I wrestled for $40 per match and lost to Undertaker in 40 seconds before leaving Robert Downey Jr bloodied in Hollywood career
As Robert Maillet, Kurrgan was a giant in a world of big men when he starred in WWE during the Attitude Era. That period of time, despite being consigned to the record books decades ago, the Attitude Era remains an insanely popular period in wrestling history. Kurrgan was unleashed on WWE audiences in 1997WWE By then, WWE had largely banished many of the cartoon-like characters that dominated the late 1980s and early 1990s – Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior and Papa Shango included – in favour of edgier, real-life names such as Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Stone Cold Steve Austin. It wasn’t an era bereft of characters altogether, though, and Kurrgan was among them, debuting in WWE in the later part of 1997 as part of The Truth Commission. The faction had spent months honing its act in USWA – effectively WWE’s training ground and the NXT of the day – before being moved up to feature on Monday Night Raw, though the timing was far from ideal for the towering performer. “I was on my honeymoon when I got the call to say: ‘We want you at [TV] tapings in Detroit!” he recalled in a podcast with former WWE colleagues Gerald Briscoe and JBL. “The honeymoon was cut short, [and] it was a do-or-die match. I was happy with my performance.” Maillet must have made a big impression on WWE bosses, as he was promptly awarded a contract before making his ‘main roster’ debut – Kurrgan the group’s most intimidating member by far. He played the character with menacing aplomb, billed at seven feet tall and weighing in excess of 300lbs as The Truth Commission ran through the in-ring competition, Kurrgan later branching out into a solo career. He began to find popularity in 1998 as a member of The Oddities – a collection of perceived WWE misfits – and it was during this run that he well and truly met his match, flattened by legend The Undertaker the following year in a match on Sunday Night Heat. It seemed the writing was on the wall. Kurrgan never quite matched the intensity of fear factor of his debut persona in WWE, but he continued to feature as a popular figure until that November, presumably earning a considerably higher amount than the $40 per match he says he was paid for working matches during his USWA. Even greater paydays would surely have followed when Maillet, now 55, transitioned into acting. Kurrgan starred fleetingly as a singles wrestler but mostly as a part of bigger groupsWWE The powerhouse eventually moved from the wrestling ring to the silver screenWWE He starred in the 2007 film 300 and as a villain in Sherlock Holmes where he fought Robert Downey Jr’s lead character. During a fight scene for the latter, he accidentally landed a real punch on Downey and left his face bloodied. He progressed on to a cameo role in Deadpool 2 and now works as a corrections officer in his native Canada, a return to wrestling seemingly far, far from his mind. The grappler went on to explain to Briscoe and JBL that he’d entertain a call for an appearance that called for little or no physicality, but otherwise has no interest at all in getting his wrestling boots back on. With a wry smile, he said: “I don’t think I want to be wrestling anymore. People [tell] me: ‘You should go back to wrestling.’ No, that’s alright.” Maillet wrestled on the independent scene after leaving WWE but hasn’t stepped into the ring since 2011.
As Robert Maillet, Kurrgan was a giant in a world of big men when he starred in WWE during the Attitude Era.
That period of time, despite being consigned to the record books decades ago, the Attitude Era remains an insanely popular period in wrestling history.
By then, WWE had largely banished many of the cartoon-like characters that dominated the late 1980s and early 1990s – Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior and Papa Shango included – in favour of edgier, real-life names such as Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Stone Cold Steve Austin.
It wasn’t an era bereft of characters altogether, though, and Kurrgan was among them, debuting in WWE in the later part of 1997 as part of The Truth Commission.
The faction had spent months honing its act in USWA – effectively WWE’s training ground and the NXT of the day – before being moved up to feature on Monday Night Raw, though the timing was far from ideal for the towering performer.
“I was on my honeymoon when I got the call to say: ‘We want you at [TV] tapings in Detroit!” he recalled in a podcast with former WWE colleagues Gerald Briscoe and JBL.
“The honeymoon was cut short, [and] it was a do-or-die match. I was happy with my performance.”
Maillet must have made a big impression on WWE bosses, as he was promptly awarded a contract before making his ‘main roster’ debut – Kurrgan the group’s most intimidating member by far.
He played the character with menacing aplomb, billed at seven feet tall and weighing in excess of 300lbs as The Truth Commission ran through the in-ring competition, Kurrgan later branching out into a solo career.
He began to find popularity in 1998 as a member of The Oddities – a collection of perceived WWE misfits – and it was during this run that he well and truly met his match, flattened by legend The Undertaker the following year in a match on Sunday Night Heat. It seemed the writing was on the wall.
Kurrgan never quite matched the intensity of fear factor of his debut persona in WWE, but he continued to feature as a popular figure until that November, presumably earning a considerably higher amount than the $40 per match he says he was paid for working matches during his USWA.
Even greater paydays would surely have followed when Maillet, now 55, transitioned into acting.
He starred in the 2007 film 300 and as a villain in Sherlock Holmes where he fought Robert Downey Jr’s lead character. During a fight scene for the latter, he accidentally landed a real punch on Downey and left his face bloodied.
He progressed on to a cameo role in Deadpool 2 and now works as a corrections officer in his native Canada, a return to wrestling seemingly far, far from his mind.
The grappler went on to explain to Briscoe and JBL that he’d entertain a call for an appearance that called for little or no physicality, but otherwise has no interest at all in getting his wrestling boots back on.
With a wry smile, he said: “I don’t think I want to be wrestling anymore. People [tell] me: ‘You should go back to wrestling.’ No, that’s alright.”
Maillet wrestled on the independent scene after leaving WWE but hasn’t stepped into the ring since 2011.
