This Day in Wrestling History - Andre the Giant Passes Away

Andre Rene Roussimoff May 19, 1946 - January 27, 1993

Due to his immense stature it seemed inevitable that Andre would excel in the wrestling world. He had just started to make a name for himself in the ring as "Monster Eiffel Tower" or "Monster Roussimoff" when French-Canadian wrestler Edouard Carpentier first laid eyes on him. Carpentier was impressed with Andre's raw talent and decided to bring him to North America. Andre began wrestling under the name Jean Ferre in Canada for Grand Prix Promotions. In a short time Andre went from the undercard to being a headlining name. Inspired by the movie King Kong he acquired the nickname, "The 8th Wonder of the World," which stayed with him for the rest of his career.

By the time Andre had performed in front of 20,000 wrestling fans in Montreal, his legend had reached Vince McMahon, Sr. at the World Wide Wrestling Federation's (WWWF) headquarters. McMahon would forever alter Andre's life. In 1972, McMahon signed Andre to wrestle for the WWWF and changed his name to capitalize on his colossal size. "Andre the Giant" became one of the most recognizable names in wrestling. Andre performed under his new name at Madison Square Garden, where he easily defeated his opponent Buddy Wolfe without breaking a sweat. Before long, Andre's venues were sold out and wrestlers lined up to perform in his shadow. As Andre's fame grew to stardom, he was featured in Sports Illustrated in the largest feature they had ever published...More?

source: andrethegiant.com


Andre the Giant vs Big John Studd

Vince McMahon speaks in ESPN documentary "The Real Rocky"

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was interviewed on the ESPN documentary "The Real Rocky." The story focussed on the boxing career of Chuck Wepner, who was the inspiration for Sylvester Stallone's "Rocky" movies.

McMahon spoke about Wepner's match with Andre the Giant at Shea Stadium. Wepner said the match inspired the Hulk Hogan role in "Rocky 3." Vince was featured again at the end of the documentary and said he would advise Stallone to settle his lawsuit that Wepner filed against him, which Stallone eventually did.

source: prowrestling.net

Chuck Wepner examines his rocky past in ESPN's 'The Real Rocky'

This Day in Wrestling History

WCW's Clash of The Champions XX celebrates its 20th year of wrestling on TBS. The show also featured the last appearance of Andre The Giant in the USA.
September 2, 1992

Eric Bischoff awarded Triple H the new WWE Raw World title, exclusive to Raw.
September 2, 2002

Pop Culture's Most Memorable Wrestlers

Triple H

He may have missed out on starring in the role he was born to play -- the lead in "Thor," of course -- but that doesn't mean his career hasn't thrived. The man who began his career in the ring as well-mannered aristocrat Hunter Hearst Helmsley has had a successful wrestling career, married Vince McMahon's daughter, Stephanie, and is currently the chief operating officer of World Wrestling Enterprises.

View the complete list here.

source: wonderwall.msn.com

This Day in Wrestling History

Joe Stecher defeats Stanislaus Zbyszko for the World's Heavyweight Wrestling Title in St. Louis, Missouri. It marks Stetcher's third World Title reign, but is not without controversy as Wayne Munn, who Zbyszko had won the title from, was still recognized as World Champion in Illinois and Michigan. Ed "Strangler" Lewis would later beat Stecher and Munn to unify the World Title.
May 30, 1925

Joe Silva defeats Adolfo Bonales to win the Mexico National Lightweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico.
May 30, 1943

Marshall Estep defeats Ken Fenelon for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title in Toronto, Iowa.
May 30, 1945

Jake "The Snake" Roberts (birth name Aurelian Jake Smith, Jr.) is born in Gainesville, Texas. 
May 30, 1955

Killer Kowalski defeats Yvon Robert in Montreal, Quebec for the Montreal World Heavyweight Title, beginning his seventh reign and ending Yvon Robert's 16th.
May 30, 1956

Antonio Inoki defeats Andre the Giant by countout in Osaka, Japan to win the first-annual New Japan Pro Wrestling MSG League.
May 30, 1978

This Day in Wrestling History

Happy Birthday to Andre the Giant
May 19, 1946

Nick Bockwinkel named AWA Heavyweight Champion as he was #1 contender when Verne Gagne retired.
May 19, 1981

The Undertaker defeated Hulk Hogan for the WWE Unified Heavyweight title
May 19, 2002

This Day in Wrestling History

Henri Deglane defeats World Champion Ed "Strangler" Lewis by disqualification in Montreal, Canada after allegedly being bitten by Lewis. Deglane then claims the Paul Bowser recognized American Wrestling Association World championship and it splits off from the main line of World champions. This match has become legendary with many speculating that Deglane actually bit himself in the locker room between falls and then hid the bite until the match restarted thus getting the DQ win over Lewis.
May 4, 1931

It was announced by Vince McMahon that Andre the Giant had suffered a broken ankle. The injury was blamed on Killer Khan, setting up a series of grudge matches after Andre recovered. WWE maintained ownership of the giant cast used to set the ankle and often displays it at their annual AXXESS events.
May 4, 1981

During an edition of Smackdown in Tucson, Arizona, Jacquelyn (aka Jackie Moore) answered an open challenge from WWE Cruiserweight Champion Chavo Guerrero, defeating him with a low blow inside of three minutes to win the Cruiserweight Title, the first woman to do so since the belt became a WWE property.
May, 4, 2004

WWE publicly confirmed they were bringing the ECW brand back as a full-time entity and were signing talents to deals with the brand slated to debut at the June 2006 One Night Stand PPV.
May 4, 2006

The Necro Butcher's scene with Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler" where they brandish a staple gun in the midst of their hardcore CZW match was nominated for the very dignified "WTF Moment" MTV Movie Award. The scene did not win, but was one of many notable mainstream media mentions for Butcher that year, including a shout-out during the Academy Awards.
May 4, 2009

Following a less than stellar run on Monday Nights, SpikeTV issued a press release that TNA Impact would be returning to Thursdays on 5/13/10. “The fans have spoken and with their input we have determined the best timeslot to maximize the TNA audience is on Thursday nights where we are confident it will be among the most-watched shows with young men,” said Brian J. Diamond, senior vice president, sports and specials for Spike TV, in the release, which also announced the addition of Reaction, a well produced series that followed up on Impact's developments. Reaction ended up running several months and in some weeks, was better than Impact.
May 4, 2010

partial source: pwinsider.com

Did Andre the Giant Once Try Out for the Washington Redskins?

The late André René Roussimoff was best known as the stage name he worked under as a professional wrestler - Andre the Giant. The French-born legend was one of the early stars of the World Wide Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Federation (WWWF/WWF) in the late 1970s and early 1980s, preceding Hulk Hogan as the main "babyface" wrestler (wrestling term for the "good guy" wrestlers) for the WWF. He gained even more fame when he appeared in the 1987 classic hit film The Princess Bride as the gentle giant, Fezzik. At seven feet four inches and nearly five hundred pounds (a result of gigantism), Roussimoff was an imposing and surprisingly athletic figure who marveled fans for years before his untimely death in 1993 at the age of 46 due to congestive heart failure.

His athleticism (and size) has led to a persistent legend that Roussimoff tried out for the Washington Redskins and their coach, George Allen, offered him a contract to play in the National Football League (NFL) in 1975.

As the story goes, after the tryout, Roussimoff ultimately decided to pass on the deal, changing not only his professional legacy but perhaps NFL history, as well.

Is that true, though? Click here.

source: latimes.com

This Day in Wrestling History - 93,173 Fans at WMIII

WrestleMania III sets an attendance record of 93,173 at the The Pontiac SilverDome.
March 29, 1987

Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant - "The irresistible force meets the immovable object" - Gorilla Monsoon

This Day in Wrestling History - Andre the Giant Passes Away

Andre Rene Roussimoff May 19, 1946 - January 27, 1993

Due to his immense stature it seemed inevitable that Andre would excel in the wrestling world. He had just started to make a name for himself in the ring as "Monster Eiffel Tower" or "Monster Roussimoff" when French-Canadian wrestler Edouard Carpentier first laid eyes on him. Carpentier was impressed with Andre's raw talent and decided to bring him to North America. Andre began wrestling under the name Jean Ferre in Canada for Grand Prix Promotions. In a short time Andre went from the undercard to being a headlining name. Inspired by the movie King Kong he acquired the nickname, "The 8th Wonder of the World," which stayed with him for the rest of his career.

By the time Andre had performed in front of 20,000 wrestling fans in Montreal, his legend had reached Vince McMahon, Sr. at the World Wide Wrestling Federation's (WWWF) headquarters. McMahon would forever alter Andre's life. In 1972, McMahon signed Andre to wrestle for the WWWF and changed his name to capitalize on his colossal size. "Andre the Giant" became one of the most recognizable names in wrestling. Andre performed under his new name at Madison Square Garden, where he easily defeated his opponent Buddy Wolfe without breaking a sweat. Before long, Andre's venues were sold out and wrestlers lined up to perform in his shadow. As Andre's fame grew to stardom, he was featured in Sports Illustrated in the largest feature they had ever published...More?

source: andrethegiant.com


Andre the Giant vs Big John Studd

Top 25 Big Men in WWE History

1. The Undertaker
2. Andre The Giant
3. Big Show
4. Yokozuna
5. Gorilla Monsoon
6. Kane
7. "Big Cat" Ernie Ladd
8. Diesel
9. Vader
10. Sid Vicious

Click here for the rest of the list.

This Day in Wrestling History - 93,173 Fans at WMIII

WrestleMania 3 sets an attendance record of 93,173 at the The Pontiac SilverDome.
March 29, 1987

Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant

"The irresistible force meets the immovable object" - Gorilla Monsoon

Interview with Stephanie McMahon

This Day in Wrestling History - Andre the Giant Passes Away

Andre Rene Roussimoff May 19, 1946 - January 27, 1993

Due to his immense stature it seemed inevitable that Andre would excel in the wrestling world. He had just started to make a name for himself in the ring as "Monster Eiffel Tower" or "Monster Roussimoff" when French-Canadian wrestler Edouard Carpentier first laid eyes on him. Carpentier was impressed with Andre's raw talent and decided to bring him to North America. Andre began wrestling under the name Jean Ferre in Canada for Grand Prix Promotions. In a short time Andre went from the undercard to being a headlining name. Inspired by the movie King Kong he acquired the nickname, "The 8th Wonder of the World," which stayed with him for the rest of his career.

By the time Andre had performed in front of 20,000 wrestling fans in Montreal, his legend had reached Vince McMahon, Sr. at the World Wide Wrestling Federation's (WWWF) headquarters. McMahon would forever alter Andre's life. In 1972, McMahon signed Andre to wrestle for the WWWF and changed his name to capitalize on his colossal size. "Andre the Giant" became one of the most recognizable names in wrestling. Andre performed under his new name at Madison Square Garden, where he easily defeated his opponent Buddy Wolfe without breaking a sweat. Before long, Andre's venues were sold out and wrestlers lined up to perform in his shadow. As Andre's fame grew to stardom, he was featured in Sports Illustrated in the largest feature they had ever published...More?

source: andrethegiant.com


Andre the Giant vs Big John Studd

Who Would Triple H Like to See Host RAW?

Who would Triple H pick for a guest host on RAW? "Andre the Giant," he told ign.com. "I think first of all, Andre's the one guy that I always wanted to meet that I never got to meet and he was very close to my wife. I would have loved to have met him. But also, at the same time, Andre had an incredible sense of humor that I don't think a lot of people ever saw." Triple H went on to say that he thought that Andre, the way the business is in 2009, would have been able to show more of his fun side. "I think that it was something, that in today's environment, that he could have put out there a lot more."

source: ign.com

This Day in Wrestling History - 93,173 Fans at WMIII

WrestleMania 3 sets an attendance record of 93,173 at the The Pontiac SilverDome.
March 29, 1987

Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant

"The irresistible force meets the immovable object" - Gorilla Monsoon

This Day in Wrestling History - Andre the Giant passes away

Andre Rene Roussimoff May 19, 1946 - January 27, 1993

Due to his immense stature it seemed inevitable that Andre would excel in the wrestling world. He had just started to make a name for himself in the ring as "Monster Eiffel Tower" or "Monster Roussimoff" when French-Canadian wrestler Edouard Carpentier first laid eyes on him. Carpentier was impressed with Andre's raw talent and decided to bring him to North America. Andre began wrestling under the name Jean Ferre in Canada for Grand Prix Promotions. In a short time Andre went from the undercard to being a headlining name. Inspired by the movie King Kong he acquired the nickname, "The 8th Wonder of the World," which stayed with him for the rest of his career.

By the time Andre had performed in front of 20,000 wrestling fans in Montreal, his legend had reached Vince McMahon, Sr. at the World Wide Wrestling Federation's (WWWF) headquarters. McMahon would forever alter Andre's life. In 1972, McMahon signed Andre to wrestle for the WWWF and changed his name to capitalize on his colossal size. "Andre the Giant" became one of the most recognizable names in wrestling. Andre performed under his new name at Madison Square Garden, where he easily defeated his opponent Buddy Wolfe without breaking a sweat. Before long, Andre's venues were sold out and wrestlers lined up to perform in his shadow. As Andre's fame grew to stardom, he was featured in Sports Illustrated in the largest feature they had ever published...More?

source: andrethegiant.com


Andre the Giant vs Big John Studd

Top 10 Fantasy Wrestling Matches of All Time

10) John Cena vs Hulk Hogan Last Man Standing Match.
9) HBK vs Macho Man Ladder Match.
8) Austin vs Cena Street Fight.
7) Undertaker vs HBK Steel Cage match.
6) Bret Hart vs Kurt Angle in an I QUIT match.
5) Ric Flair (prime) vs Triple H (present) steel cage match. The man vs the man to be in about five to 10 years. 16 titles vs 12 titles. Best friends and mentor vs student in this match. Flair always said if he was in his prime he would love to wrestle Trips. Trips is the closest thing to Flair that we will ever see in terms of wrestling ability and mic skills.
4) Austin vs Orton in a first blood match.
3) Triple H vs Bret Hart in a last man standing match. Hart vs HHH. Best example of pure wrestling ability facing each other at its finest.
2) Andre the Giant vs Undertaker Punjabi Prison Match.
1) The Rock vs HBK iron man match.
...More?

Triple H - 5th Top Draw in WWE History

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter has listed the most successful and durable main event draws in the history of the McMahon promotions, dating back to 1955. They used a ranking system based on numbers of main events and how successful they did as a big show main event draw. Here are the top 20:

1. BRUNO SAMMARTINO
2. HULK HOGAN
3. BOB BACKLUND
4. ARGENTINA ROCCA
5. TRIPLE H
6. UNDERTAKER
7. STEVE AUSTIN
8. THE ROCK
9. PEDRO MORALES
10. SHAWN MICHAELS
11. SUPERSTAR BILLY GRAHAM
12. MIGUEL PEREZ
13. BRET HART
14. BUDDY ROGERS
15. RANDY SAVAGE
16. JOHN CENA
17. KURT ANGLE
18. MICK FOLEY
19. ANDRE THE GIANT
20. DR. JERRY GRAHAM

I'm sure Metzler almost had a seizure when he typed Triple H in the number 5 spot.

Andre the Giant Movie

For a limited time, a movie on Andre the Giant will be playing in select theaters throughout the United States. The movie, which is a drama, is called Andre: Heart of the Giant and it's set to be released on Friday, October 10. For more information on the movie, visit AndreHeartOfTheGiant.uber.com. You can see a trailer for the movie at the following link.

source: rajah.com