Andre the Giant vs. Big John Studd: Body Slam Challenge - Championship Wrestling, February 26, 1983A more than adequate replacement for Chief Jay Strongbow, Andre the Giant fills in as Big John Studd's opponent in a Body Slam Challenge the February 26, 1983 edition of Championship Wrestling.02/03/2012 - 09:53
FULL MATCH: 1989 Royal Rumble Match: Royal Rumble 1989Randy Savage, Ax, Smash, Big John Studd and Ted DiBiase put the pedal to the mettle in the second-ever Royal Rumble Match.01/23/2025 - 13:54
Superstars who only entered the Royal Rumble Match ONCE: WWE PlaylistFrom Dusty Rhodes to The Boogeyman to Bad Bunny. this collection of WWE Superstars, Legends and celebrities appeared in exactly one traditional Royal Rumble Match.01/22/2025 - 16:19
Superstar bench press challenges: WWE PlaylistSometimes the best way for a WWE Superstar to prove their strength is by hitting the bench press. Check out some of the most memorable bench press challenges in WWE history.12/20/2019 - 18:17
The epic history of Royal Rumble Match winners: WWE PlaylistSome of the greatest Superstars in WWE history have won the Royal Rumble Match - some more than once. Witness three decades of Rumble winners, including the Greatest Royal Rumble and first-ever Women's Royal Rumble Match.01/18/2019 - 18:13
Hillbilly Jim, Andre the Giant & Captain Lou Albano vs. Big John Studd, King Kong Bundy & Bobby Heenan: Madison Square Garden, Nov. 25, 1985Hillbilly Jim teams up with fellow WWE Hall of Famers Andre the Giant and Captain Lou Albano to battle The Heenan Family at Madison Square Garden.03/04/2018 - 18:08
5 crazy event locations you'll never believe: 5 Things, February 11, 2015If you thought an entire episode of Raw emanating from WWE World Headquarters was bizarre, you won't believe some of the venues we found, including nightclubs, train stations, and an outdoor event that took place during a tropical storm!02/10/2015 - 17:50
King Kong Bundy & Big John Studd vs. Bob & Joe Marcus: All Star Wrestling, July 5, 1986Two Montrous members of Bobby Heenan's Family show their dominance.06/10/2013 - 18:48
Paul Orndorff betrays his tag team partner Hulk Hogan: Championship Wrestling, July 19, 1986Paul Orndorff attacks Hulk Hogan and joins the Heenan Family.08/22/2012 - 16:13
Big John Studd: 2004 WWE Hall of Fame InducteeBig John Studd, inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004, steamrolled his opponents with incredible strength and rose to the top in WWE by winning the 1989 Royal Rumble Match.02/10/2012 - 18:27
Big John Studd wins the 1989 Royal Rumble MatchBig John Studd looms over The Million Dollar Man at The Summit in Houston, TX on January 15, 1989 as DiBiase can't buy his way out of trouble as one of the remaining two Royal Rumble Match combatants.02/05/2012 - 14:52
Bret "Hit Man" Hart makes his WrestleMania debut in a 20-Man Battle Royal: WrestleMania 2WWE Superstars grapple with the best of the NFL at Rosemont Horizon on April 7, 1986, featuring a bevy of WWE Hall of Famers including Andre the Giant, William Perry, Bret Hart, and Big John Studd.02/03/2012 - 16:12
Tony Atlas vs. Big John Studd: December 30, 1985Tony Atlas comes up short against Big John Studd at Madison Square Garden on December 7, 1985 as Studd's size and sagacity keep Atlas from recovering with a timely attack.02/03/2012 - 11:57
Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant vs. King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd: Saturday Night's Main Event, November 2, 1985Hulk Hogan pairs with Andre the Giant to challenge King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd at Hersheypark Arena on November 2, 1985 for a match that morphs into a melee as Bundy and Studd gang up on Andre.02/03/2012 - 11:31
Andre the Giant vs. Big John Studd: Steel Cage Match - July 23, 1983Andre the Giant and Big John Studd engage in a thrilling Steel Cage Match with an spectacular conclusion at the Capital Centre on July 23, 1983.02/03/2012 - 11:24
Hulk Hogan vs. Big John Studd: WWE Championship Match - October 19, 1985Hulk Hogan and Big John Studd engage in an outdoor onslaught at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in Puerto Rico on October 19, 1985 as The Hulkster perseveres through pouring rain to put the hurt on Studd.02/03/2012 - 11:21
Andre the Giant vs. Big John Studd: Body Slam Challenge - Championship Wrestling, February 26, 1983A more than adequate replacement for Chief Jay Strongbow, Andre the Giant fills in as Big John Studd's opponent in a Body Slam Challenge the February 26, 1983 edition of Championship Wrestling.02/03/2012 - 09:53
FULL MATCH: 1989 Royal Rumble Match: Royal Rumble 1989Randy Savage, Ax, Smash, Big John Studd and Ted DiBiase put the pedal to the mettle in the second-ever Royal Rumble Match.01/23/2025 - 13:54
1989 Royal Rumble Match winner; 2004 WWE Hall of Fame Inductee
Big John Studd: Bio
When looking back at some of the greatest Goliaths in WWE history, the name Big John Studd ranks right up there with the best. Standing 6-foot-10 and weighing in at 364 pounds, John "Big John Studd" Minton was a mountain of a man who dominated his competition, and his legendary rivalries with Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan in the mid-1980s are considered some of the greatest of that era.
Minton was trained by legendary fellow Hall of Famer Killer Kowalski, and made his first appearance in WWE in 1976 as Kowalski's partner. As the masked Executioners, he & Kowalski made a quick impact, winning the World Tag Team Championship that year. He also competed without the mask during this time as well, using the name Chuck O'Connor.
After leaving WWE, Minton moved to the Mid-Atlantic region, where he competed as Masked Superstar #2. It was during this time that he first hooked up with future WWE teammate Ken Patera, as the duo won the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship in 1978. But after losing a match to Blackjack Mulligan, he was forced to unmask and began competing under his most famous moniker, Big John Studd.
In the early 1980s, Studd spent time in Florida, the AWA and NWA before returning to WWE. Originally managed by Freddie Blassie, Studd later became a member of the Heenan Family, engaging in a long and storied rivalry with Andre the Giant over who was the "true giant" of WWE. Their rivalry produced two of the most infamous moments in WWE history.
In December 1984, Studd, along with Patera and Heenan, cut Andre's hair during a tag team match. A few months later at the inaugural WrestleMania in New York City's famed Madison Square Garden, Andre and Studd made history by competing in a $15,000 Bodyslam Challenge. In one of the first of many great WrestleMania moments, Andre slammed Studd and collected the bounty, but Heenan stole it back before he could toss the money to the crowd. Later in 1985, Studd and fellow Heenan Family member King Kong Bundy formed a regular tag team, clashing with the likes of Andre & Hulk Hogan on a regular basis.
The following year, Studd was part of another great WrestleMania moment when he competed in the WWE/NFL Battle Royal at WrestleMania 2. The Battle Royal was during the Chicago portion of the show, and Studd drew the crowd's ire when he eliminated Chicago Bears great (and future fellow Hall of Famer) William "The Refrigerator" Perry from the Battle Royal. Perry then extended his hand to Studd, but when the giant reached out to shake it, Perry pulled him over the top rope to eliminate him as well.
Studd left WWE shortly after, but returned two years later and once again rekindled his rivalry with Andre. This time, however, the Frenchman was under the tutelage of the hated Heenan, so the fans rallied to Studd's side. In perhaps the crowning achievement in his WWE career, Studd entered the 1989 Royal Rumble Match at No. 27 and last eliminated Ted DiBiase to win the match. Later that year, he would be the guest referee for Andre's bout with Jake Roberts at WrestleMania V. Before their issue could be settled, however, Studd once again left WWE in mid-1989, this time for good.
Over the next few years, Studd helped train a few grapplers for the squared circle; the most notable was Ron Reis, who competed in WCW as "Big" Ron Studd in tribute to his mentor. He also dabbled in Hollywood, appearing in episodes of "The A-Team" and "Hunter," as well as in movies such as "Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man." Sadly, however, John Minton passed away on March 20, 1995, due to complications from liver cancer and Hodgkin's disease.
In 2004, on the night before WrestleMania XX, Studd was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in the same city where he made WrestleMania history two decades earlier. Another great giant, Big Show, inducted Studd into the Hall, and son John Minton Jr. accepted the Hall of Fame plaque on behalf of his dad.
In his career, Studd was a World Tag Team Champion, WrestleMania participant and Royal Rumble winner; his induction into the Hall of Fame, however, affirmed that Studd was one of sports-entertainment's true giants.