Chris Taylor (wrestler)

Christopher J. Taylor (June 13, 1950 – June 30, 1979) was an American super-heavyweight wrestler. He competed in freestyle and Greco-Roman events at the 1972 Summer Olympics and won a bronze medal in the freestyle. At 412 pounds (187 kg), he was the heaviest Olympian ever until the appearance of judoka Ricardo Blas Jr. in 2008 (weight limits have since been imposed).[2]

Chris Taylor
Taylor getting married in 1973
Personal information
BornJune 13, 1950
Dowagiac, Michigan, U.S.[1]
DiedJune 30, 1979 (aged 29)
Story City, Iowa, U.S.[1]
Height196 cm (6 ft 5 in)[1]
Weight187 kg (412 lb)[2]
Sport
SportGreco-Roman
Freestyle
Folkstyle
ClubIowa State Cyclones[1]
Medal record
Men's freestyle wrestling
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place1972 Munich+100 kg
Collegiate Wrestling
Representing the Iowa State Cyclones
NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Gold medal – first place1972 College ParkHeavyweight
Gold medal – first place1973 SeattleHeavyweight

Amateur wrestling

The 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) Taylor wrestled for Dowagiac High School in Dowagiac, Michigan, Muskegon Community College in Muskegon, Michigan, and Iowa State University (winning the NCAA heavyweight championship in 1972 and 1973 by defeating Greg Wojciechowski and Jim Hagen, respectively), and won the bronze medal at the 1972 Olympics. He lost only to Aleksandr Medved. It appeared Medved was stalling, but the referee awarded a point to the Soviet, charging Taylor with a lack of action. Later admitting that he felt sorry for Medved because of Taylor's size, the referee was dismissed from the Olympic tournament and banned from international officiating. In the Greco-Roman competition, Taylor was unexpectedly suplexed and pinned by a much lighter Wilfried Dietrich, whom he defeated a week before in the freestyle contest.[1][2]

Professional wrestling career

Taylor wrestled professionally in the American Wrestling Association. His debut was in 1973 vs Rene Goulet. Taylor faced various wrestlers, among them future star Ric Flair. Taylor, trained by Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson, was being groomed to be a major star. Chronic health problems limited the amount of work he could do, and said problems forced him to retire from the ring in 1977. He is often seen in video highlights shown at the AWA training camp, most notably in the WWE DVD releases The Spectacular Legacy Of the AWA and The Definitive Ric Flair Collection. Also appears in a clip on The Nature Boy, an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary about Ric Flair's life. He defeated Flair.

Taylor's finishing move was a variation of the bearhug.[3]

Personal life

On September 9, 1973, Taylor married Lynn Hart.[4] He died of cardiovascular complications at his home in Story City, Iowa, at the age of 29, two years after health problems caused him to retire from professional wrestling.[5] He is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Dowagiac, Michigan. The couple had one daughter.

Championships and accomplishments
  • Taylor vs. Dietrich at the 1972 Olympics
    Taylor vs. Dietrich at the 1972 Olympics
  • Taylor vs. Dietrich at the 1972 Olympics
    Taylor vs. Dietrich at the 1972 Olympics
  • Taylor with family at the 1972 Olympics
    Taylor with family at the 1972 Olympics
  • Taylor vs. Goulet in 1973
    Taylor vs. Goulet in 1973

References

Media related to Chris Taylor (wrestler) at Wikimedia Commons

  1. Chris Taylor. Sports-reference.com. Retrieved on June 22, 2017.
  2. Oliver, Greg. "Chris Taylor: The giant Olympian". Slam!/Canoe. Retrieved September 7, 2008.
  3. Obsessed with Wrestling Archived August 14, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Obsessed with Wrestling. Retrieved on June 22, 2017.
  4. File:Chris Taylor married 1973.jpg
  5. Wulf, Steve (July 9, 1979). "A Roundup Of The Week June 25 – July 1". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 7, 2008.
  6. Chris Taylor. National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  7. "Flair, Watts, Taylor to enter Tragos/Thesz Hall of Fame". WrestleView. October 17, 2012. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
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