Blimp Levy

Martin Levy (April 30, 1905 – November 8, 1961), better known by his ring name Blimp Levy or simply The Blimp, was an American professional wrestler who was a major attraction on the wrestling circuit in the 1930s and 40s. Regarded as the largest wrestler of his time, The Boston Globe stated, "there’s no one challenging his claim to being the world’s biggest",

Early life Levy was born and raised in Boston. A large person from his early days, Levy (who was Jewish) weighed 200lbs at his bar mitzvah and over 350lbs during high school. He had a brief stint playing football but had to leave his school team after injuring several opponents and linesmen.

During his career, Levy was interviewed for and featured in various national US magazines and newspapers, including the October 1936 edition of Time magazine.

Levy died less than two months later on November 8, 1961, in his Alabama trailer park home at the age of 58, reportedly weighing 900 pounds. A few years prior, he had married Juanita Thomas. Unbeknownst to Levy, Thomas was already married at the time. Though separated, she had never obtained a divorce. The relationship ended in 1945, with Levy stating that Thomas was physically abusive towards him. He is regarded as one of the first "giants" of professional wrestling, paving the way for similar attractions like Giant Haystacks and Man Mountain Mike.