Jorge González (wrestler)
Jorge González (January 31, 1966 – September 22, 2010) was an Argentine professional wrestler and basketball player. He is known for competing in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He also competed for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW).
| Jorge González | |
|---|---|
| Ring name(s) | Giant González El Gigante |
| Billed height | 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m)[1] |
| Billed weight | 511 lb (232 kg) |
| Born | January 31, 1966 El Colorado, Formosa, Argentina |
| Died | September 22, 2010 (aged 44) San Martín, Chaco, Argentina |
| Billed from | Argentina[1] |
| Trained by | WCW Power Plant |
| Debut | May 19, 1990 |
| Retired | February 8, 1995 |
Before becoming a professional wrestler, González played basketball. He was the tallest Argentine basketball player in history, standing at 2.29 m (7 ft 6.25 in).[2]
He was drafted in the 1988 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks in the third round. González along with Hernán Montenegro (who was drafted 3 spots after him) became the first Argentine players drafted in the NBA. He was not able to adapt to the physical demands of NBA basketball because of a serious knee injury.[2]
He was known for wearing a full body suit that featured airbrushed muscles with bushy hair attached. He debuted in the WWF at the Royal Rumble in January 1993, where he eliminated The Undertaker from the Royal Rumble match even though he was not an official participant. González challenged The Undertaker at WrestleMania IX but lost by disqualification when he knocked Undertaker unconscious by using chloroform. This win for The Undertaker remains the only instance where he did not have a decisive victory in his WrestleMania streak.
Championships
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- He was ranked #112 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1991.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Giant González". WWE.com. WWE. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Adiós al Gigante González, un personaje de leyenda del básquet argentino". Clarín (in Spanish). 24 September 2010. Retrieved 2013-11-08.