Big and tall athletes have been making names for themselves in the NBA since it's inception. But pro wrestling has also been filled with cherished giants loved by fans for years. What fan doesn't love seeing these towering beasts totally destroy a smaller opponent in a wrestling match? It's TV gold, and the WWE is fully aware this. With more height sometimes comes less skill, so some of the guys on this list might not be known for their quickness or any signature aerial assaults they brought to their opponents. When the rare combination of size and skill come together in the same package that is when legends are made. All these men are known for their shear strength and size, in the WWE that is always the show stopper, the one thing that no one can take their eyes off of.

This list is compiled of the tallest men so far to have ever entered a professional wrestling ring. It doesn't matter if they only competed once or if they lost every single match, if they were the tallest, they're on this list. Some of these guys weren't known as the greatest wrestlers ever, but some of the characters created just from their natural size will go down in history as some of the best ever. Every generation of wrestlers will have a few giants because there will always be a need for a monster of a man in the ring. It is important that we recognize these unique characters, no one can recreate what these guys bring to the sport of wrestling. While other lists of this nature have pointed to the girth of wrestlers, this one will be focusing strictly on their height.

Here is a list of the top 13 tallest wrestlers of all-time.

14 12. Kevin Nash - 6-foot-9

Kevin Nash had the height and the skill to be a star and went on to be one. He was known for some pretty awful gimmicks early in his career, such as Oz, Vinnie Vegas, and Master Blaster, none of which the fans really enjoyed. Luckily for Nash, Shawn Michaels gave his career some new life with his new character, Diesel, HBK's bodyguard. During his long career, he was most successful as Diesel and Big Sexy.

His career included successful runs with the WWE, WCW and TNA, and included being a six-time world champion and a 12-time world tag team champion. Nash accomplished all this while being 6 feet 9 inches tall. Although he held the WWE World Heavyweight Championship only once, he was able to hold the title through most of the 1995 calendar year, for a total of 358 days . He was a very talented big man. His career was capped with a HOF induction in 2015.

13 11. Big John Studd - 6-foot-10

Even though Big John Studd was a towering 6'10", he was usually just played second fiddle to the 7'4" Andre the Giant for the duration of their wrestling careers. Studd held a number of championships including the WWA World Tag Team Championship and WWWF World Tag Team Championship, and was the winner of the 1989 Royal Rumble. Even with the accomplishments, maybe Big John Studd's most memorable moment was when Andre beat him in a "bodyslam challenge" in Madison Square Garden during the first WrestleMania ever. Studd was forced to retire due to some personal reasons involving his health, and died in 1995. In 2004 he was inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame.

12 10. The Undertaker - 6-foot-10

The Undertaker debuted 32 years ago and is still going strong today. The Undertaker has cemented himself as one of the greatest wrestlers ever and surely one of the best big men to ever enter the ring. The Undertaker is known for "The Streak", an unprecedented run of 21 straight wins at WrestleMania. The Undertaker is also an eight-time world champion, having held the WWE Championship four times, the World Heavyweight Championship three times and the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship one time as well. He was also winner of the 2007 Royal Rumble.

Undertaker definitely uses his height to his advantage as he is widely considered one of the scariest wrestlers ever. His character is one of the most enduring in wrestling history and has reached a level of legendary proportions. Already certain to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, anything in the future The Undertaker accomplishes is just the icing on his illustrious career.

11 9. Kurrgan - 6-foot-11

Robert Maillet was working as a bouncer in New Brunswick, when he got the call from Bret Hart with an offer to become a WWE wrestler. This was an offer he did not refuse. His first run as the "The Interrogator" didn't last long and his time as a solo wrestler didn't last long either. He had most of his successes under the name Kurrgan. When he joined The Oddities many thought his career had hit rock bottom, but we will always remember him towering over his fellow tie-dyed members. Despite being one of the tallest wrestlers to ever step into the ring Kurrgan didn't win very many matches in the WWE.

10 8. The Big Show - 7 feet

The Big Show's name really says it all, he is a beast of a man standing at an incredible seven feet tall. From the beginning, it looked as though he was going to have one of the best careers ever. He defeated Hulk Hogan to win the WCW World Title. He has held the World Heavyweight Championship seven times and is the only person to have held the ECW, WWE (both) and WCW world heavyweight championships. The Big Show has also found success in the tag team division, having been an 11-time world tag team champion, holding the WWE and WCW World Tag Team Championships multiple times with various partners. Between WWE and WCW, Big Show has held 23 total championships.

9 7. Uncle Elmer - 7 feet

Uncle Elmer was more of a gimmick then a real wrestler, and his height just added to his character. At 7'0", 475 pounds, Uncle Elmer was really something else. Sadly, with those measurements, Elmer was only able to wrestle for two years in the WWE before he was forced to retire due to his weakening physical condition. This guy has no real accomplishments to speak of and even though we didn't get to see much of him due to his short stint, at least we got to see this guy marry his wife on Saturday Night's Main Event, so at least that was memorable!

8 6. Kane - 7 feet

Standing a full 2 inches taller then his fellow Brother of Destruction, The Undertaker, Kane is one of the tallest wrestlers of all time. Kane's mask has haunted young WWE fans for years but he has established himself as a lot more than just a scary gimmick in the wrestling world. Winning an incredible 18 championships during his WWE career, Kane has been one of the most successful wrestlers ever. At 7 feet tall, Kane is a monster of a man in the ring and has used his dominating height to his advantage in every match.

7 5. The Great Khali - 7-foot-1

As a wrestler, The Great Khali turned out to be not so great after all. Standing an impressive 7'1", his skills inside could never match his stature. If you add very little charisma to a bad wrestler and you get The "Great" Khali. Being from India, he spoke very little English, which may explain why he couldn't win over many fans. It certainly didn't help his popularity that he couldn't win in the ring. The only thing Khali brought to the WWE was his height, which he took back to India in 2014.

6 5. Giant Silva - 7-foot-2

Giant Silva was known as another part of The Oddities after making his WWE debut. Like several others on the list, the Brazilian giant has a background in basketball, having played for the Brazilian national team in the preliminary rounds for the 1988 Olympics. Silva could barely move in the ring and was out of the WWE after less than a year, when the entire Oddities stable was released.

He then made a transition to New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he stayed for a few years. He also had a brief MMA career with the Japanese promotion PRIDE, but finished his MMA career with a 2-6 record.

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4 4. André The Giant - 7-foot-4

Andre the Giant was the epitome of a big man in professional wrestling. His successes over his long career has inspired many an aspiring big man's dream of being their generation's André The Giant. André was definitely dominant in the ring, but his long list of accomplishments don't scratch the surface of how much of an impact he had on the wrestling world. At 7'4", he and the 6'8" Hulk Hogan had some classic battles for the Heavyweight Championship, which Andre won once. A lot of big wrestlers have been compared to Andre', but none have been able to fill his shoes...literally.

3 3. Silo Sam - 7-foot-4

Exaggerations of Sam's height has billed him up to 7'8", but real estimates of his height put him mat around 7'3" or 7'4". Still a complete giant of a man, Silo Sam didn't have much of a memorable career as a wrestler. Known mostly wrestling for the Von Erich's WCCW as Silo Sam, he also wrestled for a very short time in the WWF as Trapper John. He is another case that height doesn't automatically win you many matches in professional wrestling, skill does, and Silo Sam was not a skilled athlete.

2 2. Giant Gonzalez - 7'6"

Brought from Argentina to America to play basketball for the Atlanta Hawks, it was soon apparent that this 7'6" giant could not compete in the NBA. His height didn't go unnoticed though, and he was soon given a opportunity in the WCW. He competed there for a bit as El Gigante until he made his debut for the WWE in 1992 as Giant Gonzalez. He retired from the WWE only after a year and returned back to his hometown in Argentina. His run in the world of wrestling may not have been a successful one, but he will surely be remembered for his towering height.

1 1. Paul Bunyan - 7'7"

Paul Bunyan's height sometimes listed him at an astounding 8'6" but more realistic measurements have him at about 7'7". He started out his career as an actor, playing several roles in movies that required a man of his stature. He then moved onto professional wrestling in Salt Lake City, Utah. After his short stint as a wrestler ended he traveled all over the country as a preacher calling himself "Goliath for Christ". Possibly the tallest man to ever wrestler as a pro, Paul Bunyan will forever be remembered as a wrestling giant.