the 8th wonder but i hope they do more of these. I enjoyed this and Flair's 30 for 30 so much. Hell I could watch an entire "season" of docs about these guys on a medium like Netflix.
was more a fan of the era than the wrestler, but it's often really interesting for me when the curtain is pulled back on the era.
Saw Andre twice in person circa '84, and while he was yoog he was under 7 foot, and probably never anywhere near 7'4. Overbilled as rasslers always were.
I became a wrestling fan in about 82 or 83, right around when the transition from territories to a national company was underway, so enjoyed the clips and history they showed of what wrestling was like in the 70s.
Documentary focused a lot on Andre’s struggles, especially as he got older, which made sense - would have loved more funny Andre stories too.
near SFO airport back in the 80s; got off the elevator on my floor and who is walking towards me? Andre the Giant. And I am not exaggerating when I say he filled the entire hallway.
The Andre the Giant/Hulk match was one of the first wrestling matches I remember as a kid. Really brought back some good memories. Thought they covered everything and just a well-done doc.
Pretty cool to see clips of Andre wrestling in his prime Â
Did they play the clip of Heenan telling the story of getting on a plane with Andre and him getting stuck in coach seat. Like literally not being able to get the armrests up. Just impossibly wedged in there. Stewardess asks him if she can get him anything...he blurts out "SCREWDRIVER" so she comes back with a Black and Decker screwdriver.
Andre looks at her and says "What would you have brought me if I said Bloody Mary?!"
Part of the reason for his short life was his giganticism. He towered over Hulk Hogan and Big John Studd So he's probably around 7'1" or taller.
Just as George the Animal Steele wasn't from parts unknown, I'd imagine Andre wasn't exactly 7'4", but the gigantism would indicate being 7'1" or 7'2" as a "real" height
Did they play the clip of Heenan telling the story of getting on a plane with Andre and him getting stuck in coach seat. Like literally not being able to get the armrests up. Just impossibly wedged in there. Stewardess asks him if she can get him anything...he blurts out "SCREWDRIVER" so she comes back with a Black and Decker screwdriver.
Andre looks at her and says "What would you have brought me if I said Bloody Mary?!"
They did not tell that story, but it’s hilarious, hadn’t heard that before.
Dave Meltzer is a long time rasslin writer, I think he had Studd at 6'7, Andre around 7'0 but later he amended it to 6'9 ... don't recall if it was when Andre was older and shrinking or not, tbh.
I met him, Flair, the Von Erich’s and others in person back in the day. I helped set up their ring. It was funny because they were all hanging out joking with each other and then got to the ring and put on the show like they hated each other. Kerry Von Erich looked like Conan in person.
Dave Meltzer is a long time rasslin writer, I think he had Studd at 6'7, Andre around 7'0 but later he amended it to 6'9 ... don't recall if it was when Andre was older and shrinking or not, tbh.
Vince specifically addressed this on the documentary. He said he was not 7'4 but what's a couple inches matter? He was over seven foot though.
Race and Funk wrestled him in his prime, there are some others. Perhaps some guys he faced in his many battle royal wins. Or guys he manhandled.
It was great to see t be young Andre, the shot at the end of him holding up Snuka and Backlund, imagine effortlessly hoisting two 6 foot plus 230-260 pound guys like that.
Part of the reason for his short life was his giganticism. He towered over Hulk Hogan and Big John Studd So he's probably around 7'1" or taller.
Just as George the Animal Steele wasn't from parts unknown, I'd imagine Andre wasn't exactly 7'4", but the gigantism would indicate being 7'1" or 7'2" as a "real" height
I think Hogan had to realistically be 6-5, 6-6, no? When he stood with Nash and Hall, Hall was a bit taller than Hogan and I think Hall was 6-7.
I remember reading it somewhere in a magazine Nash thought Hogan was way taller because of how Hogan was presented on TV and Nash was left shocked when the two met because Hogan was shorter than Nash had expected.
And yes people it's called billed height and weight Â
Very happy they touched base on the Hogan vs Andre feud from 1980 .They actually wrestled on channel 9 and Hogan slammed Andre ,I always wondered why they never mentioned that when they were getting ready for WrestleMania 3 but Vince wanted everyone to forget that it happened and they explained that .How funny was it where the camera was backstage in the Kayfabe era and Andre goes get the fuck out of here lol ..It was Dusty and Dick Murdoch but I could not make out who the other guy was maybe Arnold Skaaland ,it looked like they were playing cards .Good to see my old buddy Johnny Rodz in some of the clips ,he wrestled Andre a ton in the 70’s and early 80’s before the wrestling boom
regarding wrestling when Jimmy Snuka was arrested for trashing a hotel room and slamming a prostitute up against a wall the night after wrestling in Elmira. In the time it took to sort out the situation, the WWF kept saying he was back in Fiji training.
Up until then I'd clung to the idea the sport was legit.
That and fucking John Stossel. I'd have smacked him upside the head too!!
Yup, sadly a violent drag-raged pattern with Snuka Â
When Andre got his hair cut by Big John Studd and Ken Patera ,I remember it was a huge angle at the time .Studd and Patera were such awesome heels . That 1984-1985 WWF was the best era imo ..On the John Stossel stuff from 20/20 Dr D got blackballed right after that .He was supposed to be a big part of the first WrestleMania but Vince had no choice but to fire him .Such a shame too .The TNT skit where they go to his house and he is going nuts on his wife is gold .There was a book that came out a few years ago on the whole alleged Snuka murder case ,I saw it a convention a while ago and I should have bought it .Its definitely out of print and hard to find like the Gary Hart book I would think
Saw Andre twice in person circa '84, and while he was yoog he was under 7 foot, and probably never anywhere near 7'4. Overbilled as rasslers always were.
Documentary focused a lot on Andre’s struggles, especially as he got older, which made sense - would have loved more funny Andre stories too.
A true giant of a man.
By the time many of us got to know him in the early 80s, he was already on the downhill due to physical problems and much more limited in the ring.
Amazing he kept it going in the ring through Wrestlemania III and for a couple years after.
Andre looks at her and says "What would you have brought me if I said Bloody Mary?!"
Part of the reason for his short life was his giganticism. He towered over Hulk Hogan and Big John Studd So he's probably around 7'1" or taller.
Just as George the Animal Steele wasn't from parts unknown, I'd imagine Andre wasn't exactly 7'4", but the gigantism would indicate being 7'1" or 7'2" as a "real" height
Andre looks at her and says "What would you have brought me if I said Bloody Mary?!"
They did not tell that story, but it’s hilarious, hadn’t heard that before.
Vince specifically addressed this on the documentary. He said he was not 7'4 but what's a couple inches matter? He was over seven foot though.
It was great to see t be young Andre, the shot at the end of him holding up Snuka and Backlund, imagine effortlessly hoisting two 6 foot plus 230-260 pound guys like that.
Part of the reason for his short life was his giganticism. He towered over Hulk Hogan and Big John Studd So he's probably around 7'1" or taller.
Just as George the Animal Steele wasn't from parts unknown, I'd imagine Andre wasn't exactly 7'4", but the gigantism would indicate being 7'1" or 7'2" as a "real" height
I think Hogan had to realistically be 6-5, 6-6, no? When he stood with Nash and Hall, Hall was a bit taller than Hogan and I think Hall was 6-7.
I remember reading it somewhere in a magazine Nash thought Hogan was way taller because of how Hogan was presented on TV and Nash was left shocked when the two met because Hogan was shorter than Nash had expected.
I met Snuka in the early 90s, he was 5'10. These dudes were larger than life on TV, good memories watching the doc.
Up until then I'd clung to the idea the sport was legit.
That and fucking John Stossel. I'd have smacked him upside the head too!!