Andre The Giant

[9.0] "At his peak, he still may be the most impressive big man in history. It's a shame we lost however many clips of him from that time. His most well-known run nowadays doesn't do justice to the monster act he was, however, he still maintained enough credibility to deliver easily the most famous moment in the sport, WMIII. For a while after, he maintained enough credibility. His body woulr eventually succumb to everything, even more than it had before, but I'd like to think the giants legacy was secured long, long before then."

[10.0] "There will never be another Andre The Giant in this industry. When I first saw him, he was the short haired gentle giant who was embraced by the crowd. I remember being absolutely shocked by his heel turn in 1987 to challenge Hogan at WrestleMania III. He spent so many years as a beloved face that it was impossible to believe how great of a heel he would be. In my time, I rate it as the second biggest heel turn in wrestling history (ironically the man he turned on gets that top spot). That was the Andre I knew as a child. Upon seeing his earlier matches in the WWWF, NWA, and Japan, Andre could GO when he could! He didn't need a championship because he was one of the few that was bigger than a title itself. There's a reason why 33 years after his death he is still looked upon as the best, pun intended, Giant of the industry. He was one of a kind."

[10.0] "A wrestler that overtime with footage being more accessible is one that is vastly underrated perception wise depending on who you ask. The name says it all, he was giant. He worked his size to perfection. Excelled at the little things as far as timing and framing things. An underrated seller, whether as a babyface or as a heel, he also had some of the best facial expressions I've ever seen. He was truly one of a kind"

[9.0] "André the Giant is a true legend; everything about him exuded success. His matches prior to WrestleMania I were excellent, and it was incredible how he moved and showed no fear of falling--perhaps the greatest giant wrestling has ever seen. While his presence was imposing and eye-catching, his matches toward the end of his career weren't exactly spectacular; still, whenever he appeared, you had to stop whatever you were doing to watch him, because even if the match itself wasn't a classic, his intimidating image always commanded attention. In my opinion, his best match was against Stan Hansen in September 1981."

[10.0] "André the Giant is one of the most extraordinary atheletes of All-Times. André the Giant is one of the biggest stars in professional wrestling history, and anything short of a 10/10 rating is a disgrace."

"Andre was a true legend! Known around the world in a time when that wasn't easy for wrestlers! Love watching his nostalgic run in the WWF, and his NJPW matches!"

[9.0] "Just like with Macho Man at Wrestlemania V against Hulk Hogan, I feel like knowing me, I would have been rooting for the Giant against Hogan at Wrestlemania III. I've really only watched Andre's matches during his time in the WWF, so I can't attest to any of his early work in France (which I hear is amazing), but every time he was in the ring, he had this aura and atmosphere around him that made you look in awe."

[10.0] "One of the best to ever do it, easily. If you're reading this comment now.. plz watch his French catch matches that you could find in the 60s and 70s, watch anything for him but watch the older stuff first, genius wrestler who really makes things looks "easy" but in reality it's actually not easy at ALL."

[10.0] "One of the biggest draws in the history of the sport. Despite lacking essentially everything that people seek today in a 10/10 wrestler, Andre could do what many wrestlers wish they could, and that's sell out arenas across the world on the reputation of their name. It's almost unfathomable to understand how he was so great from today's lens. Being consistently booked across promotions and territories as the most unstoppable figure for over a decade will do this."

[10.0] "If Andre the Giant isn't worthy of a 10, no one is. He's the kind of mythical figure that the medium of wrestling was made for. Drew money everywhere he went. Was he the greatest promo? No, he didn't need to be. Was he the greatest technician? He certainly didn't need to be that either, but in his younger days, he would work a match at a good pace and make it look like his opponent actually had a chance in a scrap with a giant. If anything, he's underrated as a worker, especially if all you saw was his WWF run. But the work wasn't the thing that mattered when it came to Andre. He was THE spectacle."

[10.0] "Absolutely crazy I've got to justify giving Andre the Giant a 10. Was THE special attraction for so many promotions over a long period of time. Headlined Wrestlemania 3. Cultural icon. You still see his face graffiti all over the world."

[10.0] "Anyone who has the clout of Andre and his legacy is going to be a top-ranked star. The way he cowered crowds, drew heat and made wrestling feel larger than life was indescribable. Way ahead of his time in his body of work. Known around the world by really everyone at the time and even now his name keeps popping up. In the ring, he wasn't special but for his size it really wasn't bad work. Absolute legend!"

[9.0] "Andre the giant. Talking about him at this point is like talking about a mythical figure. Something beyond an athlete or a sports figure. Second only to Hulk Hogan as the most recognizable name in western wrestling (some may argue the most), his legacy transcends the industry like very few others. Yet when you remove the goggles of the historical, you can see some interesting things about him as a performer. The man, because of his conditions, was very limited for the most part compared to his contemporaries. He was slumbering, awkward and clumsy. He also lacked any type of impressive promo ability. Traits that, while understandable and even commendable based on the role he was playing, became a noticeable negative as his health and skills continued to deteriorate. That would be reasons to perhaps give him a lower score, but i won't do that because Andre was and perhaps will forever be, the best booked wrestler in the history of wrestling. In an industry where everyone has their own idea what works in wrestling and what doesn't, every booker that got it's hands on Andre booked him perfectly; Accentuate the positives and hide away the negatives. Even when he couldn't do anything, he always felt like the biggest thing. And unlike almost every giant that followed, (like Big Show, Giant Silva, Kurrgan, Great Khali, Omos) he was never put in a compromising position or angle. He was always kept believably strong. Looking at the landscape of wrestling today, it's easy to assume that we will never have another figure like him that's presented and booked like him (Lesnar is the closest thing to him but even so) and that in my opinion makes him legendary, a mythological figure and, knowing how things went with Hogan, the sports biggest Icon."

[9.0] "Andre is a wrestling legend. His matches weren't great, but they didn't have to be. Andre's mere presence was more than enough to draw thousands of people and make history. Just think about it: why were his matches legendary? Not because they were beautiful to watch, but because Andre was there. A terrifying giant, he looked like he could rip your head off, but outside of wrestling, he was a sweetheart. Sadly, his life was complicated by his height, causing him problems in the ring and, more importantly, problems in his daily life. One of a kind."

[10.0] "y'all aren't seeing what i'm seeing. sure, his tenure in wwe made him simply an attraction, and his workrate didnt excel, how could it, with that size. but the man could SELL. and i mean it. often he wouldnt, either out of laziness, or simply because the status of the opponent didnt require him to sell, we're trying to keep kayfabe alive in here. but man, when faced with the right opponent, Andre selling was one of the greatest spectacles wrestling has to offer. plus yeah big attraction and whatnot, ridiculous average, 10/10"

[8.0] "Andre is a legend to the business, he is THE giant in all of wrestling. No other giant in wrestling has had this much aura as if you were watching a true monster from another world come to the ring. Not very good in the ring but he didn't have to, people weren't going to see him perform 5 star classics, they wanted to see a colossus."

[10.0] "Andre was a specimen, an attraction, one of a kind. He was larger than life and one of the first big names in wrestling. He could wrestle quite well for a man his size until back problems started to take it's toll, he was surprisingly athletic and could move about just as well as other big guys. His feud with Hulk Hogan is also the stuff of legend, the ripping of Hogan's shirt the body slam of the giant is down in history as some of the most iconic moments in wrestling history. Andre had the Midas touch, near enough everything he touched turned gold and it all beautifully ended with his heroes sendoff at wrestlemania 6."

[10.0] "Andre in the 70's and early 80's was very athletic and even did moves off the top rope! He was wrestling first real attraction and while he did coast on his size, he was still putting on the best matches he could. His last great run was obviously 1987 and besides the memorable match with Hogan, his promos leading up to it were his best. The dismissive and cold "au revoir" as Hogan was shaking and fuming was a great contrast. He was the first real big man in wrestling and the first major draw with worldwide appeal. Yeah, it was due to his size and condition that he was born with and couldn't control, but Andre had a lot of charisma and the early months of his heel turn were fantastic."

[10.0] "Andre The Giant is still Giant figure in the history of pro-wrestling. He was a true giant, but he was actually good, if you know what I mean... Look at Giant Gonzalez or The Great Khali and some other lookalike to them giant wrestlers and you will get my point. This man is an icon"

[8.0] "I wasn't alive when Andre was wrestling, but you don't need to be to see how big of a deal he was -- literally and figuratively. Dude was a legend. Just his size made everything he did feel special. Watching his old matches back, it's clear he wasn't about flashy moves, but he had this insane presence that made the crowd go wild. Total icon, and honestly one of the reasons wrestling got so popular in the first place."

[10.0] "He's one of the greatest big guy wrestlers in the company during the time you'd be crazy rating him below a 10 his 70s and early 80s work is phenomenal i enjoyed his matches in japan especially against Strong Kobayashi and Antonio Inoki Rip passed away way to young."

[6.0] "A true spectacle in the face of wrestling, I like his in ring work prior to WWE as well as his match with hulk hogan in Wrestlemania 3. But it was clear that he was in agony during his final years in WWE, and due to that, he was quite limited in the ring. I wished WWE hired him when he was in his prime, cause 70's and early 80's Andre looks like he can definitely move. He's perfect for a spectacle, as a WWE wrestler, I'd say he's passable."

[10.0] "He's Andre The Giant. Anything other than a 10 is just pure garbage. The single most iconic wrestler of all-time as well as one of the best in the ring. It's unfortunate that he had the most international attention placed on him while his body was breaking down."

[10.0] "The greatest French wrestler to have made WWE history ! One of the best giants in wrestling history, He was nearly 2.24m (7ft4) tall and weighed about 235 kg (518 pounds), First French WWE wrestler, Wrestlemania main eventer, WWE Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion with Haku, first WWE Hall of Famer. His fight with Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania III in 1987 is one of the most iconic moments in wrestling history, especially for the famous scene where Hulk Hogan manages to lift Andre, an extraordinary feat given his size. He is the pride of France."

[10.0] "The biggest attraction in wrestling history and one of the most iconic wrestlers of all time (probably THE most iconic before Hulkamania kicked off) . An amazing wrestler in his prime with amazing ring psychology, having great matches in the 70s and 80s with the likes of Stan Hansen, and, later in his career, the Hulkster. He had a great mind for the business, and despite not being especially note worthy on the mic, still showed tons of charisma through his size and presence. And while he wasn't exactly the best wrestler during the mid 80s onwards, the man still knew to make the best of his physical limitations and maintained an aura despite being immobile in the ring. Plus, I have to give props to him to continue wrestling even in such pain. One of the best to ever do it in my opinion."

[10.0] "From a drawing perspective, Andre is the GOAT, I don't think many people from the modern era truly understand how much of a worldwide attraction Andre was during his prime. Andre wasn't a high flyer, or very agile, but what can you expect from a guy of his size and stature? Honestly considering that I always thought that he was a rather safe worker and kind of technically sound when paired up with the right opponents. Either way, I don't think we'll see a star like Andre ever again or anything that can really top that build-up/payoff of the feud with Hogan. I can't emphasize this enough but this was a time when wrestling was at its peak popularity worldwide, and THIS was the guy spearheading it. Automatic 10/10."

[9.0] "People remember his final days in WWE in its first golden age when he was a giant with only 10 moves but before his knee problems due to his gigantism he was a great technical wrestler with a psychology in the ring that could even do moves like the dropkick, and most importantly for the business, sales, Andre and Hogan generated unimaginable amounts of money for their time, even today."

[10.0] "The more I watch of Andre the more appreciation I gain for him. He may have the best ring psychology of any wrestler, ever. Everything in his matches are thought out, he has no wasted movements. He plays both an excellent giant heel and somehow even plays a great face, despite his size. Sure, his later work isn't the best, but to only look at this like many fans will is a complete disservice to one of the greatest of all time (even then I still get quite a lot out of the Mania 3 Hogan match). Was he ever the most agile or athletic? No. Does this matter? No. He knows how the perfect role for him, and he can play it superbly. To say that "he wasn't that good in-ring but I'm giving him a 10 because he's one of the biggest draws in wrestling history" is completely unfair to the genius he is."

[10.0] "Will preface this by saying, Andre is somebody you cannot rate on a standard wrestling basis. It would absolutely be unfair to compare him to wrestlers in the modern era. His contribution to professional wrestling is probably as big as it gets, the guy was THE ATTRACTION. I know the WWE likes to make out Andre was their big attraction and whatnot, but he simply wasn't. Everywhere he went, he was the guy. The match against Hogan will be remembered forever, and it wasn't even close to being a 5 star quality match. The impact it had on the WWE was huge and just goes to show, Andre did not need to be this wrestling prodigy capable of putting on incredible matches. If you look at some clips when he was very young, you could tell he was able to be a pretty damn good professional wrestler. Obviously his gigantism was going to take a huge toll on his life, so it's really unfair to try and compare him and hold him to a certain standard. As a star, attraction, he is an absolute 10/10. One of the most famous wrestlers ever."

[2.0] "I am not kidding you when I say that I have seen five matches of Andre and one of them is a three, another one is a one and the other three are zeros. Some of these matches are considered his best and classics and they still are terrible, some of the worst wrestling I have ever seen, correct that, the worst wrestling I have ever seen. Other than his size there is nothing redeeming about him. I just can't care about how influential he is when he is also the worst in ring wrestler ever. I am sorry."

[7.0] "Andre The Giant had one of the best careers that a wrestler of his stature could have had, but he wasn't as talented as many people say he was. Andre was very slow and in my opinion a little boring in the ring. along with his size not coming off as well on TV, in person he was a dominant spectical, but he never reached the hype watching on TV without feeling inferior. I'll give him props for what he was able to achieve with gigantism, but hes still not what people made him out to be"

[10.0] "contrary to the popular belief Andre was a great wrestler, he has better matches with Inoki, Hansen, Khan and Race are Better than anything the likes of Hogan, Show and Kane ever put. but Andre had endless charisma and really felt otherworldly in a way only Andre has, and he was the biggest draw of wrestling before Hogan, an absolute legend!"

[8.0] "If you did rate Andre on just his matches, it would be a low figure. When WWF reached the Golden Era, he just couldn't do it anymore and at times, it was sad to see him. While it was hard seeing him in the Golden Era, there wouldn't be one if it wasn't for him. A true icon before the WWF's stranglehold, every promotion he went to come off better for it and he continued to be a bigger star because of it. By the time WM3 rolled around, he got to have one last big run on top and made it count. Vince even made the Hall of Fame just for him to start with, you can't say it wasn't devised. A once in a lifetime wrestler (sorry Big Show) who will be remembered as a true icon."

[8.0] "Andre could work in the ring when he was younger as shown by clips although very few full matches exist. Andre was one of the biggest draws of his era as his size brought people in. He was very charismatic in the ring. His matches have not aged well but should not take away from being an all time great."

[10.0] "The greatest attraction in wrestling history. Many big men have come and gone but there will never be another Andre. He didn't have the lobgest career but he will be remembered forever. His most famous moments are sadly later in his career when he was severly limited"

[10.0] "The Eighth Wonder of the World. The single biggest sports entertainment attraction in the history of professional wrestling. It didn't matter the territory, the town, or the opponent that stood across the ring from him that night, people flocked in droves to witness Andre in person, and see him wrestle inside the squared circle. He drew a ton of money in his day, sold a ton of tickets in his time, and his name .on any marquee pretty much guaranteed a sold out arena internationally all over the world. Also, the criticisms on him as a in ring performer, even in his plodding stages, I don't fully get because Andre had one of the higher in ring iq's of anyone i'd ever watched even in his latter years. He listened to the crowds, knew what worked, and what didn't work, and worked accordingly around whoever he was a wrestling with while working like a giant. He was also one of the first to really transcend the wrestling genre as his acting work in the princess bride as fezzik, conan the barbarian, trading mom as a circus giant, and the sixth million dollar man where he played bigfoot was way ahead of it's time. You didn't really see a pro wrestler getting that kinda mainstream attention outside of wrestling anywhere, but Andre did it, and I would argue he set the groundwork for what it meant to do it."

[8.0] "If you watched Andres matches from the 70s or early 80s you could see that he knew how to wrestler. Back then he was faster and he could have a great wrestling match. In the late 80s he had lots of problems with his body and couldnt deliver a great match but for what he did it was pretty good. He was the first big Giant of wrestling and everyone admired him. It would have been cool if he had a championship reign in the 70s but then again a wrestler like Andre doesnt need a championship to look good."

[2.0] "This is another of revisionist's most absurd fabrication of how "great" Andre the Giant is. Aside from his size and his popularity, there is nothing to be worth praising about his entire wrestling run. He moves very slowly, and his matches are simply mediocre. No matches whatsoever to be recommended as most of his matches are awful and boring to watch. As a babyface, he is simply terrible. Not because of the enormous stature, he would be less interesting as most of the wrestlers in the 70s and 80s. So far, I appreciate his heel run back in 1987 and somewhat a little bit of improvement from his horrendous babyface run. His only notable points of his career are his feud with Killer Khan and Hulk Hogan, which is both mediocre sad to say. Although they considered him a folk hero by some, Andre is not even a decent wrestler as what most of the revisionists and loyalists think. Just be thankful that the landscape of wrestling is truly changed, and we focused on wrestlers who are skilful than just looks and popularity."

[4.0] "He really wasn't a great wrestler and is remembered unduly fondly. And I've seen work of his from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, so I'm not just talking about old Andre. He was capable of a good match but for me he rarely gave anything special. A legend but not one who I'd like to see a 15 minute match from"

[7.0] "A real shame that much of what we have on tape is Andre well after his peak and he is a sad sight broken down and still pushed out the curtain. The man could go in his time and even on his way down is star power and size meant he was over and got reactions."

[10.0] "The best giant in pro wrestling history. Yes, his in ring level was not that great in his last years due to his health problems but he was an incredible wrestler for his size during his best days ! To be honnest I am not a fan of "giant wrestlers" too, I prefer watching good in-ring wrestlers like Danielson, Okada or ZSJ... But man, André was a pure attraction ! His charisma and his size were so impressive that he didn't have to be a good in-ring pro wrestler. He simply beats you by crushing you with all of his weight and smashing you with all of his gigantic power ! He is the one WWE tried to reproduce for decades but it never really worked because André is the greatest monster wrestler of all time, the original and one and only giant. Damn, I'm so proud that my country was represented by the first Hall Of Famer in history and one of the greatest legend in this sport !"

"Andre is also a clear 10 and bridged the gap between the territory years and modern wrestling and was a huge draw for both eras. He was booked extremely well also where he would go to different places for relatively short times, as well as Japan. when he was younger, he was a very good worker for a giant, later on in his career his body betrayed him and he was a shadow of his former self, but was still a great attraction."

[10.0] "He is the Only True and Genuine Giant in the history of Wrestling, Andre was an attraction inside and outside of the ring beloved by fans and co-workers around the territories and in the WWF. Andre in my eyes made Hulk Hogan and Hulkamania into the spectacle and iconic lineage that exists today in Hulk Hogan. Andre didn't need a Championship to make himself a main event player as he already was one way before WrestleMania 3 as he was undefeated till that point in his career because his gigantism was starting to take over his physical health as he made his own path and destiny into a legacy that people will remember him for in the years to come. R.I.P Andre"

"the only giant, the ultimate, and last giant ever see of wrestling ! I never forget playing like him in 2012 on wwf wrestlemania by nes 8 bit !"

[10.0] "He's the single most unique figure in the history of professional wrestling. Andre was the greatest attraction of his era. People paid to see him perform live just to see if he was actually real. He was a promoters wet dream. He drew in every territory he went to and when he finally settled in the WWWF/WWF, he was already a household name. The man looked like a monster but he was indeed a gentle giant (as long as he liked you that is). Andre transcends pro wrestling and is a global pop culture icon. People who have never even watched a single wrestling match in their lives know who he was. Hulkamania would not have been as big as it was without Hogan beating Andre at WrestleMania III."

[10.0] "It's honestly amazing that people remember him so fondly (and like rightfully so), as his best work is lost to time because it was back when companies taped over their archives and didn't tape the house shows where the big matches happened. But Yeah Andre is a legend by the time he was at his most popular his body was starting to break down which is really sad, but he did have one of the biggest box office matches with Hulk Hogan. I'd suggest checking out his New Japan work as those are some of his best matches still viewable (though I'm not sure they're still on New Japan World since they updated the site they should be back eventually maybe check out other sites if you can find them.) Anyway Andre is both figuratively and literally larger than life and deserves his 10/10 rating."

[8.0] "If we're talking the history of wrestling, nobody was a bigger draw than Andre. 7 foot tall, 500lbs, and could take on anyone. His matches with Hogan in the early years of the Fed are fun, with their legendary Mania 3 match being an all time favourite of mine."

[9.0] "One of the most iconic wrestlers of all time, while he may not be the greatest in-ring technician, he will forever be remembered. His size and stature were also unique and iconic for his era too.."

[10.0] "Greatest attraction in the history of wrestling. Wherever Andre went eyes were on him. Wherever he wrestled people paid to see."

[10.0] "Andre is... let's be real, not the best wrestler. He had a bunch of outright terrible matches. But he's such a force of nature (and his good matches are all timers) that it's impossible not to count him as one of my favorites."