Haystacks Calhoun William Dee Calhoun ( August 3 , 1934 - December 7 , 1989 ) was a professional wrestler , who used the professional name " Haystack " or " Haystacks " Calhoun . The gargantuan wrestler was one of the foremost drawing cards during the industry ’ s “ Golden Age ” of the 1950s and 1960s while sporting his trademark white T - shirt , blue overalls , and horseshoe necklace . He is recognized as being among the chief pioneers for the sport ’ s super - heavyweight attractions . Early life . Born on August 3 , 1934 , William Dee Calhoun grew up on a farm in McKinney , Texas ; a rural suburb located in Collin County , about 30 miles north of Dallas . William was an unusually large child with an extraordinary appetite ( it was said that he regularly ate a dozen eggs for breakfast ) ; and by age 14 , he already weighed 499 lbs . His weight would continue to climb ; and by the time he was in his early 20s , Calhoun tipped the scales at over 600 lbs , prompting his personal physician to suggest that he did not have long to live unless he reformed his diet . Nevertheless , Calhoun ignored the doctor ’ s instructions ; and due to his enormous size , he owned an astonishing degree of physical strength in that he was usually able to perform the manual labor of several men while working on his family ’ s farm . In fact , legend says that Calhoun was eventually discovered by a group of traveling wrestling promoters while physically moving his cows by literally picking them up off the ground and carrying them across the field . Regardless , Calhoun first broke into the sport in 1955 ; and he began competing for local promoter ( and the inaugural National Wrestling Alliance World Champion ) Orville Brown , who recognized that a behemoth of his size could become a major box office attraction for a sport that was in great need of added popularity . Career . Initially performing under the name “ Country Boy ” , he soon established himself as a feature attraction due to his mammoth size while performing in various regional territories , including Houston , Kansas City , and even in Canada . However , he first burst upon the national scene while appearing on Art Linkletter ’ s House Party , a televised variety show where Calhoun ’ s brute strength was showcased as he tossed bales of hay into a high loft . As a result , he was consequently given the nickname “ Haystacks ” ; and recognizing the showbiz potential of such a gimmick , Calhoun looked to exaggerate on his hillbilly persona by adopting the stage birthplace of Morgan ’ s Corner , Arkansas while sporting a bushy beard , white tee - shirt , blue overalls , and a genuine horseshoe around his neck . Despite his imposing presence , Haystacks Calhoun nevertheless possessed a mild - mannered reputation as a charming country boy ; and he thus became a favorite of the fans , as word quickly spread of this 640 lbs colossus . Moreover , while promoters rarely considered Calhoun to be championship - material , he seldom ever lost a match ; and he was often booked in special attraction bouts , competing in handicap matches and battle royals , much the same way that André the Giant would be booked a couple decades later . However , while Haystacks Calhoun ’ s gargantuan size contributed to his wrestling celebrity , he was determined not to be stereotyped as a carnival attraction ; and he was revolutionary in that he was the sport ’ s first super - heavyweight who actually possessed a genuine repertoire of grappling maneuvers . In addition , he eventually became renowned for delivering his “ Big Splash ” finisher , in which he launched himself off the top rope and onto his helpless opponent . In fact , never was Calhoun ’ s “ athleticism ” more evident than when he was matched up against fellow wrestling giant Happy Humphrey ( real name : William Cobb ) in a series of highly anticipated altercations during the early 1960s . At over 800 lbs , Happy Humphrey actually outweighed Calhoun by over 150 lbs , yet Humphrey was barely able to move himself around the ring . Conversely , Haystacks was an accomplished wrestler , and he consequently took the majority of the decisions , many by countout ( as Humphrey often could not get himself back into the ring by the count of 20 ) . Throughout the 1960s , Haystacks Calhoun continued to serve among the sport ’ s most sought - after box office attractions , as his presence usually ensured sell - outs and record gate receipts for industry promoters . Being the only man to lift Haystacks off his feet contributed to the career and legend of Bruno Sammartino . Although mainly active in the eastern half of the United States , he also wrestled in Australia on tour with other American wrestlers in bouts promoted by U . S . promoter Sam Menacker . He also wrestled for NWA All Star Wrestling in Vancouver , where he twice won the NWA Canadian Tag Team title with Don Leo Jonathan . He formed a tag team with the over 600 lbs Mountain Man Mike on the west coast . At a combined weight of over 1200 lbs , they are the second heaviest tag team in professional wrestling history ( first is billy and benny they weighed 720 lbs a piece ) . After engaging in a memorable feud against legendary rulebreaker Dick the Bruiser , Calhoun then generally traveled from territory to territory , never staying in one region for too long so as to maintain his status as a celebrated babyface enforcer . As a result , Haystacks subsequently established himself as one of the most well - known celebrities in North America , with his mainstream popularity often even eclipsing that of the World Heavyweight Champion . Moreover , Calhoun soon emerged as perhaps the sport ’ s premier break - out television superstar , as he was a familiar sight on Thursday night televised wrestling shows across the country . Despite never really challenging for the World Title , Haystacks Calhoun nonetheless excelled in the tag team division ; and in 1966 he won both the Tri - States U . S . Tag Team Titles and the NWA Canadian Tag Team Titles while teaming with Jack Brisco and Don Leo Jonathan , respectively . Moreover , he then helped attract fans to a fledgling Northeast promotion known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation , where he was a consistent attraction at New York ’ s famed Madison Square Garden . On May 30 , 1973 , Calhoun even paired with Tony Garea to defeat the feared Japanese duo of Mr . Fuji & Prof . Toru Tanaka for the WWWF Tag Team Titles ; however , his massive weight and ailing health eventually forced him into retirement , and he was ultimately confined to a double - wide trailer after losing his left leg to diabetes in 1986 . Legacy . One of the sport ’ s premier all - time box office attractions , he laid the groundwork for future ring goliaths like The One Man Gang and King Kong Bundy , as well as serving as the muse for various “ country - bumpkin ” brawlers like Hillbilly Jim , Uncle Elmer , and the Godwinns . Calhoun is also known for collapsing the lung of an opponent while training early in his career . On March 31 , 2017 , Calhoun was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as apart of the Legacy wing .