The country wept in 1998 when the legendary Giant Haystacks died.
The near-seven foot monster was a fixture of World of Sport wrestling every week, with his battled against Big Daddy being stuff of legend.
He remained one of the most popular UK stars past his death, and even to this day. While promoting AEW’s All In show in 2023, Saraya was asked about Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks in an interview, despite her being just six-years-old when he died.
Giant Haystacks Died Of Cancer In 1998
Giant Haystacks died on 29 November 1998 after suffering a two-year battle with Lymphoma. He died from the cancer in his home in Prestwich, near Manchester.
Haystacks was surrounded by his wife and three children at the time of death. He died in his bed aged 52, his size almost certainly a factor of his death.
His passing came not long after he began to make a career for himself in the United States. While he had previously wrestled in smaller promotions in the US and Canada, he was never given a shot in any of the major national promotions.
That was, until 1996 when he was signed by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as a member of the Dungeon of Doom.
The group feuded with Hulk Hogan, the former WWE Champion who starred in movies like Rocky III and Suburban Commando. He was the biggest star in WCW at the time, and Giant Haystacks was brought in as one of the “Monsters of the week” to battle with The Hulkster.
He was renamed “Loch Ness” in WCW, a name which was unfamiliar to British fans who used to watch him every Saturday on World of Sport.
Giant Haystacks Last Match Was In WCW Against The Big Show
Giant Haystacks’ last match in wrestling was his first and last pay per view appearance for WCW.
As part of the Dungeon of Doom storyline, Loch Ness (as Haystacks was called) was kicked out of the group. He faced off with another one of their monsters in a WCW Championship number one contenders match, as he battled “The Giant” at WCW Uncensored 1996.
Later known as The Big Show in WWE and Paul Wight in AEW, The Giant was a green prospect who had the world in front of him.
He had already won the WCW Championship in his first match, beating none other than Hulk Hogan in his debut match in wrestling. Now he had a man his own size to deal with – the 500lb, 6 foot 11 Englishman in the other corner.
Loch Ness wrestled The Giant in his last match in wrestling at WCW Uncensored 1996. The match was his pay per view debut and put two men of similar stature against each other, reminiscent of the Big Daddy vs Giant Haystacks bouts of the peak of British wrestling.
Sadly, this match did not live up to those, lasting only two minutes before The Giant nails Haystacks with a leg drop to seal the win and send him packing from WCW.
This would be his final match in WCW and in wrestling, due to him being diagnosed with cancer. He returned home to England, where he remained for the rest of his life, passing away two years later.
Loch Ness Was Originally Meant To Wrestle Hulk Hogan
Giant Haystacks, in his “Loch Ness” character, was supposed to wrestle Hulk Hogan in WCW. To try to keep Hulkamania going strong, the company brought in terrifying monsters from across the globe to make Hogan look like the underdog.
However, the WWE Hall Of Famer refused to wrestle him, and the dream match for British wrestling fans never came to pass.
You can read more about that match by clicking this link.
