Happy Humphrey
Happy Humphrey | |
---|---|
Birth name | William Joseph Cobb[1] |
Born | [1] Payne, Georgia, US[1] | July 16, 1926
Died | March 14, 1989[1] Augusta, Georgia, US[1] | (aged 62)
Spouse(s) | Ruby Watts |
Parent(s) | Ralph Ernest Cobb Etta Dover |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Happy Humphrey[1] |
Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
Billed weight | 802 lb (364 kg) |
Debut | 1953[1] |
Retired | 1962[1] |
William Joseph Cobb (July 16, 1926 – March 14, 1989), best known by his ring and screen names of Happy Humphrey, Happy Farmer Humphrey, and "Squasher" Humphrey, was an American
Professional wrestling career
Humphrey, who at the time was working on a farm where he was known for his uncommon strength, began his wrestling career in 1953 by wrestling a
Humphrey's promoters had a 1951 Pontiac[4] heavily modified to carry the wrestler around: seats were removed and extra shocks were installed to support Humphrey's enormous weight (and also as a gimmick).[5] In addition, he was usually weighed before matches on meat scales at rendering facilities.[3]
In 1960, Humphrey met future multiple
Outside wrestling
Humphrey had difficulty fitting in with regular society due to his great size. People stared at him on the street, and he was often refused service at restaurants. In one incident in Alabama, he became stuck in a telephone booth and eight police officers were required to extract him.[5] In another incident (this time in New Orleans), Humphrey attended a movie and became stuck in the theater seat. Welders had to cut the seats around him in order to get him out.[5] Towards the end of his regular career, he recognized his problem and had an operation to remove 100 lb (45 kg) of fat from his body; however, he gained the weight back soon afterwards.[4]
Doctor-regulated lifestyle
In 1962, Humphrey was forced into early retirement due to a heart condition.[2] After retiring, his weight ballooned to over 900 lb (410 kg). At this weight he would tire after about 10 steps and have to sit down (in two chairs). Humphrey attempted to control his eating habits (which sometimes included eating up to 15 whole chickens in one sitting[2]), but after consulting with doctors, he decided to volunteer for obesity research and checked himself into the Medical College of Georgia's Clinical Investigation Unit in Augusta. Upon entering the clinic, he weighed 802 lb (364 kg).
For two years, Humphrey followed a strict doctor-controlled diet regimen. He was not allowed to exercise (in order to avoid fluid loss via
Massive weight loss and obesity study
In the spring of 1965, Humphrey left the clinic where he had lived the previous two years. He weighed a comparatively healthy 232 lb (105 kg), a total loss of 570 lb (260 kg) since he was admitted. Humphrey won a place in the
According to the two-year study headed up by Unit Director Dr. Wayne Greenberg, Humphrey's weight loss on each of the three diets was approximately the same; however, the nature of the actual body matter lost during each differed significantly. The vast majority of the weight lost on the
Life after the study
After leaving the clinic, Humphrey got a job at an Augusta, Georgia shoe-repair shop 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.[5]
In 1975, Humphrey appeared in the film Moonrunners as "Tiny the Syndicate Man". The TV show The Dukes of Hazzard was based on this film.[7]
In later years, Humphrey regained much of his weight, and died of a
See also
- Man Mountain Mike and The McGuire Twins, who, along with Calhoun, wrestled under similar superheavyweight gimmicks as Cobb in the years following his retirement
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8108-7926-3.
- ^ a b c d e ""Reduction of Happy Humphrey". Time Magazine July 30, 1965". Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-07-19.
- ^ a b c Stokes, Mike. "XXXXL: from Kamala the Ugandan Giant to Yokozuma to Haystacks Calhoun, we present the 10 greatest super-heavyweights in wrestling history - Special section: the heavyweights." Wrestling Digest August 2002. [1]
- ^ ISBN 978-1-59670-162-5.
- ^ a b c d e Schramm, Chris (April 1, 1999). "Happy Humphrey Was The Giant". Slam Wrestling. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
- ^ Djeljosevic, Danny (16 July 2022). "The Heaviest Wrestler Ever: 10 Things To Know About Happy Humphrey". TheSportster. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- ^ Happy Humphrey.
External links
- William Cobb at IMDb