André the Giant

Career

André was one of the best known and most respected professional wrestlers in the world. Born to French parents of Bulgarian descent in a small farm near Grenoble, he left home in his adolescence to become a pro wrestler. He was billed at a height of 7'5" (2.26m) early in his career and 7'4" (2.24m) in his WWF days with a weight which ranged from 400 to 520 pounds. It has been said André was closer to 7'1" (2.16m) in his early adult years and roughly 6'10" (2.08m) in his most popular WWF reign, due to back surgery and posture problems. Nevertheless, the sight of him alone was enough to draw huge crowds in a day when there were only a handful of people over 6'6" (1.98m). After touring the world with different promotions for many years (mostly in Montreal for Édouard Carpentier), he was signed by the World Wide Wrestling Federation (which would later change its name to the World Wrestling Federation in 1979, and is now known as World Wrestling Entertainment). On March 26, 1973, Andre made his WWF debut, defeating Buddy Wolfe in New York's Madison Square Garden. By the time WWF chairman Vincent K. McMahon began to expand his promotion to the national level in the early 1980s, André wrestled exclusively for the WWF.

Related Topics:
Bulgaria - Montreal - World Wrestling Federation - World Wrestling Entertainment - March 26 - 1973 - Madison Square Garden - Vincent K. McMahon - 1980s

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André was a very imposing figure – it is said that he never tested the full extent of his true strength because he was afraid of the damage it might cause. Some of André's opponents were legitimately afraid to get in the ring with him for fear of getting accidentally injured, but those who got to know him soon learned that his personality was perhaps one of the gentlest in the world. It is also said that André could drink an entire case of beer and not feel so much as a buzz. He was offered a professional American football contract with the Washington Redskins after a tryout in 1974 and seriously considered it before turning it down, reasoning that he could make far more money wrestling (which was probably true, especially at that time).

Related Topics:
Beer - American football - Washington Redskins - 1974

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He was one of the WWF's most beloved "babyfaces" throughout the 1970s and early '80s, and for 14 years never lost by pinfall or submission in a WWF ring, before being pinned by Hulk Hogan on March 29, 1987 at WrestleMania III. André had lost clean in matches outside of the parameters of the WWF; a pinfall loss in Mexico to El Canek in 1984, and in Japan, a submission loss to Antonio Inoki in 1986. He also went 60-minute time limit draws with the two other major world champions of the day, Harley Race and Nick Bockwinkel.

Related Topics:
Babyfaces - 1970s - March 29 - 1987 - WrestleMania III - Mexico - Canek - 1984 - Japan - Antonio Inoki - 1986 - Harley Race - Nick Bockwinkel

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André had memorable clashes all over the world with a variety of tough, rugged opponents. Among his chief rivals in the ring: The Sheik (who gained a deathmatch win over the Frenchman in 1974 with the help of his fireball), Abdullah the Butcher, Stan Hansen, Ernie Ladd, and a young Hulk Hogan, who first met André in 1978 during his rookie years in the deep South. Hogan and André would go on to have one of the great WWF feuds of 1980, peaking in front of 36,295 fans at the Showdown At Shea event, on August 9, 1980 in Flushing, New York's Shea Stadium.

Related Topics:
The Sheik - Abdullah the Butcher - Stan Hansen - Ernie Ladd - Hulk Hogan - Showdown At Shea - August 9 - 1980 - Flushing, New York - Shea Stadium

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One of André's most bitter feuds pitted him against the Mongolian terror Killer Khan, who was managed by the late Fred Blassie. According to the storyline, Khan had broken André's ankle during a match in Rochester, New York, by leaping off the top rope and crashing down upon it with his kneedrop (actually, André had broken his ankle getting out of bed). After a stay at Beth-Israel Hospital in Boston, André returned with payback on his mind. On November 14, 1981 at the Philadelphia Spectrum, Andre exacted revenge by destroying Killer Khan in what was billed as a "Mongolian Stretcher Match", in which the loser must be taken to the dressing room on a stretcher.

Related Topics:
Fred Blassie - Rochester, New York - November 14 - 1981

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Another memorable André feud involved a man who considered himself to be "the true giant" of wrestling: the late 6'10", 364-pound Big John Studd. Throughout the early to mid-1980s, André and Studd fought all over the world, battling to try and determine who the real giant of wrestling was. In December 1984, Studd took the feud to a new level, when he and partner Ken Patera knocked out André during a televised tag team match, and proceeded to cut off André's famous long locks. André had the last laugh at the first WrestleMania, on March 31, 1985 at Madison Square Garden. André conquered Studd in a $15,000 Bodyslam Challenge. After slamming Studd, he attempted to give the $15,000 prize to the fans, before having the bag stolen from him.

Related Topics:
Big John Studd - Ken Patera - WrestleMania - March 31 - 1985 - $

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The following year, at WrestleMania 2 (April 7, 1986), André continued to display his dominance, by winning a 20-man battle royal that featured top NFL stars and wrestlers. André eliminated future wrestling legend Bret Hart to win the contest.

Related Topics:
WrestleMania 2 - April 7 - 1986 - Bret Hart

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Afterwards, André continued his feud with Studd and King Kong Bundy. André was suspended after a no-show; he returned under a mask as 'The Giant Machine' part of a team with 'Big Machine' (Robert Windham) and 'Super Machine' (Bill Eadie). (The 'Machines' gimmick was copied from New Japan Pro Wrestling character 'Super Strong Machine', played by Japanese wrestler Junji Hirata.) Soon afterwards, Giant Machine disappeared and André was reinstated, to the approval of Bobby "The Brain" Heenan.

Related Topics:
Feud - King Kong Bundy - Robert Windham - Bill Eadie - New Japan Pro Wrestling - Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

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André was turned heel in 1987 so that he could face Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship in the main event of WrestleMania III. In early 1987, Hogan was presented a trophy for being the WWF World Heavyweight Champion for three years. André came out to congratulate him. Shortly afterwards, André was presented a slightly smaller trophy for being "undefeated in the WWF for 15 years." In actuality, André had suffered a handful of countout and disqualification losses in the WWF, but had never been pinned or forced to submit in a WWF ring. Hogan came out to congratulate André, but André walked out in the midst of Hogan's speech. Then, on an edition of Piper's Pit, Hogan was confronted by Heenan. Heenan announced that his new protege was André. André then challenged Hogan to a title match at WrestleMania III, ripping the t-shirt and crucifix off of Hogan.

Related Topics:
Heel - 1987 - Hulk Hogan - WrestleMania III - WWF World Heavyweight Champion - Piper's Pit - Crucifix

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It was at WrestleMania III that the public first really saw the pain that André was going through, by this stage his body was weighed in at about 520 pounds and his bones and joints were finding it hard supporting such a huge weight. Hogan won the match after dropping André with a historic bodyslam, followed by Hogan's running legdrop finisher (years later, Hogan stated that André was so heavy, he felt more like 700 pounds). Before being signed to the WWF, André had wrestled in Japan. It was here that a doctor diagnosed André with his condition and told him that those with the same problem were generally lucky to reach forty. André never told his family of the diagnosis and his closest friends believe that it was this motivation that led André to live life to the fullest until he died.

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The Hogan-André face off in WrestleMania III was likely the most highly anticipated professional wrestling matchup in history – the apex of wrestling's most recent golden era. The event, held at the Pontiac Silverdome, broke the indoor attendance record with 93,173 fans in attendance, with millions watching on Pay-Per-View, and established great permanent value in the WrestleMania franchise. Hogan defeated André, in what many consider a passing of the torch from André, wrestling's biggest star of the '70s, to Hogan, wrestling's biggest star of the '80s. The feud between André and Hogan simmered, even as André's health declined.

Related Topics:
Pontiac Silverdome - Pay-Per-View - Feud

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André won the WWF title from Hogan on February 5, 1988 in a match where appointed referee Dave Hebner was "detained backstage" and a replacement, his "evil" twin brother Earl, made a three count on Hogan while his shoulders were off of the mat. André then "sold" the title to "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase and the title was vacated.

Related Topics:
February 5 - 1988 - Referee - Ted DiBiase

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At WrestleMania IV, André and Hulk Hogan went to a double DQ in a WWF title tournament match. Afterwards, André and Hogan's feud died down after a brutal steel cage match held at WrestleFest, on July 31, 1988 in Milwaukee.

Related Topics:
WrestleMania IV - July 31 - 1988

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André won the World Tag Team Championship with his partner Haku from Demolition, on December 13, 1989. Managed by Bobby Heenan, André and Haku were known as The Colossal Connection. They lost their titles at WrestleMania VI back to Demolition, on April 1, 1990. André had a falling out with Heenan and soon retired. André starred in several movies towards the end of his career, most notably as Fezzik in 1987's The Princess Bride. He had a cameo appearance in 1984's Conan the Destroyer as Dagoth, the resurrected horned giant beast, which is killed by Conan, the character portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger. In his final film, he appeared in something of a cameo role as a circus giant in the comedy Trading Mom, which was not released until the year after his death.

Related Topics:
Haku - December 13 - 1989 - WrestleMania VI - April 1 - 1990 - Movies - The Princess Bride - Cameo appearance - 1984 - Conan the Destroyer - Arnold Schwarzenegger - Circus - Comedy - Trading Mom

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The disease that granted him his immense size also began to take its toll on his body. By the late 1980s André was in constant, near-crippling pain and his heart struggled to pump blood throughout his massive body. When he was not in front of a camera, he was usually in a wheelchair.

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He stopped competing entirely in the very early 1990s due to the increasing pain his illness was causing him, retiring to his winery in France. His heart finally failed him in 1993, and André passed away peacefully in his sleep at a hotel in Paris while in town for his father's funeral. He was cremated and his ashes were spread over his ranch in Ellerbe, North Carolina.

Related Topics:
1990s - Winery - France - 1993 - Hotel - Paris - Ellerbe, North Carolina

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To honor André, the WWF created the WWF Hall of Fame in 1993 and made him their first inductee.

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He has since become an ironic icon, stemming in part from a series of ubiquitous André the Giant Has a Posse, now known as "Obey Giant", art, which can be found on street corners and building walls in cities big and small all over the world.

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