Andre the Giant

Andre Roussimoff , known as the giant Shoed (but so known under the name of Andre the Giant in North America) (May 19th 1946, Coulommiers (Seine-et-Marne; France) - January 27th 1993, Paris) was a star of the Catch in the United States thanks to the famous career which it made with WWE (in the past the WWF - World Wrestling Federation). It is, with its trainer Edouard Carpentier, one of only French to have made career in the world of North-American wrestling. It is also one of the rare French personalities to be more known and popular in the rest of the world which in its own country. His/her father was of Bulgarian origin and his Polish mother. He suffered from Acromégalie. Andre is deceased of an heart attack in Paris in 1993 a few days after the death of his father, Boris.

Biography

Andre was born in Coulommiers, in the Seine and Marne, because the pregnancy with given some problems to the mother of Andre, Marianne during the childbirth.

The figures which circulated about it of 2,23 m (7 feet, 4 inches) and 245 kilograms (540 pounds Anglo-Saxon) nevertheless were exaggerated, in order to make the character even more impressive. Actually, it is thought that André measured approximately 2,18 m for a weight ranging between 200 and 250 kg . But its employer Vince McMahon, owner of WWE, wished to promote it like “the largest athlete of the world” . However at the same time, the true larger athlete of the world was the basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar which measured 2,18 m (7 feet, 2 inches), from where need for cheating on the size of Andre.

Noticed by Edouard Carpentier (a former all-in wrestler become to manage) at the 17 years age whereas it made a removal in Paris thanks to his imposing size, André begins in the world from wrestling in 1970 and becomes as of the same year champion by team of federation IWA. It catche mainly with the Canada and the Japan, under various names insisting on its stature.

Its career takes off truly in 1973 when Edouard Carpentier presents it to Vince McMahon Sr., president of the WWE (federation of wrestling which will take then the name of WWF under the direction of the son of Vince, Vince McMahon, and calls today WWE). It begins with the Madison Square Garden from New York under the name of André the Giant, and immediately creates sensation thanks to its physique except standard, but also its mobility surprising for a man of this stoutness.

Andre quickly becomes a star of wrestling. He was the first all-in wrestler to make the cover of the largest magazine of American sport in 1981, Sports Illustrated and especially, the first French sportsman who had as many pages. The second was Yannick Noah at the time of her gained final with Roland Garros.

Nevertheless, it will not gain that only once the belt of world champion of the heavy trucks of the WWF, becoming only French of the history of wrestling to have obtained this title.

In the Years 1980, with the arrival of Hulk Hogan, André lost his mobility and McMahon needed a successor. Hogan and André thus become rival on the boxing rings. In 1987 is held one of the great confrontations of the history of wrestling: Wrestlemania III , which is held in Silverdome of Pontiac in the Michigan in front of 93.000 spectators (a record of audience for a spectacle in room in the United States, which was beaten only by one visit of the Pope Jean-Paul II) and of the million of televiewers. The event of the evening is the match between André and Hogan for the championship of the world of the heavy trucks. Hogan détrône Andre after having raised it then projected with the carpet.

Like all the people reached of Gigantism, André suffers from many health issues which move away it from the boxing rings. He continues nevertheless catcher in Asia, until December 1992 but its matches are very different: the movements him having become painful, André is then almost motionless at the time of the engagements.

In January 1993, the giant dies out in his hotel room in Paris where it had moved to attend the burial of his father rather some days.

The character

With its death, the WWF creates, to pay homage to him, the WWF Hall off Famed of which he will be the first member. Thereafter, other legendary names will join to it his with the the Pantheon larger stars of wrestling.
André Roussimoff remains in the history of wrestling like the fighter the most impressive to be put foot on a boxing ring. None the giant which followed it (Giant Gonzalez, Giant Haystacks, The Giant, Giant Singh) reached like him it statute of icon of the popular culture.
Andre was known to be a jovial fellow and a man of a great kindness. It is probably what makes of him the all-in wrestler more loved of all, unlike Hulk Hogan, very popular certainly, but also considered by good number of fans as a man egocentric person and antipathetic in the real life.
It never affirmed not to have tested all the extent of its force of fear of wounding somebody. It is known nevertheless that it was able to only reverse a car with him . One of its more famous photographs shows it simultaneously raising 4 young women with the force of the arms. The force of Andre was quite real, and good number of those which faced it were of it really afraid.

Anecdotes

In 1987 leaves Princess Bride , a film of adventures signed Rob Reiner. Andre holds to with it the role of Fezzik, a giant a little simpleton, amateur of rhymes, equipped with a superhuman force and a large heart. The film has today a statute worship and the service of Andre, failing to reveal a great talent of actor, enabled him to gain the affection of an audience larger than that of the only amateurs of wrestling. He also played in Conan the destructor , the ideal Mother (1994), in two episodes of the Man who was worth three billion , etc

See too

Internal bonds

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