Professional wrestling has always loved its giants. From Andre the Giant to Big Show, larger-than-life heavyweights have been promoted as irresistible attractions — living spectacles that draw crowds just to see the sheer scale of them. But few names cause more confusion than the two “Haystacks.”
For years, many fans have assumed that Haystacks Calhoun, the American country boy, and Giant Haystacks, the British bearded monster, were one and the same. In reality, they were two very different men, from two very different worlds, whose careers overlapped but never collided.
Here’s the story of how two of wrestling’s heaviest attractions ended up forever linked by name — and forever confused in the memory of fans.
Haystacks Calhoun: The Country Boy Attraction
William Dee Calhoun, better known as Haystacks Calhoun, was born in Texas in 1934. Billed at over 600 pounds, Calhoun became one of the first true “super-heavyweight” attractions in professional wrestling.
His gimmick leaned into rural stereotypes: denim overalls, a horseshoe around his neck, and a smile that made him as much a novelty act as a legitimate competitor.
Calhoun’s sheer size and good-natured persona made him a fixture of the wrestling circuit throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. He worked with Bruno Sammartino, Bobo Brazil, and Gorilla Monsoon, often presented as the immovable object to contrast their energy. In 1973, he reached a career high by teaming with Tony Garea to capture the WWF World Tag Team Championship.
But Calhoun wasn’t just a wrestling figure — he was a pop culture presence. He appeared on American talk shows and even shared the screen with celebrities like Jayne Mansfield and Groucho Marx. He became a mainstream curiosity, the “gentle giant” who delighted audiences far beyond the wrestling world.
Today, Haystacks Calhoun is remembered in WWE’s Hall of Fame (Legacy Wing) as a trailblazer for super-heavyweights. His larger-than-life presence and status as one of wrestling’s first household-name giants ensures his place in the sport’s folklore.
Giant Haystacks: Britain’s Bearded Monster
Across the Atlantic, a different kind of Haystacks was making his name. Martin Ruane, born in Salford in 1946, became famous under the ring name Giant Haystacks.
Unlike Calhoun’s good-natured persona, Giant Haystacks was the archetypal villain. Standing nearly 7 feet tall and weighing close to 700 pounds, Ruane’s terrifying presence was amplified by his huge beard, dark singlet, and menacing glare. He didn’t smile for the cameras — he scowled, crushed, and dominated.
Giant Haystacks rose to fame on ITV’s World of Sport, the staple of Saturday afternoon television in Britain throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Millions of families tuned in weekly, and Haystacks became the ultimate heel to Big Daddy’s national hero. Their feud was the UK’s answer to Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant — a clash of titans that became cultural shorthand for good versus evil.
While never known for technical brilliance, Haystacks didn’t need it. His mere presence was the draw. His matches often focused on his weight, with commentators marvelling at his ability to crush opponents simply by leaning on them.
In the 1990s, long after British wrestling’s television golden age had faded, Giant Haystacks even had a short run in WCW under the name “Loch Ness”, who did actually get a chance to share the ring with another Giant. Though brief, it exposed him to a new audience, adding another layer to his international reputation.
When he passed away in 1998, Britain mourned a man who had become a folk villain for an entire generation of wrestling fans.
Why the Confusion?
The confusion between the two Haystacks isn’t hard to understand.
- Both men were billed at over 600 pounds.
- Both carried the “Haystacks” name, conjuring images of rural size and strength.
- Both were attractions more than technical wrestlers.
- Both were active in the 1960s–1980s, meaning their careers overlapped in the public eye.
Add to that the fact that wrestling history has often been retold in half-truths and legends, and it’s no wonder fans blurred the line between the smiling American attraction and the British monster heel.
Legacies of the Two Haystacks
Though different in style and audience, both Haystacks left a lasting mark.
- Haystacks Calhoun proved that fans would pay to see sheer size and spectacle. He normalised the idea of the “attraction wrestler” — someone who didn’t need championships to draw crowds. His country-boy presentation made him stand out, and his mainstream visibility pushed wrestling into pop culture.
- Giant Haystacks embodied the UK’s golden era of televised wrestling. He became as iconic as Big Daddy, and their rivalry is still remembered as one of the defining features of British wrestling’s heyday. Even those who didn’t follow wrestling knew who Giant Haystacks was.
Together, they illustrate how different cultures used “the giant” archetype: in America, the approachable entertainment act; in Britain, the terrifying villain who represented menace itself.
Conclusion
So, was Haystacks Calhoun the same man as Giant Haystacks? Not at all. One was an American folk hero in denim overalls, the other a British behemoth in boots and beard who terrified audiences on World of Sport.
But both shared one thing: they were giants in every sense. Their size, their names, and their cultural impact ensured they would be remembered long after their final bell.
The tale of the two Haystacks is not one of duplication, but of coincidence — two men continents apart, forever linked by a name and a weight class, each becoming unforgettable in their own right.
