Charles Barkley was on top of the world in 1993. He was traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Phoenix Suns. What pushed him most to stardom was his league MVP win in 1993. By October, Michael Jordan had also retired from the league, making Barkley the most valuable attraction in the NBA.
So with his fame at an all-time high, other corporations also decided to chime in and use his influence to their advantage. In this process, WWF made a commercial to promote one of its superstars, but during this, Charles Barkley was the victim who was made fun of.
Charles Barkley was made fun of by the WWF
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The legendary Andre the Giant retired in 1992. In order to replace him as a prominent figure who is capable of dominating with his physique, Yokozuna was added to the WWF in 1992. Yokozuna made waves after joining the WWF and went on an undefeated streak. It’s safe to say that he was on top of the world.
Yokozuna even won the WWF championship at Wrestlemania IX. After that, he had feuds with the Undertaker and Bret Hart. This propelled him into stardom and was one of the WWF’s prized possessions.
Watch This Story: ?I Can Neither Confirm Nor Deny?: Paul Heyman Puts Dwayne Johnson?s Daughter in a Dilemma After She Expressed Interest in Joining the Bloodline
So later in 1993, the company decided to market him further. For this, they made a commercial. They incorporated the movie franchise Godzilla, which started in 1954, for this.
In the commercial, researchers are seen shocked at a humongous figure. With people confused as to what this monster was, one kid shouted, ‘It’s Charles Barkley“.
#OnThisDayInWWE 30 years ago on Superstars:
Yokozuna is portrayed as Godzilla in a WWF Unbelievable! advert pic.twitter.com/GOApRkE0k5
— On This Day in WWE (@OTD_in_WWE) October 16, 2023
Barkley being over 250 pounds at 6’6 made him seem like a big person. But the confusion among the people did not last long, because another person confirmed that it was even bigger than him and that it was Yokozuna.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Barkley underwent a major physical transformation in 2023
Barkley decided to make a change in his life after talking to the doctor. He did not like how he felt or how he was moving, as he had gained a considerable amount of weight over the years since his retirement. So he started to take medication, changed his diet according to his doctor’s recommendation, and has now lost over 62 pounds.
Barkley said, “I started taking this drug called Mounjaro about six months ago. I started at 352 and got down to 290. It’s been amazing.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
With Shaquille O’Neal also taking his health seriously, he also cut down on a lot of weight this year. It will be exciting to see the duo back on the stage for the season opener later this month. Do you think they will be making fun of each other’s weight again? Let us know in the comments!