Husky Harris, whom I just cast my vote for on the very first WWE Universe NXT Poll, is known for a few things this season on NXT. He's the son of Mike Rotundo/IRS, he's one of the guys given a questionable ring name, but most importantly, he doesn't fit the Vince McMahon steroid fetish mold whatsoever, and despite that excess blubber, he's actually one of the best wrestlers on the slate for this season. As a fat guy myself, I feel a sense of comraderie with him. Yes, I'm trying to shed my weight, but it's good to see that someone who isn't roided or rail-thin is in a position to make his way in a business I follow as closely as I do pro wrestling.Of course, Harris is not the only memorable fat guy wrestler. Here are six more. Note, I'm not doing Samoans for this, because up until the Usos right now and Sonny Siaki in TNA's infancy, well, has there ever been a Samoan who wasn't fat?
1. Dusty Rhodes
Dust is an icon at this blog, mainly for his witticisms and banter in the broadcast booth for WCW (and apparently FCW... only makes me want the WWE developmental territory to be carried up here even more!), but he's a legitimate wrestling legend and the patron saint of fat guy wrestlers. Especially later on in his career, Dusty would stagger down to the ring and jiggle about with every Bionic Elbow he threw. Of course, the polka dots didn't help matters any either. Nothing slimming about those.
2. Vader
If Dust is the patron saint, then Vader is the consigliere. Supremely talented, slightly forgotten, Vader may be the best fat guy worker ever. He was great in WCW, underutilized in the WWF and a legend in Japan, all with a beer belly and hairy manboobs. He's still out working today, teaming with his son out in their home state of Colorado. And, lest we not forget, he was on Boy Meets World. A true hero to us fat folk everywhere.
3. Shinya Hashimoto
Given that guys like Vader are legendary in Japan, it's no wonder that one of the best draws in puroresu history was the jiggly Hash. Universally beloved and world-renowned for his brainbuster, Hash was a juggernaut until a controversial run-in with Naoya Ogawa in a match that was sold to him as a work but ended up as a shoot stripped him of a good bit of his drawing power. In 2005, Hash tragically died of a brain aneurysm, but his memory lives on as a shining example of fat people succeeding in a world where skinny and muscular are pushed as the ideal.
4. Mabel/Viscera/Big Daddy V
Yeah, Big Vis is fat even by fat wrestler standards. He's one guy whose frequent rehirings by the WWE I never quite understood. He's not really that good, but hey, the guy did project a scary aura until he waddled to the ring. But yeah, he was good and fat.
5. Takeshi Morishima
Considering that Samoa Joe was still relatively svelte (by Samoan standards) when he held the ROH World Championship, Morishima holds the king-sized king of the indies title by a considerable margin. If you think that's trivial for the indies, where small seems to rule the day thanks to the WWE poaching all the big guys, well, I present to you this:
Not only is he fat, but he's kinda reckless too.
6. Abdullah the Butcher
When you engage in the kind of hardcore warfare that Abby has had his hand in innovating over the years, well, you'll need to have your vice. From the looks of it, Abby's indulgence was food, and hey, eating releases endorphins. I mean, unless you're eating like shit or eating terrible food, you're happy when you're eating, right? Right. Additionally, the hardcore legend is not only a consumer, but he's an enabler. Yep, he's opened up his own chicken and waffles restaurant, one in Atlanta and one in Japan. You can't make this shit up, although I've heard the fare is pretty good in there. Hats off to you, Abby. Hats off to you.
Photo Credit: WWE.com
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