Picture this: a 6-foot-11, 700-pound giant of a man, with a belly that could double as a bouncy castle and a beard that looked like it had swallowed a small forest. That was Giant Haystacks, born Martin Ruane, the legendary British wrestler who stomped his way through the 1970s and 80s. But here’s the real question: when he wasn’t squishing hapless opponents like bugs on a windshield, how rich was the big fella? Grab a cuppa and a biscuit, because this financial tale is almost as wild as his signature move—the Big Splash, which was basically the world’s most terrifying belly flop.
Let’s get the gold at the end of the rainbow: the most reputable estimates suggest Giant Haystacks’ net worth at his peak (the early 1980s) was around £150,000 to £200,000. In today’s money, that’s roughly $250,000 to $350,000—not exactly Scrooge McDuck vault money, but enough to buy a pub and a small fleet of reinforced chairs. Keep in mind, though, that British wrestling in that era wasn’t the millionaire WWE circus it is today. These were the days of World of Sport on ITV, where wrestlers got paid in actual cash and a firm handshake from the promoter.
The Pay-Per-Punch Economics of Wrestling’s Golden Age
Here’s a surprise: Giant Haystacks wasn’t on a fixed salary. He was a freelancer, a one-man demolition crew who negotiated his own fees for each match. Insiders say he could command £1,000 to £2,000 per appearance—a staggering sum when your average factory worker earned about £100 a week. That’s like earning a king’s ransom for literally rolling over on someone. And roll he did, with a career spanning over 300 matches a year at his peak.
Must Read
But here’s where it gets entertainingly absurd: Haystacks reportedly didn’t own a bank account. He carried his earnings in a leather satchel, often stuffed with crisp £5 notes. Promoters would pay him in cash after the match, and he’d stuff the lot into that bag, then head to the nearest pub. It’s like watching a giant slot machine that only pays out in pork pies and landlord smiles.
The Pub Empire of a Friendly Giant
Unlike today’s wrestlers who buy mansions with infinity pools, Haystacks invested in pubs. He owned a string of them across the UK, including The White Hart in Wigan and The Griffin in St. Helens. These weren’t your trendy gastropubs—they were proper Yorkshire boozers where he could hold court, drink ale, and occasionally use his enormous hand to break a weeping patron’s nose (just a joke, he was famously gentle). At one point, he was a co-owner of four establishments, turning his wrestling fame into a liquid asset.
Top 10 - Heaviest Wrestlers in History - Mastodon Wrestling Blog
But pubs are money pits with darts boards. Haystacks, bless his heart, was a terrible businessman. He would let friends drink on credit, give free food to pensioners, and occasionally fall asleep on the bar after a long night. One former landlord recounted, “He’d wake up, order a pint, and forget he owned the place.” The pubs eventually leaked cash faster than a leaky tap, and by the late 1980s, most had been sold off or closed. Still, he lived like a king for a decade—just a king who smelled faintly of gravy and leather.
The Hidden Riches of a Wrestling Icon
Beyond the banknotes, Haystacks had surprising assets. For one, he owned a custom-made car: a modified Ford Transit van with the roof cut off so he could sit upright. This was before luxury SUVs; it was basically a rolling shed with a steering wheel. The van alone was worth a few thousand in the 80s, but its storage capacity for pies and beer was priceless.
Big Daddy vs Giant Haystacks: Dark Truth Behind Britain's Feud
Then there’s the memorabilia market. Today, a signed Giant Haystacks photo can fetch £200 to £500 online. His original wrestling robes? Try £3,000 to £5,000 at auction. You can find his action figures from the 1980s for a tidy sum, too. But here’s the kicker: Haystacks never bothered with autographs or licensing. He once signed a child’s autograph book with a thumbprint because he “couldn’t be bothered with the pen.” That carefree attitude cost him a fortune. A modern-day wrestler would have a social media manager flogging NFTs of his beard clippings.
The Final Tally: What Really Happened to His Money?
When Haystacks died in 1998 from stomach cancer, aged just 52, his estate was modest. Reports suggest his net worth at death was around £50,000 — a fraction of his peak. Between the failing pubs, medical bills, and his lifelong habit of giving cash to friends, he left little behind. But here’s the thing: he also left behind a legacy of joy. He once bought a round of drinks for an entire pub to celebrate a victory—and that round cost him half a day’s pay.
The 10 Heaviest Wrestlers of All Time
So, how rich was Giant Haystacks? Follow the money and you’ll find a man who was wealthy in laughter, deep in pints, and rich in chaos. He didn’t hoard cash; he spent it like a giant toddler on a sugar high. And honestly? That might be the most legendary flex of all. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go polish my spare satchel and dream of a simpler time when a fella could earn his keep by belly-flopping on a bloke in suspenders.
— A toast to the big man. May his earthly cash be forever flowing as free as his legendary beard.