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The Great Antonio

Antonio Barichievich
Antonio Barichievich, young.jpg
Born Anton Baričević
1925
Zagreb, Croatia
Died 2003
Montreal, Quebec
Cause of death myocardial infarction
Occupation strongman, professional wrestler
Years active Late 1940s – 2003
Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight 465 lb (224.5 kg)

Antonio Barichievich, known professionally as The Great Antonio (October 10, 1925 – September 7, 2003), was a Croatian-Canadian strongman, professional wrestler, and eccentric. He was a popular local figure in Montreal until his death.

Barichievich was born Anton Baričević in Zagreb, Croatia. Biographers have written that he went to work with a pick and shovel at the age of six and was able to uproot trees with a cable around his neck by age 12. Antonio was at the Bagnoli displaced persons camp during World War II. In 1945, he arrived by refugee ship in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He never discussed his experiences during World War II, but writers speculate that he was psychologically affected by whatever he saw and experienced.

He was from the Croatian island of Losinj on the Adriatic Sea, more precisely the town of Veli Losinj.

Beginning in the late 1940s, Barichievich began appearing as a strongman in Montreal. He first made it into the Guinness Book of World Records in 1952 by pulling a 433-tonne train 19.8 metres. He later made it into Guinness by pulling four city buses loaded with passengers. He weighed 465 pounds (224.5 kg) and stood about 6 foot 4 inches (1.93 m). His suits were size 90 and his shoes size 28. He could eat 25 chickens or 10 steaks at one sitting. During the 1970s he toured the world as a strongman and performer, appearing in world capitals and on popular TV variety shows.

Despite his imposing stature, Barichievich is said to have sung with a soft, beautiful voice, and at one time wanted to tour with Tiny Tim. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he made increasingly eccentric demands: he said he would pull a Boeing 747 down the tarmac provided Boeing gave him a jet for his own personal use, and he approached Don King saying that he would do a fight film for one million dollars.


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