 24 September 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  17. ^ Lambert, Jeremy (15 May 2024). "The Undertaker: Giant Gonzalez Made Great Khali Look Like Lou Thesz". Fightful. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  18. ^ Six Feet Under with Mark Calaway (17 May 2024). When Undertaker Flipped On Giant Gonzalez #13. Retrieved 6 June 2024 – via YouTube.
  19. ^ Duarte, Jon (15 May 2024). "The Undertaker y sus problemas con Giant González". Superluchas (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  20. ^ Rovere, Marco (24 June 2020). "The Undertaker Says Matches With Giant Gonzalez "Took Years Off My Career"". Wrestling Inc. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  21. ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 1991". The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  22. ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 500 Wrestlers of the PWI Years". Archived from the original on 16 June 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  23. ^ Meltzer, Dave (26 January 2011). "Biggest issue of the year: The 2011 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards Issue". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, CA: 1–40. ISSN 1083-9593.
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