Stan Hansen
John Stanley Hansen II (born August 29, 1949), best known as Stan "the Lariat" Hansen, is an American retired professional wrestler.
| Stan Hansen | |
|---|---|
Stan "the Lariat" Hansen, c. 1985 | |
| Birth name | John Stanley Hansen II |
| Born | August 29, 1949 Knox City, Texas, U.S. |
| Alma mater | West Texas State University |
| Spouse(s) | Yumi Hansen |
| Children | 4 |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Stan Hansen |
| Billed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Billed weight | 321 lb (146 kg; 22.9 st) |
| Billed from | Borger, Texas |
| Trained by | Dory Funk Dory Funk Jr. Terry Funk |
| Debut | January 1, 1973 |
| Retired | January 28, 2001 |
Hansen is known for his stiff wrestling style, which he attributed to his poor eyesight, and for his gimmick as a loud, violent cowboy who wanted to fight everybody, which he further emphasized by appearing in interviews with a cowboy hat, leather vest and bullrope while often chewing on tobacco. Considered one of the most successful and popular gaijin in Japanese professional wrestling history, he became more well-known and revered in Japan than in his native United States. In Japan's AJPW promotion, he held seven different championships. Overall he is a ten-time world champion.
Outside of wrestling Hansen played a small role in the movie No Holds Barred in 1989 and in 2011 he released his co-written biography, The Last Outlaw.