Wwe Tickets - Andre The Giant

Andre the Giant was the largest athlete the world had ever seen

. Standing at 7 feet 4 inches tall and weighing between 475 and 540 pounds over the course of his career, this wrestler truly earned the nickname of "The Eighth Wonder of the World." By the time he was 12 years old, Andre stood 6-foot-3 and weighed 200 pounds.

The Hall of Fame wrestler was born with acromegaly, a disorder that causes the bones to grow at an accelerated rate. Andre decided to use his abnormal size to his advantage and joined the sports-entertainment industry at an early age. After the French native wrestled in Japan and Canada for a few years, the 27-year-old giant inked a contract with Vincent McMahon and quickly became the WWE's favorite wrestler in 1973.

Although wrestling would change in the next two decades, the giant remained devoted to McMahon and the WWE for 20 years. For nearly 15 years, nobody could defeat the giant. Some of his most heated rivalries included battling the "Big Cat" Ernie Ladd, Blackjack Mulligan and the great Hulk Hogan. Andre defeated Hogan in an epic clash at Shea Stadium in 1980.

Get WWE tickets and see your favorite wrestler chock slam his opponent. Athletes from outside the WWE even challenged the giant, but found out it was impossible to bring down the wrestler. In 1976, boxer Chuck Wepner fought Andre in a boxer versus wrestler confrontation in Shea Stadium. Andre laughed at the competition as he hurled the "Bayonne Bleeder" out of the ring and into the third row.

Another highlight of Andre's career was taking on Killer Kahn in the early 1980s. Kahn broke the giant's ankle in 1981, leading to their infamous Mongolian Stretcher Match, where Andre won another decisive battle. Through it all, the big man maintained an incredible undefeated streak, which had never been seen before and hasn't been seen since. He prevailed in all of his Royal Rumble matches because his size made him nearly impossible to throw over the top rope.

Although wrestling began to take its toll on the giant's body during the mid-'80s, Andre had plenty of gas left in the tank for a couple more memorable WWE moments. His legendary rivalry with Big John Studd culminated in Andre's victory over Studd in the Body Slam Challenge at the first WrestleMania in 1985, and he added to his record for most Battle Royals won by surviving such a match the following year at WrestleMania 2.

In 1987, with 93,173 WWE fans in attendance, Andre clashed with Hogan for the first WWE championship at WrestleMania 3. The Hulkster was victorious, ending the lengthy undefeated streak set by one of the best wrestler's of all time. However, the giant got his revenge and won back the title from Hogan in 1988.

On Jan. 27, 1993, Andre passed away in his sleep due to congestive heart failure. Andre wasn't just a celebrity in the ring; he was also well-known for his appearances on the Tonight Show, had a cameo role on The Six-Million Dollar Man playing Bigfoot, made appearances on B.J. and the Bear and The Greatest American Hero and even starred as Fezzik in the 1987 blockbuster film The Princess Bride.

by: Brent Warnken

POST COMMENT

Nba Tickets - Fantasy Surprises Nhl Tickets - Sabres Vs. Penguins The Origin Of The Moccasin Taylor Swift Tickets - She Had The Best Day, Today U2 Tickets - Rebuilding A Crumbling Barrier Willie Nelson Tickets - The Outlaw Never Leaves The Spotlight Private investigators for employers Egypt Won with a Remarkable FightBack against Nigeria G3 Eliga Reccos Mudu Ancient Water Town Do You Think Your Birth Control Is Sufficient? Chelation agents: EDTA serves it all Getting Ex Your Back Might Affect You Psychologically Cubic zirconia