5 WWE Monsters You Don't Remember

The monster heel has been a staple of the wrestling business since the very inception of the pseudo-sport. For centuries, fans have piled into arenas in droves to watch the smaller underdog babyface wrestler attempt to take down the monstrous giant.

WWE is no different. In fact, WWE has historically relied on the monster heel more than any other wrestling company, due to it's penchant for booking babyfaces as their longtime World Champions whereas other territories or organisations would favour the face chasing a heel champion, believing the money was in the pursuit of the gold, not the defending of it.

Atypically, WWE promoted good guys as their long-term WWE Champions such as Bruno Sammartino and Hulk Hogan, who would routinely clash in heavily hyped title bouts with giants that were even bigger than them.

Sammartino battled (and defeated) such behemoths as Ivan Koloff, Blackjack Mulligan and Spiros Arion, during his time as the WWE's premier performer.

Hogan clashed with a plethora of monsters such as: King Kong Bundy, Andre the Giant, Earthquake and Hercules Hernandez during his runs as champion.

Some of these monsters were successful; many weren't.

Names such as Andre, The Undertaker, Kane and Bigshow have all used their size to get over with the WWE Universe and used their microphone skills to build a rapport with the masses. All have endured as legendary names who have worked for WWE in excess of two decades. However, for every Undertaker and Kane, there is a Brian Adams and Giant Gonzalez who have had disastrous WWE careers for varying reasons and enjoyed precious little success in the business full stop.

In the following slideshow, SK looks back at five monsters who once adorned WWE rings who are not well remembered in 2018 and examines the reasons why.

#5 Giant Gonzalez

Giant Gonzalez: Character lasted just eight months

Why WWE signed Giant Gonzalez, a man who wrestled to zero success as El Gigante in WCW between 1989 and 1992 is anyone's guess?

But sign him (and push him) they did. Presumably, the attraction was his immense height. Standing at a legitimate 7 feet 7 inches tall, Gonzalez towered over everyone, which in WWE's mind made him the perfect foil for their resident giant, The Undertaker.

Gonzalez and Undertaker clashed in the worst match at Wrestlemania IX (which is saying something) and contested a re-match at Summerslam, later in 1993. Both bouts were disasters and the giant was cut from the company immediately afterwards.

Lacking coordination or menace and dressed in a ludicrous muscular paint brushed attire, which was designed to hide his slight frame, Gonzalez is a name that you will seldom hear wrestling historians refer to and for good reason.

#4 Kurrgan

Kurrgan: WWE expected big things in 1997

It may sound ludicrous now but once upon a time, WWE saw Kurrgan as a future headliner. The six feet 10-inch monster was named after the villain, Kurgan from the 1986 movie, Highlander. However, as a character, he proved to even more ill-fated than the Highlander baddie.

Debuting as part of the short-lived Truth Commission Stable in late 1997, Kurrgan was meant to be the breakout star. However, the giant was lanky, uncoordinated and clumsy in the ring. Adding insult to injury, his odd haircut and flabby physique did not incite fear in the WWE audience, it provoked amusement instead.

After Kurrgan showed no aptitude as a worker, WWE capitalised on his odd look by placing him in the Oddities stable with fellow anomalies such as: Golga, Luna Vachon and Giant Silva.

That was an opening card act that elicited a strong reaction from crowds due to their comic antics and classic entrance theme.

Kurrgan left WWE in early 1999 and made a (far more successful) career for himself in Hollywood with roles in blockbusters such as 300 and Deadpool 2.

#3 Nathan Jones

"The Colossus of Boggo Road" Nathan Jones

Standing six feet 11 inches tall and weighing around 330 Ibs, the "Colossus of Boggo Road" Nathan Jones was expected to be a mega star in WWE. Jones was infamous for his real life conviction for eight armed robberies in the mid 1980s and was renowned as one of the most dangerous criminals in his homeland of Australia.

Jones spent seven years in a maximum security prison between the ages of 18 and 25 and WWE sought to capitalise on his notoriety by airing vignettes with old news footage of his arrest inter-spliced with sadistic ramblings from the man, who was originally meant to be a Hannibal Lecter style psychopathic character.

However, to their disappointment, WWE found Jones had no charisma and no clue how to wrestle. Forced to change course, Jones was instead introduced as an old buddy of The Undertaker. That storyline was risible. Worse still, Jones was supposed to partner 'Taker at Wrestlemania 19 in a bout with Bigshow and A-Train.

However, Jones was so inept, that WWE could not risk putting him in the ring at all and were forced to withdraw him from the bout on the pre-show.

The Aussie then disappeared from television until later in 2003, when he hung around for a few months before leaving the company entirely.

The "Colossus of Boggo Road" was a "colossal disaster."

#2 Snitsky

Snitsky: It wasn't his fault

Where to begin with Snitsky? He debuted in September 2004 and was immediately thrust into a storyline with Kane. In his debut bout, Snitsky smashed Kane with a chair which caused him to fall on his girlfriend Lita, who was supposedly pregnant with Kane's child.

Lita miscarried which led to Snitsky developing his catchphrase of "that wasn't my fault." This was one of the most tasteless storylines WWE ever did and the Snitsky/Kane dispute would massively overstay it's welcome with the pair battling throughout the rest of the year.

Snitsky did deliver one of the sickest Royal Rumble eliminations of all time when he hit Paul London with a brutal clothesline in the 2005 'Rumble match which sent London spinning off the apron to the floor below.

Snitsky was then injured for several months before he resumed his conflict with Kane in mid-2005, before he fell off of WWE cards entirely until he resurfaced with a new look in WWE's ECW brand in early 2007.

His tenure in his new home was not a success and Snitsky would eventually leave the company in 2008, having achieved nothing of note in his entire four-year tenure.

#1 Heidenreich

Heidenreich as a member of the Road Warriors

Heidenreich debuted on the WWE roster in September 2003 with a bafflingly bad gimmick wherein the near 7 footer was being controlled by an unseen entity known only as "little Johnny".

The character was soon dropped and Heidenreich disappeared from television. Supposedly, the idea was that Little Johnny would be a doll in the mould of "Chucky" that represented his repressed inner child.

That never made it to screens and Heidenreich re-debuted in mid-2004 as a more traditional monster heel and began feuding with The Undertaker.

Heidenreich atypically began reading poetry wherein he would denigrate his opponents and fans. However, the character was most infamous for kidnapping commentator, Michael Cole and ostensibly sexually assaulting him in a restroom. There was no way back after that.

Heidenreich contested some dreadful matches with 'Taker before falling down the card and replacing the deceased Hawk in the Road Warriors tag team with Animal. That was not a success either, and Heidenreich disappeared from WWE television in January 2006.

He never returned and never will. If he is remembered, which is doubtful, Heidenreich is better best forgotten.