André the Giant

French professional wrestler and actor (1946–1993)

For the film, see André the Giant (film).

André the Giant

André the Giant in the late 1980s.

Birth name| André René Roussimoff
Born| (1946-05-19)19 May 1946
Coulommiers, Seine-et-Marne, France
Died| 28 January 1993(1993-01-28) (aged 46)[1]
Paris, France
Cause of death| Congestive heart failure
Children| 1[2]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)| André Roussimoff
André the Giant
André
Géant Ferré[3]
Giant Machine
Jean Ferré[3]
Monster Roussimoff
Billed height| 7 ft 4 in (224 cm)[4][5][6][7][8][9]
Billed weight| 520 lb (236 kg)[4][5][9][10]
Billed from| "Grenoble in the French Alps"
Trained by| Michel Saulnier[11]
Debut| 25 January 1966[12][13]

André René Roussimoff (French: [ɑ̃dʁe ʁəne ʁusimɔf]; 19 May 1946 – 28 January 1993), better known by his ring name André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. Roussimoff was known for his great size, which was a result of gigantism caused by excess growth hormone. It also led to him being called "The Eighth Wonder of the World".[14][15]

Beginning his career in 1966, Roussimoff relocated to North America in 1971. From 1973 to the mid-1980s, Roussimoff was booked by World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) promoter Vincent J. McMahon as a roving "special attraction" who wrestled for promotions throughout the United States, as well as in Japan for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. During the 1980s wrestling boom, Roussimoff became a mainstay of the WWWF (by then renamed the World Wrestling Federation), being paired with the villainous manager Bobby Heenan and feuding with Hulk Hogan. The two headlined WrestleMania III in 1987, and in 1988, he defeated Hogan to win the WWF Championship, his sole world heavyweight championship, on the first episode of The Main Event. As his WWF career wound down after WrestleMania VI in 1990, Roussimoff wrestled primarily for All Japan Pro-Wrestling, usually alongside Giant Baba, until his sudden death.

After his death in 1993, Roussimoff became the inaugural inductee into the newly created WWF Hall of Fame. He was later a charter member of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame and the Professional 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."[16] Outside of wrestling, Roussimoff is best known for appearing as Fezzik, the giant in the 1987 film The Princess Bride.

## Contents

* 1 Early life
* 2 Professional wrestling career
* 2.1 Early career (1964–1973)
* 2.2 Touring special attraction (1973–1984)
* 2.3 World Wrestling Federation (1984–1991)
* 2.3.1 Feud with the Heenan Family (1984–1987)
* 2.3.2 Alliance with Bobby Heenan (1987–1989)
* 2.3.3 Colossal Connection (1989–1990)
* 2.3.4 Sporadic appearances (1990–1991)
* 2.4 All Japan Pro Wrestling; Universal Wrestling Association (1990–1992)
* 3 Acting career
* 3.1 Filmography
* 4 Personal life
* 5 Death
* 6 Other media
* 7 Legacy
* 7.1 Biopics
* 8 Championships and accomplishments
* 9 See also
* 10 References
* 11 Further reading
* 12 External links

## Early life[edit | edit source]

André René Roussimoff was born on 19 May 1946[17] in Coulommiers, Seine-et-Marne,[18] the son of immigrants Boris Roussimoff (1907–1993) and Mariann Roussimoff Stoeff (1910–1997); his father was Bulgarian and his mother was Polish.[19] 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 of gigantism, and was noted as "a good head taller than other kids", with abnormally long hands.[20] In a 1970s television interview, Roussimoff stated that his mother was 5 feet 2 inches tall and his father 6 feet 2 inches tall, and that according to his father his grandfather was 7 feet 8 inches tall.[21] By the time he was 12, Roussimoff stood 191 cm (6 ft 3 in).

Roussimoff was an average student, though good at mathematics. After finishing school at 14, as he did not think higher education was necessary for a farm laborer, he joined the workforce; contrary to popular legend, he did not drop out of school, as compulsory education in France at the time ended at 14.[22]

Roussimoff spent years working on his father's farm in Molien, where, according to his brother Jacques, he could perform the work of three men. He also completed an apprenticeship in woodworking, and next worked in a factory that manufactured engines for hay balers. None of these brought him any satisfaction.[23] While Roussimoff was growing up in the 1950s, the Irish playwright Samuel Beckett was one of several adults who sometimes drove local children to school, including Roussimoff and his siblings.[24] They had a surprising amount of common ground and bonded over their love of cricket, with Roussimoff recalling that the two rarely talked about anything else.[25]

## Professional wrestling career[edit | edit source]

### Early career (1964–1973)[edit | edit source]

André the Giant in the early 1970s

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.[23] Roussimoff was billed as "Géant Ferré", a name based on the Picardian folk hero Grand Ferré, and began wrestling in Paris and nearby areas. Canadian promoter and wrestler Frank Valois met Roussimoff in 1966, years later to become his business manager and adviser. Roussimoff began making a name for himself wrestling in the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and Africa.[23]

He made his Japanese debut for the International Wrestling Enterprise in 1970, billed as "Monster Roussimoff".[26] Wrestling as both a singles and tag-team competitor, he quickly was made the company's tag-team champion alongside Michael Nador.[26][27] During his time in Japan, doctors first informed Roussimoff that he suffered from acromegaly.[23]

Roussimoff next moved to Montreal, Canada in 1971, where he became an immediate success, regularly selling out the Montreal Forum.[28] Promoters eventually ran out of plausible opponents for him and, as the novelty of his size wore off, the gate receipts dwindled.[23] Roussimoff was defeated by Adnan Al-Kaissie in Baghdad in 1971,[29] and wrestled numerous times in 1971 for Verne Gagne's American Wrestling Association (AWA) as a special attraction.

### Touring special attraction (1973–1984)[edit | edit source]

In 1973, Vincent J. McMahon, founder of the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), suggested several changes to Roussimoff's booking.[30] 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 as dropkicks (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,[31][32] to keep him from becoming overexposed in any area.[23] Promoters had to guarantee Roussimoff a certain amount of money as well as pay McMahon's WWF booking fee.[33]

File:A "Destroyer" and André the Giant - Wrestling Revue June 1973 page 18 (cropped).jpg

Roussimoff wrestling a "local competitor" in June 1973

On 24 March 1973, Roussimoff debuted in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (later World Wrestling Federation) as a fan favorite, defeating Frank Valois and Bull Pometti in a handicap match in Philadelphia. Two days later he made his debut in New York's Madison Square Garden, defeating Buddy Wolfe.[34][31][35]

Roussimoff was one of professional wrestling's most beloved babyfaces 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 to WrestleMania III. He had lost matches outside of the WWF: pinfall losses to Don Leo Jonathan in Montreal in 1972,[36] two draws and a count out lost to The Sheik in Toronto in 1974[37] after a fireball was thrown in Andre's face, knockout to Jerry Lawler in Memphis in 1975,[38] draw with Bobo Brazil at a battle royal in Detroit in 1976,[39] Ronnie Garvin in Knoxville in 1978,[40] and Canek in Mexico in 1984 and submission losses in Japan to Strong Kobayashi in 1972[41] and Antonio Inoki in 1986.[42][43] He also had sixty-minute time-limit draws with the two major world champions of the day, Harley Race and Nick Bockwinkel.

In 1976, Roussimoff fought professional boxer Chuck Wepner in an unscripted boxer-versus-wrestler fight. The wild fight was shown via telecast as part of the undercard of the Muhammad 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 with Hulk 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 third Showdown 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 in Rochester, New York by leaping off the top rope and crashing down upon it with his knee-drop.[44] In reality, he had broken his ankle getting out of bed the morning before the match.[23][45] The injury and subsequent rehabilitation was worked into the existing Roussimoff/Khan storyline. After a stay at Beth 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 a double disqualification.[46] Their feud continued as fans filled arenas up and down the east coast to witness their matches. On 14 November 1981 at the Philadelphia 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.[47] 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.

### World Wrestling Federation (1984–1991)[edit | edit source]

#### Feud with the Heenan Family (1984–1987)[edit | edit source]

In 1982, Vincent J. McMahon sold the World Wide Wrestling Federation to his son, Vince McMahon[48] 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 for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).[49]

Roussimoff feuded with Big John Studd over which of the two men was the "true giant" of wrestling.[44] 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 partner Ken Patera knocked out Roussimoff during a televised tag-team match and proceeded to cut off his hair.[44] After gaining revenge on Patera, Roussimoff met Studd in a "body slam challenge" at the first WrestleMania, held 31 March 1985, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.[50] 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.[51]

André the Giant and Hillbilly Jim versus King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd in an 21 October 1985 tag team match at Madison Square Garden.

At WrestleMania 2 on 7 April 1986, Roussimoff continued to display his dominance by winning a twenty-man battle royal which featured top National Football League stars and wrestlers.[52] He last eliminated Bret Hart to win the contest.[53]

Following a final tour with New Japan Pro-Wrestling in mid-1986, Roussimoff began appearing exclusively with the World Wrestling Federation.

After WrestleMania 2, Roussimoff continued his feud with Studd and King 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 film The 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 president Jack Tunney indefinitely suspended him.[54] 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 as the Machines.[17] Big Machine and Super Machine were the other members; Hulk Hogan (as "Hulk Machine") and Roddy Piper (as "Piper Machine") were also one-time members. The WWF's television announcers sold the Machines—a gimmick that was copied from the New Japan Pro-Wrestling character "Super Strong Machine", played by Japanese wrestler Junji Hirata,[55] —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.

#### Alliance with Bobby Heenan (1987–1989)[edit | edit source]

See also: André the Giant–Hulk Hogan rivalry and Heenan Family

Roussimoff (right) was managed by Bobby Heenan (foreground) during parts of his feud with Hulk Hogan.

Roussimoff agreed to turn heel in early 1987 to be the counter to the biggest "babyface" in professional wrestling at that time, Hulk Hogan.[56] On an edition of Piper's Pit in 1987, Hogan was presented a trophy for being the WWF World Heavyweight Champion for three years; Roussimoff came out to congratulate him, shaking Hogan's hand with a strong grip, which surprised the Hulkster.[57] On the following week's Piper's Pit, Roussimoff was presented a slightly smaller trophy for being "the only undefeated wrestler in wrestling history." Although he 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 him and ended up being the focal point of the interview. Apparently annoyed, he walked out in the midst of Hogan's speech.[58][59] A discussion between Roussimoff and Hogan was scheduled, and on a Piper's Pit that aired 7 February 1987, the two met.[60] 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 at WrestleMania 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.[61]

Following Hogan's acceptance of his challenge on a later edition of Piper's Pit, the two were part of a 20-man over-the-top-rope battle-royal on 14 March edition of Saturday Night's Main Event X at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.[62] Although the battle royal was won by Hercules, 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,[62] aired only two weeks before WrestleMania III to make it seem like Hogan had met his match in André the Giant.[63]

At WrestleMania III, he was billed at 520 lb (236 kg),[5] and the stress of such immense weight on his bones and joints resulted in constant pain.[23] After recent back surgery, he was also wearing a brace underneath his wrestling singlet.[64] 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.[5] Years later, Hogan claimed that Roussimoff was so heavy, he felt more like 320 kg (700 lb), and that he tore his latissimus dorsi muscle when slamming him.

Another myth about the match is that no one, not even WWF owner Vince 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 the Showdown 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 in Hamburg, Pennsylvania, a month later).[65] 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 allowed Harley Race, El Canek and Stan Hansen, among others, to slam him).[66][67]

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 inaugural Survivor 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 and One Man Gang, and would be counted out. Roussimoff went on to be the sole survivor of the match, pinning Bam Bam Bigelow[68] 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 on Saturday 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 he no-sold) for him to let go, after which Hogan was pulled to safety. As was the case with the SNME 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.

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.[69] 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, 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 on The 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 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,[70] but was revealed to have been his evil twin brother, Earl Hebner),[71] made a three count on Hogan while his shoulders were 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.[72] This was shown on WWF's NBC program The Main Event. At WrestleMania 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 at WrestleFest on 31 July 1988, in Milwaukee. Hogan was the winner.

Roussimoff's feud with Jake Roberts derived from Roussimoff's fear of snakes.

At the inaugural SummerSlam pay-per-view held at Madison Square Garden, Roussimoff and DiBiase (billed as The Mega Bucks) faced Hogan and WWF World Heavyweight Champion "Macho Man" Randy Savage (known as The Mega Powers) in the main event, with Jesse "The Body" Ventura as the special guest referee.[73] 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 with Jim 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 against Jake "The Snake" Roberts. In this storyline, it was said Roussimoff was afraid of snakes, something Roberts exposed on Saturday Night's Main Event when he threw his snake, Damien, on the frightened Roussimoff; as a result, he suffered a kayfabe 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 at WrestleMania 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, he engaged in a brief feud, consisting almost entirely of house shows (non-televised events), and one televised match on October 28, 1989 at Madison Square Garden with then-Intercontinental Champion The Ultimate Warrior. The younger Warrior, WWF's rising star, regularly squashed the aging Roussimoff in an attempt to showcase his star quality and promote him as the "next big thing".[74][75]

#### Colossal Connection (1989–1990)[edit | edit source]

Main article: Colossal Connection

In late 1989, Roussimoff 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 Roussimoff in the main event spotlight. His last singles match was a loss to The Ultimate Warrior in 20 seconds at a house show in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on 11 December 1989.[76] 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 13 December 1989, the Colossal Connection defeated Demolition to win the titles.[77] Roussimoff and Haku successfully defended their title, mostly against Demolition, until WrestleMania VI on 1 April 1990, when Demolition took advantage of a mistimed move by the champions to regain the belts.[78] After the match, a furious Heenan blamed Roussimoff for the title loss and after shouting at him, slapped him in the face; an angry Roussimoff responded with a slap of his own that sent Heenan staggering from the ring.[79] Roussimoff also caught Haku's kick attempt, sending him reeling from the ring as well, prompting support for Roussimoff and turning him face for the first time since 1987. Due to his ongoing health issues, Roussimoff was not able 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 with Giant Baba to defeat Demolition in a non-title match. Roussimoff would win by gaining the pinfall on Smash.[80]

#### Sporadic appearances (1990–1991)[edit | edit source]

Roussimoff returned in the winter of 1990, but it was not to the World Wrestling Federation. Instead, Roussimoff made an interview appearance for Herb Abrams' fledgling Universal Wrestling Federation on 11 October in Reseda, California.[81] (the segment aired in 1991). He appeared in an interview segment with Captain Lou Albano and put over the UWF.[82] 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 in Miami, FL two months later). Roussimoff was also mentioned as a participant on television but would ultimately back out due to a leg injury.[83]

His on-air return finally took place at the WWF's Super-Stars & Stripes Forever USA Network special on 17 March 1991, when he came out to shake the hand of The Big Boss Man after an altercation with Mr. Perfect.[84] The following week at WrestleMania VII, he came to the aid of the Boss Man in his match against Mr. Perfect.[85] Roussimoff finally returned to action on 26 April 1991, in a six-man tag-team matchup when he teamed with The Rockers in a winning effort against Mr. Fuji and The Orient Express at a house show in Belfast, Northern Ireland.[86] On 11 May he participated in a 17-man battle-royal at a house show in Detroit, which was won by Kerry Von Erich.[87] 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, and Mr. 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 on WWF Superstars to announce that he had successfully signed Roussimoff to tag-team with Earthquake. When asked to confirm this by Gene Okerlund, Roussimoff denied the claims. This led to Earthquake's attacking Roussimoff from behind (injuring his knee).[88] Jimmy Hart would later get revenge for the humiliation by secretly signing Tugboat and forming the Natural Disasters.[89] This led to Roussimoff's final major WWF appearance at SummerSlam 1991, where he seconded the Bushwhackers in their match against the Disasters.[90] 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.

### All Japan Pro Wrestling; Universal Wrestling Association (1990–1992)[edit | edit source]

After WrestleMania VI, Roussimoff spent the rest of his in-ring career in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and Mexico's Universal 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 with Giant Baba in tag-team matches.[91]

Roussimoff made a couple of guest appearances for Herb Abrams' Universal Wrestling Federation, in 1991, feuding with Big John Studd, though he never had a match in the promotion.

In his last U.S. television appearance, Andre appeared on World Championship Wrestling's (WCW) Clash of the Champions XX special that aired on TBS on 2 September 1992, where he gave a brief interview.[92] During the same event, he appeared alongside Gordon 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 alongside Bam Bam Bigelow and a variety of Lucha Libre stars facing among others Bad News Allen and future WWF Champions Mick Foley & Yokozuna.[93] 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 and Rusher Kimura to defeat Haruka Eigen, Masanobu Fuchi, and Motoshi Okuma.[94]

## Acting career[edit | edit source]

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 series The Six Million Dollar Man.[95] He appeared in other television shows, including The Greatest American Hero, B. J. and the Bear, The Fall Guy and 1990's Zorro.

Towards the end of his career, Roussimoff appeared in several films. He had an uncredited appearance in the 1984 film Conan the Destroyer as Dagoth,[96] the resurrected horned giant god who is killed by Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger). That same year, he also made an appearance in Micki & Maude (billed as André Rousimmoff). He appeared most notably as Fezzik, his own favorite role,[34] in the 1987 film The Princess Bride. The fact that Roussimoff found that no one stared at him on set during production was a novel and particularly gratifying experience.[97] Both the film and his performance retain a devoted following. In a short interview with Lanny 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?".[98]

In his last film, he had a cameo role as a circus giant in the comedy Trading Mom, which was released in 1994, a year after his death.

### Filmography[edit | edit source]

Title  | Year  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

Casse-tête chinois pour le judoka | 1967  | Fighter  | Film
The Six Million Dollar Man | 1977  | Bigfoot  | Television (episodes: "The Secret of Bigfoot, Part 1" and "The Secret of Bigfoot Part 2")
Symphorien | 1978  |  | Television
B. J. and the Bear | 1981  | Manny Felcher  | Television (episode: "Snow White and the Seven Lady Truckers")
The Fall Guy | 1982  | Killer Typhoon (uncredited)  | Television (episode: "Ladies on the Ropes")
Les Brillant | 1982  | Jean Petit  | Television
The Greatest American Hero | 1983  | Monster  | Television (episode: "Heaven Is in Your Genes")
Conan the Destroyer | 1984  | Dagoth (uncredited)[96] | Film
Micki & Maude | 1984  | Himself[96] | Film
I Like to Hurt People | 1985  | Himself  | Film
The Goonies 'R' Good Enough | 1985  | Himself (uncredited)  | Music video
The Princess Bride | 1987  | Fezzik[34] | Film
Trading Mom | 1994  | Circus Giant  | Film, posthumous release

## Personal life[edit | edit source]

Roussimoff was mentioned in the 1974 Guinness Book of World Records as the then-highest paid wrestler in history. He earned an annual salary of approximately $400,000 (equivalent to $2,198,000 in 2021) at this time.[99]

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 almost no connection with her father and saw him only five times in her life, despite occasional televised and printed news pieces criticizing his absentee fatherhood. While she gave some interviews about the subject in her childhood, Christensen is reportedly reluctant to discuss her father publicly today.[2]

Roussimoff has been unofficially crowned "the greatest drunk on Earth"[100] for once consuming 119 12-US-fluid-ounce (350 mL) beers (in total, over 41 litres (72 imp pt)) in six hours.[101] On Letterman, January 23, 1984, Roussimof told David Letterman he drank 117 beers.[102] 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's Legends of Wrestling, Mike Graham said Roussimoff once drank 156 16-US-fluid-ounce (470 mL) beers (over 73 litres (128 imp pt)) in one sitting, which was confirmed by Dusty Rhodes. The Fabulous Moolah wrote in her autobiography that Roussimoff 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 awoke.[103] In a shoot interview, Ken Patera recalled an occasion where Roussimoff was challenged by Dick Murdoch to a beer drinking contest. After nine or so hours, Roussimoff had drunk 116 beers.[104] A tale recounted by Cary Elwes in his book about the making of The Princess Bride has Roussimoff falling on top of somebody while drunk, after which the NYPD 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.[105] Another story also says prior to his famous WrestleMania III match, Roussimoff drank 14 bottles of wine.[106]

An urban legend exists surrounding Roussimoff's 1987 surgery in which his size made it impossible for the anesthesiologist to estimate a dosage via standard methods; consequently, his alcohol tolerance was used as a guideline instead.[107]

In 1989, Roussimoff was arrested and charged with assault after he attacked a KCRG-TV cameraman shooting his match with The Ultimate Warrior at Cedar Rapids, Iowa's Five Seasons Center. While acquitted on the assault charge, he was fined $100 (equivalent to $219 in 2021) for criminal mischief and ordered to pay KCRG $233 (equivalent to $509 in 2021) in damage to its equipment.[108]

William Goldman, the author of the novel and the screenplay of The Princess Bride, wrote in his nonfiction work Which 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 with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Wilt 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.[109]

Roussimoff owned a ranch in Ellerbe, 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 QVC and made frequent purchases from the shopping channel.[2]

## Death[edit | edit source]

Roussimoff died at age 46 of congestive heart failure in his sleep at a Paris hotel in the morning of Thursday 28 January 1993. He went to play cards with some friends on the night of Wednesday 27 January. He came back to his hotel room around 1 A.M. CET on 28 January. In the afternoon, he was found dead in his room by hotel management and his chauffeur.[34][110] He was in Paris to attend his father's funeral.[111] While there, he decided to stay longer to be with his mother on her birthday. He spent the day before his death visiting and playing cards with some of his oldest friends in Molien.[2] In his will, he specified that his remains should be cremated 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.[2] His ashes were scattered at his ranch (35°06′58″N 79°48′23″W﻿ / ﻿35.116211°N 79.80634°W﻿ / 35.116211; -79.80634﻿ (Roussimoff Ranch)) in Ellerbe, North Carolina.[23][112] In addition, in accordance with his will, he left his estate to his sole beneficiary: his daughter Robin.[113]

## Other media[edit | edit source]

Roussimoff made numerous appearances as himself in video games, starting with WWF WrestleMania. He also appears posthumously in Virtual 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,[114] WWE 2K20, WWE 2K22 and many others.

In January 2005, WWE released André The Giant, a DVD focusing on the life and career of Roussimoff. 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 his battles against Hulk Hogan while a heel, are not included on this VHS.

## Legacy[edit | edit source]

Big Show – a wrestler often compared with Roussimoff due to his size – was the winner of the 2015 "André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal" at WrestleMania 31, and is posing alongside the André the Giant Memorial Trophy, which goes to the winner of the annual match.

* In 1993, when the then-World Wrestling Federation created the WWF Hall of Fame, André the Giant was the inaugural and sole inductee in the class of 1993.[115]
* Roussimoff 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 Big Show, is more similar in body structure to Roussimoff than any other wrestler since Roussimoff's death. He was originally billed as the son of André during his stint in WCW (when he was known as simply "the Giant") despite there being no biological relationship.[116] While also suffering from acromegaly, unlike Roussimoff, 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 Roussimoff had near the end of his life and died in 2010 due to diabetes complications.
* In 1999, he was the subject of an episode of A&E Biography, titled André the Giant: Larger Than Life. The documentary covered his childhood and early life in France, as well as the beginning of his wrestling career, his struggles with acromegaly, his personal life, and his final years. His brother, Jacques Roussimoff, was interviewed for the documentary, as were fellow wrestling personalities Gorilla Monsoon, Tim White, Arnold Skaaland, Vince McMahon, Freddie Blassie, Killer Kowalski, Rene Goulet, and Frenchy Bernard, as well as wrestling historian Sheldon Goldberg. Several of his longtime hometown friends were interviewed as well. The documentary described Roussimoff as pro wrestling's "first and only international attraction" and that "on his broad shoulders, wrestling rose from its status as a questionable sport to become big business, and some might argue, performance art."
* The Obey brand icon originated from wheatpaste posters that artist Shepard Fairey created based upon a photo of André the Giant that he had found in a newspaper.[117]
* Capcom's video game character Hugo, from the Street Fighter series (known as Andore in the Final Fight series) is based on him.
* The 2014 graphic novel André The Giant: The Life and The Legend (First Second Books), written and drawn by Box Brown, tells the story of his life and career. Research for the book included interviews with his fellow wrestlers and actors such as Christopher Guest, Mandy Patinkin and others.
* In 2017, Showtime released Waiting for Andre[118], a semi-fictional movie about the friendship between playwright Samuel Beckett and Roussimoff during the time Beckett lived in Ussy-sur-Marne, outside of Paris. A novel of the movie was published the following year by Steffan Piper (ISBN 9781980756217 / 198075621X from Amazon print on demand).
* On 10 March 2014, episode of Raw, WrestleMania XXX host Hulk Hogan announced that in honor of Roussimoff's legacy, WWE was establishing the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, that would take place at the event, with the winner receiving the André the Giant Memorial Trophy (made in the likeness of Roussimoff).[119] On 6 April 2014, at WrestleMania XXX, Cesaro won the match after eliminating Big Show using a body slam similar to the body slam Hulk Hogan used on Roussimoff at WrestleMania III.[120]

### Biopics[edit | edit source]

* On 9 May 2016, it was announced that a movie based on the 2015 authorized graphic novel biography André the Giant: Closer to Heaven was in the plans made by Lion Forge Comics along with producers Scott Steindorff, Dylan Russell and consulted by Roussimoff's daughter, Robin Christensen-Roussimoff.[121]
* On 10 April 2018, HBO aired a documentary film called André the Giant.

## Championships and accomplishments[edit | edit source]

* 50th State Big Time Wrestling
* Texas Battle Royal (1977)[122]
* All Japan Pro Wrestling
* World's Strongest Tag Determination League East Sports Special Award (1991) – with Giant Baba[123]
* Championship Wrestling from Florida
* NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dusty Rhodes[124][125]
* Fédération Française de Catch Professionnel
* World Heavyweight Championship (France) (1 time)[126]
* Houston Wrestling
* Two-Ring Battle Royal (1974, 1975)[127]
* International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
* Class of 2021[128]
* International Wrestling Enterprise
* IWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Michael Nador[26][27][129]
* NWA Hollywood Wrestling
* Los Angeles Battle Royal (1975, 1980)[130]
* NWA San Francisco
* Cow Palace Battle Royal (1977)[130]
* New Japan Pro-Wrestling
* International Wrestling Grand Prix (1985)[131]
* MSG League (1982)[132]
* MSG Tag League (1981) – with Rene Goulet[133]
* Sagawa Express Cup (1986)[134]
* Greatest 18 Club inductee
* NWA Tri-State
* NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Tri-State version) (1 time) – with Dusty Rhodes[135][136]
* Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
* Class of 2002[16]
* Pro Wrestling Illustrated
* Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1977, 1982)[137][138]
* Match of the Year (1981) vs. Killer Khan on 2 May
* Match of the Year (1988) vs. Hulk Hogan at The Main Event[139]
* Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1988)
* Editor's Award (1993)
* Ranked No. 3 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003[140]
* Stampede Wrestling
* Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame (Class of 1995)[141][142]
* World Championship Wrestling (Australia)
* NWA Austra-Asian Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ron Miller
* World Wrestling Federation/WWE
* WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Haku[77]
* WWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[72]
* WWE Bronze Statue (2013)[143]
* Slammy Award (1 time)
* Bobby "The Brain" Heenan Scholarship Award (1987) with The Islanders (Haku and Tama), Hercules, King Kong Bundy and Harley Race[144]
* WWF Hall of Fame (Class of 1993)[115]
* Wrestling Observer Newsletter
* 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 3
* 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)
* Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame
* Class of 2016[145]

## See also[edit | edit source]

* List of tallest people
* List of premature professional wrestling deaths

## References[edit | edit source]

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140. ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 500 – PWI Years". Wrestling Information Archive. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2010.
141. ^ Whalen, Ed (host) (15 December 1995). "Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame: 1948-1990". Showdown at the Corral: A Tribute to Stu Hart. Event occurs at 27:55. Shaw Cable. Calgary 7.
142. ^ "Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame (1948–1990)". Puroresu Dojo. 2003.
143. ^ Triple H Reveals Life Size Statue of André the Giant on YouTube
144. ^ "WWF Slammy Awards (1987)". TWNP News. Retrieved 22 February 2008.
145. ^ "Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame". Slam! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. 3 April 2016.

## Further reading[edit | edit source]

* Assael, Shaun; Mooneyham, Mike (2002). Sex, Lies and Headlocks: The Real Story of Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation. Crown Publishers. ISBN 978-0-609-60690-2.
* Krugman, Michael (2009). André the Giant: A Legendary Life. Pocket Books. ISBN 978-1-4165-4112-7.
* Hébert, Bertrand; Laprade, Pat (2020). The Eighth Wonder of the World: The True Story of André the Giant. Toronto, Ontario: ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-466-2.

## External links[edit | edit source]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to André the Giant.

* Official website
* {{WWE superstar}} template missing ID and not present in Wikidata.
* André the Giant at IMDb
* André the Giant at Find a Grave

Achievements

Preceded by

Antonio Inoki
& Bob Backlund

|  MSG Tag League winner
1981
With:  René Goulet | Succeeded by

Antonio Inoki
& Hulk Hogan

Preceded by

Antonio Inoki

|  MSG League winner
1982  | Succeeded by

Hulk Hogan (IWGP League)

Preceded by

Antonio Inoki

|  IWGP League winner
1985  | Succeeded by

Antonio Inoki

Preceded by

Hulk Hogan

|  WWF World Heavyweight Champion
February 5, 1988  | Vacant

Title last held by

Randy Savage

* v
* t
* e

André the Giant

Career|

* André the Giant–Hulk Hogan rivalry
* The Machines
* Heenan Family
* Colossal Connection

Legacy and media|

* My Giant
* Andre the Giant Has a Posse
* André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
* André the Giant (film)

Links to related articles

* v
* t
* e

World League/MSG League/International Wrestling Grand Prix/World Cup Tournament/G1 Climax winners

* Antonio Inoki (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988)
* Seiji Sakaguchi (1976, 1977)
* André the Giant (1982, 1985)
* Hulk Hogan (1983)
* Masahiro Chono (1991, 1992, 1994, 2002, 2005)
* Tatsumi Fujinami (1993)
* Keiji Mutoh (1995)
* Riki Choshu (1989, 1996)
* Kensuke Sasaki (1997, 2000)
* Shinya Hashimoto (1998)
* Manabu Nakanishi (1999)
* Yuji Nagata (2001)
* Hiroyoshi Tenzan (2003, 2004, 2006)
* Hiroshi Tanahashi (2007, 2015, 2018)
* Hirooki Goto (2008)
* Togi Makabe (2009)
* Satoshi Kojima (2010)
* Shinsuke Nakamura (2011)
* Kazuchika Okada (2012, 2014, 2021)
* Tetsuya Naito (2013, 2017)
* Kenny Omega (2016)
* Kota Ibushi (2019, 2020)

* v
* t
* e

MSG Tag/IWGP Tag Title/Japan Cup Tag/Super Grade Tag/G1 Tag/World Tag League winners

1980s|

* Antonio Inoki and Bob Backlund (1980)
* André the Giant and Rene Goulet (1981)
* Antonio Inoki and Hulk Hogan (1982, 1983)
* Antonio Inoki and Tatsumi Fujinami (1984)
* Kengo Kimura and Tatsumi Fujinami (1985, 1987)
* Antonio Inoki and Yoshiaki Fujiwara (1986)

1990s|

* Big Van Vader and Tatsumi Fujinami (1991)
* Riki Choshu and Shinya Hashimoto (1992)
* Hiroshi Hase and Keiji Mutoh (1993, 1994)
* Cho-Ten (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Masahiro Chono) (1995)
* Scott Norton and Shinya Hashimoto (1996)
* Keiji Mutoh and Masahiro Chono (1997)
* Keiji Mutoh and Satoshi Kojima (1998)
* Keiji Mutoh and Scott Norton (1999)

2000s|

* Takashi Iizuka and Yuji Nagata (2000)
* Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima) (2001, 2008)
* Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Osamu Nishimura (2003)
* Masahiro Chono and Shinsuke Nakamura (2006)
* RISE (Giant Bernard and Travis Tomko) (2007)
* Bad Intentions (Giant Bernard and Karl Anderson) (2009)

2010s|

* Seigigun (Wataru Inoue and Yuji Nagata) (2010)
* Suzuki-gun (Lance Archer and Minoru Suzuki) (2011)
* Sword & Guns (Hirooki Goto and Karl Anderson) (2012)
* Bullet Club (Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows) (2013)
* Meiyu Tag (Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata) (2014)
* Great Bash Heel (Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma) (2015, 2016)
* Los Ingobernables de Japón (Evil and Sanada) (2017, 2018)
* FinJuice (David Finlay and Juice Robinson) (2019)

2020s|

* Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) (2020)
* Bishamon (Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi) (2021)

* v
* t
* e

WWE Champions

1960s|

* Buddy Rogers
* Bruno Sammartino

1970s|

* Ivan Koloff
* Pedro Morales
* Stan Stasiak
* Superstar Billy Graham
* Bob Backlund

1980s|

* The Iron Sheik
* Hulk Hogan
* André the Giant
* Randy Savage

1990s|

* The Ultimate Warrior
* Sgt. Slaughter
* The Undertaker
* Ric Flair
* Bret Hart
* Yokozuna
* Diesel
* Shawn Michaels
* Sycho Sid
* Stone Cold Steve Austin
* Kane
* The Rock
* Mankind
* Triple H
* Mr. McMahon
* Big Show

2000s|

* Kurt Angle
* Chris Jericho
* Brock Lesnar
* Eddie Guerrero
* John "Bradshaw" Layfield
* John Cena
* Edge
* Rob Van Dam
* Randy Orton
* Jeff Hardy
* Batista
* Sheamus

2010s|

* The Miz
* CM Punk
* Rey Mysterio
* Alberto Del Rio
* Daniel Bryan
* Seth Rollins
* Roman Reigns (current)
* Dean Ambrose
* AJ Styles
* Bray Wyatt
* Jinder Mahal
* Kofi Kingston

2020s|

* Drew McIntyre
* Bobby Lashley
* Big E

* v
* t
* e

WWE Hall of Fame inductees

1990s

| 1993|

* André the Giant

|

1994|

* Arnold Skaaland
* Bobo Brazil
* Buddy Rogers
* Chief Jay Strongbow
* Freddie Blassie
* Gorilla Monsoon
* James Dudley

1995|

* Antonino Rocca
* Ernie Ladd
* The Fabulous Moolah
* George Steele
* The Grand Wizard
* Ivan Putski
* Pedro Morales

1996|

* Jimmy Snuka
* Johnny Rodz
* Killer Kowalski
* Lou Albano
* Mikel Scicluna
* Pat Patterson
* Valiant Brothers
* Jimmy Valiant
* Johnny Valiant
* Vincent J. McMahon

2000s

| 2004|

* Big John Studd
* Superstar Billy Graham
* Bobby Heenan
* Don Muraco
* Greg Valentine
* Harley Race
* Jesse Ventura
* Junkyard Dog
* Pete Rose
* Sgt. Slaughter
* Tito Santana

|

2005|

* Bob Orton Jr.
* Hulk Hogan
* The Iron Sheik
* Jimmy Hart
* Nikolai Volkoff
* Paul Orndorff
* Roddy Piper

2006|

* The Blackjacks
* Blackjack Mulligan
* Blackjack Lanza
* Bret Hart
* Eddie Guerrero
* Gene Okerlund
* Sensational Sherri
* Tony Atlas
* Verne Gagne
* William Perry

2007|

* Dusty Rhodes
* Jerry Lawler
* Jim Ross
* Mr. Fuji
* Mr. Perfect
* Nick Bockwinkel
* The Sheik
* Wild Samoans
* Afa
* Sika

2008|

* The Brisco Brothers
* Gerald Brisco
* Jack Brisco
* Eddie Graham
* Gordon Solie
* Mae Young
* Peter Maivia
* Ric Flair
* Rocky Johnson

2009|

* Bill Watts
* The Funk Brothers
* Terry Funk
* Dory Funk Jr.
* Howard Finkel
* Koko B. Ware
* Ricky Steamboat
* Stone Cold Steve Austin
* The Von Erich Family
* Chris Von Erich
* David Von Erich
* Fritz Von Erich
* Kerry Von Erich
* Kevin Von Erich
* Mike Von Erich

2010s

| 2010|

* Antonio Inoki
* Bob Uecker
* Gorgeous George
* Mad Dog Vachon
* Stu Hart
* Ted DiBiase
* Wendi Richter

|

2011|

* Abdullah the Butcher
* Bob Armstrong
* Drew Carey
* Jim Duggan
* The Road Warriors
* Road Warrior Hawk
* Road Warrior Animal
* Paul Ellering
* Shawn Michaels
* Sunny

2012|

* Edge
* The Four Horsemen
* Arn Anderson
* Barry Windham
* J. J. Dillon
* Ric Flair
* Tully Blanchard
* Mike Tyson
* Mil Máscaras
* Ron Simmons
* Yokozuna

2013|

* Bob Backlund
* Booker T
* Bruno Sammartino
* Donald Trump
* Mick Foley
* Trish Stratus

2014|

* Carlos Colón
* Jake "The Snake" Roberts
* Lita
* Mr. T
* Paul Bearer
* Razor Ramon
* The Ultimate Warrior

2015|

* Alundra Blayze
* Arnold Schwarzenegger
* The Bushwhackers
* Butch
* Luke
* Connor Michalek*
* Kevin Nash
* Larry Zbyszko
* Randy Savage
* Rikishi
* Tatsumi Fujinami

2016|

* Big Boss Man
* Ed Lewis
* The Fabulous Freebirds
* Michael Hayes
* Buddy Roberts
* Jimmy Garvin
* Terry Gordy
* Frank Gotch
* George Hackenschmidt
* The Godfather
* Jacqueline
* Joan Lunden*
* Lou Thesz
* Mildred Burke
* Pat O'Connor
* Sailor Art Thomas
* Snoop Dogg
* Stan Hansen
* Sting

2017|

* Bearcat Wright
* Beth Phoenix
* Diamond Dallas Page
* Dr. Jerry Graham
* Eric LeGrand*
* Haystacks Calhoun
* Judy Grable
* June Byers
* Kurt Angle
* Luther Lindsay
* Martin Burns
* Rick Rude
* Rikidōzan
* The Rock 'n' Roll Express
* Ricky Morton
* Robert Gibson
* Theodore Long
* Toots Mondt

2018|

* Boris Malenko
* Cora Combs
* Dara Singh
* Dudley Boyz
* Bubba Ray Dudley
* D-Von Dudley
* Goldberg
* Hillbilly Jim
* Hiro Matsuda
* Ivory
* Jarrius "JJ" Robertson*
* Jeff Jarrett
* Jim Londos
* Kid Rock
* Lord Alfred Hayes
* Mark Henry
* Rufus R. Jones
* El Santo
* Sputnik Monroe
* Stan Stasiak

2019|

* Bruiser Brody
* Brutus Beefcake
* Buddy Rose
* D-Generation X
* Shawn Michaels
* Triple H
* Chyna
* Road Dogg
* Billy Gunn
* X-Pac
* Harlem Heat
* Booker T
* Stevie Ray
* The Hart Foundation
* Bret Hart
* Jim Neidhart
* Hisashi Shinma
* The Honky Tonk Man
* Jim Barnett
* Joseph Cohen
* Luna Vachon
* Primo Carnera
* Professor Toru Tanaka
* S. D. Jones
* Sue Aitchison*
* Torrie Wilson
* Wahoo McDaniel

(*) denotes Warrior Award recipient

2020s

| 2020|

* Baron Michele Leone
* The Bella Twins
* Nikki Bella
* Brie Bella
* Brickhouse Brown
* The British Bulldog
* Gary Hart
* John "Bradshaw" Layfield
* Jushin "Thunder" Liger
* New World Order
* "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan
* Kevin Nash
* Scott Hall
* Sean Waltman
* Ray Stevens
* "Dr. Death" Steve Williams
* Titus O'Neil*
* William Shatner

|

2021|

* Buzz Sawyer
* Dick the Bruiser
* Eric Bischoff
* Ethel Johnson
* The Great Khali
* Kane
* Molly Holly
* Ozzy Osbourne
* Paul Boesch
* "Pistol" Pez Whatley
* Rich Hering*
* Rob Van Dam

2022|

* Queen Sharmell
* Shad Gaspard*
* The Steiner Brothers
* Rick Steiner
* Scott Steiner
* The Undertaker
* Vader

(*) denotes Warrior Award recipient

* Category

* v
* t
* e

WWE World Tag Team Champions

1970s|

* Luke Graham and Tarzan Tyler
* Karl Gotch and Rene Goulet
* Mikel Scicluna and King Curtis Iaukea
* Chief Jay Strongbow and Sonny King
* Mr. Fuji and Professor Tanaka
* Haystacks Calhoun and Tony Garea
* Dean Ho and Tony Garea
* Valiant Brothers (Jimmy Valiant and Johnny Valiant)
* Dominic DeNucci and Pat Barrett/Victor Rivera
* The Blackjacks (Blackjack Lanza and Blackjack Mulligan)
* Louis Cerdan and Tony Parisi
* Executioners (Executioner #1 and Executioner #2)
* Billy White Wolf and Chief Jay Strongbow
* Dino Bravo and Dominic DeNucci
* Yukon Lumberjacks (Lumberjack Eric and Lumberjack Pierre)
* Larry Zbyszko and Tony Garea
* Valiant Brothers (Jerry Valiant and Johnny Valiant)
* Ivan Putski and Tito Santana

1980s|

* Wild Samoans (Afa and Sika)
* Bob Backlund and Pedro Morales
* Rick Martel and Tony Garea
* The Moondogs (Moondog Rex and Moondog King/Moondog Spot)
* Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito
* Chief Jay Strongbow and Jules Strongbow
* Soul Patrol (Rocky Johnson and Tony Atlas)
* North-South Connection (Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch)
* U.S. Express (Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo)
* The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff
* The Dream Team (Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine)
* The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid)
* The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart)
* Strike Force (Rick Martel and Tito Santana)
* Demolition (Ax, Crush and Smash)
* The Brain Busters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard)
* Colossal Connection (André the Giant and Haku)

1990s|

* The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags)
* The Legion of Doom (Animal and Hawk)
* Money Inc. (Irwin R. Schyster and Ted DiBiase)
* The Natural Disasters (Earthquake and Typhoon)
* Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner)
* The Quebecers (Quebecer Jacques and Quebecer Pierre)
* The 1-2-3 Kid and Marty Jannetty
* Men on a Mission (Mabel and Mo)
* The Headshrinkers (Fatu and Samu)
* Two Dudes with Attitudes (Diesel and Shawn Michaels)
* The 1-2-3 Kid and Bob Holly
* The Smoking Gunns (Bart Gunn and Billy Gunn)
* Owen Hart and Yokozuna
* Bodydonnas (Skip and Zip)
* The Godwinns (Henry O. Godwinn and Phineas I. Godwinn)
* Owen Hart and the British Bulldog
* Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin
* Dude Love and Stone Cold Steve Austin
* The Headbangers (Mosh and Thrasher)
* New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn and Road Dogg)
* Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie
* Kane and Mankind
* Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker
* Big Boss Man and Ken Shamrock
* Jeff Jarrett and Owen Hart
* Kane and X-Pac
* The Acolytes/The A.P.A. (Bradshaw and Faarooq)
* Hardy Boyz (Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy)
* The Unholy Alliance (Big Show and The Undertaker)
* Rock 'n' Sock Connection (Mankind and The Rock)
* Holly Cousins (Crash Holly and Hardcore Holly)
* Al Snow and Mankind

2000s|

* Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley)
* Edge and Christian
* Too Cool (Grandmaster Sexay and Scotty 2 Hotty)
* Right to Censor (Bull Buchanan and The Goodfather)
* The Rock and The Undertaker
* Brothers of Destruction (The Undertaker and Kane)
* Two-Man Power Trip (Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H)
* Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho
* Diamond Dallas Page and Chris Kanyon
* Chris Jericho and The Rock
* Booker T and Test
* Spike Dudley and Tazz
* Billy and Chuck
* Rico and Rikishi
* Edge and Hollywood Hulk Hogan
* The Un-Americans (Christian and Lance Storm)
* The Hurricane and Kane
* Chris Jericho and Christian
* Booker T and Goldust
* Lance Storm and William Regal
* Chief Morley and Lance Storm
* Kane and Rob Van Dam
* La Résistance (René Duprée and Sylvain Grenier)
* Evolution (Batista and Ric Flair)
* Booker T and Rob Van Dam
* Chris Benoit and Edge
* La Résistance (Robért Conway and Sylvain Grenier)
* Eugene and William Regal
* Tajiri and William Regal
* The Hurricane and Rosey
* Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch
* Big Show and Kane
* Spirit Squad (Johnny, Kenny, Mikey, Mitch and Nicky)
* Roddy Piper and Ric Flair
* Rated-RKO (Edge and Randy Orton)
* John Cena and Shawn Michaels
* Paul London and Brian Kendrick
* Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly
* The Legacy (Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr.)
* Batista and John Cena
* CM Punk and Kofi Kingston
* John Morrison and The Miz
* The Colóns (Carlito and Primo)
* Chris Jericho and Edge
* Jeri-Show (Big Show and Chris Jericho)
* D-Generation X (Shawn Michaels and Triple H)

2010s|

* ShoMiz (Big Show and The Miz)
* The Hart Dynasty (David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd)

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