ANGRY GIANT FORGE NC PROFESSIONAL

During his time in Japan, doctors first informed Roussimoff that he suffered from acromegaly. Wrestling as both a singles and tag-team competitor, he quickly was made the company's tag-team champion alongside Michael Nador. He made his Japanese debut for the International Wrestling Enterprise in 1970, billed as 'Monster Roussimoff'. Roussimoff began making a name for himself wrestling in the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and Africa. Canadian promoter and wrestler Frank Valois met Roussimoff in 1966, years later to become his business manager and adviser. Roussimoff was billed as 'Géant Ferré', a name based on the Picardian folk hero Grand Ferré, and began wrestling in Paris and nearby areas. He trained at night and worked as a mover during the day to pay living expenses.

ANGRY GIANT FORGE NC PROFESSIONAL

Professional wrestling career Early career (1964–1973) Īt the age of 18, Roussimoff moved to Paris and was taught professional wrestling by a local promoter, Robert Lageat, who recognized the earning potential of Roussimoff's size.

They had a surprising amount of common ground and bonded over their love of cricket, with Roussimoff recalling that the two rarely talked about anything else. While Roussimoff was growing up in the 1950s, the Irish playwright Samuel Beckett was one of several adults who sometimes drove local children to school, including Roussimoff and his siblings. None of these brought him any satisfaction. He also completed an apprenticeship in woodworking, and next worked in a factory that manufactured engines for hay balers. Roussimoff spent years working on his father's farm in Molien, where, according to his brother Jacques, he could perform the work of three men. After finishing school at 14, as he did not think higher education was necessary for a farm laborer, he joined the workforce contrary to popular legend, he did not drop out of school, as compulsory education in France at the time ended at 14. Roussimoff was an average student, though good at mathematics. By the time he was 12, Roussimoff stood 191 cm (6 ft 3 in).

In a 1970s television interview, Roussimoff stated that his mother was 5 feet 2 inches (157 cm) tall and his father 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) tall, and that according to his father his grandfather was 7 feet 8 inches (234 cm) tall. At birth, André weighed 13 pounds (6 kg) as a child, he displayed symptoms of gigantism, and was noted as 'a good head taller than other kids', with abnormally long hands. His childhood nickname was Dédé ( / ˈ d eɪ d eɪ/, French: ).

He had two older siblings and two younger. He was later a charter member of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame the latter describes him as being 'one of the most recognizable figures in the world both as a professional wrestler and as a pop culture icon.' Outside of wrestling, Roussimoff is best known for appearing as Fezzik, the giant in the 1987 film The Princess Bride.Īndré René Roussimoff was born on in Coulommiers, Seine-et-Marne, the son of immigrants Boris Roussimoff (1907–1993) and Mariann Roussimoff Stoeff (1910–1997) his father was Bulgarian and his mother was Polish. From 1973 to the mid-1980s, Roussimoff was booked by World Wide Wrestling Federation (During the 1980s wrestling boom, Roussimoff became a mainstay of the As his WWF career wound down after WrestleMania VI in 1990, Roussimoff wrestled primarily for All Japan Pro-Wrestling, usually alongside Giant Baba, until his sudden death.Īfter his death in 1993, Roussimoff became the inaugural inductee into the newly created WWF Hall of Fame. īeginning his career in 1966, Roussimoff relocated to North America in 1971. It also led to him being called 'The Eighth Wonder of the World'. Roussimoff was known for his great size, which was a result of gigantism caused by excess growth hormone. 7 ft 4 in (224 cm) Īndré René Roussimoff ( French: – 28 January 1993), better known by his ring name André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor.

Angry giant forge nc