Jorge González (wrestler)
| Jorge González | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 31, 1966 El Colorado, Formosa, Argentina |
| Died | September 22, 2010 (aged 44) San Martín, Chaco, Argentina |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Giant González El Gigante |
| Billed height | 8 ft 3 in (2.51 m)[1] |
| Billed weight | 520 lb (240 kg) |
| Billed from | Argentina[1] |
| Trained by | WCW Power Plant |
| Debut | May 19, 1990 |
| Retired | February 8, 1995 |
Jorge González (January 31, 1966 – September 22, 2010) was a Native Latino American professional wrestler, professional basketball player, and actor. Known for competing in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He also competed for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW).
He was of Native Argentine descent. Before becoming a professional wrestler, González played professional basketball. Started his career with the youths of Hindú Club de Resistencia at the age of 16, standing 218 cm (7 ft 2 in) tall. One the tallest Native Latino American basketball players in Latin American history.[2] González stood (234 cm) 7 ft 8 in and weighed 192 kg (423 lb). He also wore size 28.5 12E shoes and had a monstrous wingspan of 259 cm (8 ft 6 in).
Jorge González 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 Native Argentine player drafted in the NBA. He was not able to adapt to the physical demands of NBA basketball because of a serious knee injury.[2] Jorge was known as Giant Gonzales because he stood 244 cm (8 ft) and weighed 470 lb (213 kg). This individual wore 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 2 "Giant González". WWE.com. WWE. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
- 1 2 "Adiós al Gigante González, un personaje de leyenda del básquet argentino". Clarín (in Spanish). 24 September 2010. Archived from the original on 2016-08-21. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
Other websites
- Jorge González on WWE.com