Jeff Bearden

Jeff Bearden (June 10, 1963) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names Giant Warrior, Colossus the Gladiator, Big Tiger Steel and other various names. He has wrestled in South Africa, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Germany.

Born in Amarillo, Texas, Bearden played basketball in Leuven, Belgium before going into wrestling. He was trained by Texan wrestlers Dory Funk, Jr. and Dick Murdoch. Made his wrestling debut on April 4, 1987 for Jim Crockett`s Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling in Macon, Georgia where he defeated jobber Ricky Lee Jones. He would then wrestle in the Southern States in territories like Texas, Global Wrestling Federation, and Heart of America Sports Attractions.

In 1988, Bearden wrestled for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre as Butch Masters until he was injured that December with a compound fracture of his left forearm. He did not wrestle for months.

Bearden went to Puerto Rico for Carlos Colon`s World Wrestling Council in 1990 where the Giant Warrior gimmick was born.

Also in 1990, he went to Japan as Butch Masters teaming up with Tyler Mane as The Land of Giants for All Japan Pro Wrestling. They would feud with Steve Williams and Terry Gordy. He feuded with Abdullah the Butcher. They would leave AJPW in 1991.

In April 1991, he went to Mexico to wrestle for Universal Wrestling Association as Gigante Warrior meaning in Spanish Giant Warrior. He would teamed up with Brazo de Plata , Miguel Pérez Jr., Bad News Brown, and Kokina Maximus. Then he feuded with Canek and Dos Caras.

In 1993 he returned to All Japan Pro Wrestling teaming with Abdullah the Butcher.

In 1993 he feuded with the Barbarian in India for Indo-Asian Wrestling. He defeated Barbarian for the IWA Heavyweight title on December 12 in Bombay in front of a crowd of 75,000 people, the biggest in Indian wrestling history.

In 1994, Bearden made his debut in South Africa for All-Star Wrestling. He feuded with Lance Von Erich, Tiger Jeet Singh and Gama Singh. He also wrestled for independent promotions in the States. In 1996 he wrestled for United States Wrestling Association in Tennessee. He would participate in a tournament for the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship, defeating King Cobra, Spellbinder but lost to Jerry Lawler.

In 1999, he began using the name Big Tiger Steel in Germany for Catch Wrestling Association and Verband der Berufsringer. He has wrestled in England, Belgium, Middle East, Mexico's Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide and various independent promotions in Texas.

In 2004 he began using the Colossus the Gladiator gimmick for Athletik Club Wrestling in Germany.

Since 2010, he continues to wrestle in South Africa and Germany.

In 2015 Bearden was inducted into the Southern Wrestling Hall of Fame by Mike Foxx.

That same year he became a life coach and talks to schools about teen issues.