Billed at 7 feet 5 and over 35 stone Andre The Giant was one of the world’s most recognisable characters. You didn’t have to be a fan of wrestling to know of him as he transcended the sport. Now a documentary on his life is set to air telling the story of the highs and lows of being the Eighth Wonder Of The World.
From HBO Sports, WWE, and the Bill Simmons Media Group comes Andre The Giant, a documentary examining the life and career of one of the most beloved legends in WWE history. The ambitious, wide-ranging film explores Andre’s upbringing in France, his celebrated WWE career and his forays into the entertainment world.
André René Roussimoff was born in 1946 in Grenoble, France. In his early teens, he exhibited signs of gigantism though he was not diagnosed with acromegaly until his twenties. He began his training in Paris at 17 and eventually became known in wrestling circuits around the world. In 1973, Andre joined the WWF now known as World Wrestling Entertainment, where he became a superstar and rival of WWE legend Hulk Hogan.
Although nearing the end of his in-ring career and in nowhere near his peak physical shape of years before Andre is best remembered for perhaps the biggest and most anticipated wrestling match in history, when he took on Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania III at the Pontiac Silverdome in from over 93,000 fans.
Everyone who came into contact with the Giant was in sheer awe of the man, and quite a lot of them have a story to tell……none moreso than his drinking exploits. On numerous occasions he was able to consume over 100 bottles of beer in a single sitting. He took pride in this, but as mentioned in the trailer what started as his party trick basically became a necessity as his body started to fail him.
And whilst being the Eighth Wonder of the World did bring Andre fame and fortune it also had its drawbacks. For example, travelling proved troublesome – for example he struggled to fit into cars, had to take 2 seats up on a plane – not ideal in a sport that requires constant travelling.
Andre The Giant will feature interviews with Vince McMahon, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and Billy Crystal to name a few, and will air April 10th on HBO (which is twinned with Sky Atlantic over here in the UK), just two days after WrestleMania 34.
Take a look at the trailer below.