Andre The Giant

Wrestler: Andre The Giant (1946-93)
Real Name: Andre Rene Rousimoff
Birthday: May 19, 1946
Hometown: Grenoble, France
Marital Status: None
Height & Weight: 7'4" - 380-540 lbs
Trained by: Frank Valois
Edward Carpantier
Debut: Late 1960s
Previous Gimmicks: Andre "The Butcher" Rousimoff
Geant Ferre
Jean Ferre (Montreal)
Monster Roussimoff (Japan)
The 8th Wonder of the World
Giant Machine (WWF)
Finishing Move: Sitting on his opponent
Bodyslam
Favorite Moves: Knife Edge Chops
Bearhug
Headbutt
Choke
Notable Feuds: Ernie Ladd
Blackjack Mulligan
Big John Studd
Ken Patera
King Kong Bundy
Bobby Heanan
Hulk Hogan
Macho Man
Jake Roberts
Jim Duggan
Ultimate Warrior
Demolition
Official Website: http://www.andrethegiant.com

Titles Held:

IWA Tag Team titles w/Michael Nador (1970);
Austral-Asian Tag Team titles w/Ron Miller ();
NWA (Tri-State) United States Tag Team titles w/Dusty Rhodes ();
Florida Tag Team titles w/Dusty Rhodes ();
WWF Heavyweight title defeating Hulk Hogan (February 5, 1988);
WWF World Tag Team titles w/Haku defeating Demolition (December 13, 1989);
WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) Hall of Fame Inductee (1993);

Career Highlights:

In The Beginning - Family

May 19, 1946: Andre Rene Rousimoff was born is Grenouble, France to two parents who were both over six feet tall..
Andre Rene Rousimoff suffered from acromegaly, or "giantism", a endocrynological disorder..
~~~It causes the body to secrete excessive amounts of growth hormones and produces continual growth..
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ It especially effects the head, hands, and feet..
~~~Andre reportedly inherited the disease from his grandfather, a Bulgarian who stood 7'8"!
Andre Rousimoff left home at the tender age of 14, stood 6'3" and weighed over 200 pounds!
Andre Rousimoff worked at a furniture store in Paris, France until he was seventeen..
Andre Rousimoff trained with the French wrestling champion Frank Valois..

Getting Into The Wrestling Business

1970: Andre Rousimoff won the IWA Tag Team titles with Michael Nador..
1971: Andre Rousimoff wrestled in Montreal under the name "Jean Ferre" and in Japan as "Monster Roussimoff"..
Andre Rousimoff won the Austral-Asian Tag Team Titles with Ron Miller in Australia..

World Wide Wrestling Federation + Various Territories

Frank Valois, acting as his manager, set up a meeting with World Wide Wrestling Federation promoter Vince McMahon, Sr..
1973: Andre Rousimoff debuted in the famous venue Madison Square Garden as "Andre the Giant"..
Andre The Giant slowly made his way through virtually every regional promotion in the country..
Andre The Giant soon became the largest box-office attraction the sport has ever known..
March 22, 1974 - WWF TV in Los Angeles: Andre The Giant beat Great Goliath & Black Gordman in a handicap match..
1976: Andre The Giant was perfectly cast as "Bigfoot" for two highly rated episodes of "The Six Million Dollar Man"..
June 25, 1976 - AWA Chicago Stadium: Andre the Giant defeated Chuck Wepner by CO in a "Boxer vs Wrestler" Match..
Andre The Giant teamed with Dusty Rhodes to win the NWA United States (Tri-State) Tag Team Titles..
The site of the very first Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant match was the old Houston Farm Center in Dothan, AL..
February 15, 1981: Andre The Giant & Dusty Rhodes also won the Florida Tag Team Titles..
1981: Andre The Giant had his ankle broken by Killer Kahn (not legitimate) during a match..
~~~The injury was an excuse for Andre to disappear and have needed surgury..

World Wrestling Federation

Andre The Giant landed a starring role in the very successful film "The Princess Bride" as the gentle giant character Fezzik..
Andre The Giant was the first wrestler ever to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine..
March 31, 1985--WrestleMania 1: Andre The Giant defeated Big John Stuff w/Bobby Heenan in a Body Slam Challenge..
October 5, 1985--SNME: King Kong Bundy & Big John Studd defeated Andre the Giant & Tony Atlas by DQ..
November 2, 1985--SNME: Hulk Hogan & Andre the Giant defeated King Kong Bundy & Big John Studd by DQ..
April 5, 1986 - WrestleMania 2: Andre The Giant won a 20-Man Invitational Battle Royal which included NFL players..

World Wrestling Federation - The Machines

1986: Andre was "suspended" by "President Jack Tunney" for no-showing matches against the Heenan Family (storyline)..
~~~This was all just an excuse to take Andre off of Television to undergo surgury to repair his injured back..
~~~Andre had surgery to releive pressure on his spine and was thereafter forced to wear a back brace when he wrestled.
1986: Andre returned to the WWF, under a mask, with a paid of partners, in a team known as The Machines..
~~~Giant, Big & Super Machine were billed from the Orient and came to the USA to become the #1 Tag Team in the World!
~~~Bobby Heenan and his Heenan Family went on a mission to expose the "Giant Machine" as Andre The Giant..
August 28, 1986--The Big Event: Bundy & Studd & Heenan beat Lou Albano & The Machines w/Giant Machine by DQ..
The Machines were never exposed, and they turned into a comedy act, and eventually faded away from TV..

World Wrestling Federation - Heel

1987: Andre the Giant returned again to the WWF, and ended up joining Bobby Heenan, and challenged Hulk Hogan for WM3!
Wrestlemania III: Hulk Hogan defeated Andre The Giant in front of the largest card ever held in the United States..
~~~Andre the Giant reportedly drank fourteen bottles of wine before his match with Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania III..
Febuary 5, 1988--SNME: Andre defeated Hulk Hogan after one of two twin referees made an illegal count on the Hulk..
~~~Andre The Giant then "sold" the WWF World championship belt to "The Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase..

World Wrestling Federation - The Collosal Connection

1989: Andre began teaming with Haku as the Collosal Connection managed by Bobby "the Brain" Heenan..
~~~The Collosal Connection defeated Demolition to win the WWF Tag Team titles..
~~~Wrestlemania VI: Demolition (Ax & Smash) defeated Andre The Giant & Haku to win back the WWF Tag Team titles..
~~~~~After the match, Andre The Giant split from Haku & Bobby "The Brain" Heenan..
April 13, 1990 - WWF/AJPW Wrestling Summit: Giant Baba & Andre the Giant defeated Demolition (Ax & Smash)..
Various managers including Johnny V, Mr. Fuji, Bobby Heenan, and Jimmy Hart attemped to sign Andre to a contract..
Jimmy Hart came the closes but Andre publically refused to join his group and was then attacked by Earthquake!

Andre The Legend

1992: Andre The Giant had undergone extensive knee surgery and became increasingly overweight and immobile..
December 1992: Andre The Giant continued to wrestle, however, appearing for the last time on a card in Japan..
Andre's last public (wrestling show) appearance was at the celebration for 20 years of NWA/WCW wrestling on TBS..

The Death of the Giant

January 27, 1993: Andre Rene Roussimoff (Andre The Giant) died of a heart attack in a hotel room in Paris..
~~~Andre The Giant (age 46) was in town attending the funeral of his father just two weeks before his own death..

Some Stuff You May Not Know

Washington Redskins head coach George Allen once offered Andre the Giant a contract to play professional football..
Andre The Giant was often considered the "Uncrowned World Champion" of professional wrestling..
Andre The Giant was known consuming 119 bottles of beer in one legendary sitting!
Andre The Giant was probably the most recognizable figure in wrestling history..
Andre The Giant was probably six feet eleven inches tall, though he was advertised as seven feet four inches..
Andre The Giant weighed close to five hundred pounds and was famous for his immense capacity for alcohol & food..
Andre The Giant was once estimated that he consumed 7,000 calories a day in alcohol alone..
Andre The Giant, who never married, lived most of the year on a 200-acre ranch in Ellerbe, North Carolina..

credit: onlineworldofwrestling.com