Giant Haystacks
Martin Austin Ruane (10 October 1946 – 29 November 1998) was an English professional wrestler of Irish parentage, best known by the ring name Giant Haystacks. He was one of the best-known wrestlers on the British wrestling scene in the 1970s and 1980s. He also worked in both Canada and the United States under the name Loch Ness Monster or simply Loch Ness.
| Giant Haystacks | |
|---|---|
Ruane in 1981 | |
| Birth name | Martin Austin Ruane |
| Born | 10 October 1946 Camberwell, London, England |
| Died | 29 November 1998 (aged 52) Prestwich, Greater Manchester, England |
| Cause of death | Lymphoma |
| Spouse(s) | Rita Boylan |
| Children | 3 |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) |
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| Billed height | 6 ft 11 in (211 cm) |
| Billed weight | 685 lb (311 kg) |
| Billed from | Scottish Highlands (as Loch Ness) |
| Debut | 1967 |
| Retired | 1996 |
Ruane was known for his massive physical size, billed as standing 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) tall and weighing from 31 stone (430 lb; 200 kg) at the beginning of his career to 48 stone (670 lb; 300 kg) by the end of it; at his heaviest, he weighed 49 stone 13 pounds (699 lb; 317 kg). In the 1970s he formed a heel team with Big Daddy. After the team broke up and Big Daddy turned face, the two engaged in a long-running, high drawing feud. During his career, Ruane held the European Heavyweight Championship and British Heavyweight Championship in the UK, and won the Stampede International Tag Team Championship in Canada, with the Dynamite Kid.