My Take
Big John Studd is one of those wrestlers from the golden WWF era who genuinely made you feel the ring was too small to contain him — and at a legitimate monster size, that wasn't just a gimmick. The guy from Butler, Pennsylvania spent the late '70s and '80s as one of the premier heels in professional wrestling, feuding with Andre the Giant in a rivalry that felt like two forces of nature colliding. His "Slam Studd" challenge, where he dared anyone to bodyslam him for a cash prize, was brilliant old-school psychology. He stepped away from the ring, came back, won the 1989 Royal Rumble, and then sadly battled Hodgkin lymphoma before passing in 1995 at just 47. The WWE Hall of Fame induction was well deserved — a genuine big man who knew how to work a crowd without saying a word.
Overview
John William Minton (February 19, 1948 – March 20, 1995) was an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Big John Studd. Studd is best known for his appearances with the World Wide Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Federation in the 1970s and 1980s. He also appeared in minor roles in a few movies.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Big John Studd
- Name (Japanese)
- ビッグ・ジョン・スタッド
- Reading
- びっぐ・じょん・すたっど
- Born
- February 19, 1948 – March 20, 1995
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Rat
- Origin
- Butler, Pennsylvania, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- television actor / film actor / actor / professional wrestler
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Butler Senior High School
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- WWE Hall of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.