PAUL SOLIAI – 6’4″

Former Samoan-American professional football player Paul Soliai, who last played for the Carolina Panthers in the NFL, stands at 6 feet and 4 inches tall and weighed a whopping 345 pounds. People typically take the description “Samoan” to be synonymous with big, and for good reason, considering most Samoans are, well, big—Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson is one famous example as well as MMA fighter Mark Hunt. And Paul Soliai seems to be par for the course, because he is just like his fellow famous Samoans, quite huge, too. To his credit, he’s been praised for his quickness despite being so large on the field.

LENNOX LEWIS – 6’5″

Former British professional boxer Lennox Lewis, who’s widely regarded as one of the best boxers in history—and is, to some degree, the best British boxer in history—owing to his being a three-time World Heavyweight Champion, is a beast in the ring and stands 6 feet and 5 inches tall. He also competes at the Heavyweight class, which puts his weight above 200 pounds; indeed, he’s been reported to weigh around 245 to 250 pounds during his last few fights. Before Lewis retired from the sport, he was able to defeat legendary boxers Mike Tyson and Vitali Klitschko respectively, cementing his position as one of the last great heavyweights of the century.

RORY ARNOLD – 6’10”

Australian professional rugby player Rory Arnold, who plays for the French rugby union, Stade Toulousain (one of the most successful clubs in Europe), stands at a towering 6 feet and 10 inches tall. Apparently, this huge person had been playing rugby since he was 16 years old. He was scouted by the Murwillumbah rugby, and he played two seasons for them. His career in rugby has taken off ever since, and, to his credit, he was eventually able to reach the pinnacle of Australian rugby before his late 20s. He’s not the biggest professional Australian-rules rugby player, but he’s definitely among the most intimidating.

IVO KARLOVIC – 6’11”

Croatian professional tennis player Ivo Karlovic is the tallest player in professional tennis today, tied with Reilly Opelka, an American professional tennis player who also, like Karlovic, stands at 6 feet and 11 inches tall. And we’re betting that Karlovic’s long limbs have a lot to do with the fact that he holds the distinction for having the third-fastest serve in professional tennis, after professional tennis players Samuel Groth and John Isner. His height and long wingspan reportedly allow him to serve tennis balls in unorthodox angles that frequently catch his opponents off-guard. This is why, Karlovic is, to his credit, regarded as one of the best servers on tour.

LISA LESLIE – 6’5″

Entrepreneur and former professional basketball player Lisa Leslie, who is now the head coach for the BIG3’s Triplets, was one of the most celebrated players in the WNBA. Indeed, she holds the distinction of being the first player in the WNBA to have been able to dunk during an officially-sanctioned game. Leslie was also able to add ‘author’ to her list of accomplishments after the release of her book, “Don’t Let the Lipstick Fool You.” And in 2011, she included the Los Angeles Sparks to her investment portfolio by becoming one of its co-owners.

SHARRAN ALEXANDER – 448 POUNDS

British female sumo wrestler Sharran Alexander, who got the Guinness Record for being the heaviest sportswoman in the world in 2013, weighs an incredible 448 pounds. Interestingly enough, she’s a late bloomer, having started in sumo wrestling at the age of 41. She was even amusingly signed up by her children to compete in the sport. Thankfully, it was a sport that was well-suited for Alexander’s size, and she even had an advantage over the other competitors because she was huge. To Alexander’s credit, she was able to win four gold medals while competing internationally as a sumo wrestler.

SHAQUILLE O’NEAL – 7’1″

Retired professional basketball player Shaquille O’Neal is without a doubt one of the best basketball players in the history of the NBA. He was, to a huge degree, such an unstoppable presence on the court that he forced the coaches of other teams to employ what was called the “Hack-a-Shaq” strategy, which consisted of intentionally fouling O’Neal whenever he held the ball to neutralize his dominance. O’Neal was one of the league’s tallest players, but his dominance stemmed from both his height and athleticism, which was—and still is—rare for men over 7 feet tall.

ERIC “BUTTERBEAN” ESCH – 425 POUNDS

Retired professional boxer Eric Esch, who is more popularly known as “Butterbean,” is definitely of average height but more than average heft. Indeed, the man reportedly fought inside the ring carrying 425 pounds of weight. Despite this, the speed with which he was able to throw those sledgehammers he calls hands was unbelievable. His fists were lightning fast, and anyone who got caught by them had very little chance of remaining conscious. A lot of his wins inside the boxing ring were knockouts. Unfortunately, Butterbean was also known to gas out very quickly because of his weight and could be expected to be exhausted during later rounds.

BIG SHOW – 7FT, 383 POUNDS

Professional wrestling superstar and occasional actor Paul Donald Wight III, who is more popularly known as “Big Show,” has a height of 7 feet. Outside of his wrestling career, he’s also appeared in more than a few shows for film and television. He’s one of the biggest professional wrestlers in history, but of course, there are quite a few who dwarf him in the league, wrestling being a sport where size and strength is a common and sought after characteristic. To Big Show’s credit, he’s lost a lot of weight in recent years and now sports a more chiseled and toned physique.

YVETTA HLAVÁČOVÁ – 6’5″

Czech long-distance swimmer Yvetta Hlaváčová, who holds the women’s record for having swum the English Channel for 7 hours and 25 minutes, is a giant at 6 feet and 5 inches tall. She’s even taller than Michael Phelps, the most successful competitive swimmer in history. Indeed, she’s one of the tallest female long-distance swimmers in the world (if not the tallest), and we suspect that both the length of her wingspan and her size 13 feet have contributed a lot to her enviable swimming abilities. Hlaváčová, to her credit, has attracted a lot of endorsement deals due to her swimming accomplishments.