10 Giants Who Failed In WWE
WWE can't love every big man
8. Giant Silva
Giant Silva’s massive frame meant that the Brazilian could do many things in his native Brazil.
He could stack the tallest shelves at the supermarket. He could help get cats out of trees. Or he could play basketball. He chose the latter and excelled, even playing for the national team at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.
He turned to wrestling and was signed by WWE in 1997, debuting as a member of the Oddities in the Spring of 1998.
His inexperience meant that he was kept out of the ring and relegated to dancing at ringside, but he did step inside the squared circle in an eight-man tag bout at SummerSlam, beating Kaientai in a bizarre but fun handicap match.
During the contest, Jim Ross likened Silva to Andre the Giant on commentary and it was clear that the organisation expected a lot from the seven-plus-footer.
However, in February of ’99, WWE snatched Paul Wight away from WCW, and Silva was sent off to Mexico as part of a talent exchange deal with CMLL, before being given his release papers shortly thereafter.
Happily, he enjoyed much success south of the border and then in the Far East, where he both wrestled and competed in MMA.
