Happy Humphrey

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Happy Humphrey (William Cobb) (died March 14, 1989) was a giant of a man who was a professional wrestler. He wrestled in the 1950s and 60s oftentimes against Haystack Calhoun. Humphrey wrestled most of his career around the 700 lb range and averaged 750 lb. Several times he weighed in at over 800 lb. Humphrey would regularly be weighed at a local meat factory and was carried around on a modified car built to handle his size. Humphrey had a rather difficult time in public, often being stared at and being refused service at restaurants because of his size. At one time he got stuck in a movie theatre seat as welders had to cut the seat to get him out. In Alabama police officers had to get him out of a phone booth.

In 1962 Humphrey retired from the ring and balloned upto over 900 lb. At this weight he could barely move a few feet with the aid of a cane before he would tire. He went into a hospital to lose weight and in 1965 he emerged at 232 lb. Cobb got a job at a shoe repair factory and never returned to the ring. He stated that he missed the sport and mixing it up with other wrestlers but was looking forward to a new life as a normal-sized individual. Later on in his years Cobb regained much of the weight and died on March 14, 1989 at a weight of over 600 lb. Cobb left no legacy and very little else is known about him. Happy Humphrey was the largest wrestler of all time.

Slam Sports/Canoe Network "Happy Humphrey was a Giant" by Chris Shramm