10 Things WWE Fans Should Know About Big John Studd
Mia Lopez
Published Mar 27, 2026
Few big men were as beloved as Big John Studd. To be fair, he wasn’t exactly loved during much of his prime thanks to him often being a heel, but he is loved in retrospect by fans that grew up in his era of wrestling. Being one of the best and underrated big men in the industry, Big John Studd will likely never be forgotten.
Related: 10 Stars From The '80s Who Were Held Back By Hulkamania
He does often go unmentioned when people bring up their favorite big men in wrestling, but his most devout fans make sure to make a good case for Studd’s legendary status. For those that don’t know much about him, Studd was an NWA phenom, and a legend in WWE without ever winning a major title.
10 He Spent Some Time In The US Military
If there’s one thing that a lot of wrestling fans can appreciate, it’s those that entered military service. For many, it’s a commendable thing for someone to be willing to lay their life on the line for the freedoms of people that they don’t even know.
While there aren’t a ton of details about his time in the service, Big John Studd did apparently spend some time in the military. Given how WWE often pays tribute to the armed forces, it’s likely that Studd had the respect of many people within the company.
9 The Start Of His Career Had Him Destined For Greatness
There are a lot of ways to start a wrestling career, but few people got the kind of breaks that Studd did. Rather than a no-name trainer, he was trained by the incredible Killer Kowalski, making it clear why Studd was so good in the ring.
If that wasn’t already enough, he then went on to quickly form a team with Billy Graham. From there he’d face other huge names in the industry like Chief Jay Strongbow, and he’d even get the chance to challenge for the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship all in his first years.
8 He Had Some Less Than Legendary Names Before He Became Studd
Having a great name is something that can really help a wrestler go far. There have been tons of incredible performers who were saddled with less than desirable names, something that often results in a performer being ignored by fans.
Related: The 13 Most Influential Wrestlers Of The '80s
There’s no denying how good of a name Big John Studd is, but it took him a while to finally get that name. Before that he was known by names like The Mighty Minton, and Chuck O’Connor. The names aren’t terrible, but they’re nowhere near the quality of his most famous name.
7 He Teamed With The Man Who Trained Him
A lot of people aren’t fortunate enough to ever work with the person that trained them, but Big John Studd is one of the lucky wrestlers for whom that does not apply. When he joined the WWE in the late '70s, he teamed with Killer Kowalski.
They didn’t go by their famous names, though. Instead, the two were known as The Executioners. The two actually won the WWE Tag Team Championships, but Studd would end up leaving the company shortly after being stripped of the titles.
6 He Made The Bodyslam Challenge Famous
While Studd is often forgotten when talking about the best big men in WWE, it is worth mentioning that he was one of the hottest heels of the era when he rejoined the WWE back in the early '80s.
Pairing him with Freddie Blassie was a solid way to turn Studd into an incredible heel, but Studd’s bragging about body slams did even more for him. His famous challenge is the thing that led to his fantastic feud with arguably the greatest big man of all time, Andre The Giant.
5 He Once Cut Andre The Giant’s Hair
One of the most famous heel moments of Studd’s career was when he attacked and cut the hair of Andre The Giant. It was a simple heel move, but one that was effective as the moment was further sold by the excellent commentary team.
The feud between the two men had already been heated for quite a while, but fans were more than ready for Andre to get his giant hands on Studd. All of that led to the pairs first official Body Slam Match at the first WrestleMania.
4 His Feud With Andre The Giant Lasted Four Years
In most instances these days, a long feud typically lasts about six months and one man comes out on top before moving on to bigger and better things. That wasn’t always the case for the earlier era of wrestling as people could feud for years.
With how much people loved to see Andre The Giant and Big John Studd go at it, it only makes sense that their feud lasted four long years. Some consider it to be even longer because Studd then went on to feud with Heenan later on, and Andre was aligned with Heenan at that time.
3 He Was A Notorious No-Seller To Lesser Talent
There is something special about people who hold the sanctity of their craft close to their hearts. During Studd’s prime, kayfabe was one of the most important things around, and performers that couldn’t cut it in the ring were a threat to kayfabe.
Related: 8 Times WWE Failed It's Fans In The 80s
Thanks to that, Studd was often regarded as the kind of person who would no-sell to talent that he didn’t think deserved to be in the ring. Even worse, Studd was also said to have been a bit more aggressive towards those kinds of people to show them that they can’t cut it.
2 He Was Constantly Connected To Legendary Managers
While Studd had a few major managers over the years, his two most famous were Classy Freddie Blassie and Bobby The Brain Heenan. Those two men were able to turn Studd from a fantastic heel to one that helped shape wrestling in the eighties.
His work with Blassie saw the beginning of his iconic feud with Andre The Giant, and his lengthy work with Heenan was one that shifted from a mentorship to a rivalry. Heenan impacted arguably the best portion of Studd’s career, something that both men likely enjoyed.
1 He’s The Most Forgotten Royal Rumble Winner
When people recite the winners of the Royal Rumble match, they can probably get through most of the winners, but there may be a few tricky ones. Names like Alberto Del Rio, Yokozuna, and of course, Big John Studd might be the few most people would forget about.
The issue is, Studd was the second winner of the event and it really didn’t result in much for him. It’s argued as the crowning achievement of his career, but it didn’t help elevate him into the title picture. Still, his biggest fans will never forget Studd’s big win.
