1. Antonio Barichievich, born Anton Barichevich and better known as The Great Antonio, was a Croatian-Canadian strongman, professional wrestler, and a Montreal eccentric artist.
12 Facts About Great Antonio
1. 2.
Great Antonio arrived as refugee in Canada in 1945, and established himself in Montreal, Quebec.
3.
Great Antonio never discussed his experiences during World War II, but writers speculate that he was psychologically affected by whatever he saw and experienced.
4.
Great Antonio first made it into the Guinness Book of World Records in 1952 by pulling a 433-tonne train 19.8 metres.
5.
Great Antonio weighed 465 pounds and stood about 6 foot 4 inches.
6.
Great Antonio's suits were size 90 and his shoes size 28.
7.
Great Antonio could eat 25 chickens or 10 steaks at one sitting.
8.
Barichievich purportedly almost won the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship in wrestling in Calgary in 1971, but fans nearly rioted at the idea that Great Antonio, wrestling as a heel at the time, could appear and beat their hometown favorite.
9.
Great Antonio's wrestling career continued into New Japan Pro-Wrestling through the 1970s without much success.
10.
Great Antonio changed the story of his background on at least two occasions.
11.
Great Antonio describes Barichievich's work as well crafted, humorous, and "works of art in their own rights".
12.
Great Antonio is believed to have been married at least twice, once in Europe and once in Canada, but he left behind no known descendants on either side.