Personal Info
Known For
Wrestling
Real Name
André René Roussimoff
Birthday
May 19, 1946
Debut Year
1966
Status
Retired
Also Known As
- André Roussimoff
- André the Giant
- André the Giant Frenchman
- The Ultimate Giant
- Géant Ferré
- Giant Machine
- Jean Ferré
- Monster Eiffel Tower
- Monster Roussimoff
- The Polish Giant
Known Matches
2
Record
1W - 1L (50.0%)
Promotions
- WWE 1985-1987
Appears In
Andre the Giant
Biography
André René Roussimoff, born on May 19, 1946, in Coulommiers, Seine-et-Marne, France, was a professional wrestler and actor known worldwide as André the Giant. The son of Bulgarian father Boris Roussimoff and Polish mother Mariann Roussimoff Stoeff, he displayed symptoms of gigantism from childhood, standing 6 ft 3 in by age 12. His extraordinary size, caused by excess human growth hormone, earned him the nickname "the Eighth Wonder of the World." He was trained by Michel Saulnier and began his professional wrestling career in 1966, relocating to North America in 1971.
From 1973 through the mid-1980s, Roussimoff worked as a roving special attraction for WWWF promoter Vincent J. McMahon, competing across the United States and in Japan for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. During the 1980s wrestling boom, he became a WWF mainstay, feuding with Hulk Hogan in a rivalry that headlined WrestleMania III in 1987. In 1988, he defeated Hogan to capture the WWF World Heavyweight Championship, his sole major world title. As his WWF career wound down after WrestleMania VI, he wrestled primarily for All Japan Pro-Wrestling until his sudden death on January 28, 1993. He became the inaugural inductee into the WWF Hall of Fame and is also remembered for his role as Fezzik in the 1987 film The Princess Bride.
Promotions
Events/PPVs
Notable Rivals
Match History
Head-to-Head — most-faced opponents
| Opponent | Total | W | L | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hulk Hogan | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Sources used for verification
- Wikipedia