Decades after his passing, the legend of Andre the Giant's size still captivates. The man known as 'The Eighth Wonder of the World' wasn't just tall; his scale was backed by incredible feats of strength that have become wrestling folklore. But just how massive was he?

WWE has seen some massive wrestlers over the years, but none come closer to the massive aura of André René Roussimoff, better known as Andre the Giant.

André the Giant was a 7-foot-4-inch, 520 lbs global icon who, due to his size and strength, earned the nickname "The Eighth Wonder of the World." The Frenchman suffered from gigantism, caused by acromegaly, which made his body produce excess growth hormone. To give you an idea about how tall he was, he was already over 6 feet tall by the time he was 12.

His journey to become one of the most celebrated wrestlers began in the 1960s in France. In the early 1970s, he moved to New York City, where his intimidating structure quickly drew him to the mainstream wrestling world.

Andre: The gigantic star of WWF/WWE

He quickly became the main attraction, becoming the favorite of wrestling promoters all over the world. One of his most memorable matches was against the legendary Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania III in 1987, watched by over 93,000 fans.

Besides his successful wrestling career, his physique also attracted Hollywood. Andre starred in movies like The Princess Bride (1987), in which the audience praised his gentle giant persona. André was known for lifting and throwing opponents, even those who weighed over 200 pounds.

During his appearance on the Rich Eisen Show, Arnold Schwarzenegger remembered an incident while filming Conan the Barbarian. After going out for dinner, the two got into a scuffle over the bill, Schwarzenegger said,

“[Andre] grabs me like this [by the waist] and he picks me up like a little kid, and he puts me on top of a cabinet up there, and I’m sitting up there, and he goes and pays the bill."

A few years ago, a clip of the legendary wrestler went viral, in which he displayed his hand alongside an anchor's head. The result was astonishing as the anchor's head appeared smaller than Andre's hand. Besides his wrestling feats, here are some of his incredible accomplishments:

• Lifted a Car: It is reported that André the Giant once lifted a car to help his friend retrieve something that was trapped underneath.
• Moving heavy items without breaking a sweat: He could move furniture by himself with minimal effort.
• Managed a crowd: André once held back a mob of people by himself after an altercation outside a bar.

Unfortunately, his gigantism became the reason for his decline, as he faced many health issues, such as pain and mobility issues due to it, which got worse as he aged. The WWE superstar passed away due to heart failure on January 27, 1993, in his home country, France, Paris.

He may have left us, but his impact on wrestling and pop culture continues to inspire people all over the world.

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Written by

Ruwa Javed

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil