André The Giant Robin Christensen Roussimoff

French professional person wrestler and actor (1946–1993)

André the Giant
André the Giant in the belatedly 1980s.
Birth proper name	André René Roussimoff
Built-in	(1946-05-19)xix May 1946 Coulommiers, Seine-et-Marne, French republic
Died	28 January 1993(1993-01-28) (aged 46)[1] Paris, France
Cause of death	Congestive centre failure
Children	1[2]
Professional person wrestling career
Ring name(due south)	André Roussimoff André the Giant André Géant Ferré[3] Giant Machine Jean Ferré[3] Monster Roussimoff
Billed height	7 ft 4 in (224 cm)[four] [5] [half-dozen] [7] [8] [ix]
Billed weight	520 lb (236 kg)[4] [5] [ix] [10]
Billed from	"Grenoble in the French Alps"
Trained by	Michel Saulnier[11]
Debut	25 January 1966[12] [xiii]

André René Roussimoff (French: [ɑ̃dʁe ʁəne ʁusimɔf]; 19 May 1946 – 28 January 1993), better known past his ring proper noun André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and histrion. Roussimoff was known for his slap-up size, which was a result of gigantism caused by excess growth hormone (acromegaly). It also led to him being called "The Eighth Wonder of the World".^{[xiv] [15]}

Offset his career in 1966, Roussimoff relocated to North America in 1971. From 1973 to the mid-1980s, Roussimoff was booked by World Broad Wrestling Federation (WWWF) promoter Vincent J. McMahon as a roving "special attraction" who wrestled for promotions throughout the United States, equally well every bit in Japan for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. During the 1980s wrestling blast, Roussimoff became a mainstay of the WWWF (past then renamed the Earth Wrestling Federation), beingness paired with the villainous manager Bobby Heenan and feuding with Blob Hogan. The 2 headlined WrestleMania 3 in 1987, and in 1988, he defeated Hogan to win the WWF Title, his sole earth heavyweight championship, on the starting time episode of The Master Upshot. As his WWF career wound downwardly later on WrestleMania Vi in 1990, Roussimoff wrestled primarily for All Nippon Pro-Wrestling, commonly alongside Behemothic Baba, until his sudden death.

After his death in 1993, Roussimoff became the inaugural inductee into the newly created WWF Hall of Fame. He was subsequently a charter fellow member of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame and the Professional person Wrestling Hall of Fame; the latter describes him as existence "1 of the well-nigh recognizable figures in the world both as a professional wrestler and as a popular civilisation icon."^[16] Outside of wrestling, Roussimoff is best known for appearing as Fezzik, the giant in the 1987 picture show The Princess Bride.

Early on life [edit]

André René Roussimoff was born on xix May 1946^[17] in Coulommiers, Seine-et-Marne,^[18] the son of immigrants Boris Roussimoff (1907–1993) and Mariann Roussimoff Stoeff (1910–1997); his begetter was Bulgarian and his mother was Polish.^[nineteen] He had 2 older siblings and two younger. His childhood nickname was Dédé (, French: [dede]). At birth, André weighed xiii pounds (6 kg); as a child, he displayed symptoms of gigantism, and was noted as "a good caput taller than other kids", with abnormally long hands.^[20] In a 1970s goggle box interview, Roussimoff stated that his mother was five feet 2 inches tall and his father 6 feet ii inches tall, and that co-ordinate to his father his grandfather was 7 feet 8 inches alpine.^[21] Past the time he was 12, Roussimoff stood 191 cm (half dozen ft 3 in).

Roussimoff was an average student, though adept at mathematics. Later finishing school at 14, as he did not think college education was necessary for a farm laborer, he joined the workforce; opposite to popular legend, he did not drop out of schoolhouse, equally compulsory educational activity in France at the time ended at 14.^[22]

Roussimoff spent years working on his father's subcontract in Molien, where, according to his brother Jacques, he could perform the work of iii men. He also completed an apprenticeship in woodworking, and next worked in a mill that manufactured engines for hay balers. None of these brought him whatsoever satisfaction.^[23] While Roussimoff was growing up in the 1950s, the Irish playwright Samuel Beckett was one of several adults who sometimes collection local children to school, including Roussimoff and his siblings.^[24] They had a surprising amount of common ground and bonded over their love of cricket, with Roussimoff recalling that the two rarely talked about anything else.^[25]

Professional person wrestling career [edit]

Early career (1964–1973) [edit]

André the Behemothic in the early 1970s

At the historic period of eighteen, Roussimoff moved to Paris and was taught professional wrestling by a local promoter, Robert Lageat, who recognized the earning potential of Roussimoff's size. He trained at night and worked equally a mover during the solar day to pay living expenses.^[23] Roussimoff was billed as "Géant Ferré", a proper noun based on the Picardian folk hero Grand Ferré, and began wrestling in Paris and nearby areas. Canadian promoter and wrestler Frank Valois met Roussimoff in 1966, years later to go his business manager and adviser. Roussimoff began making a name for himself wrestling in the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and Africa.^[23]

He made his Japanese debut for the International Wrestling Enterprise in 1970, billed as "Monster Roussimoff".^[26] Wrestling every bit both a singles and tag-squad competitor, he apace was fabricated the company's tag-team champion alongside Michael Nador.^{[26] [27]} During his fourth dimension in Japan, doctors first informed Roussimoff that he suffered from acromegaly.^[23]

Roussimoff adjacent moved to Montreal, Canada in 1971, where he became an firsthand success, regularly selling out the Montreal Forum.^[28] Promoters eventually ran out of plausible opponents for him and, as the novelty of his size wore off, the gate receipts dwindled.^[23] Roussimoff was defeated by Adnan Al-Kaissie in Baghdad in 1971,^[29] and wrestled numerous times in 1971 for Verne Gagne'due south American Wrestling Association (AWA) as a special attraction.

Touring special attraction (1973–1984) [edit]

In 1973, Vincent J. McMahon, founder of the Earth Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), suggested several changes to Roussimoff'south booking.^[xxx] He felt Roussimoff should be portrayed every bit a large, immovable monster, and to enhance the perception of his size, McMahon discouraged Roussimoff from performing maneuvers such as dropkicks (although he was capable of performing such agile maneuvers earlier his wellness deteriorated in later life). He also began billing Roussimoff equally "André the Giant" and set up a travel-intensive schedule, lending him to wrestling associations around the world,^[32] to keep him from condign overexposed in whatsoever area.^[23] Promoters had to guarantee Roussimoff a certain amount of coin every bit well as pay McMahon's WWF booking fee.^[33]

Roussimoff wrestling a "local competitor" in June 1973

On 24 March 1973, Roussimoff debuted in the Globe Wide Wrestling Federation (subsequently World Wrestling Federation) as a fan favorite, defeating Frank Valois and Balderdash Pometti in a handicap friction match in Philadelphia. Two days later he made his debut in New York'due south Madison Square Garden, defeating Buddy Wolfe.^{[34] [35]}

Roussimoff was one of professional person wrestling's most dearest babyfaces throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. As such, Gorilla Monsoon oftentimes stated that Roussimoff had not been defeated in 15 years by pinfall or submission prior to WrestleMania III. He had lost matches outside of the WWF: pinfall losses to Don Leo Jonathan in Montreal in 1972,^[36] a knockout to Jerry Lawler in Memphis in 1975,^[37] draw with Bobo Brazil at a battle regal in Detroit in 1976,^[38] Ronnie Garvin in Knoxville in 1978,^[39] and Canek in Mexico in 1984 and submission losses in Japan to Stiff Kobayashi in 1972^[40] and Antonio Inoki in 1986.^{[41] [42]} He as well had sixty-infinitesimal fourth dimension-limit draws with the 2 major earth champions of the mean solar day, Harley Race and Nick Bockwinkel.

In 1976, Roussimoff fought professional boxer Chuck Wepner in an unscripted boxer-versus-wrestler fight. The wild fight was shown via telecast every bit office of the undercard of the Muhammad Ali versus Antonio Inoki fight and ended when he threw Wepner over the acme rope and exterior the ring and won via count-out.

In 1980, he feuded with Blob Hogan, when, unlike their more famous matches in the late 1980s, Hogan was the villain and Roussimoff was the hero, wrestling him at Shea Stadium's third Showdown at Shea event and in Pennsylvania, where after Roussimoff pinned Hogan to win the match, Hogan bodyslammed him much like their legendary WrestleMania III lucifer in 1987. The feud continued in Nihon in 1982 and 1983 with their roles reversed and with Antonio Inoki also involved.

One of Roussimoff's feuds pitted him against the "Mongolian Behemothic" Killer Khan. According to the storyline, Khan snapped Roussimoff's ankle during a match on 2 May 1981 in Rochester, New York by leaping off the superlative rope and crashing down upon it with his knee-drop.^[43] In reality, he had cleaved his ankle getting out of bed the morn before the match.^{[23] [44]} The injury and subsequent rehabilitation was worked into the existing Roussimoff/Khan storyline. Afterwards a stay at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, Roussimoff returned with payback on his mind. The two battled on 20 July 1981, at Madison Foursquare Garden in a match that resulted in a double disqualification.^[45] Their feud continued as fans filled arenas up and down the east declension to witness their matches. On 14 November 1981 at the Philadelphia Spectrum, he decisively defeated Khan in what was billed as a "Mongolian stretcher match", in which the loser must be taken to the dressing room on a stretcher.^[46] The same type of match was likewise held in Toronto. In early 1982 the ii also fought in a series of matches in Japan with Arnold Skaaland in Roussimoff's corner.

World Wrestling Federation (1984–1991) [edit]

Feud with the Heenan Family (1984–1987) [edit]

In 1982, Vincent J. McMahon sold the World Wide Wrestling Federation to his son, Vince McMahon^[47] As McMahon began to expand his newly caused promotion to the national level, he required his wrestlers to announced exclusively for him. McMahon signed Roussimoff to these terms in 1984, although he still allowed him to work in Nihon for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).^[48]

Roussimoff feuded with Large John Studd over which of the two men was the "true giant" of wrestling.^[43] Throughout the early to mid-1980s, Roussimoff and Studd fought all over the earth, battling to try to determine who the real giant of wrestling was. In 1984, Studd took the feud to a new level when he and partner Ken Patera knocked out Roussimoff during a televised tag-team match and proceeded to cut off his hair.^[43] After gaining revenge on Patera, Roussimoff met Studd in a "torso slam challenge" at the first WrestleMania, held 31 March 1985, at Madison Square Garden in New York Urban center.^[49] Roussimoff slammed Studd to win the lucifer and collect the $fifteen,000 prize, then proceeded to throw cash to the fans before having the bag taken from him by Studd'southward manager, Bobby "The Encephalon" Heenan.^[l]

At WrestleMania 2 on 7 Apr 1986, Roussimoff continued to brandish his dominance by winning a xx-man battle royal which featured top National Football game League stars and wrestlers.^[51] He last eliminated Bret Hart to win the contest.^[52]

Following a terminal bout with New Nippon Pro-Wrestling in mid-1986, Roussimoff began appearing exclusively with the Earth Wrestling Federation.

Afterwards WrestleMania 2, Roussimoff continued his feud with Studd and King Kong Bundy. Around this time, Roussimoff requested a leave of absence to tend to his health, since the effects from his acromegaly were commencement to take their toll, as well as to tour Nippon. He had also been cast in the film The Princess Bride. To explain his absence, a storyline was adult in which Heenan—suggesting that Roussimoff was secretly afraid of Studd and Bundy, whom Heenan bragged were unbeatable—challenged Roussimoff and a partner of his choosing to wrestle Studd and Bundy in a televised tag-team match. When Roussimoff failed to evidence, WWF president Jack Tunney indefinitely suspended him.^[53] Later in the summer of 1986, upon Roussimoff's return to the Us, he began wearing a mask and competing as the "Giant Machine" in a stable known as the Machines.^[17] Big Machine and Super Automobile were the other members; Hulk Hogan (as "Hulk Machine") and Roddy Piper (as "Piper Car") were also one-time members. The WWF'south television announcers sold the Machines—a gimmick that was copied from the New Japan Pro-Wrestling grapheme "Super Stiff Car", played past Japanese wrestler Junji Hirata,^[54] —every bit "a new tag-team from Japan" and claimed non to know the identities of the wrestlers, fifty-fifty though it was obvious to fans that it was Roussimoff competing equally the Giant Car. Heenan, Studd, and Bundy complained to Tunney, who eventually told Heenan that if it could be proven that Roussimoff and the Giant Auto were the same person, Roussimoff would be fired. Roussimoff thwarted Heenan, Studd, and Bundy at every plow. And so, in belatedly 1986, the Giant Auto "disappeared" and Roussimoff was reinstated. Foreshadowing Roussimoff's heel turn, Heenan expressed his approval of the reinstatement just did not explain why.

Alliance with Bobby Heenan (1987–1989) [edit]

Roussimoff agreed to turn heel in early 1987 to be the counter to the biggest "babyface" in professional wrestling at that time, Hulk Hogan.^[55] On an edition of Piper's Pit in 1987, Hogan was presented a bays for being the WWF World Heavyweight Champion for iii years; Roussimoff came out to congratulate him, shaking Hogan's paw with a stiff grip, which surprised the Hulkster.^[56] On the following week'due south Piper'due south Pit, Roussimoff was presented a slightly smaller bays for existence "the simply undefeated wrestler in wrestling history." Although he had suffered a handful of countout and disqualification losses in WWF, he had never been pinned or forced to submit in a WWF ring. Hogan came out to congratulate him and concluded upward beingness the focal signal of the interview. Patently bellyaching, he walked out in the midst of Hogan's spoken language.^{[57] [58]} A discussion between Roussimoff and Hogan was scheduled, and on a Piper's Pit that aired 7 Feb 1987, the two met.^[59] Hogan was introduced first, followed past Roussimoff, who was led by longtime rival Bobby Heenan.

Speaking on behalf of his new protégé, Heenan defendant Hogan of being Roussimoff's friend only so he would not have to defend his title against him. Hogan tried to reason with Roussimoff, only his pleas were ignored every bit he challenged Hogan to a lucifer for the WWF Globe Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania Iii. Hogan was even so seemingly in disbelief as to what Roussimoff was doing, prompting Heenan to say "Y'all can't believe it, maybe you'll believe this, Hogan" earlier Roussimoff ripped off the T-shirt and crucifix from Hogan, with the crucifix scratching Hogan's chest, causing him to bleed.^[60]

Following Hogan'south credence of his claiming on a later on edition of Piper'due south Pit, the two were role of a 20-man over-the-meridian-rope battle-majestic on 14 March edition of Saturday Nighttime'due south Main Event X at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.^[61] Although the boxing royal was won by Hercules, Roussimoff claimed to take gained a psychological reward over Hogan when he threw the WWF Globe Heavyweight Champion over the top rope. The match, which was actually taped on 21 Feb 1987,^[61] aired merely two weeks before WrestleMania Three to make information technology seem like Hogan had met his lucifer in André the Behemothic.^[62]

At WrestleMania III, he was billed at 520 lb (236 kg),^[five] and the stress of such immense weight on his bones and joints resulted in constant hurting.^[23] After recent dorsum surgery, he was also wearing a brace underneath his wrestling singlet.^[63] In front of a record crowd, Hogan won the lucifer after body-slamming Roussimoff (afterward dubbed "the bodyslam heard around the globe"), followed by Hogan's running leg drop finisher.^[v] Years subsequently, Hogan claimed that Roussimoff was so heavy, he felt more like 320 kg (700 lb), and that he tore his latissimus dorsi muscle when slamming him.

Another myth about the match is that no i, not fifty-fifty WWF owner Vince McMahon, knew until the day of the event whether Roussimoff would lose the match. In reality, he agreed to lose the match sometime before, mostly for health reasons. Opposite to popular conventionalities, it was not the first time that Hogan had successfully body-slammed him in a WWF friction match. A then-heel Hogan had slammed a then-face Roussimoff post-obit their match at the Showdown at Shea on 9 August 1980, though Roussimoff was somewhat lighter (around 210 kg (470 lb)) and more athletic at the fourth dimension (Hogan likewise slammed him in a lucifer in Hamburg, Pennsylvania, a month later).^[64] This took identify in the territorial days of American wrestling three years before WWF began national expansion, so many of those who watched WrestleMania III had never seen the Behemothic slammed (Roussimoff had too previously allowed Harley Race, El Canek and Stan Hansen, amidst others, to slam him).^{[65] [66]}

Past the fourth dimension of WrestleMania III, the WWF went national, giving more pregnant to the Roussimoff–Hogan lucifer that took place then. The feud between Roussimoff and Hogan simmered during the summer of 1987, as Roussimoff's health declined. The feud began heating upwards again when wrestlers were named the captains of rival teams at the inaugural Survivor Serial event. During their approximately 1 minute of contesting each other during the friction match, Hogan dominated Roussimoff and was on the brink of knocking him from the ring, but was tripped upward past his partners, Bundy and Ane Man Gang, and would be counted out. Roussimoff went on to be the sole survivor of the match, pinning Bam Bam Bigelow^[67] before Hogan returned to the ring to assault André and knock him out of the ring. Roussimoff after got revenge when, after Hogan won a lucifer against Bundy on Sat Night'due south Main Effect, he snuck up from backside and began choking Hogan to the brink of unconsciousness, not letting go even afterward an army of seven confront-aligned wrestlers ran to the ring to try to pull him away; it took Hacksaw Jim Duggan breaking a slice of woods over his back (which he no-sold) for him to let get, after which Hogan was pulled to safety. As was the instance with the SNME boxing royal a year earlier, the series of events was one of the pieces that helped build interest in a possible one-on-one rematch between Hogan and Roussimoff, and to make it seem that Roussimoff was sure to win easily when they did meet.

In the meantime, the "1000000 Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase failed to persuade Hogan to sell him the WWF World Heavyweight Championship. After failing to defeat Hogan in a subsequent serial of matches, DiBiase turned to Roussimoff to win information technology for him.^[68] He and DiBiase had teamed several times in the past, including in Japan and in the WWF in the late 1970s and early on 1980s when both were faces, just this was non best-selling during this new storyline. The earlier attack and DiBiase'due south insertion into the feud gear up the Hogan-Roussimoff rematch on The Main Event, to air five February 1988, on a live broadcast on NBC. Acting every bit his hired gun, Roussimoff won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship from Hogan (his first singles championship) in a lucifer where it was afterward revealed that appointed referee Dave Hebner was "detained backstage", and a replacement (whom Hogan later on initially accused of having been paid by DiBiase to get plastic surgery to expect like Dave,^[69] but was revealed to take been his evil twin blood brother, Earl Hebner),^[70] made a 3 count on Hogan while his shoulders were off the mat.

After winning, Roussimoff "sold" the title to DiBiase; the transaction was declared invalid by then-WWF president Jack Tunney and the title was alleged vacant.^[71] This was shown on WWF's NBC program The Primary Event. At WrestleMania Iv, Roussimoff and Blob Hogan fought to a double disqualification in a WWF title tournament match (with the thought in the storyline saying that Roussimoff was once more working on DiBiase'due south behalf in giving DiBiase a clearer path in the tournament). Later on, Roussimoff and Hogan's feud died down later a steel cage match held at WrestleFest on 31 July 1988, in Milwaukee. Hogan was the winner.

At the inaugural SummerSlam pay-per-view held at Madison Square Garden, Roussimoff and DiBiase (billed as The Mega Bucks) faced Hogan and WWF World Heavyweight Champion "Macho Man" Randy Savage (known as The Mega Powers) in the main outcome, with Jesse "The Body" Ventura as the special guest referee.^[72] During the friction match, the Mega Powers' manager, Miss Elizabeth, distracted the Mega Bucks and Ventura when she climbed up on the ring apron, removed her yellow skirt and walked around in a pair of ruby-red panties. This allowed Hogan and Savage fourth dimension to recover and eventually win the friction match with Hogan pinning DiBiase. Roughshod forced Ventura'south hand downward for the final three-count, due to Ventura's character historically being at odds with Hogan, and his unwillingness to count the autumn.

Concurrent with the developing feud with the Mega Powers, Roussimoff was placed in a feud with Jim Duggan, which began after Duggan knocked out Roussimoff with a ii-by-4 board during a idiot box taping. Despite Duggan's popularity with fans, Roussimoff regularly got the upper hand in the feud.

Roussimoff'due south next major feud was against Jake "The Serpent" Roberts. In this storyline, it was said Roussimoff was afraid of snakes, something Roberts exposed on Saturday Night's Main Event when he threw his snake, Damien, on the frightened Roussimoff; every bit a consequence, he suffered a kayfabe mild heart attack and vowed revenge. During the next few weeks, Roberts frequently walked to ringside carrying his ophidian in its handbag during Roussimoff's matches, causing the latter to run from the band in fear. Throughout their feud (which culminated at WrestleMania V), Roberts constantly used Damien to gain a psychological border over the much larger and stronger Roussimoff.

In 1989, Roussimoff and the returning Big John Studd briefly reprised their feud, beginning at WrestleMania Five, when Studd was the referee in the friction match with Roberts, this fourth dimension with Studd as a face up and Roussimoff as the heel. During the late summer and Autumn of 1989, he engaged in a brief feud, consisting nigh entirely of house shows (non-televised events), and ane televised friction match on the MSG Network on October 28, 1989 with and then-Intercontinental Champion The Ultimate Warrior. The younger Warrior, WWF'south rising star, regularly squashed the aging Roussimoff in an attempt to showcase his star quality and promote him as the "next large thing".^{[73] [74]}

Jumbo Connection (1989–1990) [edit]

In late 1989, Roussimoff was joined with fellow Heenan Family member Haku to form a new tag team called the Colossal Connection, in part to fill a void left past the departure of Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson (the Brain Busters, who were also members of Heenan's stable) from the WWF, and as well to keep to keep the crumbling Roussimoff in the main effect spotlight. His last singles match was a loss to The Ultimate Warrior in 20 seconds at a house evidence in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on 11 Dec 1989.^[75] The Jumbo Connection immediately targeted WWF Tag Team Champions Sabotage (who had recently won the belts from the Encephalon Busters). At a television taping on 13 December 1989, the Colossal Connection defeated Sabotage to win the titles.^[76] Roussimoff and Haku successfully defended their title, generally against Sabotage, until WrestleMania VI on 1 April 1990, when Sabotage took advantage of a mistimed move past the champions to regain the belts.^[77] After the match, a furious Heenan blamed Roussimoff for the title loss and subsequently shouting at him, slapped him in the face; an angry Roussimoff responded with a slap of his own that sent Heenan staggering from the ring.^[78] Roussimoff also caught Haku's boot effort, sending him reeling from the band as well, prompting support for Roussimoff and turning him face up for the get-go fourth dimension since 1987. Due to his ongoing health issues, Roussimoff was not able to wrestle at the time of Wrestlemania Six and Haku actually wrestled the entire match against Sabotage without tagging him in.

On weekend television shows following WrestleMania VI, Bobby Heenan vowed to spit in Roussimoff's face when he came crawling back to the Heenan Family. He wrestled one more time with Haku, teaming upwardly to face Demolition on a business firm show in Honolulu on 10 April, Roussimoff was knocked out of the ring and The Jumbo Connection lost via count-out. After the match, Roussimoff and Haku would fight each other, mark the end of the team. His terminal WWF lucifer of 1990 came at a combined WWF/All Japan/New Japan show on 13 Apr in Tokyo, Nippon when he teamed with Giant Baba to defeat Sabotage in a not-title match. Roussimoff would win by gaining the pinfall on Smash.^[79]

Sporadic appearances (1990–1991) [edit]

Roussimoff returned in the winter of 1990, but it was not to the Globe Wrestling Federation. Instead, Roussimoff made an interview appearance for Herb Abrams' fledgling Universal Wrestling Federation on eleven October in Reseda, California.^[lxxx] (the segment aired in 1991). He appeared in an interview segment with Helm Lou Albano and put over the UWF.^[81] The following calendar month on 30 November at a house show in Miami, Florida, the Globe Wrestling Federation appear his render as a participant in the 1991 Imperial Rumble (to exist held in Miami, FL two months subsequently). Roussimoff was also mentioned equally a participant on goggle box but would ultimately dorsum out due to a leg injury.^[82]

His on-air return finally took place at the WWF'south Super-Stars & Stripes Forever U.s.a. Network special on 17 March 1991, when he came out to shake the hand of The Big Boss Man later on an altercation with Mr. Perfect.^[83] The post-obit calendar week at WrestleMania 7, he came to the aid of the Dominate Man in his match against Mr. Perfect.^[84] Roussimoff finally returned to action on 26 April 1991, in a half dozen-man tag-team matchup when he teamed with The Rockers in a winning endeavor against Mr. Fuji and The Orient Express at a house show in Belfast, Northern Ireland.^[85] On 11 May he participated in a 17-man boxing-purple at a house evidence in Detroit, which was won by Kerry Von Erich.^[86] This was Andre's terminal WWF match, although he was involved in several subsequent storylines. His terminal major WWF storyline following WrestleMania Seven had the major heel managers (Bobby Heenan, Sensational Sherri, Slick, and Mr. Fuji) trying to recruit Roussimoff one-past-one, only to be turned down in diverse humiliating means (e.grand. Heenan had his hand crushed, Sherri received a spanking, Slick got locked in the body of the car he was offering to Roussimoff and Mr. Fuji got a pie in his confront). Finally, Jimmy Hart appeared alive on WWF Superstars to announce that he had successfully signed Roussimoff to tag-team with Earthquake. When asked to ostend this by Gene Okerlund, Roussimoff denied the claims. This led to Convulsion's attacking Roussimoff from behind (injuring his knee).^[87] Jimmy Hart would later get revenge for the humiliation by secretly signing Tugboat and forming the Natural Disasters.^[88] This led to Roussimoff'due south final major WWF advent at SummerSlam '91, where he seconded the Bushwhackers in their match against the Disasters.^[89] Roussimoff was on crutches at ringside, and later the Disasters won the match, they prepare out to attack him, but the Legion of Doom made their manner to ringside and got in between them and the Giant, who was preparing to defend himself with one of his crutches. The Disasters left the ringside area every bit they were outnumbered by the Legion of Doom, the Bushwhackers and Roussimoff, who struck both Earthquake and Typhoon (the former Tugboat) with the crutch as they left. His final WWF advent came at a house show in Paris, France, on nine October. He was in Davey Male child Smith's corner as the Bulldog faced Earthquake. Davey Boy hit Earthquake with Roussimoff's crutch, allowing Smith to win.

All Nihon Pro Wrestling; Universal Wrestling Association (1990–1992) [edit]

Afterwards WrestleMania Six, Roussimoff spent the residual of his in-band career in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and Mexico'due south Universal Wrestling Association (UWA), where he performed under the name "André el Gigante". He toured with AJPW 3 times per yr, from 1990 to 1992, usually teaming with Giant Baba in tag-team matches.^[xc]

Roussimoff fabricated a couple of guest appearances for Herb Abrams' Universal Wrestling Federation, in 1991, feuding with Large John Studd, though he never had a match in the promotion.

In his terminal U.S. television appearance, Andre appeared on World Championship Wrestling's (WCW) Clash of the Champions XX special that aired on TBS on two September 1992, where he gave a brief interview.^[91] During the same event, he appeared alongside Gordon Solie and was after seen talking with him during the gala jubilant the 20th anniversary of wrestling on TBS.

He did his terminal tour of Mexico in 1992 in a option of six-man tag matches alongside Bam Bam Bigelow and a variety of Lucha Libre stars facing among others Bad News Allen and hereafter WWF Champions Mick Foley & Yokozuna.^[92] Roussimoff made his final tour with AJPW from October to Dec 1992; he wrestled what became the final lucifer of his career on 4 December 1992, teaming with Behemothic Baba and Rusher Kimura to defeat Haruka Eigen, Masanobu Fuchi, and Motoshi Okuma.^[93]

Acting career [edit]

Roussimoff branched out into interim once again in the 1970s and 1980s, after a 1967 French boxing film, making his USA interim debut playing a Sasquatch ("Bigfoot") in a ii-role episode aired in 1976 on the television series The Six Million Dollar Man.^[94] He appeared in other television shows, including The Greatest American Hero, B. J. and the Bear, The Fall Guy and 1990's Zorro.

Towards the finish of his career, Roussimoff starred in several films. He had an uncredited appearance in the 1984 movie Conan the Destroyer equally Dagoth,^[95] the resurrected horned giant god who is killed by Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger). That same year, he likewise made an appearance in Micki & Maude (billed every bit André Rousimmoff). He appeared virtually notably as Fezzik, his own favorite role,^[34] in the 1987 film The Princess Bride. The fact that Roussimoff found that no one stared at him on set during production was a novel and peculiarly gratifying feel.^[96] Both the picture show and his performance retain a devoted following. In a curt interview with Lanny Poffo, he stated that the moving-picture show meant and so much to André that he fabricated his wrestling pals watch an avant-garde copy of the VHS with him over and over again while supplying dinner, drinks, and sweetly asking each fourth dimension, "Did you like my performance?".^[97]

In his concluding motion picture, he had a cameo role as a circus giant in the comedy Trading Mom, which was released in 1994, a year after his decease.

Filmography [edit]

Championship	Year	Role	Notes
Casse-tête chinois pour le judoka	1967	Fighter	Motion-picture show
The Half-dozen Million Dollar Man	1977	Bigfoot	Television (episodes: "The Clandestine of Bigfoot, Office one" and "The Cloak-and-dagger of Bigfoot Part 2")
Symphorien	1978		Telly
B. J. and the Bear	1981	Manny Felcher	Television (episode: "Snow White and the 7 Lady Truckers")
The Fall Guy	1982	Killer Typhoon (uncredited)	Telly (episode: "Ladies on the Ropes")
Les Brillant	1982	Jean Petit	Television
The Greatest American Hero	1983	Monster	Television (episode: "Sky Is in Your Genes")
Conan the Destroyer	1984	Dagoth (uncredited)[95]	Movie
Micki & Maude	1984	Himself[95]	Movie
I Like to Injure People	1985	Himself	Picture show
The Goonies 'R' Good Plenty	1985	Himself (uncredited)	Music video
The Princess Bride	1987	Fezzik[34]	Film
Trading Mom	1994	Circus Behemothic	Pic, posthumous release

Personal life [edit]

Roussimoff was mentioned in the 1974 Guinness Book of World Records equally the highest-paid wrestler in history at that time. He earned U.s.$400,000 in ane yr during the early 1970s.^[98]

Robin Christensen is Roussimoff'due south only child. Her mother Jean Christensen (who died in 2008) became acquainted with her male parent through the wrestling business concern around 1972 or 1973. Christensen had almost no connectedness with her father and saw him only five times in her life, despite occasional televised and printed news pieces criticizing his absentee fatherhood. While she gave some interviews about the subject in her childhood, Christensen is reportedly reluctant to discuss her begetter publicly today.^[99]

Roussimoff has been unofficially crowned "the greatest drunk on Earth"^[100] for once consuming 119 12-US-fluid-ounce (350 mL) beers (in total, over 41 litres (72 imp pt)) in 6 hours.^[101] On an episode of WWE's Legends of Wrestling, Mike Graham said Roussimoff once drank 156 sixteen-US-fluid-ounce (470 mL) beers (over 73 litres (128 imp pt)) in i sitting, which was confirmed past Dusty Rhodes. The Fabled Moolah wrote in her autobiography that Roussimoff drank 127 beers in a Reading, Pennsylvania, hotel bar and later passed out in the antechamber. The staff could not motion him and had to leave him there until he awoke.^[102] In a shoot interview, Ken Patera recalled an occasion where Roussimoff was challenged by Dick Murdoch to a beer drinking contest. After 9 or so hours, Roussimoff had drunk 116 beers.^[103] A tale recounted past Cary Elwes in his volume about the making of The Princess Bride has Roussimoff falling on acme of somebody while drunkard, afterward which the NYPD sent an undercover officer to follow Roussimoff around whenever he went out drinking in their city to make sure he did non fall on anyone again.^[104] Another story also says prior to his famous WrestleMania III match, Roussimoff drank 14 bottles of wine.^[105]

An urban legend exists surrounding Roussimoff's 1987 surgery in which his size made it impossible for the anesthesiologist to guess a dosage via standard methods; consequently, his alcohol tolerance was used equally a guideline instead.^[106]

In 1989, Roussimoff was arrested and charged with attack afterwards he attacked a KCRG-Television receiver cameraman shooting his match with The Ultimate Warrior at Cedar Rapids, Iowa'south 5 Seasons Heart. While acquitted on the assault accuse, he was fined $100 for criminal mischief and ordered to pay KCRG $233 in damages to its equipment.^[107]

William Goldman, the author of the novel and the screenplay of The Princess Helpmate, wrote in his nonfiction piece of work Which Lie Did I Tell? that Roussimoff was one of the gentlest and most generous people he always knew. Whenever Roussimoff ate with someone in a restaurant, he would pay, but he would also insist on paying when he was a guest. On one occasion, after Roussimoff attended a dinner with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Wilt Chamberlain, Schwarzenegger had quietly moved to the cashier to pay before Roussimoff could, but and so constitute himself beingness physically lifted, carried from his tabular array and deposited on top of his automobile by Roussimoff and Chamberlain.^[108]

Roussimoff owned a ranch in Ellerbe, North Carolina, looked after by two of his close friends. When he was not on the road, he loved spending time at the ranch, where he tended to his cattle, played with his dogs, and entertained friends. While there were custom-made chairs and a few other modifications in his abode to adjust his size, tales that everything in his home was custom-fabricated for a big man are said to be exaggerated. Since Roussimoff could non easily go shopping due to his fame and size, he was known to spend hours watching QVC and made frequent purchases from the shopping channel.^[ii] Roussimoff had a passion for card games, mainly cribbage.^[109]

Death [edit]

Roussimoff died at age 46 of congestive heart failure in his sleep at a Paris hotel in the morning of Thursday 28 January 1993. He went to play cards with some friends on the night of Wednesday 27 Jan. He came back to his hotel room effectually 1 A.M. CET on 28 January. In the afternoon, he was found dead in his room past hotel management and his chauffeur.^{[34] [110]} He was in Paris to attend his father'southward funeral.^[111] While there, he decided to stay longer to exist with his mother on her birthday. He spent the day before his death visiting and playing cards with some of his oldest friends in Molien.^[ii] In his volition, he specified that his remains should be cremated and "disposed of". Upon his expiry in Paris, his family unit in France held a funeral for him, intending to coffin him near his male parent. When they learned of his wish to exist cremated, his body was flown to the United States, where he was cremated according to his wishes.^[2] His ashes were scattered at his ranch ( 35°06′58″N 79°48′23″West  /  35.116211°N 79.80634°Westward  / 35.116211; -79.80634  (Roussimoff Ranch) ) in Ellerbe, North Carolina.^{[23] [112]} In addition, in accordance with his will, he left his estate to his sole casher: his girl Robin.^[113]

Other media [edit]

Roussimoff made numerous appearances as himself in video games, starting with WWF WrestleMania. He likewise appears posthumously in Virtual Pro Wrestling 64, WWF No Mercy, Legends of Wrestling, Legends of Wrestling II, Showdown: Legends of Wrestling, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006, WWE Legends of WrestleMania, WWE All Stars, WWE 2K14, WWE 2K15, WWE 2K16, WWE 2K17, WWE 2K18, WWE 2K19,^[114] WWE 2K20, WWE 2K22 and many others.

In January 2005, WWE released André The Behemothic, a DVD focusing on the life and career of Roussimoff. The DVD is a reissue of the out-of-print André The Giant VHS made by Coliseum Video in 1985, with commentary by Michael Cole and Tazz replacing Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura's commentary on his WrestleMania lucifer with Big John Studd. The video is hosted by Lord Alfred Hayes. Later matches, including his battles against Hulk Hogan while a heel, are not included on this VHS.

Legacy [edit]

• In 1993, when the so-Globe Wrestling Federation created the WWF Hall of Fame, André the Behemothic was the inaugural and sole inductee in the grade of 1993.^[115]
• Roussimoff was the inspiration for the 1998 motion-picture show My Giant, written by his friend Billy Crystal, whom he had met during the filming of The Princess Bride.
• Paul Wight, meliorate known every bit Big Show, is more similar in body structure to Roussimoff than any other wrestler since Roussimoff's expiry. He was originally billed every bit the son of André during his stint in WCW (when he was known as simply "the Giant") despite there being no biological relationship.^[116] While also suffering from acromegaly, unlike Roussimoff, Wight did get surgery on his pituitary gland in the early 1990s, which successfully halted the progress of his condition. The former wrestler Giant González suffered from problems similar to those that Roussimoff had near the stop of his life and died in 2010 due to diabetes complications.
• In 1999, he was the subject area of an episode of A&Eastward Biography, titled André the Giant: Larger Than Life. The documentary covered his childhood and early life in France, too as the outset of his wrestling career, his struggles with acromegaly, his personal life, and his final years. His brother, Jacques Roussimoff, was interviewed for the documentary, as were fellow wrestling personalities Gorilla Monsoon, Tim White, Arnold Skaaland, Vince McMahon, Freddie Blassie, Killer Kowalski, Rene Goulet, and Frenchy Bernard, besides equally wrestling historian Sheldon Goldberg. Several of his longtime hometown friends were interviewed also. The documentary described Roussimoff as pro wrestling's "first and only international attraction" and that "on his broad shoulders, wrestling rose from its status as a questionable sport to become big business, and some might fence, operation art."
• The Obey make icon originated from wheatpaste posters that artist Shepard Fairey created based upon a photograph of André the Giant that he had constitute in a newspaper.^[117]
• Capcom's video game character Hugo, from the Street Fighter series (known as Andore in the Final Fight serial) is based on him.
• The 2014 graphic novel André The Giant: The Life and The Fable (First 2d Books), written and drawn by Box Brown, tells the story of his life and career. Research for the book included interviews with his fellow wrestlers and actors such as Christopher Guest, Mandy Patinkin and others.
• In 2017, Showtime released Waiting for Andre^[118] , a semi-fictional movie about the friendship betwixt playwright Samuel Beckett and Roussimoff during the time Beckett lived in Ussy-sur-Marne, outside of Paris. A novel of the movie was published the following year by Steffan Piper (ISBN 9781980756217 / 198075621X from Amazon print on demand).
• On 10 March 2014, episode of Raw, WrestleMania 30 host Blob Hogan announced that in award of Roussimoff's legacy, WWE was establishing the André the Behemothic Memorial Battle Imperial, that would accept place at the event, with the winner receiving the André the Behemothic Memorial Trophy (made in the likeness of Roussimoff).^[119] On half dozen Apr 2014, at WrestleMania Xxx, Cesaro won the lucifer after eliminating Big Show using a torso slam similar to the torso slam Hulk Hogan used on Roussimoff at WrestleMania Three.^[120]

Biopics [edit]

• On 9 May 2016, it was announced that a movie based on the 2015 authorized graphic novel biography André the Giant: Closer to Heaven was in the plans made by Lion Forge Comics forth with producers Scott Steindorff, Dylan Russell and consulted by Roussimoff'south girl, Robin Christensen-Roussimoff.^[121]
• On 10 April 2018, HBO aired a documentary motion-picture show chosen André the Behemothic.

Championships and accomplishments [edit]

• 50th State Big Fourth dimension Wrestling
  • Texas Battle Royal (1977)^[122]
• All Nihon Pro Wrestling
  • Earth's Strongest Tag Conclusion League Due east Sports Special Award (1991) – with Giant Baba^[123]
• Championship Wrestling from Florida
  • NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dusty Rhodes^{[124] [125]}
• Fédération Française de Take hold of Professionnel
  • Globe Heavyweight Title (French republic) (1 time)^[126]
• Houston Wrestling
  • Ii-Ring Battle Royal (1974, 1975)^[127]
• International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Class of 2021^[128]
• International Wrestling Enterprise
  • IWA World Tag Squad Championship (1 fourth dimension) – with Michael Nador^{[26] [27] [129]}
• NWA Hollywood Wrestling
  • Los Angeles Battle Majestic (1975, 1980)^[130]
• NWA San Francisco
  • Cow Palace Battle Royal (1977)^[130]
• New Nihon Pro-Wrestling
  • International Wrestling Thou Prix (1985)^[131]
  • MSG League (1982)^[132]
  • MSG Tag League (1981) – with Rene Goulet^[133]
  • Sagawa Express Loving cup (1986)^[134]
  • Greatest 18 Lodge inductee
• NWA Tri-State
  • NWA United States Tag Team Title (Tri-State version) (1 time) – with Dusty Rhodes^{[135] [136]}
• Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
  • Class of 2002^[xvi]
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1977, 1982)^{[137] [138]}
  • Match of the Twelvemonth (1981) vs. Killer Khan on 2 May
  • Match of the Year (1988) vs. Hulk Hogan at The Master Event ^[139]
  • Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1988)
  • Editor'south Award (1993)
  • Ranked No. 3 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003^[140]
• Stampede Wrestling
  • Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame (Class of 1995)^{[141] [142]}
• World Championship Wrestling (Australia)
  • NWA Austra-Asian Tag Squad Championship (1 fourth dimension) – with Ron Miller
• World Wrestling Federation/WWE
  • WWF Tag Team Title (1 fourth dimension) – with Haku^[76]
  • WWF World Heavyweight Title (1 time)^[71]
  • WWE Statuary Statue (2013)^[143]
  • Slammy Award (ane time)
    • Bobby "The Brain" Heenan Scholarship Award (1987) with The Islanders (Haku and Tama), Hercules, King Kong Bundy and Harley Race ^[144]
  • WWF Hall of Fame (Class of 1993)^[115]
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • Feud of the Year (1981) vs. Killer Khan
  • Near Embarrassing Wrestler (1989)
  • Worst Feud of the Yr (1984) vs. Big John Studd
  • Worst Feud of the Twelvemonth (1989) vs. the Ultimate Warrior
  • Worst Worked Match of the Year (1987) vs. Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania iii
  • Worst Worked Friction match of the Year (1989) vs. the Ultimate Warrior on 31 October
  • Worst Tag Team (1990, 1991) with Giant Baba
  • Worst Wrestler (1989, 1991, 1992)
  • Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
• Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Course of 2016^[145]

Run across besides [edit]

• Listing of premature professional person wrestling deaths

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140. ^ Whalen, Ed (host) (xv December 1995). "Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame: 1948-1990". Showdown at the Corral: A Tribute to Stu Hart. Outcome occurs at 27:55. Shaw Cable. Calgary 7.
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Further reading [edit]

• Assael, Shaun; Mooneyham, Mike (2002). Sex, Lies and Headlocks: The Existent Story of Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation. Crown Publishers. ISBN978-0-609-60690-2.
• Krugman, Michael (2009). André the Giant: A Legendary Life. Pocket Books. ISBN978-1-4165-4112-7.
• Hébert, Bertrand; Laprade, Pat (2020). The Eighth Wonder of the Globe: The True Story of André the Giant. Toronto, Ontario: ECW Press. ISBN978-1-77041-466-2.

External links [edit]

Achievements
Preceded by Antonio Inoki & Bob Backlund	MSG Tag League winner 1981 With: René Goulet	Succeeded by Antonio Inoki & Hulk Hogan
Preceded by Antonio Inoki	MSG League winner 1982	Succeeded by Blob Hogan (IWGP League)
Preceded by Antonio Inoki	International Wrestling G Prix winner 1985	Succeeded by Antonio Inoki

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_the_Giant

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