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| André the Giant | |
|---|---|
 André in 1975 | |
| Birth name | André René Roussimoff |
| Born | (1946-05-19)19 May 1946 Coulommiers, France |
| Died | 28 January 1993(1993-01-28) (aged 46)[1][2] Paris, France |
| Children | 1[3] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | André Roussimoff André the Giant André the Giant Frenchman The Ultimate Giant Géant Ferré[4] Giant Machine Jean Ferré[4] Monster Eiffel Tower Monster Roussimoff The Polish Giant |
| Billed height | 7 ft 4 in (224 cm)[5][6][7][8][9][10] |
| Billed weight | 520 lb (236 kg)[5][6][10][11] |
| Billed from | "Grenoble in theFrench Alps" |
| Trained by | Michel Saulnier[12] |
| Debut | 25 January 1966[13][14] |
André René Roussimoff (French:[ɑ̃dʁeʁəneʁusimɔf]; 19 May 1946 – 28 January 1993), better known by hisring nameAndré the Giant, was a Frenchprofessional wrestler and actor. Dubbed "theEighth Wonder of the World", Roussimoff was known for his great size, which was a result ofgigantism caused by excesshuman growth hormone.[15][16]
Beginning his career in 1966, Roussimoff relocated to North America in 1971. From 1973 to the mid-1980s, Roussimoff was booked byWorld Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) promoterVincent J. McMahon as a roving "special attraction" who wrestled for promotions throughout the United States, as well as in Japan forNew Japan Pro-Wrestling. During the1980s wrestling boom, Roussimoff became a mainstay of the WWWF (by then renamed theWorld Wrestling Federation), being paired with thevillainous managerBobby Heenan andfeuding withHulk Hogan. The two headlinedWrestleMania III in 1987, and in 1988, he defeated Hogan to win theWWF Championship, his soleworld heavyweight championship, on the first episode ofThe Main Event. As his WWF career wound down afterWrestleMania VI in 1990, Roussimoff wrestled primarily forAll Japan Pro-Wrestling, usually alongsideGiant Baba, until his sudden death.
After his death in 1993, Roussimoff became the inaugural inductee into the newly createdWWF Hall of Fame. He was later a charter member of theWrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame and theProfessional Wrestling Hall of Fame; the latter describes him as being "one of the most recognizable figures in the world both as a professional wrestler and as a pop culture icon."[17] Outside of wrestling, Roussimoff is best known for appearing as Fezzik, the giant in the 1987 filmThe Princess Bride.
André René Roussimoff was born on 19 May 1946[18] inCoulommiers, Seine-et-Marne,[19] the son of immigrants Boris Roussimoff (1907–1993) and Mariann Roussimoff Stoeff (1910–1997); his father wasBulgarian and his mother wasPolish.[20] He was raisedCatholic. He had two older siblings and two younger. His childhood nickname was Dédé (/ˈdeɪdeɪ/,French:[dede]). At birth, André weighed 13 pounds (6 kg); as a child, he displayed symptoms ofgigantism, and was noted as "a good head taller than other kids", with abnormally long hands.[21] In a 1970s television interview, Roussimoff stated that his mother was 5 feet 2 inches (157 cm) tall and his father 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) tall, and that according to his father his grandfather was 7 feet 8 inches (234 cm) tall.[22] By the time he was 12, Roussimoff stood 191 cm (6 ft 3 in).
Roussimoff was an average student, though good at mathematics. When he was 14, Rousimoff decided against further schooling and joined the workforce, believing what he learned was sufficient for a career as a farmhand. He did not drop out of school, ascompulsory education laws in France were no longer applicable to those aged 14 or older.[23]
Roussimoff spent years working on his father's farm inMolien, where, according to his brother Jacques, he could perform the work of three men. He also completed an apprenticeship inwoodworking, and next worked in a factory that manufactured engines forhay balers. None of these brought him any satisfaction.[24] While Roussimoff was growing up in the 1950s, the Irish playwrightSamuel Beckett was one of several adults who sometimes drove local children to school, including Roussimoff and his siblings.[25] They had a surprising amount of common ground and bonded over their love ofcricket, with Roussimoff recalling that the two rarely talked about anything else.[26]
At the age of 18, 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 as a mover during the day to pay living expenses.[24] Roussimoff was billed as "Géant Ferré", a name based on thePicardian folk heroGrand Ferré. This later became "Jean Ferre".[4] Canadian promoter and wrestlerFrank Valois met Roussimoff in 1966, years later to become his business manager and adviser.
Roussimoff began his careerwrestling in his native France. He made his TV debut that year on French national television againstLe Petit Prince.[27] In 1968 he defeated Franz van Buyten for theFFCP World Heavyweight Championship[28] In 1969 he appeared on the United Kingdom'sWorld of Sport program's regular wrestling slot and defeated Jim Hussey, father ofMark Rocco.[29] Roussimoff also began making a name for himself wrestling in Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and Africa.[24]
He made his Japanese debut for theInternational Wrestling Enterprise in 1970, billed as "Monster Roussimoff".[30] Wrestling as both a singles and tag team competitor, he quickly was made theIWA World Tag Team Champion alongside Michael Nador.[30][31] During his time in Japan, doctors first informed Roussimoff that he suffered fromacromegaly.[24]
Roussimoff next moved to Montreal, Canada in 1971, where he became an immediate success, regularly selling out theMontreal Forum.[32] Promoters eventually ran out of plausible opponents for him and, as the novelty of his size wore off, the gate receipts dwindled.[24] Roussimoff was defeated byAdnan Al-Kaissie inBaghdad in 1971,[33] and wrestled numerous times in 1971 forVerne Gagne'sAmerican Wrestling Association (AWA) as a special attraction.
In 1973,Vincent J. McMahon, founder of theWorld Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), became Rousimoff's agent.[8] McMahon suggested several changes to Roussimoff's booking and presentation to enhance his starpower.[34] He felt Roussimoff should be portrayed as a large, immovable monster, and to enhance the perception of his size, McMahon discouraged Roussimoff from performing maneuvers such asdropkicks (although he was capable of performing such agile maneuvers before his health deteriorated in later life). He also began billing Roussimoff as "André the Giant" and set up a travel-intensive schedule, lending him to wrestling associations around the world,[35][36] to keep him from becoming overexposed in any area.[24] Promoters had to guarantee Roussimoff a certain amount of money as well as pay McMahon's WWF booking fee.[37]
On 24 March 1973, Roussimoff debuted in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (later World Wrestling Federation) as afan favorite, defeating Frank Valois and Bull Pometti in a handicap match in Philadelphia. Two days later he made his debut in New York'sMadison Square Garden, defeatingBuddy Wolfe.[35][38][39]
Roussimoff was one of professional wrestling's most belovedbabyfaces throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. As such,Gorilla Monsoon often stated that Roussimoff had not been defeated in 15 years by pinfall or submission prior toWrestleMania III. He had lost matches outside of the WWF: a loss toAdnan Al-Kaissie in Baghdad, Iraq in 1971,[33] pinfall losses toDon Leo Jonathan in Montreal in 1972,[40]Killer Kowalski in Quebec City in 1972[41] two draws and a countout loss toThe Sheik in Toronto in 1974[42] after a fireball was thrown in Andre's face, knockout toJerry Lawler in Memphis in 1975[43] and a count out to Lawler in Louisville in 1977,[44] draw withBobo Brazil at a battle royal in Detroit in 1976,[45]Ronnie Garvin in Knoxville in 1978,[46]Stan Hansen by disqualification in Japan in 1981,Kamala by countout in Toronto in 1984 andCanek in Mexico in 1984 and submission losses in Japan toStrong Kobayashi in 1972[47] andAntonio Inoki in 1986.[48][49] He also had sixty-minute time-limit draws with two of the three major world champions of the day,Harley Race in Houston in 1979 andNick Bockwinkel in Chicago in 1976.
In 1976, at the secondShowdown at Shea, Roussimoff fought professional boxerChuck Wepner in an unscripted boxer-versus-wrestler fight. The wild fight was shown via telecast as part of the undercard of theMuhammad Ali versus Antonio Inoki fight and ended when he threw Wepner over the top rope and outside the ring and won via count-out.
In 1980, he feuded withHulk 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 thirdShowdown at Shea event and in Pennsylvania, where after Roussimoff pinned Hogan to win the match, Hogan bodyslammed him much like their legendary WrestleMania III match in 1987. The feud continued in Japan in 1982 and 1983 with their roles reversed and with Antonio Inoki also involved.
One of Roussimoff's feuds pitted him against the "Mongolian Giant"Killer Khan. According to the storyline, Khan snapped Roussimoff's ankle during a match on 2 May 1981 inRochester, New York by leaping off the top rope and crashing down upon it with his knee-drop.[50] In reality, he had broken his ankle getting out of bed the morning before the match.[24][51] The injury and subsequent rehabilitation was worked into the existing Roussimoff/Khan storyline. After a stay atBeth Israel Hospital in Boston, Roussimoff returned with payback on his mind. The two battled on 20 July 1981, at Madison Square Garden in a match that resulted in adouble disqualification.[52] Their feud continued as fans filled arenas up and down the east coast to witness their matches. On 14 November 1981 at thePhiladelphia 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.[53] The same type of match was also held in Toronto. In early 1982 the two also fought in a series of matches in Japan with Arnold Skaaland in Roussimoff's corner.
In 1982, Vincent J. McMahon sold the World Wide Wrestling Federation to his son,Vince McMahon[54] As McMahon began to expand his newly acquired promotion to the national level, he required his wrestlers to appear exclusively for him. McMahon signed Roussimoff to these terms in 1984, although he still allowed him to work in Japan forNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).[55]
Roussimoff feuded withBig John Studd over which of the two men was the "true giant" of wrestling.[50] Throughout the early to mid-1980s, Roussimoff and Studd fought all over the world, 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 partnerKen Patera knocked out Roussimoff during a televised tag-team match and proceeded to cut off his hair.[50] After gaining revenge on Patera, Roussimoff met Studd in a "body slam challenge" at the firstWrestleMania, held 31 March 1985, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.[56] Roussimoff slammed Studd to win the match and collect the$15,000 prize, then proceeded to throw cash to the fans before having the bag taken from him by Studd's manager,Bobby "The Brain" Heenan.[57]
AtWrestleMania 2 on 7 April 1986, Roussimoff continued to display his dominance by winning a twenty-manbattle royal which featured topNational Football League stars and wrestlers.[58] He last eliminatedBret Hart to win the contest.[59]
Following a final tour with New Japan Pro-Wrestling in mid-1986, and a win in Austria overCWA World championOtto Wanz,[60] Roussimoff began appearing exclusively with theWorld Wrestling Federation.
After WrestleMania 2, Roussimoff continued his feud with Studd andKing Kong Bundy. Around this time, Roussimoff requested a leave of absence to tend to his health, since the effects from his acromegaly were beginning to take their toll, as well as to tour Japan. He had also been cast in the filmThe Princess Bride. To explain his absence, a storyline was developed 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 show, WWF presidentJack Tunney indefinitely suspended him.[61] Later in the summer of 1986, upon Roussimoff's return to the United States, he began wearing a mask and competing as the "Giant Machine" in a stable known asthe Machines.[18]Big Machine andSuper Machine were the other members; Hulk Hogan (as "Hulk Machine") andRoddy Piper (as "Piper Machine") were also one-time members. The WWF's television announcers sold the Machines—agimmick that was copied from theNew Japan Pro-Wrestling character "Super Strong Machine", played by Japanese wrestlerJunji Hirata,[62] —as "a new tag-team from Japan" and claimed not to know the identities of the wrestlers, even though it was obvious to fans that it was Roussimoff competing as the Giant Machine. Heenan, Studd, and Bundy complained to Tunney, who eventually told Heenan that if it could be proven that Roussimoff and the Giant Machine were the same person, Roussimoff would be fired. Roussimoff thwarted Heenan, Studd, and Bundy at every turn. Then, in late 1986, the Giant Machine "disappeared" and Roussimoff was reinstated. Foreshadowing Roussimoff's heel turn, Heenan expressed his approval of the reinstatement but did not explain why.
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Roussimoff agreed toturnheel in early 1987 to be the counter to the biggest "babyface" in professional wrestling at that time,Hulk Hogan.[63] On an edition ofPiper's Pit in 1987, Hogan was presented a trophy for being theWWF World Heavyweight Champion for three years; Roussimoff came out to congratulate him, shaking Hogan's hand with a strong grip, which surprised the Hulkster.[64] On the following week'sPiper's Pit, Roussimoff was presented a slightly smaller trophy for being "the only undefeated wrestler in wrestling history." Although he had suffered a handful ofcountout anddisqualification losses in WWF, he had never been pinned or forced to submit in a WWF ring. Hogan came out to congratulate him and ended up being the focal point of the interview. Apparently annoyed, Roussimoff walked out in the midst of Hogan's speech.[65][66] A discussion between Roussimoff and Hogan was scheduled, and on aPiper's Pit that aired 7 February 1987, the two met.[67] Hogan was introduced first, followed by Roussimoff, who was led by longtime rival Bobby Heenan.
Speaking on behalf of his new protégé, Heenan accused Hogan of being Roussimoff's friend only so he would not have to defend his title against him. Hogan tried to reason with Roussimoff, but his pleas were ignored as he challenged Hogan to a match for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship atWrestleMania III. Hogan was still seemingly in disbelief as to what Roussimoff was doing, prompting Heenan to say "You can't believe it? Maybe you'll believe this, Hogan" before Roussimoff ripped off the T-shirt and crucifix from Hogan, with the crucifix scratching Hogan's chest, causing him to bleed.[68]
Following Hogan's acceptance of his challenge on a later edition ofPiper's Pit, the two were part of a 20-man over-the-top-rope battle-royal on 14 March edition ofSaturday Night's Main Event X at theJoe Louis Arena in Detroit.[69] Although the battle royal was won byHercules, Roussimoff claimed to have gained a psychological advantage over Hogan when he threw the WWF World Heavyweight Champion over the top rope. The match, which was actually taped on 21 February 1987,[69] aired only two weeks before WrestleMania III to make it seem like Hogan had met his match in André the Giant.[70]
At WrestleMania III, he was billed at 520 lb (236 kg),[6] and the stress of such immense weight on his bones and joints resulted in constant pain.[24] After recent back surgery, he was also wearing a brace underneath his wrestling singlet.[71] In front of a record crowd, Hogan won the match after body-slamming Roussimoff (later dubbed "the bodyslam heard around the world"), followed by Hogan's running leg drop finisher.[6] Years later, Hogan claimed that Roussimoff was so heavy, he felt more like 320 kg (700 lb), and that he tore hislatissimus dorsi muscle when slamming him.
Another myth about the match is that no one, not even WWF ownerVince 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. Contrary to popular belief, it was not the first time that Hogan had successfully body-slammed him in a WWF match. A then-heel Hogan had slammed a then-face Roussimoff following their match at theShowdown at Shea on 9 August 1980, though Roussimoff was somewhat lighter (around 210 kg (470 lb)) and more athletic at the time (Hogan also slammed him in a match inHamburg, Pennsylvania, a month later).[72] This took place 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 Giant slammed (Roussimoff had also previously allowedHarley Race,El Canek andStan Hansen, among others, to slam him).[73][74]
By the time of WrestleMania III, the WWF went national, giving more meaning to the Roussimoff–Hogan match 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 up again when wrestlers were named the captains of rival teams at the inauguralSurvivor Series event. During their approximately one minute of battling each other during the match, Hogan dominated Roussimoff and was on the brink of knocking him from the ring, but was tripped up by his partners, Bundy andOne Man Gang, and would be counted out. Roussimoff went on to be the sole survivor of the match, pinningBam Bam Bigelow[75] before Hogan returned to the ring to attack André and knock him out of the ring. Roussimoff later got revenge when, after Hogan won a match against Bundy onSaturday Night's Main Event, he snuck up from behind and began choking Hogan to the brink of unconsciousness, not letting go even after an army of seven face-aligned wrestlers ran to the ring to try to pull him away; it took Hacksaw Jim Duggan breaking a piece of wood over his back (which heno-sold) for him to let go, after which Hogan was pulled to safety. As was the case with theSNME battle 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 certain to win easily when they did meet. Meanwhile, Rousimoff returned to Germany in December 1987 for another match with Wanz, which he lost by countout.[60][76]
In the meantime,the "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase failed to persuade Hogan to sell him the WWF World Heavyweight Championship. After failing to defeat Hogan in a subsequent series of matches, DiBiase turned to Roussimoff to win it for him.[77] He and DiBiase had teamed several times in the past, including in Japan and in the WWF in the late 1970s and early 1980s when both were faces at the time, but this was not acknowledged during this new storyline. The earlier attack and DiBiase's insertion into the feud set up the Hogan-Roussimoff rematch onThe Main Event, to air 5 February 1988, on a live broadcast on NBC. Acting as his hired gun, Roussimoff won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship from Hogan (his first singles title) in a match where it was later revealed that appointed refereeDave Hebner was "detained backstage", and a replacement (whom Hogan afterwards initially accused of having been paid by DiBiase to get plastic surgery to look like Dave,[78] but was revealed to have been his evil twin brother,Earl Hebner),[79] who made a three-count on Hogan while Hogan's left shoulder was 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 declared vacant.[80] This was shown on WWF'sNBC programThe Main Event. AtWrestleMania IV, Roussimoff and Hulk Hogan fought to a double disqualification in a WWF title tournament match (with the idea in the storyline saying that Roussimoff was again working on DiBiase's behalf in giving DiBiase a clearer path in the tournament). Afterward, Roussimoff and Hogan's feud died down after a steel cage match held atWrestleFest on 31 July 1988, in Milwaukee. Hogan was the winner.
At the inaugural SummerSlam pay-per-view held atMadison Square Garden, Roussimoff and DiBiase (billed asThe Mega Bucks) faced Hogan and WWF World Heavyweight Champion"Macho Man" Randy Savage (known asThe Mega Powers) in the main event, withJesse "The Body" Ventura as the special guest referee.[81] During the 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 red panties. This allowed Hogan and Savage time to recover and eventually win the match with Hogan pinning DiBiase. Savage forced Ventura's hand down for the final three-count, due to Ventura's character historically being at odds with Hogan, and his unwillingness to count the fall.
Concurrent with the developing feud with the Mega Powers, Roussimoff was placed in a feud withJim Duggan, which began after Duggan knocked out Roussimoff with a two-by-four board during a television taping. Despite Duggan's popularity with fans, Roussimoff regularly got the upper hand in the feud.
Roussimoff's next major feud was againstJake "The Snake" Roberts. In this storyline, it was said Roussimoff was afraid of snakes, something Roberts exposed onSaturday Night's Main Event when he threw his snake, Damien, on the frightened Roussimoff; as a result, he suffered akayfabe mild heart attack and vowed revenge. During the next few weeks, Roberts frequently walked to ringside carrying his snake in its bag during Roussimoff's matches, causing the latter to run from the ring in fright. Throughout their feud (which culminated atWrestleMania V), Roberts constantly used Damien to gain a psychological edge over the much larger and stronger Roussimoff.
In 1989, Roussimoff and the returning Big John Studd briefly reprised their feud, beginning at WrestleMania V, when Studd was the referee in the match with Roberts, this time with Studd as a face and Roussimoff as the heel.
During the late summer and autumn of 1989, Roussimoff engaged in a brief feud, consisting almost entirely ofhouse shows (non-televised events), and one televised match on 28 October 1989, at Madison Square Garden with then-WWF Intercontinental ChampionThe Ultimate Warrior. Roussimoff began to wear face paint with a similar design to The Warrior and began called himself "The Ultimate Giant" when he appeared onThe Brother Love Show.[82] The younger Warrior, the WWF's rising star, regularlysquashed the aging Roussimoff in an attempt to showcase his star quality and promote him as the "next big thing".[83][84]
In late 1989, Roussimoff was joined with fellowHeenan Family memberHaku to form a new tag team called theColossal Connection, in part to fill a void left by the departure ofTully Blanchard andArn Anderson (the Brain Busters, who were also members of Heenan's stable) from the WWF, and also to continue to keep the aging Roussimoff in the main event spotlight. His last singles match was a loss toThe Ultimate Warrior in 20 seconds at a house show in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on 11 December 1989.[85] The Colossal Connection immediately targeted WWF Tag Team ChampionsDemolition (who had recently won the belts from the Brain Busters). At a television taping on 13 December 1989, the Colossal Connection defeated Demolition to win the titles.[86] Roussimoff and Haku successfully defended their title, mostly against Demolition, untilWrestleMania VI on 1 April 1990, when Demolition took advantage of a mistimed move by the champions to regain the belts.[87] After the match, a furious Heenan blamed him for the title loss and after shouting at him, before Heenan slapped him in the face; an angry Roussimoff responded with a slap of his own that sent Heenan staggering from the ring.[88] Roussimoff also caught Haku's kick attempt, sending him reeling from the ring as well, prompting support and turning Roussimoff face for the first time since 1987. Due to his ongoing health issues, Roussimoff was unable to wrestle at the time of WrestleMania VI and Haku actually wrestled the entire match against Demolition 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 up to face Demolition on a house show in Honolulu on 10 April, Roussimoff was knocked out of the ring and The Colossal Connection lost via count-out. After the match, Roussimoff and Haku would fight each other, marking the end of the team. His final WWF match of 1990 came at a combined WWF/All Japan/New Japan show on 13 April in Tokyo, Japan when he teamed withGiant Baba to defeat Demolition in a non-title match. Roussimoff won by pinningSmash.[89]
Roussimoff returned in the winter of 1990, but it was not to the World Wrestling Federation. Instead, Roussimoff made an interview appearance forHerb Abrams' fledglingUniversal Wrestling Federation on 11 October in Reseda, California.[90] (the segment aired in 1991). He appeared in an interview segment withCaptain Lou Albano and put over the UWF.[91] The following month on 30 November at a house show in Miami, Florida, the World Wrestling Federation announced his return as a participant in the 1991 Royal Rumble (to be held inMiami two months later). Roussimoff was also mentioned as a participant on television but would ultimately back out due to a leg injury.[92]
His on-air return finally took place at the WWF'sSuper-Stars & Stripes ForeverUSA Network special on 17 March 1991, when he came out to shake the hand ofBig Boss Man after an altercation withMr. Perfect.[93] The following week atWrestleMania VII, he came to the aid of the Boss Man in his match against Mr. Perfect.[94] Roussimoff finally returned to action on 26 April 1991, in a six-man tag-team matchup when he teamed withThe Rockers in a winning effort againstMr. Fuji andThe Orient Express at a house show in Belfast, Northern Ireland.[95] On 11 May 1991 he participated in a 17-man battle-royal at a house show inDetroit, which was won byKerry Von Erich.[96] This was Andre's final WWF match, although he was involved in several subsequent storylines. His last major WWF storyline following WrestleMania VII had the major heel managers (Bobby Heenan,Sensational Sherri,Slick, andMr. Fuji) trying to recruit Roussimoff one-by-one, only to be turned down in various humiliating ways (e.g. Heenan had his hand crushed, Sherri received a spanking, Slick got locked in the trunk of the car he was offering to Roussimoff, and Mr. Fuji got a pie in his face). Finally,Jimmy Hart appeared live onWWF Superstars to announce that he had successfully signed Roussimoff to tag-team withEarthquake. When asked to confirm this byGene Okerlund, Roussimoff denied the claims. This led to Earthquake's attacking Roussimoff from behind (injuring his knee).[97] Jimmy Hart would later get revenge for the humiliation by secretly signingTugboat and formingthe Natural Disasters.[98] This led to Roussimoff's final major WWF appearance atSummerSlam 1991, where he secondedthe Bushwhackers in their match against the Disasters.[99] Roussimoff was on crutches at ringside, and after the Disasters won the match, they set out to attack him, but the Legion of Doom made their way 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 as 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 appearance came at a house show in Paris, France, on 9 October 1991. He was in Davey Boy Smith's corner as the Bulldog faced Earthquake; Smith hit Earthquake with Roussimoff's crutch, allowing Smith to win.
After WrestleMania VI, Roussimoff spent the rest of his in-ring career inAll Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and Mexico'sUniversal Wrestling Association (UWA), where he performed under the name "André el Gigante". He toured with AJPW three times per year, from 1990 to 1992, usually teaming withGiant Baba in tag-team matches.[100]
Roussimoff made a couple of guest appearances for Herb Abrams'Universal Wrestling Federation, in 1991, feuding withBig John Studd, though he never had a match in the promotion.
In his last U.S. television appearance, Andre appeared onWorld Championship Wrestling's (WCW)Clash of the Champions XX special that aired onTBS on 2 September 1992, where he gave a brief interview.[101] During the same event, he appeared alongsideGordon Solie and was later seen talking with him during the gala celebrating the 20th anniversary of wrestling on TBS.
He did his final tour of Mexico in 1992 in a selection of six-man tag matches alongsideBam Bam Bigelow and a variety of Lucha Libre stars facing among othersBad News Allen and future WWF ChampionsMick Foley andYokozuna.[102] Roussimoff made his final tour with AJPW from October to December 1992; he wrestled what became the final match of his career on 4 December 1992, teaming with Giant Baba andRusher Kimura to defeatHaruka Eigen,Masanobu Fuchi, andMotoshi Okuma.[103]
Roussimoff branched out into acting again in the 1970s and 1980s, after a 1967 French boxing film, making his USA acting debut playing a Sasquatch ("Bigfoot") in a two-part episode aired in 1976 on the television seriesThe Six Million Dollar Man.[104] He appeared in other television shows, includingThe Greatest American Hero,B. J. and the Bear,The Fall Guy and 1990'sZorro.
Towards the end of his career, Roussimoff appeared in several films. He had an uncredited appearance in the 1984 filmConan the Destroyer as Dagoth,[105] the resurrected horned giant god who is killed by Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger). That same year, he also made an appearance inMicki & Maude (billed as André Rousimmoff). He appeared most notably as Fezzik, his own favorite role,[38] in the 1987 filmThe Princess Bride. The fact that Roussimoff found that no one stared at him on set during production was a novel and particularly gratifying experience.[106] Both the film and his performance retain a devoted following. In a short interview withLanny Poffo, he stated that the movie meant so much to André that he made his wrestling pals watch an advanced copy of the VHS with him over and over again while supplying dinner, drinks, and sweetly asking each time, "Did you like my performance?".[107]
In his last film, he had acameo role as a circus giant in the comedyTrading Mom, which was released in 1994, a year after his death.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Casse-tête chinois pour le judoka | Fighter | Film |
| 1976 | The Six Million Dollar Man | Sasquatch | Television (episodes: "The Secret of Bigfoot, Part 1" and "The Secret of Bigfoot Part 2") |
| 1981 | B. J. and the Bear | Manny Felcher | Television (episode: "Snow White and the Seven Lady Truckers, Part 1") |
| 1982 | The Fall Guy | Killer Typhoon (uncredited) | Television (episode: "Ladies on the Ropes") |
| Les Brillant | Jean Petit | Television | |
| 1983 | The Greatest American Hero | Monster | Television (episode: "Heaven Is in Your Genes") |
| 1984 | Conan the Destroyer | Dagoth (uncredited)[105] | Film |
| Micki & Maude | Himself[105] | ||
| 1985 | I Like to Hurt People | Himself | |
| The Goonies 'R' Good Enough | Himself (uncredited) | Music video | |
| 1987 | The Princess Bride | Fezzik[38] | Film |
| 1994 | Trading Mom | Circus Giant | Film, posthumous release |
Roussimoff was mentioned in the1974 Guinness Book of World Records as the then-highest-paid wrestler in history. He earned an annual salary of approximately $400,000 (equivalent to $2,550,000 in 2024) at this time.[108]
Robin Christensen is Roussimoff's only child. Her mother Jean Christensen (who died in 2008) became acquainted with her father through the wrestling business around 1972 or 1973. Christensen had regular contact with her father, but saw him only five times in her life. After his death, Christensen spoke positively about her father and became a guardian of his image and legacy.[3]
In 1989, Roussimoff was arrested and charged with assault after he attacked aKCRG-TV cameraman shooting his match withThe Ultimate Warrior atCedar Rapids, Iowa'sFive Seasons Center. While acquitted on the assault charge, he was fined $100 (equivalent to $254 in 2024) for criminal mischief and ordered to pay KCRG $233 (equivalent to $591 in 2024) in damage to its equipment.[109]
William Goldman, the author of the novel and the screenplay ofThe Princess Bride, wrote in his nonfiction workWhich Lie Did I Tell? that Roussimoff was one of the gentlest and most generous people he ever 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 withArnold Schwarzenegger andWilt Chamberlain, Schwarzenegger had quietly moved to the cashier to pay before Roussimoff could, but then found himself being physically lifted, carried from his table and deposited on top of his car by Roussimoff and Chamberlain.[110]
Roussimoff owned a ranch inEllerbe, 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 home to accommodate his size, tales that everything in his home was custom-made for a large man are said to be exaggerated. Since Roussimoff could not easily go shopping due to his fame and size, he was known to spend hours watching and purchasing items from the shopping channelQVC.[3]
Roussimoff has been dubbed "the greatest drunk on Earth"[111] for once consuming 119 12-US-fluid-ounce (350 mL) beers (in total, over 41 litres [72 imp pt] or 11.16 gallons) in six hours.[112] In an appearance onLate Night with David Letterman on 23 January 1984, Roussimoff told David Letterman he once drank 117 beers.[113] When Letterman asked if he was drunk, Roussimoff said he couldn't remember because he passed out. He also said he quit drinking beer 14 months prior to this appearance on Letterman.
On an episode of WWE'sLegends of Wrestling,Mike Graham said Roussimoff once drank 156 16-US-fluid-ounce (470 mL) beers (over 73 litres [128 imp pt] or 19.5 gallons) in one sitting, which was confirmed byDusty Rhodes.The Fabulous Moolah wrote in her autobiography that Roussimoff drank 127 beers at the bar of theAbraham Lincoln Hotel inReading, Pennsylvania and later passed out in the lobby. The staff could not move him and had to leave him there until he awoke.[114]
In a shoot interview,Ken Patera recalled an occasion where Roussimoff was challenged byDick Murdoch to a beer drinking contest. After nine or so hours, Roussimoff had drunk 116 beers.[115] A tale recounted byCary Elwes in his book about the making ofThe Princess Bride has Roussimoff falling on top of somebody while drunk, after which theNYPD sent an undercover officer to follow Roussimoff around whenever he went out drinking in their city to make sure he did not fall on anyone again.[116]
Another story also says prior to his famousWrestleMania III match, Roussimoff drank 14 bottles of wine.[117] Hulk Hogan stated that Roussimoff drank a case of 12 bottles ofPouilly-Fuissé during a three-hour bus journey.[118]
An urban legend exists surrounding Roussimoff's 1987 surgery in which his size made it impossible for theanesthesiologist to estimate a dosage via standard methods; consequently, his alcohol tolerance was used as a guideline instead.[119] Some reports claim this is true.[120]
While some stories of Rousimoff's eating have circulated, such as one dinner where he ate twelve 16-ounce steaks and fifteen lobsters in one sitting, according to his usual traveling partner, Tim White, Rousimoff only ate so much on occasion to show off, saying, "He had a substantial appetite, but for his size, it was completely normal."[121]
Roussimoff had severepericardial effusion and underwentpericardiocentesis atDuke University Hospital in the 1980s.[122]
On the morning of 28 January 1993, Roussimoff died ofcongestive heart failure and an apparent heart attack in his sleep, likely associated with his untreatedacromegaly, at a Paris hotel, at the age of 46. After he visited and played cards in Molien with some of his oldest friends on the night of 27 January 1993, he returned to his hotel room around 1 a.m. CET on 28 January. That afternoon, Roussimoff was found dead in his room by hotel management and his chauffeur.[1][38][123] He was in Paris at the time to attend his father's funeral.[124] While there, he decided to extend his stay there to be with his mother on her birthday.[3]
In his will, he specified that his remains should becremated and "disposed of". Upon his death in Paris, his family in France held a funeral for him, intending to bury him near his father. When they learned of his wish to be cremated, his body was flown to the United States, where he was cremated according to his wishes.[3] His ashes were scattered at his ranch inEllerbe, North Carolina.[24][125] Additionally, in accordance with his will, he left his estate to his sole beneficiary: his daughter Robin.[126]
Roussimoff made numerous appearances as himself in video games, starting withWWF WrestleMania. He also appears posthumously inVirtual 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,[127]WWE 2K20,WWE 2K Battlegrounds,WWE 2K22,WWE 2K23,WWE 2K24, and many others.
In January 2005, WWE releasedAndré The Giant, a DVD focusing on the life and career of Roussimoff. The DVD is a reissue of the out-of-printAndré The Giant VHS made byColiseum Video in 1985, with commentary byMichael Cole andTazz replacing Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura's commentary on his WrestleMania match with Big John Studd. The video is hosted byLord Alfred Hayes. Later matches, including his battles against Hulk Hogan while a heel, are not included on this VHS.
It was billed as the biggest main event in the history of sports entertainment: Hollywood Hogan vs. André the Giant. Hogan, in his third year as WWE Champion, was set for the biggest challenge of his life in the form of the 7-foot-4, 520-pound Roussimoff, who betrayed his former best friend in exchange for his long-awaited shot at the championship.
Upon his arrival in Quebec he was announced as 7' 4" inches...
At his largest, Roussimoff was probably six feet eleven inches tall, though he was advertised as seven feet four inches.
...Andre the Giant, the 7-foot-4, 520-pound behemoth...
25.01.1966, Wrestling in Europa, Jean Ferre defeats Ted Lamar
18.12.1972
17.02.1974, Texas Death Match, The Sheik (w/Abdullah Farouk) defeats Andre The Giant (w/Frank Valois) (3:32)
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)(Date: May 6, 1991 Shown: June 1, 1991) Included an in-ring interview by Gene Okerlund in which André the Giant refused Jimmy Hart's offer to become his manager only to have his knee attacked by Earthquake, using Hart's megaphone
(Date: May 28, 1991 Shown: June 15, 1991)Earthquake & WWF Tag Team Champions the Nasty Boys (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated Tugboat & the Bushwhackers at 4:05 when Earthquake pinned Luke with a sit-down splash after Tugboat attacked both of his teammates; after the match, Tugboat embraced with his new friends
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