World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) admitted publicly for the first time today that the late Giant Gonzalez, although billed at a towering eight feet tall, was actually a man of only slightly above average height but very adept at walking on stilts hidden in his boots. 

Georgie Gonzalez, a journeyman grappler from the Funks’ Amarillo territory, stood just over six feet tall, but could tower over opponents while wearing his specially constructed “stiltboots.”

Although wrestling on stilts proved a challenging feat — as evidenced by his unsteady gait and topheavy wobble — Gonzalez convinced millions of gullible wrestling fans that he actually stood eight feet tall. 

Giant Gonzalez is likely best remembered for battling The Undertaker in what is considered one of the greatest WrestleMania matches in history, right up there with Steamboat-Savage and Show-Akebono.

Gonzalez stepped down — quite literally — from the role after WWE honcho Vince McMahon reportedly declared that “nobody believes the guy is eight feet tall, quite frankly.”

One returning to his normal height of six feet, Gonzalez went on to perform successfully in WWE as Los Conquistator #2.