ROBERT WADLOW (1918 - 1940)

Tallest pituitary giant
272cm [8'11"]
223kg [490lbs]

Picture: Wadlow greeting admirers.

ANGUS MACASKILL (1825-1863)

Tallest true giant

236cm [7'9"]
198kg [435lbs]

The 1981 Guinness Book of World Records lists Angus as the tallest natural giant who ever lived, the strongest man who ever lived, and the man having the largest chest measurements of any non-obese man.

There are some tall men and some strong men. Giant MacAskill just happened to be both. Although the unsubstantiated claims made by the famous record book are no longer taken at face value. MacAskill did enjoy taking wagers to demonstrate his strength. Some include:
-He jogged through town with 300 lb barrels of pork under each arm to the admiring whistles of bystanders.
-He carried a sick man up over his back to the doctor which was 25 miles through a howling snowstorm without once setting him down.  
-He reputedly lifted a hundredweight (50kg) with two fingers and hold it at arms length for ten minutes.
-His good humor often led to practical jokes, either by others on him or vice versa. For example, a group of fishermen who couldn't pull their heavily laden boat up on the beach called on Angus for help. They were to push upon the stern as the giant pulled on the bow. The men decided to play a trick and haul back. There was a sound of rending wood as the boat was torn in two in the tug-of -war between the giant and fishermen.

Not many sober people wanted to fight him but when they crossed the line they usually regretted it.

-When a 300 lb sailor taunted him, he lost his temper, grabbed the tormentor and threw him over a woodpile 10 feet high and 12 feet wide.
-Another time he shook hands with a tormentor until the man's fingers started to bleed.
-When he was 14 years old, he punched a man. Shockingly, the man didn't move for so long that young Angus thought he killed him.

How would he do in the fighting sports? It is difficult to say. Most of the accounts of his physical abilities have a folklore ring to them. One pundit of feats of strength had one word to say, "Bullshit."

Heavyweight Muay Thai doesn't really exist. If Angus were dropping elbows on the top of opponents heads, I think he would be a real danger. The K-1, however, has limited knees, no elbows and no clinch. He would be brought down by low kicks. In boxing, he would be a hard hitter, but I question how long he could maintain the snap in his punches or endure the body punches. There is little doubt in my mind that he could dish out a beating. I just don't know how well he could take one. 

Picture: One of the few pictures of MacAskill.

NICKOLAI VALUEV

Active boxer.
218cm [7'2"]
145kg [320lbs]

With the WBA world title, Valuev is the most successful 7-footer ever to lace up gloves in boxing. It is not surprising that the matchmakers could find so many guys who couldn't hurt him and couldn't take his punches. What is surprising is that someone can hug their way to a world title. Bravo!

Picture: Valuev posing with a gentleman ecstatic about not having to touch gloves with the giant. 

Picture: Valuev and a less ecstatic opponent.

ANDRE ROUSSINOFF (1946-1993)
aka Jean Ferre
aka Andre the Giant

224cm [7'4"] may be exaggerated
205-250kg [450lbs-550lbs]

Andre wasn't athletic enough to do any sports but made a career out of fake-wrestling.

In the ring, without cooperative 'opponents', he would have been beaten to the punch mercilessly. No fighter can make a career under those circumstances.

It would have been interesting to see him try sumo.

Picture: Andre playing with the ladies.

Picture: Andre playing with a man.

KONISHIKI

275kg [605lbs]

Konishiki reached the sumo rank of Ozeki [champion], one below Yokozuna [grand champion]. In a 30 second impact sport, he used his size and natural athletic talent to achieve success. I've actually seen him take difficult shots with a basketball and hit nothing but net. I just shook my head in disbelief.

Even in sumo, size is not always an advantage. Mainoumi (in picture) was the smallest sumo wrestler. He weighed 98kg and had silicon implanted under his scalp to pass the minimum height requirement of 170cm. Every tournament, Konishiki collected his victories until little Mainoumi came along. Mainoumi nearly always beat him. The last time they fought Konishiki did manage a rare victory but fell on Mainoumi injuring the opponents knee and ending his career.

Konishiki could not and would not fight in the ring. He did show up to K-1 events to lend his name to Mark Hunt's super Samoan hype.　

Picture: Konishiki squares off against Mainoumi.

EMMANUAL YARBOROUGH

203cm [6'8"]
300kg [660lbs]

"My heart does more by 9:00am than yours does all day!"

Sweat was pouring off him and he couldn't catch his opponent, Daiju Takase. You could see the frustration on his face as he stood there with his hands on his hips.

Takase simply paced back and forth looking for a lapse in concentration. Then he would either hit lightly or feint. The objective was clear, to wear Yarborough out physically and mentally. It worked. When they both fell to the canvas, Emmanual took a quick series of head punches and had no energy to defend himself.  

He was the biggest amateur sumo wrestler but never the best.  

Picture: Yarborough enjoying a rare victory.

NATHAN JONES

210cm [6'10"]
150kg [330]

Bob Sapp wasn't the first choice to play the Beast. Nathan was.

Jones fought fought a fake fight in Pride 1.

Before that, he entered the World's Strongest Man contest. He seemed to enjoy feats of strength. While in prison, it is rumored that he did things like ripping the doors off his cell and frisbee throwing 45lb plates across the weight room.

He was being courted by the K-1 and the WWF at the same time. He made his choice, more money less pain. 

How would he have done? Probably not as well as Sapp, so I guess everything worked out for the K-1. Out of curiosity, it might be interesting to see him enter the K-1 Oceania even though Graham, Suttie, Hunt, Watt and the others would beat him easily.　

Picture: Kazuyoshi Ishii and Jones.

BOB SAPP

200cm [6'7"]
170kg [374lbs]

Sapp made it as far as winning the highest rank in the CKO and becoming the third American to win a match in the K-1 Grand Prix. He rocketed to success and crashed just as fast.

A Beast Is Made
The Bob Sapp Story

Picture: Bob Sapp and a few new friends.

AKEBONO

aka. Taro Akebono
aka. Chad Rowan

203cm [6'8"]
245kg [539lbs]

The K-1 achieved a substantial coup to snatch up a Yokuzuna. In the 300 years of sumo history, there had only been 63 Grand Champions until Akebono became the 64th and the largest (a record that has been broken by Musashimaru).

When Akebono came to the K-1 he was not really a Yokuzuna. He was a former Yokuzuna who had to retire because he couldn't finish a tournament with a winning record. In sumo, extra weight is an advantage in a match but not in a career. An oversized belly will tax the legs mercilessly and cut the career short.

In the K-1, Akebono has lost to every opponent he has faced except referee Kakuda. He is unable to maintain a healthy work rate in the ring and as the weight slows him down he becomes a defenseless target. Against runners, he is unable to close the distance. 

Picture: Akebono (right) faces Bob Sapp in his first fight.

MONTY SILVA

225cm [7'4"] exaggerated closer to 210cm.

This brilliant Brazilian saw how Bob Sapp took the first steps to riches and decided to do the same. He deliberately disqualified himself in a brawl. The K-1 forgave his misunderstanding and gave him a few more fights. He won against the lesser opponents and lost to Akio Mori and Ernesto Hoost. From the level of hype, the K-1 has never shown a lot of interest in Silva. As a fighter, he is robotic and slow paced.

Picture: Silva meets Akio Mori.

SEM SCHILT

212cm [6'11"]
120kg [264lbs]

He was initially hyped as a freak but has turned out to be a fairly successful kickboxer. He has drawn with Hoost and beaten Mori, McDonald, Bonjasky, Silva, Sefo and Feitosa.

His only loss came to Alexei Ignashov (right) by KO-1

He was set to fight Sapp but sold his spot in the tournament to Hoost. In a complete turnaround, he qualified for the K-1 Grand Prix 2005 and won the title. One of the marvels about Schilt is that for a man his size his fitness level is that of a much smaller man. An exception and an example for others.

Picture: Schilt listens to referee instructions with opponent Ignashov who stands 196cm [6'5"].

ROB VAN ESDONK

205cm

Esdonk was a fairly skilled journeyman but most fans will remember the knockouts he suffered. Once he got hit on the chin, his body wouldn't buckle before it crashed to the canvas. Putting him in the ring put ringside doctors on edge.

Picture: Esdonk (right) against Andy Hug.

DUANE VANDER MARVE

210cm [6'10"]
111kg [244lbs]

Very sloppy fighter. His best moments are when he scored a lucky knockdown against Hoost and when he beat a one-legged Longinidis. His worst moments are getting chopped down in the Hoost fight and catching a spinning mule kick against Filho.

Picture: Vander Marve (right) meets Andy Hug.

211cm
145kg

Nortje is a 7' southpaw and can put up a decent fight, but the list of fighters who have beaten him with ease is long. His best wins come from defeating Mike Bernardo and Jurgen Krut by knockout.

Nortje played a role in the K-1 decision to shorten fights from 5 rounds to 3 rounds. He and Orlov [203cm, 150kg] fought 5 insanely boring rounds.

Picture: Nortje (left) and Orlov (right) tower over coaches and referee.

218cm

Choi and Sapp gassed early in the 2nd round and spent the rest of the fight looking at each other.