Size offers athletes a huge advantage in most competitive sports. In basketball, being taller makes it simpler to shoot, but it can also slow players down compared to lighter athletes. In wrestling, being heavier makes it more challenging to be moved. Although there is a broad number of advantages, most athletes are only slightly larger than their competition. There are also times when one athlete stands head and shoulders (literally!) above their peers. They’re not just outliers in their sport, but they’re also regarded as some of the world’s most prominent athletes. They are giants among men in many ways.
Find the biggest, tallest, and heaviest athletes in the area if you want to see what a tremendous advantage looks like.
1. Andre the Giant:
André the Giant, whose full name was André René Roussimoff, was a famous French wrestler who competed for the World Wrestling Federation. He has appeared in several films, including Fezzik in The Princess Bride. During WrestleMania III in 1987, he developed gigantism and weighed 520 pounds.
André the Giant was defeated in the ring by Hulk Hogan, who notoriously tore his latissimus dorsi muscle while body slamming him. André was one of the most well-known WWF wrestlers at the time, having set the Guinness World Record for the highest-paid wrestler in history in 1974. At the age of 46, he died of congestive heart failure.
2. William “The Refrigerator” Perry:
William “The Refrigerator” Perry is a former defensive lineman in the National Football League. He played for the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, and London Monarchs during his ten-year NFL career. The nickname “The Fridge” was given to him because of his enormous size. He is 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 350 pounds. He has brown hair and blue eyes. Even as a small child, he was a substantial weight. For example, he weighed 200 pounds when he was 11 years old.
Despite his massive stature, he was athletic and dexterous on his feet and legs. Perry has maintained his relevance in the entertainment industry through television appearances and business ventures such as his brand of barbecue sauce.
3. Emmanuel Yarbrough:
In addition to being a 6 feet 8-inch tall sumo wrestler and mixed martial artist, Emmanuel Yarbrough weighed 600 pounds and stood at 6 feet 8 inches tall. At his heaviest, he was estimated to have weighed 882 pounds. He was a super heavyweight athlete who competed in judo, football, and wrestling in addition to his other sports.
He had a strong preference for fried foods and suffered from food addiction, making it challenging to maintain a healthy weight. He made cameo appearances in a few films and television shows, both as himself and a character. It included appearances in Bollywood films, a Motorola television commercial, and Clarence Seroy on HBO’s Oz. In 2015, he passed away at the age of 51.
4. Zdeno Chára:
Zdeno Chára is an NHL hockey player who plays as a defenseman for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League. At 42 years old, he is the oldest active player in the National Hockey League (September 2019). He stands at 6 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 250 pounds, making him the tallest hockey player in the history of the National Hockey League.
He was born in Slovakia, where he was encouraged to pursue a career in basketball due to his considerable height. His father was a Greco-Roman wrestler who competed in the Olympics. He tied the knot in 2007 and is the father of three children.
5. Eric “Butterbean” Esch:
Eric “Butterbean” Esch, a heavyweight boxer and MMA champion who weighs around 425 pounds, is a heavyweight boxer and MMA champion. He became known as the “King of the 4 Rounders” and gained a following during his early boxing career. It has helped him maintain his popularity to this day. His post-athletic career has further increased his popularity.
He works as a reserve deputy sheriff in Jasper, Alabama, the subject of the Discovery channel’s reality shows Big Law: Deputy Butterbean. In addition to Jackass: The Movie, Chairman of the Board, Squidbillies, and Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling, he has appeared in a number of TV episodes and films.
6. Margo Dydek:
Margo Dydek was a female basketball player from Poland who played center for the Los Angeles Sparks, Connecticut Sun, San Antonio Silver Stars, and Utah Starzz in the WNBA. She was named a WNBA All-Star twice, the first in 2003 and the second in 2006. She was over 220 pounds and stood at 7 feet 2 inches tall.
She coached the Northside Wizards of the Queensland Basketball League after retiring from the WNBA. Dydek died in 2011 when pregnant with her third child after suffering a heart arrest. She died in Brisbane, Australia, when she was just 37 years old.
7. Bob Sapp:
Bob Sapp is a gifted athlete who excels in a variety of sports. He’s a big man, standing at a towering 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighing 319 pounds. During the late 1990s, he was a member of the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings, who were NFL teams. His next career move was to wrestle professionally, specifically in international wrestling circuits. Additionally, he competed in kickboxing and mixed martial arts.
However, his professional fighting career was severely hampered by allegations that Sapp intentionally threw fights to avoid risking his health in exchange for meager paycheques. Sapp hasn’t completely retired from wrestling and kickboxing, though he hasn’t competed in those sports in a long time. Sapp Time is a full-length music album that he released.
8. Troy “Escalade” Jackson:
Troy “Escalade” Jackson was a 6 ft 10-inch tall basketball player who weighed 500 pounds and stood 6 ft 10 inches tall. His nickname, Escalade, came about as a result of his participation in streetball. He was a regular at Rucker Park in New York City, where he was discovered by the coach of Wallace Community College, who recruited him.
His sophomore year at Wallace earned him All-Region honors, and he was offered a scholarship to the University of Louisville, where he spent the next two years losing nearly 140 pounds on the football field. Although he did not play in the NBA, he is the brother of NBA player Mark Jackson. He died in his sleep in 2011 at the age of 39 due to hypertensive heart disease.
9. Choi Hong-man:
We wouldn’t want to make any bad calls against this person if we were the referee. Choi Hong-man, a South Korean MMA and kickboxing competitor, is the colossus. According to accounts, Choi measures 7 feet 2 inches tall and weighs between 310 and 365 pounds. He is a super heavyweight boxer; many people know him by the moniker “Techno Goliath,” “Korean Monster,” and “Korean Colossus.
Choi’s size didn’t translate into many mixed martial arts ring victories despite some excellent kickboxing victories. In reality, he lost this fight against Fedor Emelianenko, the Ukrainian fighter who was on hand to witness it.
10. Sharran Alexander:
Sharran Alexander is a sumo wrestler in the second Kyu grade of the Japanese ranking system. She is one of the few women to be recognized by the British Sumo Federation, and she is one of the best in the world. She stands at 6 feet tall and weighs 448 pounds. In 2013, Alexander was recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s heaviest sportswoman.
She worked as a nanny in London before auditioning for a reality television show called Strictly Lady Sumo. She began sumo training when she was 41 years old. She has since won several international competitions, including a victory over Liz Seward at the 2013 US Sumo Open. She represented Great Britain at the World Sumo Championships.
11. CC Sabathia:
CC Sabathia is a pitcher for the New York Yankees, who have won three World Series titles. The Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers were his previous teams before joining the New York Yankees. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2009 American League Championship Series, and he has also won the Warren Spahn Award and been named to the All-Star team on several occasions.
Sabathia weighed 300 pounds and stood 6 feet 7 inches tall at his height of prowess. Since then, he has lost a significant amount of weight, which has helped alleviate his knee pain. He has amassed an impressive work with many awards and records to his credit, including his 3,000th strikeout in 2019.
12. Jon Rauch:
With his 6 feet 11 inches and more than 290 pounds, Jon Rauch is the tallest player in Major League Baseball history, and he also happens to be the most powerful. Among the teams for which he has played are the Chicago White Sox, the Montreal Expos, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Toronto Blue Jays, the Miami Marlins, and the New York Mets, to name just a few.
During the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, he represented the United States and won an Olympic gold medal. A year after opting out of a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles and being released by the Kansas City Royals, he announced his retirement from baseball.
13. Dondre Harris:
Dondre Harris is a football player who stands 7 feet tall and weighs 375 pounds. At the time of his 8th-grade graduation, he weighed 450 pounds. Because the people in Harris’ small Alabama town had difficulty accepting him as an athlete, he was denied opportunities to participate in sports. On the other hand, Harris’s high school football coach finally allowed him to train to play football at his high school, and everything changed.
Harris is currently too young to be a member of the NFL’s roster. He is, on the other hand, in training. Fairmont State University has offered him a scholarship to play college football
14. Holley Mangold:
When it comes to weightlifting and prominent athletes, there are a plethora of options for female competitors. Holley Mangold competed for the United States Olympic team in 2012. Mangold, who weighs 350 pounds, qualified for the Olympics with a 319.7-pound clean and jerk, a 242.5-pound snatch, and a 562.2-pound total lifting effort.
She missed the Olympics due to an injury and finished ninth in the competition. But there’s no doubting her physical strength, as she is said to have used her physical force to prevent serious car accident injuries. In a 2007 car accident, Mangold anticipated the danger and pushed the steering wheel away from the victim, saving her life.
15. Hafthor Julius “Thor” Bjornsson:
Any Game of Thrones fan will recognize Hafthor Julius “Thor” Bjornsson as Gregor Clegan (“the Mountain”), who he played on the show. Bjornsson makes his living as a strongman, which has led to a successful acting career for him as well. He is one of only a few people in the world to have won three of the most prestigious strongman competitions in the same year, and he is the first.
Bjornsson has a long track record of success in competitions requiring physical strength. Numerous people have attempted to compare him to bodybuilders, but his physique is less bulky and more focused on power. However, this did not prevent him from looking the part in his acting roles, including his role on Game of Thrones.
16. Bryant McKinnie:
Bryant McKinnie was a football player for several NFL teams, including the Miami Dolphins and the Baltimore Ravens. The player is well-known for being a physically strong and aggressive player, and he is also known for getting into trouble off the field. McKinnie’s NFL career sparked some debate in 2005 when he was named to the Pro Bowl. After their actions off the field, he and a teammate found themselves in legal hot water.
In addition to his other fines and community service, he was also suspended from the NFL for one game. On the other hand, his contract was extended, and he received a significant raise the day after his sentencing.
17. Nikolai Valuev:
Nikolai Valuev is known for more than sports these days, thanks to his position as a politician, but he once enjoyed a successful boxing career. He was the world heavyweight champion on two separate occasions. He was a force to be reckoned with in the ring, standing 7 feet tall and weighing 328 pounds.
He has a combination of gigantism and acromegaly, which makes him extremely large. Acromegaly is a condition in which a person produces many extra growth hormones long after the body should have stopped growing them. As a result, disproportionately large features, such as large hands, feet, and facial features, are produced in the body.
18. Gursimran “Sim” Bhullar:
According to NBA records, Gursimran “Sim” Bhullar, another of the league’s tallest players, is the sixth-tallest player in league history. He is also credited with becoming the first Indian to play professional basketball in the United States. He stands 7 feet 5 inches tall and towers over his opponents regularly.
He was the first member of his family to play basketball after relocating from India to Canada, and his parents had no prior familiarity with the sport before he started. Bhullar has played in the NBA and the National Basketball League, among other leagues. He had to miss the final two years of his undergraduate career because he intended to pursue the NBA.
19. Nataliya Kuznetsova – Bodybuilding:
Nataliya is a Russian bodybuilder who competes on a professional level. Not only does she appear to be able to run through a brick wall, but she also has the strength to deadlift 530 pounds and bench press 375 pounds. A dedicated athlete, the 26-year-old has dedicated her life to lifting and enjoys competing in lifting competitions.
Nataliya explained, “Within a few months of beginning my exercise regimen, I was competing in regional competitions, which I thoroughly enjoyed.” When I was sixteen years old, I have crowned the undisputed champion of the Zabaikayle Region. That was the beginning of everything. I even participated in army dogfighting. I didn’t do too badly. The results were visible relatively quickly.”
20. Gheorghe Mureșan:
Gheorghe Mureşan is the all-time tallest player in the history of the NBA. He stands at 7 feet and 7.5 inches tall, with a slim build. He was born in the Romanian town of Tritenii de Jos, in the county of Cluj. Mureşan was suffering from a problem with his pituitary gland, which is a common cause of gigantism in people.
However, because his pituitary gland has been extensively studied, this case is one of the few in which a definitive cause has been identified and established. Despite a promising start to his professional career, he was forced to retire early due to injuries that took a long to recover from.
21. Gogea Mitu:
Dumitru Stefanescu, better known by his ring name Gogea Mitu, was a Romanian boxer who competed in the 1980s. Some records have been set by Mitu, who is the world’s tallest Romanian and also the world’s tallest professional boxer. Mitu’s ring career was brief, consisting of only three fights in total. He was victorious in all three of his fights by knockout. Despite this, he was well-known throughout the world for his height and commanding physical presence.
Mitu had the demeanor of a child outside the ring, but he was far more intelligent than most people gave him credit for when they first met him. He learned to read independently, without the benefit of formal education, and he was adept at seeing through people’s attempts to take advantage of him.
22. Sajjad Gharibi:
Sajjad Gharibi is an Iranian bodybuilder and MMA fighter who was born in Ahvaz, Iran. He’s only 6 feet 2 inches tall, yet he weighs an incredible 390 pounds, giving him the hulking physique you see here. He’s been dubbed the “Iranian Hulk” because of his “hulking” body shape. Due to his unique build (as shown in the photo on the right, his arms are as big as the other guys’ heads), Gharibi has earned a sizable social media following.
According to his Wikipedia biography, he’s been offered MMA fights and movie parts (all of which he’s accepted as of September 2019). He’s also a vocal opponent of the terrorist group ISIS, claiming that the soldiers fighting ISIS in Syria are “my heroes.”
23. Paul Donald “Big Show” Wight II:
If you’re a fan of professional wrestling, you’ve almost certainly seen or heard of The Big Show. Paul Donald “Big Show” Wight II is one of the most recognizable and well-known professional wrestlers. He is recognized for his 7-foot height and imposing presence, despite his impressive 383-pound weight.
Wight has made a career out of playing both the good and bad guys in the ring. He has paired up with other well-known tall wrestlers to boost his on-stage presence. His acting career outside of the ring is flourishing, with his first leading role in Knucklehead and appearances in films such as Jingle All the Way.
24. Andy Fordham:
Not every one of the world’s most potent athletes competes in fierce competitions. Andy, “The Viking” Fordham, was a professional darts champion who won several titles. Andy was a hefty man, weighing in at 434 pounds. Fordham was a fantastic darts player, but he suffered from many serious health issues that halted his professional career for a time.
He was a heavy drinker, which resulted in the death of most of his liver and the consequent inability to continue drinking. In addition, he shed nearly 238 pounds to avoid the need for an urgent liver transplant. Fordham returned to professional darts in a new circuit after taking time off to focus on his health. As a result, he competed in both of the most prestigious circuits throughout his career.
25. Konishiki Yasokichi:
Sumo wrestlers are among the best athletes globally when combining size, weight, and power. Even though he was born in Hawaii, Konishiki Yasokichi rose to prominence as a wrestler on the sumo circuit. He weighed 633 pounds at his heaviest point. Yasokichi had a distinguished professional career that had the potential to be even more successful.
The second highest rank in sumo wrestling was achieved by him, which was the highest ever achieved by a foreign wrestler in the sport’s history. In addition, he was a serious contender for the title of Yokozuna, the highest and most prestigious rank in the sumo wrestling organization.
26. Jorge “El Gigante” Gonzalez:
Jorge “El Gigante” Gonzalez competed in basketball and pro wrestling, among other sports. At an incredible 8 feet tall, he towered over his opponents. In the latter stages of his wrestling career, Giant Gonzalez was diagnosed with the unusual condition of gigantism. It causes anyone who has it to grow much faster and more extensively than they would otherwise.
By the age of 14, Gonzalez had grown to a height of 6 feet 4 inches. It not only provided him a significant advantage in basketball, but it also made it simple for him to succeed as a professional wrestler. His wrestling career lasted barely five years, despite his 8-foot height and 460-pound weight. Gonzalez died at the age of 44 from heart and diabetic issues as a result of his gigantism.
27. Ronnie Coleman:
Ronnie Dean Coleman (born May 13, 1964) is a retired professional bodybuilder from the United States of America. He is widely regarded as one of the all-time great bodybuilders in the world. He is a legendary bodybuilder, best known for his catchphrase “LIGHTWEIGHT BABAYYY!” achieved even greater success in the sport than Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Ronnie Dean Coleman popularized competitive bodybuilding with his documentary Pumping Iron. Coleman holds the Mr. Olympia record with eight victories, and he has a total of 26 IFBB victories, which is a world record. In competition, he weighed approximately 300 lb and stood 5’11”, with arms measuring 24 inches in length!
28. Mariusz Pudzianowski:
Mariusz Pudzianowski is a Polish wrestler who stands at 6’1″ and weighs approximately 300 lb. As a result of winning five Strongman competitions, Pudzianowski established himself as a legend in the Guinness Book of World Records. His competitive spirit didn’t stop there; as he went on to compete in mixed martial arts, which is a more aggressive sport. He has a stellar 13-7 record, including eight knockout victories, to his credit.
Pudzianowski enjoys a wide variety of foods and frequently consumes chocolate, ice cream, and hamburgers. When asked about his diet during one of the World Strongman competitions that were broadcast on television, as well as during an interview for MTV, he responded as follows: “I eat anything and everything. I do not adhere to any particular eating plan. I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want.”
29. Yao Ming:
At 7’6″, Yao Ming was the most dominant player in basketball. He was a center for the Houston Rockets, who selected him as the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. The former Canadian Basketball Association MVP in 2001 and champion in 2002 went on to be an All-Star in eight of his nine NBA seasons before being forced to retire due to multiple ankle and foot injuries.
Yao is one of China’s most well-known athletes, having signed sponsorship deals with several prominent corporations. His first year in the NBA was the subject of a documentary film, The Year of the Yao, and he co-wrote an autobiography, Yao: A Life in Two Worlds, with NBA commentator Ric Bucher.
30. Peter Crouch:
Peter James Crouch is a former professional footballer from England who played as a striker for some years. Peter Crouch is not only the tallest player on the field, but he is also one of the most impressive players in the league despite his 6 feet 7-inch height. The majority of those tall people aren’t nearly as coordinated and elegant with their feet as they should.
He played for several notable teams, including Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Liverpool, and Stoke City. The towering forward also represented England at two World Cups (2006 and 2010), amassing 42 appearances for the English National Team.
31. Manute Bol:
Bol, at 7’7″, didn’t have an extensive skill set, but his importance on the floor as a shot-blocking expert blossomed. Bol blocked more shots (2,086) than he scored points during his career (1,599). The Washington Bullets drafted Bol in the 1985 NBA draught after college basketball for the Bridgeport Purple Knights.
During his NBA career, which spanned from 1985 to 1995, Bol played for the Bullets and three other teams. Bol, a center, is regarded as one of the top shot-blockers in NBA history and is the only player to have blocked more shots than points in his career. He was second in blocked shots per game and 16th in overall blocked shots in the NBA as of 2020.
32. Tacko Fall:
Elhadji Tacko Sereigne Diop Fall is a Senegalese professional basketball player who most recently played for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is currently signed to a two-way contract with the Maine Celtics of the NBA G League and the Boston Celtics. Tacko Fall stands 7 feet 7 inches tall, and he can be seen here towering over fellow teammate Carsen Edwards, who is listed at 6 feet 1 inch.
The Celtics have gotten a pleasant surprise in the form of the fall season. According to a Boston Herald, “I’m still shocked that no one even considered using a late second-round pick on this guy,” the scout said, according to the Herald. “The upside in terms of risk-reward is phenomenal.”
33. Dalip “The Great Khali” Singh Rana:
Dalip Singh Rana is better known to wrestling fans as The Great Khali. He was crowned WWE World Heavyweight champion in 2007 despite standing at an enormous 7’1″ and being built like a brick house. After years of competing in various circuits, The Great Khali became the first Indian wrestler to sign with the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) (2006).
His popularity has also spread to the film and television industries. He has appeared in some films and television shows, most notably The Longest Yard, in which he co-starred with Adam Sandler. It’s possible that if you’ve seen the movie, you’ve noticed that Bob Sapp, who was also on the list, appears to be a dwarf in comparison to Khali.
34. Paul Millar:
Paul Millar, a Scottish footballer, holds the record for being the tallest professional soccer player of all time. In the interest of full disclosure, Millar is only a hair taller than Belgian goalkeeper Kristof Van Hout, according to hearsay, which raises some questions.
Millar, who stands at 6’10”, has an advantage over Peter Crouch when getting a header. A devastating ACL injury suffered in 2014 almost certainly resulted in the early retirement of the athlete in 2016. Millar will be remembered for his time on the field, however, as the only player in the history of Elgin City FC to score in the League Two playoffs.
