Andre the Giant

andre the giant was the 1st inductee into the wwf wrestling hall of fame and one of the best known wrestlers of all time. he had heart and will always be a wrestling legend.

With all due respect and kudos to Andre, the Good Will Ambassador of Professional Wrestling, where's Classy Freddie Blassie on this list?  Not only was The Sailor one of the great champions during his ring days, but later went on to be perhaps the greatest manager ever.  The Fashionplate of Wrestling was one of the best interviews, and The Butcher was one of the few wrestling figures who achieved some crossover attention in other areas of entertainment.  And, after all, he is the man who coined the expression, "Pencil-necked geek."  As "The Vampire," he had a huge following in Japan.  Five stars for Andre, five-plus for Blassie.

Probably my favorite of all!!! Loved to watch him as a kid!

One of the Best used to whip the iron sheik like a ragdoll

His wrestling was limited, but was the face of Pro wrestling before the Hulkster

a wrestling icon.I can not rate higher than 2.5 though,when compared to others on this list.Andre had unique opportunities not available to other wrestlers.I was amazed in the 70s when even though massive in size he could move well in the ring.Outside of that he possessed little in ring or interview skills.He was pretty much relegated to the role of a novelty item.

Andre the Giant is the most colossal attraction in wrestling history. He was a great person and a great wrestler and knew how to tell a story in the ring. He also was very entertaining in the Heenan Family and played out his character to perfection. He even would go to the top rope despite his size. Andre had immeasurable strength and never lost a match the first 15 years of his career. He is the only wrestler ever where calling him a legend would be an understatement. At WrestleMania III he wrestled the greatest anticipated match of all time with Hogan that drew more people than any Super Bowl. It was the greatest PPV ever. One night at a bar two guys told him he wasnt really tough. When they got into their car Andre turned the car over and left. When the police arrived the guys told them that an angry Giant did it to them and the police thought the guys were out of their mind. On a scale of 1-5 he should be a 500. Andre The Giant lived his life according to his size. Larger than Life... Read more

Andre the Giant was undefeated for 16 years in the united states. He suffered several clean pinfalls/submission losses, most notably in Japan to the likes of Antonio Inoki, Tatsumi Fujinami and Akira Maeda. In Mexico he lost by submission to the legendary masked man El Canek. Early in his career andre as a brilliant tactician and ring psychologist. He was quite agile and phenominally popular. So popular that he was second only to Muhammad Ali in world wide rocignitiion. Andre held several regoinal tag titles in addition to holding the WWF world singles and tag team titles(with Haku/Meng). Andre was well respected in the locker room as well, so much so that all of the wrestlers caleld him "BOSS". A kind hearted soul with a heart of gold, with a real soft spot for the children and the disabled. He was a legend and the bars and resturants where he would consume enormus amounts of food, wine and beer. Andre the giant was huge when most wrestler were merely big. He will go down as on... Read more

Big star lousy wrestler.

The honourary five stars. I pity anyone who never saw him wrestle in real life. He was like Everest, no wonder they used to put himin matches against two and three guys. And he'd win! Handily! I remember reading once that he measured his career by the quality of his opponents not by his championships and he fought the best of the best for three generations of wrestling. I bet few people remember his role as babyface in his classic feud with dreaded WWF newcomer and heel (and managed by Classy Freddy Blassie no less)Hulk Hogan.

In Andre's case,it's fortunate wrestling "isn't legit",he'd probably kill everybody.In a ridiculous boxer-wrestler match-up,Chuck Wepner "gave Andre his best shot" and his arm bent like a pretzel;Andre,then picked him up and tossed him at least a mile.

Andre was the indeed a Giant of a man. A lot of people get confused about how tall he really was. The WWF billed him at the hieght of 7'4. That was not his real hieght. I seen him wrestle in my hometown back in 1989 and he was at best only 6'7. He was big all over though and he probably did weight about 500lbs. Wrestling always exagerates the heights of wrestlers. Anyone that thinks he was taller than this is just in a fantasy frame of mind!, hence johndoe!.

A great person!

It is a shame that this great man (and wrestler) did not hold the WWF (now WWE) World Heavyweight Title for long. As great as Hulk Hogan was to wrestling, Andre the Giant was a humble and kind man who genuinely loved the fans. In great pain throughout his entire life, the amiable Andre delighted fans with his literally larger-than-life presence. Regretfully, fans (who did not know better) turned against him when he was told to turn heel, throwing trash at him (and Bobby Heenan) in Wrestlemania III- which essentially broke his heart. But he is fondly remembered today as a gentle giant and an ambassador of the sport he so pleased many.

He is the pinnacle of what every wrestler should be, always a team player and took his job very seriously. Many people only remember the Andre of later years when due to his health he could barely move, but did his best anyways unlike some of todays superstars who just wing it. This was wrestlings first legitimate superstar and the reasons for this was the way he carried himself, how he did what he could to help other wrestlers and put on the best show he could every night. Every single wrestler in the locker room respected him. His matches always had the crowd on their feet and he packed auditoriums wherever he went. A tv and movie star on occassion but wrestling was always his first love. He performed right till his death in 1993 and his match with hogan was the biggest match in history. Anyone who says this man was overrated has absolutlely no clue about him or wrestling in general. This man is the benchmark that all other wrestlers are compared to! For the record Andre was 6'11.

The idiot on this list who said Andre the Giant was 6'7 at best... is just that, an idiot!!! That is how tall Hogan is... and Andre towered over him. Get the facts straight or don't post! Not an incredible wrestler, but an icon nevertheless.

I have a lot of doubts to exactly call him a wrestler, but a legend no doubt. I credit him the most for the transition of Pro wrestling to the form of entertainment it is today, more so than even Hogan or Flair. He is the one man who awed the world with his physicality and character as a 'giant' and turned the spotlight onto Pro Wrestling. In fact, without Andre I wouldn't be sure if Hogan would have reached legendary status.

a wrestling legend

Couldn't really understand what he was saying. His size was his only strongpoint, didn't really have exceptional skills. This man could out drink anybody though. They said he could drink 2 bottles of hard liquor, 30 beers and be buzzed. crazy

Overrated.... Big SLOW ..couldn't speak. I never understood the hype around him at all other then the fact he was so big. Pretty much anyone in wrestling could have really beaten him (if it was real that is....lol)

He Is One Greatest Giant We Every Had 1946-1993 He Show What WWE Is About I Miss Him Very Much He Had Amazing Undefeated Record I Wish He Hadn't Turn Heel Every Wants See Andre Face He Earn Repect Millions Of People And Familes

Look, everyone of you is waaay off. I personally have met Andre the Giant on two ocassions, once when I was 12 at Madison square garden, and once again when i was 22 in Lakeland FL. I was obsessed with wrestler's height's at the time, He gave me his autograph, and I asked him how tall he really was. He told me that he did not know for sure what his height was, but his personal handler knew, and I should ask him. His handler said that at age 24, Andre was legitamately measured at 7'1.5 ... and i believe him, because when i was 12, he had to duck to go through the 7 foot tall doorways in madison square garden. When i was 22, he was shorter, after having had two back surgeries.. about 6'11

Probally one of the best wrestlers of all time. Rest In Peace, Andre.

Until about 1995 I was sure that Andre' was 7'4 or 7'5. Then I have read in a book ( written by Dave Meltzer ) that he was only about 6'9. Now I read that he was 6'7 at best !!!!!! That's the reason I call him Andre' the Midget. At the beginning of his career they said he was 2.35 !! That's ridicolous, for God's sake !!!!!!!!!!!! Anyway , even if he was short, he was very very strong, and really a great champion !

Andre! Have one on me big guy!

Andre the Giant has a posse. OBEY GIANT.

a credit to wrestling. Just a decent person.

A true Giant of the industry there will never be another Andre.

It is said that it took this guy a 30-pack and a liter of vodka to get drunk.

THERE IS NO ONE BIGGER, OR BETTER, AND I LOVED THAT HAIR! HIS BARBER MUST HAVE NEEDED 4 PAIRS OF SNIPS FOR DAT FUNKY DOO!

I am very curious about Andre's true height. I don't think he was 7'4", probably the wrestling organizators exaggerated his dimension ! He didn't looked much taller than Hulk Hogan and Hogan is about as tall as "the Rock" . I have talked with an american person who saw Andre' in person in Bayonne, New Jersey, in 1988. He told me that he was not taller than 7'1". Does anyone know the thruth ? Was Andre' ever seriously measured ? I think he was about 6'9". Am I wrong ? Anyway, no doubt in my mind he was one of the greatest wrestlers of all times !

Rest In Peace, Andre. May your soul be happy and free.

he was ok nothing great he was not very interesting except for freak size ands strenth saw his life story on tv sounds like he was a great guy out of the ring and off camera but did not do anything for me as a wresting fan

biggest mistake he ever made (losing to Hogan) you see a man willing to do the right thing (pass the torch Hogan's been clinging to ever since) with no real desire to hurt anyone that didn't ask for it. Remember that in that match Hogan was genuinely scared (repeatedly asking promoters 'Are you sure he's gonna go down?') and that it was Hogan in his prime against Andre well out of his, already well into his decline. Remember, this is a man who once flipped over a car with poeple in it because they were making fun of him and who, considering his size alone (7'4" and literally over 500 lbs.) didn't have to take a fall for anyone. How many of today's pretty boys can bench press 500+ lbs.? ...alot of smaller wrestlers bench 500 lbs how peaceful was him flipping that car over and who wouldn't be scared of him..he did the right thing jobing for Hogan..hello he was just big no wrestling skillz...great personality god bless him but gotta take all veiws into perspective when rating him

We'll never see his like again. They now have treatments for the thyroid problem that made him what he was and ultimately killed him. But what made him great, in the end, was that , at heart, he truely was a 'gentle giant'. Watch any of his interviews or those of the people who knew and worked with him and you'll see a portrait of a man who wanted to be loved. Even when you consider the biggest mistake he ever made (losing to Hogan) you see a man willing to do the right thing (pass the torch Hogan's been clinging to ever since) with no real desire to hurt anyone that didn't ask for it. Remember that in that match Hogan was genuinely scared (repeatedly asking promoters 'Are you sure he's gonna go down?') and that it was Hogan in his prime against Andre well out of his, already well into his decline. Remember, this is a man who once flipped over a car with poeple in it because they were making fun of him and who, considering his size alone (7'4" and literally over 500 lbs.) didn't ... Read more

The true giant of wrestling. It can be argued that maybe he should've passed the torch to someone other than hogan but at least we we're blessed to have him. Was he a great wrestler? maybe not, but he was a sight. Truely the 8th wonder of the world

great big man ..unbeatable like the big show...great smile..no mic skillz or wrestling skillz..lost of respect for jobbing it for some wrestling losers

he was big people...lotz of respect ...nome could have beat him but just like the Big Show he did jobs..he was amazing to watch but that was it

andre the giant drank a slab between melbourne and ballarat. for all you non aussies out there, thats an hours drive!!!

Andre will always be in the pages of wrestling history. When he wrestled someone you knew that you were gonna see a big show!!Others can try to imitate him, but, no one can come close. After his death, many little details of his life came out. He was intelligent and enjoyed life (maybe too much). But, for some reason, I think that the powers of be, over used him and maybe abused him as well. With his condition, he shouldn't of been allowed to wrestle until he did...He was a big teddy bear, but, if you got him mad, oh boy he would kick your booty all over the place. He is missed by many, I grew up watching him when wrestling was fun and a family program....

In his prime, he was amazingly agile for a man of his great stature. He made for a great heel in the Hogan feud from 1987. It's too bad that they couln't have hooked up when Andre was in better shape. By 1897, his body was shot, but he still produced one of the most talked about and watched matches - ever!

Except no imitations that the "WWE" might try to throw at you as being the "big show" or the "greatest" because Andre The Giant is the greatest of all time!

I'll blow off kayfabe here and tell you the Andre I knew. He was in his later years a very irratible and gruff man who generally loathed the public. Years of being gawked at combined with constant headaches drowned by astonishing alcohol consumption left him as one of the most tragic figures I ever encountered. That looks horrible as I read it back to myself but its the sad truth. He had his moments of great kindness and if he liked you could be the living definition of the gentle giant. Towards the end he began to stoop as his infliction slowly killed him and resigned himself to a home not far from mine in Aiken, SC where his ashes are now spread. He only felt at peace there. Andre's 15 year winning streak was a lie passed on the public by Vince McMahon but he didn't have to lose a match ever. WM3 was indeed Andre's defining moment. Because he loved the sport he agreed to loose to Hogan who was absolutely petrified that Andre wouldn't go through with it. Unfortunately Hogan doesn't gi... Read more

HE IS TIGHT/SWEET

Andre was an unstoppable giant who ran a 15 year undefeated streak. Goldberg who?

The best, nearly, there ever was

It makes me happy to know that this guy found such a great venue for himself. You know if you saw him working in a pizza hut somewhere and he opened his mouth and in his deep slow spoken, slurred speech asked you if Pepsi was okay instead of Coke you would probably have giggled behind his back and commented on what a freakazoid that guy waiting your table was. So here's this huge awkward moving, bulbous looking man who somehow was able to find a place in this world where he could not only make a very good living but also become admired by so many people. Hats off to Andre in what appears to have been a life well led. I leave you with this thought "If there are rocks ahead,..we'll all be dead!" How true my friend how true.