The two men were born premature. Their weight gain was completely out of their control since it stemmed from a pituitary issue in their glands they contracted as infants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While many would be mentally fractured by this, sinking them into a deep depression due to uncontrollable weight gain, the McCrary twins used this to their advantage. They became famous for their entertaining performances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The McCrary brothers soon found themselves training to become professional wrestlers. They worked around the world, most notably in Japan. They were renamed \u201cThe McGuire Twins.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They set a standard for people with immense obesity, proving that just because you have an uncontrollable defect doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t make something out of your life. They also became a role model for overweight and aspiring wrestlers worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Born on July 23, 1946, in Hendersonville, N.C., Billy and Benny McCrary quickly made an impression. Several years after their birth, they had grown in incredible size. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Before they were even 10 years old, they already weighed over 200 pounds. That is more than the average 40-year-old man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The root of the weight gain came from when they contracted Rubella (German measles) at just 4 years old. The infection affected their pituitary glands. From that moment on, their weight skyrocketed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not like they didn\u2019t try to lose weight. Their parents even bought a farm where they could run around all day, and they ate very little. Their father eventually had them become truck farmers, going around selling vegetables. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the infection in their glands from the disease prevented them from losing weight. They just kept getting bigger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the time these brothers were 16, they weighed 600 pounds, more than 450 pounds above the average for a boy that age. Eventually, they dropped out of high school and took on a whole new life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These boys\u2019 spirits stayed strong and they decided to use their size to their advantage. They developed talents and ended up working in cities like Las Vegas and Los Angeles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They worked with the circus<\/a> and then started performing minibike stunts. They took their bike routines to other places that entertained crowds, including New York City. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The fandom for the McCrary brothers grew; they did a Honda promotion where they drove their minibikes cross-country from New York City to Los Angeles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They later appeared on the Tonight Show. They were soon weighed in to officially break the Guinness Book of World Records<\/em> for the \u201cworld\u2019s heaviest set of twins.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n While riding in El Paso, Texas, they were approached by wrestling coach and promoter, Gory Guerrero. He offered them money to relocate to Mexico to work and train as professional wrestlers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n From there, they would have the opportunity to compete in a wrestling organization. They would make more money and draw much bigger crowds than what they had before. The brothers agreed, and by 1971, they officially began their wrestling careers at a ring in Texas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf course, we didn\u2019t take bumps like the average wrestler,\u201d Benny McCrary said in an interview with Insider Wrestling<\/em>. \u201cSo he (Guerrero) worked out a routine for us. Guys run against us and fall down. They come in and try to give us a body slam, we turn around and give them one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the early 1970s, each of these men had eclipsed 700 pounds, making them a sight unlike anything an audience has ever seen. Because of this, they were an immediate hit and soon found themselves traveling across the US. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Their careers would move to the next level in 1974 when the New-Japan Pro Wrestling organization signed them. Because McCrary was a difficult name for Japanese announcers to say, they used the stage name \u201cMcGuire.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The McGuire Twins had to be careful with their training, however. Because of their weight and some of their moves, they had to be watchful not to hurt or even kill their opponents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They would do moves such as slams and splashes, but they had to do the move in a way that didn\u2019t put the full force on their opponent. Their signature move, \u201cThe Tupelo Splash,\u201d involved one of the twins diving onto their opponent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If this was done in full force, they could seriously injure the other. The Steamroller was another one of their top moves, where they rolled over their opponent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From 1974 to 1978, the \u201cMcGuire Twins\u201d competed against some of the best wrestlers in Japan and continued to elevate their name. They traveled to other places globally, and their fame continued to rise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But while they mesmerized fans with how they competed with their incredible weight, the competition took a major toll on their body. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The McGuire Twins were hoping to continue to elevate their careers. But in 1979, Billy McCrary was involved in a fatal motorcycle accident while driving to Ripley\u2019s Believe it Or Not! museum in Niagara Falls. The death destroyed his brother, who struggled for years trying to deal with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benny tried to wrestle. He even teamed up with Andre the Giant<\/a>, but it didn\u2019t have the same impact as wrestling with his brother. \u201cHe tried, but he just couldn\u2019t do it, because he said the magic was gone,\u201d his wife Tammie said. \u201cHe was really affected by that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eventually, he gave it up and worked in a pawn shop back home in Hendersonville, doing work as an auctioneer. In 2013, he suffered a heart attack and passed away. He was 54 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the brothers\u2019 death, their legacy continues to live on. If you visit Crab Creek Baptist Church Cemetery in Hendersonville, you will find a 13-foot memorial monument honoring the two brothers. It\u2019s the world\u2019s largest gravestone, and includes the message, \u201cWorld Record Holders.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The McCrary brothers are most known for their kind-hearted ways, not letting their weight ruin their lives. They instead wanted to entertain people and put smiles on their faces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone who knew them talked about their friendly nature, and willingness to go out of their way to help others. Sometimes in the world, bigger is better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tapalaga, Andrei. \u201cMcGuire Twins: The Forgotten 1500 Pounds Twin Wrestlers.\u201d HistoryofYesterday.com. <\/em>15 Jun 2023. https:\/\/historyofyesterday.com\/mcguire-twins-the-forgotten-1500-pounds-twin-wrestlers\/ <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ruscin, Terry. \u201cFamous McCrary Twins.\u201d HendersonHeritage.com. <\/em>Nd. https:\/\/hendersonheritage.com\/famous-mccrary-twins\/#:~:text=Billy%20McCrary%20and%20Benny%20McCrary,record%20as%20the%20heaviest%20twins<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.historydefined.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/mcguire-twins-1024x656.jpg\")
The Early Years<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Wrestling Careers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Late Years<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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References<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n