André the Giant
André (second from right) wrestling King Kong Bundy (Big John Studd and Hillbilly Jim are also featured)
Ring name(s)	André Roussimoff André the Giant[1] Géant Ferré[2] Giant Machine[3] Jean Ferré[2] Monster Eiffel Tower[4] Monster Roussimoff[4]
Billed height	7 ft 4 in (2.24 m)[1]
Billed weight	475 lb (215 kg) – 540 lb (240 kg)[5]
Born	(1946-05-19)May 19, 1946[3][6] Grenoble, France[1]
Died	January 27, 1993(1993-01-27) (aged 46)[1] Paris, France[1]
Billed from	Grenoble in the French Alps
Trained by	Frank Valois[3] Édouard Carpentier[3][7]
Debut	1963
Retired	1992

André René Roussimoff (19 May 1946 – 27 January 1993),^[3][6] best known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. His best remembered acting role was that of Fezzik, the giant in the film The Princess Bride.^[1] His size was a result of acromegaly, and led to him being called "The Eighth Wonder of the World".^[5][8]

In the World Wrestling Federation (now known as WWE), Roussimoff was a one-time WWF Champion^[9] and a one-time WWF World Tag Team Champion.^[10] In 1993, he was the first inductee into the WWF Hall of Fame.^[7][11]

Early life[link]

André Roussimoff was born in Grenoble, France to parents of Bulgarian and Polish ancestry. As a child, he very early displayed symptoms of his gigantism, reaching a height of 6'3" (190.5 cm) and weight of 240 pounds (110 kg) by age 12. Unable to fit on the school bus, he was driven to school by playwright Samuel Beckett, a friend of his father.^[12] Roussimoff was a good student, but he dropped out after the 8th grade since he did not think having a high school education was necessary for a farm laborer. He then worked on a farm, completed an apprenticeship in woodworking, and next worked in a factory that manufactured engines for hay balers. None of these brought him any satisfaction.^[13]

Professional wrestling career[link]

Early career[link]

At age 18, Roussimoff moved to Paris and was taught the art of professional wrestling by a local promoter who knew there would be money in Roussimoff's future. He trained at night and worked as a mover during the day to pay living expenses.^[13] Roussimoff was billed as "Géant Ferré", taken from the name of a mythical French giant,^[2] and began wrestling in Paris and nearby areas. Canadian promoter and wrestler Frank Valois met Roussimoff in 1966, becoming his business manager and adviser. Roussimoff began making a name for himself wrestling in England, Germany, New Zealand, and Africa.^[2][4][13]

He made his Japan debut in 1970, billed as "Monster Roussimoff", wrestling for the International Wrestling Enterprise. Wrestling as both a singles and tag team competitor, he quickly won the company's tag team championship alongside Michael Nador.^[4][14] It was during his time in Japan that doctors first informed Roussimoff that he suffered from acromegaly.^[4][13]

Roussimoff next moved to Montreal, Canada, where he became an immediate success, regularly selling out the Montreal Forum.^[15] However, promoters eventually ran out of plausible opponents for him and, as the novelty of his size wore off, the gate receipts dwindled.^[13] Roussimoff wrestled numerous times in 1972 for Verne Gagne's American Wrestling Association (AWA) as a special attraction until Valois appealed to Vince McMahon, Sr., founder of the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) for advice.^[16] McMahon suggested several changes. He felt Roussimoff should be portrayed as a large, immovable monster. To enhance his size, McMahon discouraged Roussimoff from performing maneuvers such as dropkicks. He also began billing Roussimoff as "André the Giant" and set up a travel-intensive schedule, loaning him to wrestling associations around the world,^[11][17][18] to keep him from becoming over-exposed in any area.^[13] Promoters had to guarantee André a certain amount of money, as well as pay McMahon's WWWF a booking fee.^[19]

World Wide Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Federation[link]

Debut and various feuds (1973–1987)[link]

On March 26, 1973, André debuted in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (later World Wrestling Federation) as a fan favorite, defeating Buddy Wolfe in New York's Madison Square Garden.^[1][11][20]

André was one of professional wrestling's most beloved "babyfaces" throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. As such, Gorilla Monsoon insisted that André was never defeated for 15 years by pinfall or submission prior to WrestleMania III. This, however, is not true. André actually had lost cleanly in matches outside of WWF parameters; a pinfall loss in Mexico to Canek in 1984 and a submission loss in Japan to Antonio Inoki in June 1986.^[21][22] He also went sixty-minute time limit draws with the two other major world champions of the day, Harley Race and Nick Bockwinkel.

In 1976 Andre fought professional boxer Chuck Wepner in an unscripted Boxer vs Wrestler fight. The wild fight was shown via telecast as part of the undercard of the Muhammad Ali vs Antonio Inoki fight and ended when Andre threw Wepner over the top rope and outside the ring.

In 1980, he feuded with Hulk Hogan, wrestling him at Shea Stadium's Showdown at Shea and in Pennsylvania. The feud would continue in Japan in 1982 and 1983.

In 1982, Vince McMahon, Sr. sold the World Wrestling Federation to his son, Vince McMahon, Jr..^[23] As McMahon began to expand his newly acquired promotion to the national level, he required his wrestlers to appear exclusively for him. McMahon signed André to these terms in 1984, although he still allowed the Giant to work in Japan for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW).^[24]

One of André's feuds pitted him against "the Mongolian Giant" Killer Khan. According to the storyline, Khan had snapped André's ankle during a match on May 2, 1981, in Rochester, New York by leaping off the top rope and crashing down upon it with his knee-drop.^[25] In reality, André had broken his ankle getting out of bed the morning before the match.^[13][26] The injury and subsequent rehabilitation was worked into the existing André/Khan storyline. After a stay at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, André returned with payback on his mind. The two battled on July 20, 1981 at Madison Square Garden in a match that resulted in a double disqualification. Their feud continued through the summer and fall as fans filled arenas up and down the east coast to witness their matches. On November 14, 1981 at the Philadelphia Spectrum, the feud culminated when André 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.^[27]

Another feud involved a man who considered himself to be "the true giant" of wrestling: Big John Studd.^[25] Throughout the early to mid-1980s, André and Studd fought all over the world, battling to try to determine who the real giant of wrestling was. In December 1984, Studd took the feud to a new level, when he and partner Ken Patera knocked out André during a televised tag team match and proceeded to cut off André's hair.^[25] After gaining revenge on Patera, André met Studd in a "Body Slam Challenge" at the first WrestleMania, held March 31, 1985 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. André slammed Studd to win the match and collect the $15,000 prize, then proceeded to throw cash to the fans before having the bag stolen from him by Studd's manager, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan.^[28]

The following year, at WrestleMania 2 on April 7, 1986, André continued to display his dominance by winning a twenty-man battle royal which featured top NFL stars and wrestlers.^[29] André last eliminated Bret Hart to win the contest.^[30]

After WrestleMania 2, André continued his feud with Studd and King Kong Bundy. At about this time, Andre requested a leave of absence to tend to his health—effects from his acromegaly were beginning to take their toll—as well as tour Japan; he had also gotten a part in the film The Princess Bride). To explain Andre's absence, a storyline was developed to have Heenan—suggesting that Andre was secretly afraid of Studd and Bundy, whom Heenan bragged were unbeatable—challenge Andre and a partner of his choosing to wrestle Studd and Bundy in a televised tag-team match. When Andre failed to show, WWF President Jack Tunney indefinitely suspended Andre.^[31] Later in the summer of 1986, upon Andre's return to the United States, he began wearing a mask and competing as the "Giant Machine" in a stable known as The Machines. (Big Machine and Super Machine were the other members.) The WWF's television announcers sold the Machines—a gimmick was copied from New Japan Pro Wrestling character "Super Strong Machine", played by Japanese wrestler Junji Hirata)^[32] – as "a new tag team from Japan," and claimed not to know the identities of the wrestlers, even though it was obvious to fans and the television audience that it was Andre competing as the Giant Machine. Heenan, Studd and Bundy complained to Tunney, who eventually told Heenan that if it could be proven that Andre and the Giant Machine were the same person, Andre would be fired. Andre thrwarted Heenan, Studd and Bundy at every turn. Then, in the fall of 1986, the Giant Machine "disappeared," and André was reinstated. Foreshadowing Andre's heel turn, Heenan expressed his approval of the reinstatement but did not explain why.

Feud with Hulk Hogan and WWF Champion (1987–1988)[link]

Andre was managed by Bobby Heenan (seen in front of him) during some of his feud with Hulk Hogan.

André agreed to turn heel in early 1987 to be the counter to the biggest "babyface" in professional wrestling at that time, Hulk Hogan.^[33] On an edition of Piper's Pit in January 1987, Hogan was presented a trophy for being the WWF Champion for three years; André came out to congratulate him.^[34] On the following week's Piper's Pit, André was presented a slightly smaller trophy for being "the only undefeated wrestler in wrestling history." Although André 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 André and ended up being the focal point of the interview. A visibly "annoyed" André walked out in the midst of Hogan's speech.^[35][36] A "discussion" between André and Hogan was scheduled, and on a Piper's Pit that aired February 7, 1987, the two met.^[37] Hogan was introduced first, followed by André. André was led by longtime rival Bobby Heenan. Speaking on behalf of his new protégé, Heenan accused Hogan of using André. Hogan tried to reason with André but his pleas were ignored as he challenged Hogan to a match for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania III before ripping the t-shirt and crucifix from Hogan.^[38]

At WrestleMania III, he was billed at 520 lb (240 kg),^[39] and the stress of such immense weight on his bones and joints resulted in constant pain.^[13] After recent back surgery, he was also wearing a brace underneath his wrestling singlet.^[40] Hogan won the match after body slamming (later on dubbed "the bodyslam heard around the world") André, followed by Hogan's running leg drop finisher.^[39] Years later, Hogan claimed that André was so heavy, he felt more like 700 lb (320 kg), and that he actually tore his latissimus dorsi muscle slamming him. Another famous story about the match is that no one knew if André would lose the match. André had agreed to lose the match some time before, mostly for health reasons, though he almost pinned Hogan (albeit unintentionally) in the early goings of the match. Contrary to popular belief, it was not the first time that Hogan had successfully bodyslammed André in a WWF match. A then-heel Hogan bodyslammed a then-face André early in a match in Hamburg, Pennsylvania on September 13, 1980, though André was much lighter and more athletic at the time.^[41] This took place in the territorial days of American wrestling three years before WWF began national expansion (André had also previously allowed Harley Race, El Canek, and Stan Hansen to slam him.)^[42][43] By the time WrestleMania III had rolled around, the WWF had gone national, giving more meaning to the André–Hogan match that took place then. The feud between André and Hogan simmered during the summer of 1987, even as Roussimoff's health declined. The feud would begin heating up again when each wrestler was named the captain of rival teams at the inaugural Survivor Series event. André's team won the main event after André pinned Bam Bam Bigelow.^[44]

In the meantime, "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase failed to persuade Hogan to sell him the WWF Championship. After failing to defeat Hogan in a subsequent series of matches, DiBiase turned to André to win it for him.^[45] Acting as his hired gun, André won the WWF title from Hogan on February 5, 1988 in a match where it was later revealed appointed referee Dave 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,^[46] but in fact was revealed to have been his 'evil' twin brother Earl Hebner^[47]), made a three count on Hogan while his shoulders were off the mat. After winning, André "sold" the title to DiBiase; the transaction was declared invalid by then-WWF President Jack Tunney and the title was vacated.^[9] This was shown on WWF's NBC program The Main Event. At WrestleMania IV, André and Hulk Hogan fought to a double disqualification in a WWF title tournament match (with the idea in the storyline saying that André was again working on DiBiase's behalf in giving DiBiase a clearer path in the tournament). Afterward, André and Hogan's feud died down after a steel cage match held at WrestleFest on July 31, 1988 in Milwaukee. He and DiBiase also wrestled Hogan and "Macho Man" Randy Savage in the main event of SummerSlam; the DiBiase–André team lost, despite apparently having referee Jesse "the Body" Ventura on their side.^[48]

Concurrent with the developing feud with the Mega Powers, André was placed in a feud with "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, which began after Duggan knocked out André with his two-by-four during a television taping. Despite Duggan's popularity with fans, André regularly got the upper hand in the feud.

Various feuds and The Colossal Connection (1988–1990)[link]

André's next major feud was against Jake "The Snake" Roberts. In this storyline, it was said André was deathly afraid of snakes, something Roberts exposed on Saturday Night's Main Event when he threw his snake, Damien, on the frightened André; as a result, André suffered a kayfabe mild heart attack and vowed revenge. During the next few weeks, Roberts frequently walked to ringside during André's matches, causing him to run from the ring in fright (since he knew what was inside the bag). Throughout their feud (which culminated at WrestleMania V), Roberts constantly used Damien to gain a psychological edge over the much larger and stronger André.

In 1989, André and the returning Big John Studd briefly reprised their feud, this time with Studd as a face and André as the heel. During the late summer and fall of 1989, André engaged in a brief feud, almost entirely consisting of house shows (non-televised events), with then-Intercontinental champion The Ultimate Warrior. The younger Warrior, WWF's rising star, regularly squashed the aging André in an attempt to showcase his star quality and promote him as the "next big thing".^[49][50]

In the fall of 1989, André 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 by the departure of Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson (The Brain Busters, who were also members of Heenan's stable) from the WWF, and also to continue to keep the aging André in the main event spotlight. The Colossal Connection immediately targeted WWF Tag Team Champions Demolition (who had recently won the belts from the Brain Busters). At a television taping on December 13, 1989, the Colossal Connection defeated Demolition to win the titles.^[10] André and Haku successfully defended their titles, mostly against Demolition, until WrestleMania VI on April 1, 1990, when Demolition took advantage of a mistimed move by the champions to regain the belts.^[51] After the match, a furious Heenan blamed André for the title loss and after shouting at him slapped him in the face; an angry André responded with a slap of his own that sent Heenan staggering from the ring.^[52] André also caught Haku's kick attempt, sending him reeling from the ring as well, prompting loud cheers for André for the first time in three years. André went into the match as a heel, but left as a face.

Sporadic appearances (1990-1992)[link]

André continued to make appearances in the WWF throughout 1990 and 1991. He came to the aid of The Big Bossman in his WrestleMania VII match against Mr. Perfect.^[53]

His last major WWF storyline following WrestleMania VII had the major heel managers (Bobby Heenan, Sensational Sherri, Slick, and Mr. Fuji) trying to recruit André one-by-one, only to be turned down in various humiliating ways (i.e. Heenan had his hand crushed, Sherri received a spanking, Slick got locked in the trunk of the car he was offering to André and Mr Fuji got a pie in his face). Finally, Jimmy Hart appeared live on WWF Superstars to announce that he successfully signed André to tag-team with Earthquake. However, when asked to confirm by Gene Okerlund, André denied the claims. This led to Earthquake attacking André from behind (injuring his knee).^[54] Jimmy Hart would later get revenge for the humiliation by secretly signing Tugboat and forming The Natural Disasters.^[55] This led to André's final major WWF appearance at SummerSlam '91, where he seconded The Bushwhackers in their match against the Disasters.^[56]

His last U.S. television appearance was in a brief interview on World Championship Wrestling's (WCW) Clash of the Champions XX special that aired on TBS on September 2, 1992.^[57]

All Japan Pro Wrestling (1990–1992)[link]

After WrestleMania VI, André spent the rest of his in-ring career in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). He toured with AJPW three times per year, from September 1990 to 1992, usually teaming with Giant Baba in tag team matches.^[58] He wrestled his final match in December 1992.

Acting career[link]

André branched out into acting again in the 1970s and 1980s, after a 1967 French boxing movie, making his USA acting debut playing a Sasquatch ("Bigfoot") on the 1970s television series The Six Million Dollar Man.^[59] He appeared in other television shows, including The Greatest American Hero, B.J. and the Bear, The Fall Guy and 1990's Zorro.^[60]

Towards the end of his career, André starred in several films. He had an uncredited appearance in the 1984 film Conan the Destroyer, as Dagoth,^[61][62] the resurrected horned giant god who is killed by Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger). That same year, André also made an appearance in Micki + Maude (billed as Andre Rousimmoff).^[63] He appeared most notably as Fezzik, his own favorite role,^[1] in the 1987 film The Princess Bride. Both the film and Andre's performance retain a devoted following.

In his last film, he appeared in a cameo role as a circus giant in the comedy Trading Mom, which was not released until a year after his death.^[64]

Later life[link]

Roussimoff had one daughter,^[13] Robin Christensen Roussimoff, who was born in 1979.

The disease called acromegaly that granted him his immense size eventually began to take its toll on his body. By the late 1980s, André was in constant, near-crippling pain, and his heart struggled to pump blood throughout his massive body.

According to William Goldman, author of The Princess Bride and its screenplay, André was having such terrible back pain during the filming of the movie that in the first shooting of a scene where Robin Wright drops about one foot and is caught by Fezzik, he fell to one knee and almost dropped her.

In the A&E documentary, Biography, Arnold Skaaland mentions how André wished he could see a Broadway play. Arnold offered to buy tickets, but André turned down the opportunity, saying he was too big for the seats and people behind him would not be able to see.

André was mentioned in the 1974 Guinness Book of World Records as the highest paid wrestler in history to that time. He had earned $400,000 in one year alone during the early 1970s.^[65]

Roussimoff has been unofficially crowned "The Greatest Drunk on Earth"^[66] for once consuming 119 12-US-fluid-ounce (350 ml) beers (over 11 gallons) in 6 hours.^[67] On an episode of WWE's Legends of Wrestling, Mike Graham said André once drank 156 16-US-fluid-ounce (470 ml) beers in one sitting, which was confirmed by Dusty Rhodes. Such feats can be attributed to his large size, which meant it took higher amounts of alcohol to inebriate him. In her autobiography, The Fabulous Moolah Lillian Ellison writes that André drank 127 beers in a Reading, Pennsylvania hotel bar and later passed out in the lobby. The staff could not move him and had to leave him there until he awakened.^[68]

André was arrested by the Linn County, Iowa sheriff in August 1989 and charged with assault after he allegedly roughed up a local television cameraman.^[69][70]

Death[link]

André the Giant died in his sleep due to congestive heart failure on the night of January 27, 1993, in a Paris hotel room.^[1][71] At the time, he was in Paris to attend the funeral of his father.^[72] Roussimoff's body was cremated according to his wishes and his ashes were scattered at his farm in Ellerbe, North Carolina.^[13][73]

Legacy[link]

• In 1993 when the then-World Wrestling Federation created the WWF Hall of Fame, André the Giant was the first inductee^[7] (and the only 1993 inductee).
• André was the inspiration for the 1998 film My Giant, written by his friend Billy Crystal, whom he had met during the filming of The Princess Bride.
• Paul Wight, better known as "The Big Show", is more similar in body structure to André than any other wrestler since André's death. Wight was originally billed as the son of André during his stint in WCW (when he was known as simply "The Giant") despite no biological relation.^[74] While also suffering from acromegaly, unlike André, 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 André had near the end of his life and died in September 2010 due to diabetes complications.
• The OBEY brand icon originated from a stencil that artist Shepard Fairey had created based upon a photo of Andre the Giant that Fairey had found in a newspaper.^[75]
• Capcom's video game character Hugo Andore is based on him.
• André has made appearances as himself in videogames for years, as early as 1989's WWF Superstars, where he appears as a non-playable game boss along Ted DiBiase, fighting as their real-life tag team The Mega Bucks, to as recently as WWE All-Stars, released in March 2011, where he appears as one of many playable "Legend" characters.
• On January 25, 2005, WWE released André The Giant, a DVD focusing on the life and career of André.^[76] 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 match with Big John Studd. The video is hosted by Lord Alfred Hayes. Later matches, including André's battles against Hulk Hogan while a heel, are not included on this DVD.
• André The Giant is mentioned in the song Kobe Bryant on Em by Sho Baraka.^[77]
• The film André: Heart of the Giant- released on March 16, 2007- dramatizes the life of André Roussimoff. It stars 7 foot 7 inches tall actor Daniel Gilchrist.^[78]

In wrestling[link]

• Finishing moves
  • Double underhook suplex^[7]
  • Elbow drop pin^[79]
  • Kneeling reverse piledriver^[80] – innovated
  • Sit-down splash^[7]

• Signature moves
  • Bearhug^[3]
  • Big boot^[3]
  • Body slam^[3]
  • Chokehold^[3]
  • Headbutt^[3]
  • Knife-edged chop^[3]

• Managers
  • Bobby Heenan
  • Frank Valois
  • Lou Albano
  • K.Y. Wakamatsu
  • The Million Dollar Man

• Nicknames
  • "(The) Boss"^[11][81]
  • "The Eighth Wonder of the World"^[7][8]

Championships and accomplishments[link]

• Championship Wrestling from Florida
  • NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dusty Rhodes^[82][83]
• International Pro Wrestling
  • IWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Michael Nador^[4][14]
• New Japan Pro Wrestling
  • MSG League Winner (1982)
  • International Wrestling Grand Prix Winner (1985)
• NWA Tri-State
  • NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Tri-State version) (1 time) – with Dusty Rhodes^[84][85]
• Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
  • Class of 2002^[86]
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1977, 1982)^[87][88]
  • PWI Match of the Year (1981) vs. Killer Khan on 2 May
  • PWI Match of the Year (1988) vs. Hulk Hogan at The Main Event^[89]
  • PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1988)
  • PWI Editor's Award (1993)
  • PWI ranked him #3 in the PWI Years in 2003^[90]
• Stampede Wrestling
  • Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame^[91]
• World Championship Wrestling (Australia)
  • NWA Austra-Asian Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ronald Miller^[85]
• World Wrestling Federation
  • WWF Championship (1 time)^[9]
  • WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Haku^[10]
  • Slammy Award for Bobby "The Brain" Heenan Scholarship Award (1987) with Haku, Tama, Hercules, King Kong Bundy, and Harley Race
  • WWF Hall of Fame (Class of 1993)^[7]
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
  • Feud of the Year (1981) vs. Killer Khan
  • Most Embarrassing Wrestler (1989)
  • Worst Feud of the Year (1984) vs. Big John Studd
  • Worst Feud of the Year (1989) vs. The Ultimate Warrior
  • Worst Worked Match of the Year (1987) vs. Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania III
  • Worst Worked 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)^[92]

Filmography[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2011)

• Casse tête chinois pour le judoka (1967)
• The Six Million Dollar Man – "The Secret of Bigfoot II and I" (1976), Bigfoot
• B. J. and the Bear – "Snow White and the Seven Lady Truckers" (1981), Manny Felcher
• The Greatest American Hero – "Heaven Is in Your Genes" (1983), Monster
• André makes an appearance in "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" music video by Cyndi Lauper, along with several other 80s icon wrestlers like "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and The Iron Sheik.
• Conan the Destroyer (1984), Dagoth (uncredited)^[61]
• Micki + Maude (1984), Himself^[61]
• I Like to Hurt People (1985), Himself
• The Princess Bride (1987), Fezzik^[1]
• Trading Mom (1994), Circus Giant^[93]
• Symphorien (197?), French sitcom on Quebec television
• Les Brillants (198?), French sitcom on Quebec television

See also[link]

Professional wrestling portal

• Andre the Giant Has a Posse

References[link]

External links[link]

• AndreTheGiant.com (Official Website)
• WWE Hall of Fame Profile
• Andre's Online World of Wrestling Profile
• Celebrity Heights.com
• thetallestman.com
• André the Giant at the Internet Movie Database

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2009)

The Giant is a song by Canadian folk singer-songwriter Stan Rogers. The Giant referred to is Fingal, an Irish-Scottish mythical giant. The song is set in Nova Scotia's rugged Cape Breton Island, and the lyrics contain enchanting imagery describing the island's landscape. The song also contains quasi-pagan imagery, including the suggestion of worshipping the new moon by dancing around a bonfire, although it may be that characters in the song are using the full moon to have a party. In the album Home in Halifax, Stan Rogers claimed that the song was about Guinness.

This folk song-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. (August 21, 2005)
Ring name(s)	The Super Destroyer[1] Hulk Hogan[1] Hollywood Hulk Hogan[1] Hollywood Hogan[2] Terry Boulder[1] Mr. America Sterling Golden
Billed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)[3]
Billed weight	302 lb (137 kg)[1]
Born	(1953-08-11) August 11, 1953 (age 58)[1] Augusta, GA[1]
Resides	Tampa, Florida[1]
Billed from	Venice Beach, California[3] Washington, D.C. (as Mr. America)[4] Hollywood, California (as Hollywood Hogan)
Trained by	Hiro Matsuda[1]
Debut	August 10, 1977[1]
Website	hulkhogan.com

Terry Gene Bollea^[5] (born August 11, 1953),^[1] better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).^[6]

Hogan enjoyed mainstream popularity in the mid 1980s through the early 1990s as the all-American character Hulk Hogan in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF—now WWE), and was notable in the mid-to-late 1990s as Hollywood Hogan, the villainous nWo leader, in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Following the closure of WCW, he made a brief return to WWE in the early 2000s before revising his heroic character by combining elements of his two most famous personas.

Hogan was later inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. He is a 12-time world champion being a six-time WWF/WWE Champion, six-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, as well as a former WWE World Tag Team Champion with Edge. He won the Royal Rumble in 1990 and 1991, making him the first to win two consecutive Royal Rumbles. He was also the first WWE wrestler to win the WWE Championship three times. In his first reign as WCW World Heavyweight Champion, Hogan held the title for 469 days from July 17, 1994 to October 29, 1995—the longest ever reign for this championship.

Early life[link]

Hogan, born Terry Gene Bollea, was born in Augusta, Georgia, the son of Peter Bollea, a construction foreman, and Ruth, a homemaker and dance teacher. He is of Italian, French, and Panamanian heritage.^[7]

When he was one and a half years old, his family moved to Port Tampa, Florida.^[8]

As a boy, he was a pitcher in Little League Baseball. He began watching professional wrestling at 16 years old. While in high school, he revered Dusty Rhodes,^[9] and he regularly attended cards at the Tampa Sportatorium. It was at one of those wrestling cards where he first turned his attention towards "Superstar" Billy Graham and looked to him for inspiration;^[9] since he first saw Graham on TV,^[9] Hogan wanted to match his "inhuman" look.^[9] Hogan was also a skilled musician, spending ten years playing bass guitar in several Florida-based rock bands.^[2]

He went on to study at Hillsborough Community College and the University of South Florida. After music gigs began to get in the way of his time in college, Hogan decided to drop out of the University of South Florida before receiving any degree.^[10] Eventually, Hogan and two local musicians formed a band called Ruckus in 1976.^[11] The band soon became a local sensation in the Tampa Bay region.^[11]

During his spare time, Hogan would work out at Hector's Gym in the Tampa Bay area and eventually became strong enough to do big lifting.^[12] Many of the wrestlers who were competing in the Florida region visited the bars where Ruckus was performing.^[9] Among those attending his performances were Jack and Gerald Brisco,^[9] two brothers who wrestled together as a tag team in the Florida region. Impressed by Hogan's physical stature, the Brisco brothers asked Hiro Matsuda—the man who trained wrestlers working for Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF)—to make him a potential trainee.^[13] In 1976, the two brothers asked Hogan to try wrestling. Having been a wrestling fan since childhood,^[9] Hogan eventually agreed.^[14] At first, however, Mike Graham, the son of CWF promoter Eddie Graham, refused to put Hogan in the ring;^[15] according to Hogan, he met Graham while in high school and the two didn't get along.^[15] However, after Hogan quit Ruckus and started telling people in town that he was going to be a wrestler,^[15] Mike Graham finally agreed to accept the Brisco Brothers' request.

Professional wrestling career[link]

Early years (1977–1979)[link]

In the summer of 1977, after over a year of training with Matsuda,^[16] the Brisco brothers dropped by Matsuda's gym to see Hogan.^[16] During this visit, Jack Brisco handed Hogan a pair of wrestling boots and informed him that he was scheduled to wrestle his first match the following week.^[16] In his professional wrestling debut, Eddie Graham booked him against Brian Blair in Fort Myers, Florida on August 10, 1977 in Championship Wrestling from Florida.^[17][18] A short time later, Bollea donned a mask and assumed the persona of "The Super Destroyer," a hooded character first played by Don Jardine and subsequently used by other wrestlers. Hogan, however, eventually could no longer work with Hiro Matsuda,^[19] whom he felt was an overbearing trainer,^[19] and left Championship Wrestling From Florida.^[20] After declining an offer to wrestle for the Kansas City circuit,^[20] Hogan took a hiatus from wrestling and managed a private club in Cocoa Beach, Florida-known as the Anchor Club-.^[20] for a man named Whitey Bridges.^[20] Eventually, Whitey and Hogan became close friends, and decided to open a gym together;^[20] the gym would be known as Whitey and Terry's Olympic gym.^[20] Soon after, Hogan's friend Ed Leslie (later known as Brutus Beefcake) came down to Cocoa Beach to help Hogan and Bridges manage both the Anchor Club and the Whitey and Terry's Olympic Gym.^[20] On his spare time, he and Beefcake would work out in the gym together,^[20] and eventually, Beefcake developed a muscular physique;^[21] Hogan was impressed by Beefcake's physical stature and became convinced that the two of them should wrestle together as tag team partners.^[21] Depressed and yearning to return to wrestling,^[21] Hogan called Superstar Billy Graham in 1978 with hopes that Graham could find him a job wrestling outside of Florida;^[21] Graham agreed and Hogan soon joined Louie Tillet's Alabama territory.^[21] Hogan also convinced Beefcake, who had yet to become a wrestler,^[21] to come with him and promised to teach him everything he knew about the sport.^[21]

In Alabama, he and Beefcake wrestled as Terry and Ed Boulder, known as the Boulder Brothers.^[22] These early matches as a tag team with the surname Boulder being used by both men prompted a rumor among wrestling fans unaware of the inner workings of the sport that Hogan and Beefcake were brothers,^[22] as few people actually knew their real names outside of immediate friends, family, and of course the various promoters the two worked for. After wrestling a show for Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) in Memphis,^[23] Jerry Jarrett, the promoter for the (CWA), approached Hogan and Beefcake and offered them a job in his promotion for $800.00 a week;^[23] this was far more than the $175.00 a week they would make working for Tillet.^[23] Hogan and Beefcake accepted this offer and left Tillet's territory.^[23]

During his time in Memphis, Hogan appeared on a local talk show, where he sat beside Lou Ferrigno, star of the television series The Incredible Hulk.^[24] The host commented on how Terry, who stood 6 ft 7 in (201 cm) and weighed 295 pounds with 24 inch biceps, actually dwarfed "The Hulk." Watching the show backstage, Jerry Jarrett noticed that Hogan was actually bigger than Ferrigno, who was well known at the time for having large muscles.^[25] As a result, Bollea began performing as Terry "The Hulk" Boulder^[25] and sometimes wrestled as Sterling Golden.^[2]

In May 1979, Bollea had an early shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, which at the time was generally recognized as the highest honor in wrestling. In June 1979, Bollea won his first wrestling championship, the NWA Southeast Heavyweight Championship, recognized in Alabama and Tennessee when he defeated Ox Baker.

World Wrestling Federation (1979–1980)[link]

Later that year, former NWA World Champion Terry Funk introduced Bollea to the company head Vincent J. McMahon, who was impressed with his charisma and physical stature. McMahon, who wanted to use an Irish name, gave Bollea the last name Hogan, and also wanted him to dye his hair red. Hogan who said his hair was already beginning to fall out, refused to dye it and simply said "I'll be a blond irish.^[26] At this time, Hogan wrestled Bob Backlund for the World Championship,^[27] and he started his first big feud with André the Giant, which culminated in a match with André at Shea Stadium in August 1980.^[28] Hulk Hogan claims in his autobiography that he and André the Giant were the reason for the Shea gate. However, Sammartino/Zbyszko sold out everywhere they wrestled leading up the show. Hogan and Andre wrestled in White Plains, New York, drawing 1,200 in a building that held 3,500 as the main event before they wrestled at Shea. During his initial heel run in the WWF, Hogan was paired with "Classy" Freddie Blassie, a wrestler-turned-manager.

New Japan Pro Wrestling (1980–1985)[link]

A great deal of Hogan's early success was achieved in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Japanese wrestling fans were in awe of the gargantuan blond American and nicknamed him "Ichiban" (which translates to "Number One"). Hogan first appeared in Japan on May 13, 1980, while he was still with the WWF. He occasionally toured the country over the next few years, facing a wide variety of opponents ranging from Tatsumi Fujinami to Abdullah the Butcher. When competing in Japan, Hogan used a vastly different repertoire of wrestling moves, relying on more technical, traditional wrestling holds and maneuvers as opposed to the power-based, brawling style American fans became accustomed to seeing from him. Another difference is that Hogan used a running forearm lariat (called the "Axe Bomber") as his finisher in Japan instead of the running leg drop that has been his traditional finisher in America. On June 2, 1983, Hogan became the first International Wrestling Grand Prix (IWGP) tournament winner (although he held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship belt, this was not the beginning of the actual championship), defeating Japanese wrestling icon Antonio Inoki by knockout in the finals of a 10-man tournament featuring top talent from throughout the world.^[29] Hogan and Inoki also worked as partners in Japan, winning the prestigious MSG Tag League tournament two years in a row: in 1982 and 1983. Hogan's popularity in Japan was so great, he even recorded an album there—a forerunner to the World Wrestling Federation's "Rock 'n' Wrestling" of the mid 1980s.

In 1984, Hogan returned to New Japan, to wrestle Antonio Inoki in the finals of the IWGP League, in which he lost the belt by countout, thanks to interference from Riki Choshu. Hogan would also defend his WWF World title against various stars in New Japan including Inoki, Seiji Sakaguchi, and Tatsumi Fujinami among others, until the WWF ended their relationship with New Japan in October 1985.

American Wrestling Association (1981–1983)[link]

After filming his scene for Rocky III against the elder McMahon's wishes, Hogan made his debut in the American Wrestling Association, owned by Verne Gagne. Hogan started his AWA run as a heel, taking on "Luscious" Johnny Valiant as his manager, before handing the AWA title over to him. Hogan, unwilling to give up his life as a bachelor for the world title of the AWA, continued to turn down the belt. Shortly after these attempts to woo Hogan into giving Gagne more of a share of his profits and booking in Japan and attempts to bring him into the Gagne family, Hogan was lured back to the Northeast by Vincent K. McMahon, who had just recently purchased the WWF from his ailing father.

Over twenty years later, just prior to Hulk Hogan's WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2005, the revived American Wrestling Association, under the authority of owner Dale Gagner, retroactively acknowledged Hogan's two previously-overturned title wins over Nick Bockwinkel making Hogan a two-time AWA World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion.^[30] This resolution, however, has been regarded as apocryphal to most as the resurrected AWA is generally regarded as a different body than the Verne Gagne–owned AWA of old. As recently as the release of the DVD The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA, interviews between Hogan and the Gagnes show that there is still animosity between both parties indicating the unlikelihood that Hogan's AWA title reign would have been retroactively instated under the original ownership. The WWE won a lawsuit against Dale Gagner, due to trademark infringement, which declared Gagner's claims to ownership of the AWA false and as such rendered the resolution moot as WWE only recognizes twelve American world championships being attributed to Hulk Hogan, and, the AWA World Championship is not among that number.^{[citation needed]}

Return to World Wrestling Federation (1983-1993)[link]

The Birth of Hulkamania (1983–1984)[link]

Hogan as the Heavyweight Champion with Brutus Beefcake.

After purchasing the company from his father in 1982, Vincent K. McMahon had plans to expand the territory into a nationwide promotion, and he handpicked Hulk Hogan to be the company's showpiece attraction due to his charisma and name recognition. Hogan made his return at a television taping in St. Louis, Missouri on December 27, 1983 defeating Bill Dixon.^[31]

On the January 7, 1984 edition of Championship Wrestling, Hogan confirmed his face status for the WWF fans by saving Bob Backlund from a three-way assault.^[32] Hogan's turn was explained simply by Backlund: "He's changed his ways. He's a great man. He's told me he's not gonna have Blassie around." The storyline shortcut was necessary because less than three weeks later on January 23, Hogan won his first WWF Championship, pinning The Iron Sheik (who had Blassie in his corner) in Madison Square Garden.^[2][33] The storyline accompanying the victory was that Hogan was a "last minute" replacement for the Sheik's original opponent Bob Backlund,^[3] and became the champion by way of being the first man to escape the camel clutch (the Iron Sheik's finishing move).^[34] The backstage story was that the WWF Champion Bob Backlund had refused to let Hogan win the title from him, demanding that any wrestler to whom he lost the belt have a legitimate wrestling background. As a consequence, The Iron Sheik won the title from Backlund first and then dropped it to Hogan.

Immediately after the title win, commentator Gorilla Monsoon proclaimed "Hulkamania is here!" Hogan frequently referred to his fans as "Hulkamaniacs" in his interviews and introduced his three "demandments": training, saying prayers, and eating vitamins. Eventually, a fourth demandment (believing in oneself) was added during his feud with Earthquake in 1990. Hogan's ring gear developed a characteristic yellow-and-red color scheme; his ring entrances involved him ritualistically ripping his shirt off his body, flexing, and listening for audience cheers in an exaggerated manner. The majority of Hogan's matches during this time involved him wrestling heels who had been booked as unstoppable monsters, using a format which became near-routine: Hogan would deliver steady offense, but eventually lose momentum, seemingly nearing defeat. He would then experience a sudden second wind, fighting back while "feeding" off the energy of the audience, becoming impervious to attack—a process described as "Hulking up". His signature maneuvers—pointing at the opponent (which would later be accompanied by a loud "YOU!" from the audience), shaking his finger to scold him, three punches, an Irish Whip, the big boot and running leg drop—would follow and ensure him a victory. That finishing sequence would occasionally change depending on the storyline and opponent; for instance, with "Giant" wrestlers, the sequence might involve a body slam.

Over the next year, Hulk Hogan became the face of pro wrestling as McMahon pushed the WWF into a pop culture enterprise with The Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection on MTV, drawing record houses, pay-per-view buyrates, and television ratings in the process. The centerpiece attraction for the first WrestleMania on March 31, 1985, Hogan teamed with legit friend Mr. T to defeat his archrival "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff.^[2][35] On the first edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, Hogan successfully defended the WWF title against Cowboy Bob Orton in a match which Hogan won by a disqualification.^[36]

Hogan was named the most requested celebrity of the 1980s for the Make-a-Wish Foundation children's charity. He was featured on the covers of Sports Illustrated, TV Guide, and People magazines, while also appearing on The Tonight Show and having his own CBS Saturday morning cartoon titled Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling. Hogan, as the premier WWF icon, headlined eight of the first nine WrestleMania events. He also co-hosted Saturday Night Live on March 30, 1985 during this lucrative run. AT&T reported that his 900 number information line was the single biggest 900 number from 1991 to 1993. Hogan operated the 900 number through his stint in WWF and then recreated it when he joined World Championship Wrestling.^[37]

WWF Champion (1984–1988)[link]

On the October 5, 1985 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, he successfully defended the title against Nikolai Volkoff in a flag match.^[38] He met long-time rival Roddy Piper in a WWF title match at the Wrestling Classic pay-per-view (PPV) event. Hogan retained the title by disqualification after Bob Orton interfered and hit Hogan with his cast.^[39] Hogan had many challengers in the way as the new year began. Throughout 1986, Hogan made successful title defenses against challengers such as Terry Funk,^[40] "The Magnificent" Don Muraco,^[41] King Kong Bundy (in a steel cage match at WrestleMania 2),^[42] Paul Orndorff,^[43] and Hercules Hernandez.^[44]

In the fall of 1986, Hogan occasionally wrestled in tag matches with The Machines as Hulk Machine under a mask copied from New Japan Pro Wrestling gimmick "Super Strong Machine."^[1][45] At WrestleMania III in 1987, Hogan was booked to defend the title against André the Giant, who had been the sport's premier star and was pushed as undefeated for the previous two decades. A new storyline was introduced in early 1987; Hogan was presented a trophy for being the WWF Champion for three consecutive years.^[46] André the Giant, a good friend came out to congratulate him.^[47] Shortly afterward, André was presented a slightly smaller trophy for being "undefeated in the WWF for 15 years."^[46] Hogan came out to congratulate André, who walked out in the midst of Hogan's speech. Then, on an edition of Piper's Pit, Hogan was confronted by Bobby Heenan, who announced that André was his new protégé, and Andre challenged Hogan to a title match at WrestleMania III.^{[47][48][49][50]} At WrestleMania III, Hogan successfully defended the WWF World Heavyweight Championship against André the Giant. During the match, Hogan bodyslammed the 520-pound Frenchman (which was dubbed "the bodyslam heard around the world") and won the match after a leg drop.^[48][51]