6-Foot-12 Wrestler Ben Bishop Lives His Big Screen Dreams

At "6-foot-12" and "15% of a metric ton," Ben Bishop stands out in any room, but it's his larger-than-life personality that really makes him unforgettable in the wrestling ring.

The University of Vermont basketball player never quite fell in love with the sport, despite enjoying his teammates and college experience. After graduation, he stayed active with Australian rules football, searching for something that clicked.

That something found him at an independent wrestling show seven years ago. Wrestlers at the event approached Bishop about training, and he started the very next day.

The transition came naturally for someone who spent years perfecting footwork and body movement on the court. "I think that's the biggest hurdle for a lot of people getting into wrestling if they don't have an athletic background," Bishop explains.

But Bishop didn't want to be just another brooding giant in wrestling. He asked himself a simple question: who do I actually want to be?

His answer came from the 1986 cult classic "Big Trouble in Little China." Kurt Russell's character Jack Burton, a confident, comedic anti-hero who doesn't take himself too seriously, became Bishop's blueprint.

"What am I doing here, not taking yourself too seriously, anti-hero type of character," Bishop says about his wrestling persona. "I love to have a good time, promote myself on social media with comedic skits, but when it comes down to business in the ring, I get stuff done."

Bishop has found a home at Awesome Championship Wrestling, where he supports "The Most Marketable Man" Richard Holliday. The duo believes they're two of the top independent wrestlers drawing eyes to the sport today.

At ACW Reckoning next week in Poughkeepsie, New York, Bishop faces veteran Foxx Vinyer while supporting Holliday's match against Andrade. It's a chance to get back on track after losing to Killer Kross in March.

Why This Inspires

Bishop's journey shows the power of embracing exactly who you are. Instead of forcing himself into basketball or molding himself into wrestling's typical "big guy" stereotype, he created something authentic by combining his physical gifts with his fun-loving personality and love of classic films.

His approach reminds us that standing out doesn't mean being the loudest or the toughest. Sometimes it means being brave enough to show up as your genuine self, even when that self is inspired by a decades-old action comedy.

Seven years after that first training session, Bishop proves that the best career moves happen when you stop trying to fit in and start figuring out what makes you different.