Few Wow Superstars are ever larger than life in every sense of the phrase Andrew the Giant. Born André René Roussimoff, his charisma was as huge as his stature and his presence defined the word aura, as they say now. When Andre walked into a room, the world stopped to notice him.
By proxy, when he died at age 46 on January 28, 1993, the world stopped mourning. The eight wonders of the world. In his death, the native French left behind a legacy of iconic moments and matches, all of which deserve a spotlight. In his memory, this list hopes to balance his five best matches worth talking about and his five best moments, both in WWE and outside the company.
10
Shane the WWE Champion
Andre the Giant vs. Hulk Hogan in the main event, February 5, 1988
Andre the Giant vs. Hulk Hogan for the World Title at WrestleMania III is a staple of WWE history, but few people remember The televised rematch just under a year later. Fans are glued to their TV screens for The Main Event, a spin-off of Saturday Night’s Main Event. However, no one was prepared for the shocking end.
A sudden quick count by referee Dave Hebner (who was his debuting twin brother, Earl, paid off by the Million Dollar Corporation) despite Hogan kicking out Andre earns his only WWE Championship win. Granted, in two minutes, he was paid off to surrender it to Ted Dibiase, making it the shortest reign in the title’s history, but the accolade is nonetheless worthy. Praise.
9
Andre the Giant vs. King Kong Bundy
WWF at MSG 1985
The match with King Kong Bundy would be higher if there wasn’t an asterisk of a no-finish (spoiler alert: Andre wins via DQ), but everything around and before the finish makes this special. This happens on the way to WrestleMania II, where Bundy was set to face Hogan for the WWE title in a steel cage. To make him look strong, he is booked to face the Eight Wonders of the World, and you can’t get much stronger than that.
This is Andre in his baby-phase primeCompletely caught up in the people’s regrets, already frozen by the specter of big meaty people who eat meat, but they really stand for Andre. His heel work against Hogan is what everyone remembers, but this is a great representation of Just as beloved Andre was in his Haida As he is ready to put over the next big thing.
8
Andre the Giant is the first single survivor of WWE
WWE Survivor Series 1987
Survivor Series 1987 was the inaugural event for the Thanksgiving season PPV, with the main event being among the first traditional five-on-five elimination-style tag team matches. It was Team Andre vs. Team Hogan. Andre’s team consisted of Butch Reed, King Kong Bundy, One Man Gang and Ravishing Rick Rude. Hogan, meanwhile, was able to recruit Bam Bam Bigelow, Don Muraco, Ken Patera and Paul Orndoff.
The match was cooked Andre last eliminating bam bam To become the first lone survivor in Survivor series history. This would become an account shared with the likes of future superstars like Roman Reigns, Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler and Randy Orton, who would have some of his best matches at Survivor Series. That being said, there can only be one first-ever, and Andre holds the accolade.
7
Andre the Giant vs. Antonio Inoki
New Japan Pro Wrestling, June 17, 1986
A list of Andre’s best matches and moments is incomplete without including something with his best opponent, NJPW founder Antonio Inoki. Some would argue that the distinction of Andre’s best opponent should go to Hulk Hogan, however There was no one Andre wrestled as often – and at such a consistent level of quality – as Antonio Inoki.. Between 1974 and 1986, the pair wrestled 21 times in singles action, and even more if the reader were to count tag team bouts.
These two have never had a bad match against each other, so theoretically, none of their matches deserve this spot. Their June 17, 1986 bout, however, is one that arguably stands out the most because it is a rare submission loss for Andre the Giant, someone who is as rarely tapped as The Undertaker in his matches.
6
Andre wins Big John Studd’s $15,000 Body Slam Challenge
WrestleMania I
Andre the Giant holds the distinction of not only being the first Soul Survivor but of holding One of the first WrestleMania moments. There are many matches that hold a special place in the hearts of those lucky enough to witness WrestleMania, but it’s moments like this that leave a lasting impression.
Andre had such a moment at the first WrestleMania, where he had the unthinkable, body slamming Big John Studd in his body slam challenge, winning $15,000 of Bobby Heenan’s money. to the delight of the crowd, He throws it to the audience in a feel-good moment. A WrestleMania moment is something that every wrestler wants and every fan loves to see from their favorite star. It’s among the first to set the tone for what makes a WrestleMania moment special.
5
Andre the Giant vs. Strong Kobayashi
IWE The 4th IWA World Series – Tag 34, May 6, 1972
It’s a shame that most of Andre’s best matches and moments happen outside of his prime. By the time Andre would achieve the accolades and achievements discussed in the list so far, his ailing body was starting to fail him as he struggled to move the older he became. Modern fans who never watched Andre when he was younger tend to assume that this is just his natural movement as a man of this gigantic stature, but no. in his freedom, Andre was deceptively agile and shockingly fast.
The deceptive speed and agility are on full display in a rare gem of a match outside of WWE, where he faces mighty Kobayashi in IWE. For almost 40 minutes, the fight is as fast-paced as a cruiserweight boutBut it’s between two athletes who are literally larger than life.
4
Andre the Giant turns babyface again
WrestleMania VI
At the end of his career, Andre the Giant was afforded at least One last proper sendoff to ride off into the sunset. The stage was WrestleMania VI, where Andre and Haku of Bobby Heenan’s Colossal Connection defended the WWE Tag Team Championship against Demolition. When they lose the titles, despite Haku being pinned, Heenan charges and slaps Andre at the end of the contest.
The moment Andre grabs Bobby “The Brain” is met with an immediate roar from the crowdWho waited for years to find a reason to make Andre happy again. The Giant defied Heenan and Haku to thunderous applause was his first face turn in three years. He’d mostly work exclusively in house shows and in All Japan wrestling after the fact, so this gave Andre one last TV moment to ride off into the sunset as the beloved face he came in as.
3
Andre the Giant vs. Stan Hansen
NJPW Bloody Fight Series 1981
A good argument can be made for this match with Stan Hansen being Andre’s best match of his entire career. In old-school wrestling circles, the match is hailed to this day as a classic. What gives it its stature is that Andre and Hansen reached truly iconic status in Japan, and seeing them collide was a rare treat. Former WWE manager Jim Cornette even provided analysis and commentary on the match.
It’s easy to see why the match is so highly praised over 40 years after it first took place. It’s not often that old-school matches outside of WWE hold such a lasting legacy in Western cultures, but that’s just a testament to how good Hansen vs. Andre is. It’s just two guys beating each other’s ever-loving tar, hitting each other one hit after another.
2
Andre the Giant turns heel and joins Bobby the Brain Heenan
The iconic setup of Andre vs. Hogan at WrestleMania III
This is by far the most shocking moment of Andre the Giant’s WWE career. Certainly, with modern eyes, it is easy to see where Andre’s grip was. Beyond jealousy, it’s certainly questionable for his 15-year unbeaten streak to have little fanfare and a smaller trophy while his best friend’s three-year title reign takes a massive prize. Andre was the first person to congratulate Hogan when he won the WWE Championship in one of WWE’s best promos, but now he has become visibly, uncharacteristically frustrated with the champion.
This is a match that Vince McMahon wanted to consolidate Hogan as the top star in his company, and who better to pass the torch than the company’s first true “attraction”? There was a time when Andre was as admired by fans as Hogan was, if not more so. To see him form an alliance with the rugged Bobby Heenan in hopes of vanquishing his so-called friend’s title run was an Unthinkable sight for fans at the time. Hogan’s tears may not have been real when Andre ripped his crucifix, but those of fans in attendance surely were.
1
Andre The Giant vs. Hulk Hogan – WWE Championship
WrestleMania III
It would be very difficult to justify not including it as Andre’s most iconic moment The biggest match possible on the biggest stage possibleWhich created a legacy as possibly the most important match in wrestling history. It is the irresistible force meeting the immovable object. Everything from the visuals, the atmosphere, commentary, storytelling, the electric crowd – all live in wrestling history as the stuff of legends.
Hogan slamming Andre obviously has merit as an iconic moment, but it’s the match as a whole that made it special. The way the match built up to the Slam begged the question if Hogan was able to lift The Giant off his feet, let alone defeat him. To modern fans, this might look like a boring old-school match, with Andre barely able to move at the time, but the atmosphere and the crowd’s emotion in that moment are probably still unmatched. The effective storytelling is what made this one of the best moments in Wow History and in the career of Andre the Giant.