the legend of "big chungus" first appeared on internet forums on March 25, 2006.

The name "Chungus" came from a conversation in which a group of friends were trying to figure out how to describe a heavyweight fighter and the following exchange occurred:

"He's a huge guy, like he’s huge, he’s the biggest guy."

"Well you’ve got to be an exclamation point for ‘big’ but can’t use 'huge.'”

"How about Chungus?"

"That’s a great idea, let’s just call the guy ‘chungus,’ so we don’t have to explain."

The name became a popular moniker to describe the heavyweight boxer of the 1990s who was known for his enormous size and strong punching ability.

Chungus is an example of a metonymic epithet, where a word or phrase serves as a substitute for a more exact term.

Metonymy has been used for centuries to name people.

Other examples of common epithet include "the Lone Ranger," "Uncle Sam" (USA), "Tin Man," "Yosemite Sam," and "Yogi Bear."

Chungus was known for his size and power punching ability, but the epithet also was used to describe his intimidating persona.

While Chungus is a common name, the origins of the term are not clear.

"It’s a name and it's been around for a long time," said Steve Brown, a former heavyweight boxer from California, in an interview with ESPN. "We use it among ourselves to describe a guy with a lot of size."

In 2007, Chungus entered into the public spotlight when he was mentioned on a song by rapper 69 Cent, called "I’m a Chungus (For Life)."

The song's lyrics:

I’m a Chungus I’m a Chungus I’m a Chungus I’m a Chungus for life I’m a Chungus I’m a Chungus I’m a Chungus I’m a Chungus for life I’m a Chungus for life I’m a Chungus for life I’m a Chungus (I’m a Chungus)

The song was played in Chungus' home state of Pennsylvania at a University of Pittsburgh game against the University of Florida.