RIP Jorge González

[lethalweapon3]

Big fella should go in as a nominee for Premature Pro Wrestling Death of the Month, but probably deserves its own thread since it's a former Atlanta Hawk draftee. Died last week at age 44 (complications from diabetes, etc.)

He was one of the Hawks Draft History Quiz answers back in June. Text from that thread:

(Courtesy: Wikipedia)

Jorge González played in Argentina's first division league for the Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata and also for the Argentina national basketball team. He was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the third round of the 1988 NBA Draft.

In 1989, Hawks owner Ted Turner offered González a job as a professional wrestler with another of his ventures, World Championship Wrestling (WCW). After a year of training, Gonzales was introduced to fans as El Gigante on May 19, 1990 at the pay-per-view Capital Combat. Wearing shorts, he competed as a face and was billed as being close to eight feet tall. Over the next two years, he feuded with Ric Flair over the WCW Title, participated in the 'Chamber Of Horrors' match in 1991 and also had a date on TBS with Missy Hyatt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWMuKY2jEcI

González competed as Giant Gonzales during his World Wrestling Federation (WWF) tenure as a heel, managed by Harvey Wippleman. González grew a beard and wore a full-body suit that featured airbrushed muscles with bushy hair attached. He was introduced at the Royal Rumble in January 1993, where he eliminated Wippleman's nemesis The Undertaker from the Rumble match despite not being an official participant. Gonzalez lost to The Undertaker at WrestleMania IX via disqualification after he knocked Undertaker unconscious using chloroform. After another loss to The Undertaker at SummerSlam, Wippleman berated Gonzalez leading Gonzalez to turn on him. Though the foundation was later set for a feud with Wippleman and Adam Bomb, it never truly began, as Gonzales left the WWF in October 1993.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGk1vJveEDI

After this Gonzales wrestled in New Japan Pro Wrestling until he retired. His last match was on February 8, 1995, against The Great Muta in New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Gonzalez currently lives in a school in Argentina. As of October 29, 2009, Gonzalez uses a wheelchair full-time, and has to use a dialysis machine to treat kidney failure. It was revealed in an OWW radio interview with Harvey Wippleman that he was diabetic while he worked with the WWE. He also said the two are close friends.

~lw3