Line #24 Wrestling/Kurrgan


1	[[quoteright:210:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kurrgan_2674.jpg]]
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3	Robert Maillet (born October 26, 1969 in Georgetown, Ontario) is a retired Canadian {{Professional Wrestl\|ing}}er and actor best known for his time in Wrestling/{{WWE}} from 1997 to 1999 as Kurrgan.
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5	He started his career in 1989 as The Acadian Giant in the Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling promotion in the Maritimes, and also competed for the [[GarbageWrestler hardcore]] W*ING promotion in Japan as Goliath El Gigante. He entered WWE in 1997 as The Interrogator as a member of the tag team the Truth Commission, whose [[TheGimmick gimmick]] was of a paramilitary organization from UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica. He redebuted under the Kurrgan name on the December 8, 1997 ''[[Wrestling/{{WWERaw}} Raw]]'' and was a member of Wrestling/TheOddities along with Wrestling/GiantSilva, [[Wrestling/JohnTenta Golga]], Wrestling/LunaVachon, Wrestling/{{Sable}}, the Music/InsaneClownPosse and [[Wrestling/GeorgeSteele "George The Animal" Steele]]. He has also competed for the Wrestling/{{CMLL}} and [=UWA=] promotions in Mexico, in UsefulNotes/SouthKorea and for various independent promotions around Canada. Among his achievements, he is a former 3x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tn/uswa/uswa-t.html USWA World Tag Team Champion]] and a former [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/korea/kr-wwa-h.html WWA (South Korea) World Heavyweight Champion]].
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7	His acting roles include: the [[GiantMook Über-Immortal]] in ''Film/ThreeHundred'', [[TheBigGuy Dredger]] in ''Film/SherlockHolmes2009'', [[HuskyRusskie Alexis Kaidanovsky]] in ''Film/PacificRim'', [[BigBad The Master]] in ''[[Series/TheStrainTVSeries The Strain]]'', Sluggo in ''Film/Deadpool2'', Apex in ''Film/{{Becky}}'' and the "Big Man" in ''Series/JupitersLegacy''.
8	----
9	!! "The Trope Commission":
10	* AmoralAfrikaner: Back when he was with the Truth Commission, whose [[TheGimmick gimmick]] was that they were essentially an entire stable of these guys.
11	* ArchEnemy: In AGPW, Leo Burke. In WWF, The Disciples of Apocalypse (Crush, Chainz, [[TagTeamTwins 8-Ball and Skull]]), Wrestling/TheHeadbangers, the Music/InsaneClownPosse (after they turned heel on the Oddities) and Too Much (Brian Christopher and Scott Taylor.) In CMLL, his former ally Wrestling/GiantSilva.
12	* {{B Show}}: The Oddities' wins were pretty much relegated to these (''[=Jakked=][=/=][=Metal=]'' and ''Sunday Night Heat.'')
13	* BashBrothers: With [[Wrestling/JohnTenta Golga]] and Wrestling/GiantSilva in the Oddities.
14	* BellyFlopCrushing: Occasionally used the big splash on the ring, even although he doesn't have quite the body type required other than being a superheavyweight.
15	* BerserkButton: Being mistaken for Wrestling/AndreTheGiant, which apparently has happened to him quite a few times. He stresses that he has nothing but respect and admiration for André, but it's very frustrating to have people come up to him and insist that he ''must'' be André, especially given that they don't look like each other at all aside from being giants.
16	* BigDamnHeroes: This was his original role in AGPW, which is understandable, given that he's seven feet tall and 350 lbs.
17	* CircusOfFear: The Oddities' original heel carnival sideshow gimmick.
18	* {{Cult}}: What the Truth Commission seemingly became after the Commandant was replaced by the Jackyl.
19	* TheDragon: To the Jackyl after the Truth Commission broke up and in the early heel stage for the Oddities. While he'd normally fall into the role of TheBrute, he made such an impression and so completely overshadowed Recon and Sniper that he easily rose to this role.
20	* EnhancedInterrogationTechniques: Well, he was a {{Heel}} ''called'' "The Interrogator," but The Truth Commission came off more like ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything.
21	* {{Expy}}:
22	** The Truth Commission were one of [[Wrestling/AmericanWrestlingAssociation Col. [=DeBeers=]]]' South African militant racist gimmick from the 1980s, although not as blunt about it.
23	** On the other hand, The Great Khali's gimmick had a few inspirations taken from Kurrgan's first solo run.
24	* FinishingMove: Paralyzer (clawhold), Kurrgan Slam (spinning spinebuster) and the good ol' chokeslam.
25	* ForeignWrestlingHeel: As a member of the Truth Commission, a South African white nationalist.
26	* TheGiant: He's 6 feet 11 inches tall.
27	* IHaveManyNames: The Acadian Giant, Goliath El Gigante, the Interrogator, Kurrgan.
28	* KindHeartedCatLover: [[https://www.facebook.com/Robert.kurrgan.Maillet/photos/a.10153179407185241.1073741835.194968830240/10155448608540241/ As seen on his Facebook.]]
29	* LightningBruiser: He usually didn't need much mobility thanks to his strength and size, but he was pretty fast on his feet for a wrestling giant and could even dance with some grace.
30	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: During the filming of ''Sherlock Holmes'', he punched Creator/RobertDowneyJr in the face, bloodying him, and reportedly felt much worse about it than Downey Jr. did.
31	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: ''The Interrogator'', ''The Acadian Giant,'' ''Goliath El Gigante''
32	* NoSell: This was easy for him since he rarely faced opponents who were anywhere close to his size.
33	* TheParalyzer: After he was renamed Kurrgan, was given as a FinishingMove a clawhold that was ''named'' the Paralyzer.
34	* PowerStable:
35	** The Kardinal Sinners, in the [=RAW=] (Real Action Wrestling) promotion in Nova Scotia, Canada.
36	** The Truth Commission (w[=/=][[Characters/WWETagTeams Recon [Barry "Bull" Buchanan]]], Sniper [Luc "[=Rambo=]" Poirier] and [[Wrestling/DonCallis the Jackyl]])
37	** The Oddities, led by the Jackyl.
38	* RedemptionDemotion: Entered the 1998 Wrestling/RoyalRumble at #12 while WWE was still trying to build him up as a monster heel. He eliminated Headbanger Mosh and Wrestling/SteveBlackman, and it took ''five guys'', 8-Ball, [[Wrestling/JohnBradshawLayfield Bradshaw]], Wrestling/KenShamrock, Phineas I. Godwinn and [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson the Rock]], to eliminate him. By the time of the 1999 Rumble, Kurrgan had become a face, but not one with any kind of significant push. That year, Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin was assigned #1 and Wrestling/{{Vince McMahon}} got #2. However, thanks to professional moron Wrestling/VinceRusso, everyone from #3 ([=Golga=]) through the [=Godfather=] (#17) were guys who [[{{Jobber}} weren't getting any kind of push]]. Kurrgan came in at #14 and all it took was Wrestling/{{Kane}} (#18) to eliminate him. His last WWE match was the [[FaceHeelTurn heel-turned]] [[Wrestling/TheUndertaker Undertaker]] basically squashing him with a chokeslam on the February 28, 1999 ''Sunday Night Heat''. See the entry for Badass Decay on The Oddities' YMMV page for more on how this affected the Oddities as a whole.
39	* ShoutOut: The name "Kurrgan" was taken from ''Franchise/{{Highlander}}''.
40	* SignatureMove: He used a bearhug lift dropped into a side slam. This move was apparently called the Kurrgan Shuffle, although the name was not used on TV.
41	* {{Typecasting}}: As an actor, he is often cast as a GiantMook or TheBrute due to his height and build.
42	* VideoFullOfFilmClips: The Oddities' entrance video mixed footage of the team with clips from the 1932 horror classic ''Film/{{Freaks}}'', even starting with the lines, "We wouldn't lie to you folks, we told you we had living breathing monstrosity."
43	%%* WrestlingMonster

Context Wrestling / Kurrgan