William Calhoun
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| Birth name | William Dee Calhoun |
|---|---|
| Born |
August 3, 1934 McKinney, Texas |
| Died | December 7, 1989 (aged 55) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Billed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Billed weight | 601 lb (300 kg) |
| Billed from | Morgan's Corner, Arkansas (fictional) |
William Dee Calhoun (August 3, 1934 – December 7, 1989) was an American 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 “Kayfabe Era” of the 1950s and 1960s, sporting his trademark white T-shirt, blue overalls, and horseshoe necklace. He is recognized as a chief pioneer of the sport’s super-heavyweight attractions.
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 mi (48 km) north of Dallas. William was an unusually large child with a large appetite. He regularly ate a dozen eggs for breakfast, and by age 14, he already weighed 300 lb (140 kg). By the time he was in his early 20s, Calhoun tipped the scales at over 600 lb (270 kg), prompting his physician to suggest he did not have long to live, unless he reformed his diet.
Calhoun's enormous size and physical strength enabled him to perform the manual labor of several men while working on his family’s farm. Calhoun first broke into wrestling in 1955 and he began competing for local promoter (and the inaugural National Wrestling Alliance World Champion) Orville Brown. Brown recognized that a man of his size who could still move with significant agility could become a major box office attraction for a sport that was in great need of added popularity.
Initially performing under the name Country Boy Calhoun, he soon established himself as a feature attraction, performing in various regional territories, including Houston, Kansas City, and even Canada. However, he first appeared nationally on Art Linkletter’s House Party, a televised variety show where Calhoun’s strength was showcased as he tossed full bales of hay into a high loft. As a result of this feat, he adopted the name Haystacks Calhoun. Recognizing the show business potential of such a gimmick, Calhoun decided to exaggerate his hillbilly persona by adopting the fictional birthplace of Morgan’s Corner, Arkansas while sporting a bushy beard, white t-shirt, blue overalls, and a genuine horseshoe around his neck on a chain. Despite his imposing size, Calhoun was a mild-mannered country boy and he became a fan favorite. Moreover, while promoters typically did not book him for championships, he seldom lost a match. He was often booked in special attraction bouts, competing in handicap matches and battle royals, in much the same way that André the Giant would be booked a few decades later.
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