Original subtitles

In the storied history of professional wrestling,

there have been many men considered to be icons, heroes-

The People's Elbow.

-legends.

He got him.

But one man stands above them all.

Look at the size of the Giant.

The Eighth Wonder of the World.

Andre picks him up, he slammed him.

He's come back to the ring against me anytime you want.

I'm ready.

Today we look back at the best

of Andre the Giant.

From the top rope.

What a body slam.

Whoa.

This is WWE's Greatest Moments.

Acknowledge me.

My God.

Stone Cold with a beer bath.

Ah

This is surreal.

Look at this.

He slammed him.

Welcome everyone to WWE's Greatest Moments.

I'm Michael Cole, and on this edition,

we're looking back at the celebrated career

of the first true professional wrestling superstar-

Andre the Giant.

While, Andre was a force to be reckoned with

inside the squared circle,

he would also transcend Sports Entertainment with a starring

role in the cherished cinematic classic The Princess Bride.

Andre is so beloved that the very first thing you see when

you enter our WWE headquarters

is a monstrous mural of this larger than life personality.

The Eighth Wonder of the World certainly garnered attention

wherever he went, and tales of his strength were legendary.

Fans would pack arenas worldwide to get a glimpse

of the mighty Giant.

Andre the Giant, 485 pounds, 7'5" tall.

Andre will now demonstrate feats of strength.

Look at this.

Its off the ground.

Over 2,000 pounds of solid dead weight.

Andre the Giant has lifted that weight right off the ground.

I remember the first time I saw him, I was like,

"Oh my God."

And you know, he was just the largest human being

I'd ever seen.

He could do the things that were superhuman

because he really was a giant.

No ordinary man even bend this bar.

Andre bends it and breaks it wrestling fans.

Andre the Giant had been a major,

major pro wrestling attraction.

Andre the Giant and more feats of strength.

As you can see, ropes are tied to each

of the wrist of Andre the Giant.

In the 1970s,

vignettes were made showing Andre performing feats

of strength, and they were a promoter's dream.

The world's greatest wrestlers attempting

to pull Andre's arms apart.

If there was ever a case of marketing

to try to get people to come to shows-

That was it.

Look at this.

Andre's right arm, he's done it.

He's pulled those men over,

and now he's pulled the other side over.

Andre the Giant has done the unbelievable.

WrestleMania 3 was headlined by

"The Immortal" Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant,

drawing over 93,000 to the Pontiac Silverdome.

But a few years earlier, these two had one of their earliest

encounters, with the roles reversed

in front of the largest wrestling crowd at the time,

a full six years before the New York Mets

electrify in the World Series,

it was the evil Hulk Hogan.

taking on the amazing Andre the Giant

in a showdown at the illustrious Shea Stadium.

Andre the Giant is the only undefeated

superstar in professional wrestling.

It's these two larger than life stars already-

in this ring surrounded by a baseball stadium full of people.

That's an attraction.

Whoa.

No way.

It was a very hot angle because people thought I might

have a chance to beat this guy that had never been beaten.

I don't care if you're the- the king on the hill,

when somebody else comes in that you think might be a threat,

there's always that situation of you going,

"Well, I'm gonna see what this kid's really made of."

Andre was really, really, really great shape.

So if you tried to pull anything and hit him

and get away from him, he'd catch him.

He was just really fast back then.

Got him.

Andre got him

Ultimately, Andre triumphed.

Fans were 100% behind Andre the Giant.

It was an exciting match, but it was the start of a rivalry

that would last quite a while.

The sheer size of Andre the Giant is something

that had to be seen to be believed.

Let's compare it to the size of my head.

Andre the-

So it's no secret that when it came time for an over the top

rope Battle Royal, the Giant was more often than not

coming out the winner.

Andre the Giant, the winner of more Battle Royals

than anyone in the history of professional wrestling.

And at WrestleMania 2, several NFL stars tested their skills

as a special WWE and NFL Battle Royal took place

in what turned out to be one 'giant' spectacle.

Weighing 520 pounds-

And this Battle Royal is underway.

When you get these NFL guys in the ring,

you start to realize how big they really are.

Mayhem.

As these guys weighed in a total combined weight 5,612 pounds.

All these unbelievable football players,

they should be able to pick Andre up.

2 or 3 guys pounding away at Andre the Giant.

Uh uh.

Not today.

Over the top rope-

He's eliminated.

Andre looked phenomenal that night.

And we're down to two against one now.

Look at Andre.

They each got a leg.

Oh he kicked them both off.

Andre the Giant has seen this situation before.

It was a bit of a challenge when you have that kind of

superstar there in that match.

He was so good.

He was really, a natural.

The Anvil shot oh the big boot.

And The Anvil over the top.

And he's gone.

He's caught.

What's Andre gonna do with him?

That's it.

Oh, he threw him right down on The Anvil.

It's all over.

Just taking names.

Cleaning house.

When the odds were stacked against him,

he was able to overcome.

Andre the Giant, the winner here.

Unbelievable.

As dominant as Andre the Giant was

inside rings across the globe,

there was another side to the Eighth Wonder of the World

that drew audiences even closer to this enigma.

On one episode of wrestling's first variety show,

Tuesday Night Titans,

Andre let loose in one of the most memorable segments

of all time.

We will now introduce to you the one and the only

Andre the Giant.

Tuesday Night Titans,

it was a late night talk show.

It was when the entertainment part

of Sports Entertainment really started to come out.

Oh my goodness.

We just wanted to show different layers of a Giant

and how people find different reasons to like him.

You have a song you sing.

The fish song.

By all means, let's-

let's have Andre the Giant-

Yes.

-uh, sing the fish song.

This should be great.

Yeah.

He had this way of just drawing you in

and pulling all of your attention.

So there was this big build up to Andre getting ready.

We're all getting ready, going,

"You're kidding me.

Andre, he's really gonna sing.

Here we go."

He was so charismatic, so charming.

You were enamored with him.

This was Andre at his best.

That right there is just classic WWE television.

What of Andre's numerous talents

was knowing when it was time to have fun

and time to get serious.

In 1981, Andre suffered a broken ankle at the hands of one

of his greatest rivals, Killer Khan,

who was managed at the time by the legendary,

Classy Freddie Blassie.

We got to work on Andre from the waist down.

His legs are his weakness.

You better be ready because

you never see a giant mad before.

Fueled with vengeance,

the Giant returned a few months later.

The two waged war in one of the most unorthodox matches ever,

where the loser would be carried off on a stretcher.

These two extraordinary athletes will clash

in what's known as

a Mongolian stretcher match.

When I was a kid, like when Andre the Giant came to town,

that was huge.

It was a matchup I wanted to see.

Oh, it's bad for Killer Khan.

My goodness.

Andre-

He was a terrific athlete and a great wrestler.

You know he could do so much-

it's the stuff with Killer Khan.

He could do this stuff like this all over the world.

Seeking his revenge, headbutt but misses.

The same ankle that was broken.

Really going to work on him.

He could do whatever he wanted with you in that ring,

and there was nothing you could do about it.

Oh, what a right hand that was.

The last thing you want to do is

piss a 7'5, 500 pound Giant off.

Andre with a stretcher in hand.

Oh my, right across the back.

Andre swung that stretcher at Killer Khan

like he was swinging a flyswatter

Andre now, just all over, eating him up.

Oh my goodness.

There won't be anything left of Killer Khan.

If he gets him- yes, the match is over.

Killer Khan leaving the ring area on the stretcher-

Incapacitated-

Andre the Giant has done a real job on him.

It was a great match.

And you know, the bigger, stronger guy won.

The one and the only Andre the Giant.

Standing over seven feet tall and weighing over 500 pounds,

no one questioned the validity of Andre being a true Giant.

Just exactly how tall are you, Andre?

How much do you weigh?

But there were other big men who weren't intimidated

by Andre, namely Big John Studd,

managed by the villainous Bobby "The Brain" Heenan.

Studd boasted that he

was professional wrestling's only Giant.

There's only one, and it's John Studd, the Giant.

And with all eyes on the historic WrestleMania 1,,

Studd put up $15,000

if Andre could body slam him.

This is the $15,000 Slam match.

That was a really special match,

because I don't think we had ever seen two giants

of that magnitude on such a big stage.

Madison Square Garden, 25,000 strong chanting for Andre.

Andre and John Studd faught the whole dressing room

watched that match to see what was going to take place.

Wow.

Planted that big ham hock right between the eyes

of Big John Studd.

Andre just beat him unmercifully.

I remember right where I was sitting for WrestleMania 1.

I was, of course, rooting for my friend Andre

in the body slam challenge.

Oh my God, what was going to happen?

Look at this.

Studd trying to slam Andre.

For Big John Studd to say that Andre the Giant

couldn't slam him is almost laughable,

because Andre the Giant was one and a half times

the size of Big John Studd.

Even though they were both giants.

You could hear the fans

They're chanting "Slam."

They want to see Andre walk away with the 15 big ones.

Look at this.

Andre picks him up.

He slammed him.

It's all over.

Andre looking for the money

He's got it.

All of a sudden the money went out in the audience,

which really made people go crazy.

Look at this.

I thought as a little kid, "Oh my God, I wish I was there."

It's a memory that never leaves you.

It was a big moment.

The winner Andre the Giant.

Andre stood tall as professional wrestling's

one true Giant.

But the challenges kept coming,

this time in the form of the walking condominium.

King Kong Bundy.

458 pounds, a mountain of a man.

That's right.

As big and as tough as an individual as you're going to

find, you're just another stepping stone.

The two behemoths went toe to toe in some earth shattering

contests over the years,

but none as memorable as one night in Madison Square Garden,

known as the Colossal Jostle.

Ladies and gentlemen,

this is the Colossal Jostle.

The Colossal Jostle.

You got two great characters.

Both these guys can work, they can wrestle.

Madison Square Garden

on its feet 25,000 plus.

Biggest I've ever seen out there.

The match with Andre and Bundy was special

because he was so different for his size,

he could do so many great moves.

And a big headbutt and look out.

If you got to see him, you were lucky.

It's like seeing Bigfoot, you know?

It's not normal.

Look out.

Oh, size 23 runs in the kisser.

At the end of it, we thought that Andre was probably going to

pin us and get the win-

until John Studd came in.

From the outside.

Big John Studd.

What in the world is he doing here?

It's kind of a swerve on everybody

at that particular time, especially the fans,

you know?

Andre the Giant with a steel chair in the ring

chasing Big John Studd.

John Studd and Andre-

It's been kind of like having a little bit of a rivalry.

Pandemonium and mayhem at Madison Square Garden.

On Thanksgiving night, 1987, WWE introduced a new concept

that featured five on five team elimination matches.

It was called the Survivor Series.

Andre the Giant your team versus mine.

Team captain Hulk Hogan led his tandem

against the awesome arsenal headed up by Andre the Giant.

Who would survive?

Hulk Hogan will captain one team,

and on the opposite side,

the Eighth Wonder of the World, Andre the Giant.

Nothing's gonna be bigger than Hogan Andre at the time,

he did something to

get those eyeballs on

and that was a perfect example of it.

Here we go.

It's Andre.

And the Hulkster face to face, toe to toe.

Here comes the Andre the Giant.

It's like, how is anybody gonna get this dude?

The answer was, you didn't.

You know what I mean?

And now it's Bam Bam Bigelow

against these three super heavyweights.

I love the fact that Bam Bam Bigelow

and all the big wrestlers-

That was a moment.

Bam Bam Bigelow, one on one

with the Eighth Wonder of the World.

They were two big men laying into each other, and really,

fans didn't know who was going to be

the survivor of that.

Oh got him over.

What a suplex move.

That's it.

What a move, that's it.

The Giant wins the Survivor Series.

The sole survivor.

It was- many things have made a success,

and Andre was almost becoming like a mythical character.

By 1987, Andre the Giant was indeed an attraction

you couldn't miss.

And fans adored the Gentle Giant,

but Andre felt as if he were second fiddle

to reigning WWE Champion Hulk Hogan.

One of the most shocking moments in WWE history,

Andre the Giant made a choice that not only stunned a global

audience, but led to the biggest main event of the decade.

Look at me when I'm talking to you.

I'm here for one reason

to challenge you for a world

championship match in WrestleMania.

Andre.

Please no.

It's not happening.

You can't believe it.

Maybe you'll believe this, Hogan.

Andre the Giant tears Hulk Hogan's shirt

and he tears his crucifix.

Are you or are you not gonna fight him at WrestleMania 3

for the World Heavyweight Championship?

Yes or no?

Yes.

And then we knew something bigger than we ever saw

before was coming up.

You got 93,000 standing on their feet for this one.

We came to the ring in a forklift

in front of 93,000 people.

There are billions at home watching.

The irresistible force meeting the immovable object.

It was so big and so overwhelming.

Oh, big right hand blocked by the champion.

That match is talked about like a piece of history.

Look at this.

He slammed him.

He slammed the Giant.

It was something that was a once in a lifetime situation.

Hogan for the cover.

He got him.

It basically etched us in stone.

WrestleMania was here to stay.

Andre did all that because he loved the business so much.

And he finally decided that I was the guy

to pass the torch to.

That's the first time in 15 years

Andre the Giant had ever been defeated.

It is now time for our number one moment,

and it's one that still holds a record to this day.

Following the events of WrestleMania 3,

Andre the Giant targeted "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan.

Vowed to capture the WWE Championship.

There was no stopping Andre until he got his rematch.

Finally, in February 1988, live on network television

in front of the largest audience to ever tune in

to a professional wrestling event,

Hulk Hogan defended the WWE Championship

against his greatest rival.

The Hulkster draws the line,

and he wants Andre the Giant.

Listen to these fans.

We knew we were onto something big.

We knew we had to build the story slow,

but we had to keep the momentum going.

Hammering away.

Clothesline.

The Giant goes down.

It was just like throwing big tanks of gas on the fire.

Andre the Giant caught him from the top rope.

What a body slam.

Whoa.

Suplex.

Right on top of him.

He's on him.

One.

He got him.

Two.

That's it.

He got him.

He got him.

And new World Wrestling-- Heavyweight Champion

Andre the Giant.

A lot of people go their entire career

without being champion,

and I'm sure it meant something to Andre.

There he is, the new World Heavyweight Champion.

I was happy to see Andre the Giant as a champion.

It was very nice to see somebody that had given so much

to the professional wrestling industry win a championship.

This is no surprise.

I told you I'm going to win.

He's the one that laid the groundwork for Hulk Hogan.

For anybody else that walks through these doors

of the WWE universe.

It wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for Andre the Giant.

He was the biggest in the greatest superstar

of this business has ever known.

There's no denying the immense impact at the Eighth Wonder

of the World had on this storied industry we all love.

For over four decades, Andre the Giant enthralled audiences

worldwide and cemented a legacy that will last forever.

Well, that'll do it for this edition

of WWE's Greatest Moments.

I hope you've enjoyed this look back at the legendary career

of professional wrestling's most beloved superstar-

Andre the Giant.