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| - | {{Refimprove|date=February 2008}}
| + | '''Name:''' Samsa, Vince<br> |
| - | {{Cleanup|date=February 2008}}
| + | '''Gender:''' Male<br> |
| - | {{Infobox Wrestler
| + | '''Age:''' 16<br> |
| - | |name=André René Roussimoff
| + | '''Grade:''' 10th<br> |
| - | |names=André Roussimoff<br />Butcher Roussimoff<br />Giant Roussimoff<br />Monster Roussimoff<br />Eiffel Tower<br />Monster Eiffel Tower<br />Jean Ferré<br />Géant Ferré<br />'''André the Giant'''<br />Giant Machine
| + | '''Extra Curricular Activity:''' Varsity Football Team (Running Back)<br> |
| - | |image=AndréTheGiant2.jpg
| + | '''School:''' Barry Coleson High |
| - | |height= {{height|ft=7|in=4}}
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| - | |weight= {{convert|475|lb|kg|abbr=on}} to {{convert|540|lb|kg|abbr=on}}<ref> [http://www.wwe.com/superstars/halloffame/andrethegiant/bio/ Andre the Giant bio] at WWE.com</ref>
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| - | |birth_date={{birth date|1946|5|19|mf=y}}
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| - | |birth_place=[[Coulommiers|Coulommiers, France]]
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| - | |death_date={{death date and age|1993|1|27|1946|5|19}}
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| - | |death_place=[[Paris, France]]
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| - | |resides=
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| - | |billed=[[Grenoble]], [[France]]
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| - | |trainer=Frank Valois<br />[[Édouard Carpentier]]
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| - | |debut=1973
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| - | |retired=1992
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| - | }}
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| - | '''André "The Giant" Roussimoff''' ([[May 19]] [[1946]] – [[January 27]] [[1993]]), best known as '''André the Giant''', was a [[France|French]] [[professional wrestling|professional wrestler]] and [[actor]]. "The Official Site of André the Giant" claims he was 7' 4"<ref>{{citeweb|title=Andre the Giant Bio: Bio|url=http://www.andrethegiant.com/bio.html|accessdate=2007-12-31}}</ref>.<!-- Please consider the cited information in this article or on the talk page before editing. 2.70 m , 2.65 m --> His great size was a result of a condition known as [[acromegaly]], and led to him being dubbed "The [[Eighth Wonder of the World]]."<ref>{{citeweb|title=Andre the Giant: Bio|work=WWE.com|url=http://www.wwe.com/superstars/halloffame/andrethegiant/bio/|accessdate=2007-10-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.andrethegiant.com/|title=André the Giant official website.|accessdate=2007-07-08}}</ref> | + | '''Appearance:''' Vince Samsa stands at 6’7” and weighs a whopping two hundred and eighty pounds. Vince also has short brown hair that is shaved almost completely off (meaning he only has that fuzzy hair) making Vince look very intimidating. Vince also has big blue eyes that he inherited from his mother. He was wearing a white Barry Coleson High football team shirt , Jean shorts that go just past his knees, and he also sported black Nikes. |
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| - | In World Wrestling Federation (WWF), Rousimoff was [[WWE Champion|WWF Champion]]. In 1993 he was the first inductee into the [[WWE Hall of Fame]]. Rousimoff was one of the most famous professional wrestlers of the 1970s and 1980s, and was involved in a legendary match with [[Hulk Hogan]] in 1987 at ''[[WrestleMania III]]''.
| + | '''Biography:''' Vince has never had anyone he could call his friend. His mother was a drug dealer and his father was a former college football player whose dreams had never come true. Vince was born on December 25th, 1989... It was the greatest Christmas present his family would get in a long time. |
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| - | ==Birth and childhood==
| + | Vince lived a good life till he was five years old, he even got a game boy when he was three. He and his father thought that their good life and wealth would never end… that is till his mother died. |
| - | Andre René Roussimoff was born in Coulommiers, [[France]], to Boris and Marianne Roussimoff, who were of [[Bulgaria]]n and [[Poland|Polish]] descent, respectively. He was the third of five children. Roussimoff was a good student but left school after 8th grade because he did not feel that it was important to have a high school education to live and work on a farm that was not his own. As an adolescent, he worked on the farm, completed an [[apprenticeship]] in [[woodworking]], then worked in a [[factory]] that manufactured [[engines]] for hay baling machines, but none of these jobs brought him any satisfaction. Roussimoff was drafted into France's peacetime army, but was rejected during his physical because there were no shoes big enough to fit him.{{Fact|date=August 2007}}.
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| - | ==Career==
| + | Vince’s mother was killed December 25th, 1994, she was killed by a shotgun blast to the head in front of both Vince and his fathers eyes. As Vince stared at his mothers brains which at that point where spread against the floor of his house he promised himself not to cry. |
| - | Roussimoff was discovered by [[Lord Alfred Hayes]], a wrestling promoter, and left home as a [[teenager]] to become a wrestler in [[Paris]]. He worked as a mover during the day, to pay his expenses, and trained in the ring at night. However, it was difficult to find wrestlers who were willing to train with him because of his size and strength. In 1964, [[Édouard Carpentier]], a well-known French wrestler, agreed to train with him. Roussimoff was billed as "Géant Ferré", the name of a legendary French [[lumberjack]], and quickly made a name for himself. For the next few years, he wrestled in arenas and carnivals in [[Europe]] and [[Africa]]. By the time he was 21, he was a European wrestling star.{{Fact|date=August 2007}}
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| - | In 1969, [[Édouard Carpentier]] offered to bring Roussimoff to [[North America]], but he had already signed to wrestle in [[Japan]], where he was billed as "Monster Roussimoff". While he was in Japan, a doctor there diagnosed him with [[acromegaly]], but Roussimoff refused to accept either the diagnosis of or treatment for this condition.{{Fact|date=August 2007}}
| + | His money was taken away from his family and soon he learned how it felt to be poor. It was then that his father became a High school football coach at Barry Coleson High. To Vince high school football became a way of life and he soon was obsessed with the game. |
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| - | After performing in Japan, Roussimoff followed Carpentier to [[Montreal]], [[Canada]], where he was an immediate success. However, promoters eventually ran out of plausible opponents to fight him and, as his novelty wore off, gate receipts dwindled. Desperate, Carpentier reached out to [[Vincent J. McMahon]] and his son, [[Vince McMahon|Vince McMahon, Jr.]] for help. They suggested that Roussimoff have a schedule that purely involved travel, so he would not wear out his welcome in any one area. They also suggested that he be billed as "André the Giant" for his North American audiences.{{Fact|date=August 2007}}
| + | At nine he entered a children’s league and he played till he couldn’t anymore and by the time he was fourteen he had become a great football player, so great that he was added to the starting line up of the high school football team as a freshman. |
| - | Roussimoff also competed throughout various territories.
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| - | ===Professional Wrestling Career (1973–1992)===
| + | Vince is now considered popular but has no real friends… he feels detached from his peers. |
| - | ====Face run (1973-1987)====
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| - | On [[March 26]], [[1973]], André made his WWF debut as a "face," short for [[Face (professional wrestling)|babyface]] or "good guy", defeating Buddy Wolfe in New York's [[Madison Square Garden]].
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| - | He was billed early in his career at a height of 6 ft 10 in (2.08m) and 7 ft (2.13m); this was enlarged in the early 1970s to 7 ft 4 in (2.24m) and sometimes 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m) with a weight that ranged from 309 lb (140 kg) to 550 lb (249 kg). His actual height is contested, and there has been much speculation and debate over the issue. [[Jim Duggan]] and [[Bobby Heenan]] maintain that his [[kayfabe]] height was correct. Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer claims André was measured at 6 ft 9 ¾ in 1974 by a French athletic commission at age 28, Meltzer also estimated André at 6 ft 11 ½ in (2.12 m) when comparing him to fellow ''[[Conan the Destroyer]]'' star [[Wilt Chamberlain]] in 1984. However, Mike Mooneyham, another wrestling journalist, maintained in his obituary of André in 1994 that André was 7 ft 2 in when he began wrestling. Chuck Wepner's manager said André made the 6 ft 5 ½ in Wepner look like a baby, dwarfed beside André. Nevertheless, the sight of him alone was enough to draw huge crowds during a time when there were only a handful of wrestlers over 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m); his condition, which included symptoms such as enlarged hands and feet and exaggerated facial features (acromegaly), likely aided the visual perception of him appearing larger than he actually was. André also had an abnormally large wrist, at 13", which is indicative of overall bone structure. Surgeries , major back problems , excessive weight gain and slouching attributed to his height loss over his career.<ref>[http://www.solie.org/articles/andresi.html To The Giant Among Us<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
| + | '''Other:''' Vince is on the football team so it obviously makes him fast and strong, Vince may have a problem with death since he was traumatized at such a young age |
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| - | He branched out into acting in the 1970s and 1980s, playing a Sasquatch ("[[Bigfoot]]") on the 1970s television series ''[[The Six Million Dollar Man]]'' and the character Fezzik in ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]''. By the time the chairman of the (renamed) World Wrestling Federation, [[Vince McMahon|Vincent K. McMahon]], began to expand his promotion to the national level in the early 1980s, André wrestled exclusively for WWF in the USA, while still holding international engagements.
| + | '''Number:''' 45 |
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| - | He was offered a professional [[American football]] contract with the [[Washington Redskins]] after a tryout in 1974 and seriously considered it, but turned it down, reasoning that he could make far more money wrestling.{{Fact|date=June 2007}}
| + | '''''The above biography is as written by [[Slacker]]. No edits or alterations have been made to the author's original work.''''' |
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| - | Before being signed to WWF, André had wrestled in Japan. It was here that a doctor diagnosed Roussimoff with his condition and told him that those with the same problem were generally lucky to reach 40 years of age.{{Fact|date=March 2007}}
| + | == |
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| - | André was one of WWF's most beloved "[[face (professional wrestling)|babyfaces]]" throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, the legend that for 15 years had never lost by [[Pinfall (professional wrestling)|pinfall]] or submission in a WWF ring before being pinned by [[Hulk Hogan]] on [[March 29]], [[1987]] at ''[[WrestleMania III]]''. However André actually ''had'' lost cleanly in matches outside of the parameters of WWF; a pinfall loss in [[Mexico]] to [[El Canek]] in 1984 and in [[Japan]] a submission loss to [[Antonio Inoki]] in 1986, as well as a controversial no-contest finish against [[Akira Maeda]], who used [[Heel (professional wrestling)|heel]] [[Shoot wrestling|shoot-style]] tactics, breaking kayfabe to nullify André's considerable size advantage. He also went sixty-minute time limit draws with the two other major world champions of the day, [[Harley Race]] and [[Nick Bockwinkel]].
| + | '''Designated Weapon:''' Arcus 94<br> |
| | + | '''Conclusion:''' Consider this [[Marcus Roddy]] version 2. What a whopping bout of failed potential that was. Depending if B45 can bring himself to actually play the game, we might have a favourite on our hands...then again, most of the other football players have failed miserably in SOTF. If he gets some weapon that's better than a fan, who knows how much pain B45 will inflict upon everyone else? |
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| - | André had memorable clashes all over the world with a variety of tough, rugged opponents. Among his chief rivals in the ring: [[Ed Farhat|The Sheik]] (who gained a deathmatch win over the Frenchman in 1974 with the help of his fireball), [[Abdullah the Butcher]], [[Stan Hansen]], [[Ernie Ladd]], and a young Hulk Hogan, who first met André in 1978 during his rookie years in the deep South. Hogan and André would go on to have one of the great WWF feuds of 1980, peaking in front of 36,295 fans at the [[Showdown at Shea]] event on [[August 9]], [[1980]] in [[Flushing, New York]]'s [[Shea Stadium]].
| + | == Game Evaluations == |
| | + | '''Kills:''' 0 |
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| - | One of André's most bitter [[feud (professional wrestling)|feuds]] pitted him against the Mongolian terror [[Killer Khan]], who was managed by [[Fred Blassie]]. According to the storyline, Khan had broken André's ankle during a match in [[Rochester, New York]] by leaping off the top rope and crashing down upon it with his knee-drop. After a stay at Beth-Israel Hospital in Boston, André returned with payback on his mind. On [[November 14]], [[1981]] at the Philadelphia Spectrum, André exacted revenge by destroying Killer Khan in what was billed as a "Mongolian Stretcher Match", in which the loser must be taken to the dressing room on a stretcher. In reality, André had snapped his ankle getting out of bed one morning. The injury and subsequent rehabilitation was worked into the existing André/Khan storyline.
| + | '''Killed by:''' Himself |
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| - | Another memorable André feud involved a man who considered himself to be "the true giant" of wrestling: the 6 ft 10 in, {{convert|364|lb|abbr=on}} [[Big John Studd]]. Throughout the early to mid-1980s, André and Studd fought all over the world, battling to try and determine who the real giant of wrestling was. In December 1984, Studd took the feud to a new level, when he and partner [[Ken Patera]] knocked out André during a televised tag team match and proceeded to cut off André's famous long locks ([[Paul Wight|Big Show]], [[Kurt Angle]], [[Mark Jindrak]], and [[Matt Wiese|Luther Reigns]] would duplicate the angle nearly 20 years later). André had the last laugh at the first ''[[WrestleMania (1985)|WrestleMania]]'' on [[March 31]], [[1985]] at Madison Square Garden. André conquered Studd in a $15,000 Body-slam Challenge. After slamming Studd, he attempted to give the $15,000 prize to the fans, before having the bag stolen from him by his future manager [[Bobby Heenan|Bobby "The Brain" Heenan]].
| + | '''Collected Weapons:''' |
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| - | The following year, at ''[[WrestleMania 2]]'' ([[April 7]], [[1986]]), André continued to display his dominance by winning a twenty-man battle royal that featured top NFL stars and wrestlers. André last eliminated [[Bret Hart]] to win the contest.
| + | '''Allies:''' [[Fredrik Hughes|Fred Hughes]], [[Lyndi Thibodeaux]], [[Elsie Darroch]] |
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| - | Afterwards, André continued his [[feud (professional wrestling)|feud]] with Studd and [[King Kong Bundy]]. André was suspended after a no-show; he returned under a mask as "The Giant Machine" part of a team with "Big Machine" ([[Blackjack Mulligan|Robert Windham]]) and "Super Machine" ([[Bill Eadie]]). ([[The Machines (wrestling)|The Machines]] gimmick was copied from [[New Japan Pro Wrestling]] character "[[Junji Hirata|Super Strong Machine]]", played by Japanese wrestler Junji Hirata.)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/m/machines.html|title=The Machines' Profile|publisher=Online World of Wrestling|accessdate=2007-07-08}}</ref> Soon afterwards, Giant Machine disappeared, and André was reinstated, to the approval of Bobby "The Brain" Heenan.
| + | '''Enemies:''' [[Cody Jenson]], [[Lyndi Thibodeaux]], [[Elsie Darroch]], [[Clare Shephard]], [[Ryan Torres]], [[Neville Eden]], [[Dorien Graywood]] |
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| - | ====Heel run (1987-1990) and later years====
| + | '''Mid-Game Evaluation:''' Vince Samsa joined the game on Day 5, at first he seemed to almost be enthused about participating in SOTF. His rendezvous with [[Cody Jenson]] marked Vince's first experience with death and when he met up with [[Fredrik Hughes]], [[Elsie Darroch]], and [[Lyndi Thibodeaux]] an alliance was formed for a good five minutes. After Fred was killed by Cody Jenson, Vince fled the lighthouse to make a brief visit at the river, it is then that Vince drifted slowly into insanity. Vince then stole smoke grenades from [[Kousaka Takeda]] and said goodbye to the river. |
| - | =====Feud with Hulk Hogan=====
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| - | André's image was turned to that of a villainous [[heel (professional wrestling)|heel]] in 1987 so that he could face Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship in the main event of ''[[WrestleMania 3]]''. In early 1987, Hogan was presented a trophy for being the [[WWE Championship|WWF World Heavyweight Champion]] for three years. André came out to congratulate him. Shortly afterwards, André was presented a slightly smaller trophy for being "undefeated in WWF for fifteen years." In actuality, André had suffered a handful of countout and disqualification losses in WWF but had never been pinned or forced to submit in a WWF ring. Hogan came out to congratulate André and ended up being the focal point of the interview. A visibly annoyed André walked out in the midst of Hogan's speech. Then, on an edition of "[[Piper's Pit]]", Hogan was confronted by Heenan. Heenan announced that his new protege was André. André then challenged Hogan to a title match at ''WrestleMania III'', ripping the t-shirt and [[crucifix]] from Hogan.
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| - | It was at ''WrestleMania III'' that the public first really saw the pain that André was going through. By this stage he weighed in at about 560 pounds, and his bones and joints were finding it hard supporting such a huge weight. After recent back surgery, he was also wearing a brace underneath his wrestling singlet. Hogan won the match after dropping André with a body slam, followed by Hogan's running leg drop finisher. (Years later, Hogan stated that André was so heavy, he felt more like 700 pounds, and that he actually tore his lateral muscle slamming him.) Another famous tall-tale about the match is that "no one knew" if André would lose the match. While mostly false, [[World Wrestling Entertainment|WWE]] owner Vince McMahon has stated in the past that he believed if Hogan had either purposely or accidentally disrespected André that night, there was no way André would have allowed Hogan to win the match, no matter what had been agreed to. Aside from that possibility, André had agreed to lose the match some time before, mostly for health reasons, though he almost pinned Hogan (albeit unintentionally) in the early goings of the match.
| + | After spending some time thinking about his few hours on the island Vince went to the well where he set a full scale attack on the group there (which consisted of [[Clare Shephard]], [[Neville Eden]], [[Ryan Torres]], and [[Dorien Graywood]]. Vince was then shot at by a shotgun and the force behind that caused him to land on a very sharp rock, knowing the end was near Vince took his own life. |
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| - | <!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:Andregiantmug1.jpg|left|thumb|300px|André Roussimoff in a police mugshot after being arrested for assaulting a cameraman {{speedy-image-c|[[2007-05-05]]}}]] -->
| + | '''Post-Game Evaluation:''' Vince never really had all that much of a handle on reality, and his degeneration into insanity was probably the biggest thing that he had going against him. Obviously, Vince's mind was quite weak, and he either couldn't handle what was going on around him, or simply just awakened some form of sleeping demon. Vince was yet another example of someone who could have been a force to be reckoned with in SOTF, but instead made all the wrong decisions and ended up killing himself - definitely not the smartest choice. |
| - | The Hogan-André face off at ''WrestleMania III'' was likely the most highly anticipated professional wrestling matchup in history – the apex of wrestling's most recent golden era. The event, held at the [[Pontiac Silverdome]], had millions watching on [[pay-per-view]] and established great permanent value in the ''WrestleMania'' franchise. A reported 93,173 fans turned out as the WWF sold many standing room only tickets and added seats in the alleys to exceed the Silverdome's capacity of 80,331 {{Fact|date=February 2007}}. Hogan defeated André in what some consider a passing of the torch from André, wrestling's biggest star of the 70s, to Hogan, wrestling's biggest star of the 80s.
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| - | The [[feud (professional wrestling)|feud]] between André and Hogan simmered during the summer of 1987, even as Roussimoff's health declined. The feud would begin heating up again when each wrestler was named the captain of rival teams at the inaugral [[Survivor Series (1987)|Survivor Series]] event. Hogan was counted out, and André would go on to be the sole survivor of the match (pinning [[Bam Bam Bigelow]]).
| + | '''Memorable Quotes:''' |
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| - | In the meantime, [[Ted DiBiase|"The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase]] failed to persuade Hogan to sell him the WWF World Championship. After failing to defeat Hogan in a subsequent series of matches, DiBiase turned to André to win it for him. Acting as his hired gun, André won the WWF title from Hogan on [[February 5]], [[1988]] in a match where it was later revealed appointed [[referee]] [[Dave Hebner]] was "detained backstage", and a replacement who DiBiase paid to get plastic surgery to look like Dave (in reality, his twin brother [[Earl Hebner]]), made a three count on Hogan while his shoulders were off the mat. After winning, André "sold" the title to DiBiase, which transaction was declared invalid by then- WWF President [[Jack Tunney]] and the title was vacated. This was shown on WWF's NBC program ''The Main Event'' (usually seen Saturdays as ''[[WWE Saturday Night's Main Event|Saturday Night's Main Event]]''). André famously mistakenly called the WWF Championship the "WWF Tag Team Championship."
| + | == Other/Trivia == |
| | + | *Vince Samsa, while very big and intimidating, is actually a very scared person. He thinks his actions out a lot more than he should and it is because of this that Vince Samsa will be considered by some to be a ‘weak’ character, especially towards the beginning. |
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| - | At [[WrestleMania IV]], André and Hulk Hogan fought to a double disqualification in a WWF title tournament match (with the idea in the storyline saying that André was again working on DiBiase's behalf in giving DiBiase a clearer path in the tournament). Afterwards, André and Hogan's feud died down after a brutal steel cage match held at ''WrestleFest'' on [[July 31]], [[1988]] in Milwaukee. He and DiBiase also wrestled Hogan and [[Randy Savage|Randy "Macho Man" Savage]] in the main event of [[SummerSlam 1988]]; the DiBiase-André team lost, despite having an apparently favorable referee in [[Jesse Ventura|Jesse "the Body" Ventura]].
| + | *Vince also is known for putting up facades. In his debut you will notice that he was planning to play the game but as we get into "Requiem" you see that he doesn’t want to fight. This is also seen in the Lighthouse and due to [[Lyndi Thibodeaux|Lyndi]]’s meddling Vince is forced to play the game or risk losing a potential alliance, something he finds comfort in. |
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| - | =====Other feuds=====
| + | *Vince is the polar opposite of Slacker. While Slacker stands at 4’11” and weighs approximately seventy-five lbs, Vince is 6’7” and weighs two hundred and eighty pounds. However, in terms of personality, Samsa is much more shy than his handler. |
| - | During the summer and fall of 1988, André also became involved in a heated feud with [[Jim Duggan|"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan]], and began wrestling Savage for the title.{{Fact|date=October 2007}}
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| - | André's next major feud was against [[Jake Roberts|Jake "The Snake" Roberts]]. In this storyline, it was said André was deathly [[ophidiophobia|afraid of snakes]], something Roberts exposed on ''[[WWE Saturday Night's Main Event|Saturday Night's Main Event]]'' when he threw his snake, Damien, on the frightened André; as a result, André suffered a ([[kayfabe]]) mild heart attack and vowed revenge. During the next few weeks, Roberts frequently walked to ringside during André's matches, causing him to run from the ring in fright (since he knew what was inside the bag). Throughout their feud (which culminated at ''[[WrestleMania V]]''), Roberts constantly used Damien to gain a psychological edge over the much larger and stronger André.
| + | *Vince: Name that coincidently kept popping up in the RP’s that Slacker participated in. |
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| - | During the late summer and fall of 1989, André engaged in a brief feud with then-Intercontinental champion [[The Ultimate Warrior]], wherein the younger Warrior regularly squashed the aging André. Earlier in 1989, André and the returning Big John Studd reprised their feud, this time with Studd as a face and André as the heel.
| + | *Samsa: Franz Kafka’s "Metamorphosis". |
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| - | André won the World Tag Team Championship with his partner Haku (known collectively as [[Colossal Connection|The Colossal Connection]]) from [[Demolition (professional wrestling)|Demolition]] on [[December 13]], [[1989]]. Managed by Bobby Heenan, they lost their titles at ''[[WrestleMania VI]]'' back to [[Demolition (professional wrestling)|Demolition]] on [[April 1]], [[1990]]. After the match a furious Heenan slapped André, and he responded by knocking Heenan out, much to the delight of the fans. André went into the match as a heel, and left as a face.
| + | *Vince’s mother is actually based on Slacker's grandfather, who brought the largest amount of heroin into the United States ever. A movie was made about it later. If you are interested “The French Connection” will give you a basic back story for Vince’s mother. |
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| - | =====Post WrestleMania VI=====
| + | *Vince is not really a Casanova despite his appearance (and being on the football team). Vince has never been in a relationship (well not counting Palmela Handerson, but that is typical for a sixteen year old boy) and quite truthfully is very intimidated by women (reason why Lyndi’s rants affected him so much). |
| - | André continued to make appearances in the WWF throughout 1990 and 1991. His last major appearance was at [[SummerSlam (1991)|the 1991 SummerSlam]] event, where he seconded [[The Bushwackers]] in their match against [[The Natural Disasters]].
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| - | After that he went back to Japan, this time for [[All Japan Pro Wrestling]], where he briefly teamed with owner [[Shohei Baba|Giant Baba]]. André continued to compete in tag team matches, primarily in Japan and Mexico, until the end of 1992.{{Fact|date=October 2007}}
| + | *Vince’s father is the head coach for the Barry Coleson High Football team and was in the running for the Heisman Trophy, he also attended UM and received a degree in Criminal Law ironically. Vince’s father is also the Debate teacher at Barry Coleson High. |
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| - | =====Outside wrestling=====
| + | *Vince was actually not supposed to be Slacker's flagship (which turned out to be the case). [[Andrew Mutaeneau]] was originally planned as Slacker's flagship, but due to the meddling of the dice rolls and the pot lid Andrew drew as a weapon, Vince transformed into Slacker's flagship. |
| - | The disease that granted him his immense size also began to take its toll on his body. By the late 1980s, André was in constant, near-crippling pain, and his heart struggled to pump blood throughout his massive body. When he was not in front of a camera, he was usually in a wheelchair.{{Fact|date=October 2007}}
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| - | André starred in several [[film|movies]] towards the end of his career, most notably as Fezzik in 1987's ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]'', which was André's favourite role.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.andrethegiant.com/bio.html|title=Biography from André the Giant official website|accessdate=2007-07-08}}</ref> He had an unaccredited appearance in the 1984 film ''[[Conan the Destroyer]]'' as Dagoth, the resurrected horned giant god, who is killed by Conan, the character portrayed by [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]. In his final film, he appeared in something of a cameo role as a [[circus]] giant in the [[comedy]] ''Trading Mom'', which was not released until the year after his death.{{Fact|date=October 2007}}
| + | ''The above facts have been brought to you from a post Slacker made in the "Little Known Facts" thread of SOTF. You can view the entire thread, along with Slacker's post [http://s10.invisionfree.com/SurvivalOfTheFittest/index.php?showtopic=649&st=15 here]. Some light editing has been done, changing first person references into third person.'' |
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| - | ===World Championship Wrestling (1992)=== | + | == Threads == |
| - | His last U.S. television appearance was in a brief interview on WCW's "Clash of the Champions 20" special that aired on TBS on [[September 2]], [[1992]].
| + | ''The following is a list of threads that contained Vince, in order from beginning to end.'' |
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| - | ==Personal life== | + | [http://s10.invisionfree.com/SurvivalOfTheFittest/index.php?showtopic=637&hl= It is game time! Biatches!]<br> |
| - | Roussimoff had one daughter who was born in 1979. WWE referee Tim White mentioned in Roussimoff's [[A&E Network|A&E]] ''[[Biography (TV series)|Biography]]'' episode that she lives somewhere in the [[Seattle, Washington|Seattle]] area.
| + | [http://s10.invisionfree.com/SurvivalOfTheFittest/index.php?showtopic=628 Requiem]<br> |
| | + | [http://s10.invisionfree.com/SurvivalOfTheFittest/index.php?showtopic=640&st=0 Earned in Blood]<br> |
| | + | [http://s10.invisionfree.com/SurvivalOfTheFittest/index.php?showtopic=599&st=45 Back to the scene of the crime...]<br> |
| | + | [http://s10.invisionfree.com/SurvivalOfTheFittest/index.php?showtopic=707&view=getnewpost The Return]<br> |
| | + | [http://s10.invisionfree.com/SurvivalOfTheFittest/index.php?showtopic=614&st=15 Taking Stock] |
| | | | |
| - | In the A&E documentary, [[Arnold Skaaland]] mentions how André wished he could see a [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] play. Arnold offered to buy tickets, but André then passed up the opportunity, citing how he was too big for the seats and that people behind him would not be able to see. This was cited as a principal reason for why André frequented taverns more than anywhere else.
| + | == Your Thoughts == |
| | + | ''Whether you were a fellow handler in SOTF or just an avid reader of the site, we'd like to know what you thought about Vince Samsa. What did you like, or dislike, about the character? Let us know here!'' |
| | | | |
| - | In the A&E ''Biography'' episode, Arnold Skaaland tells the story of when André was in a bar one night, four men came up to him and began harassing him about his size. At first, André attempted to avoid confrontation, but eventually he proceeded to chase the hecklers until they locked themselves in their car. André then grabbed the car and tilted it over to its side with the four people trapped inside. André was never arrested for the incident, presumably since local police officers had a hard time believing four inebriated men's story about an angry giant having overturned their car.
| + | With Vince I wanted to accomplish something that had never been done on SOTF, as I got deeper into Vince’s personality I realized that his journey from a naïve boy to that of an insane man failed to accomplish what I wanted (a natural progression), but Vince still left me fulfilled, for some very strange reason… |
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| - | André was arrested by the Linn County, Iowa sheriff in August 1989 and charged with assault after the 540-pound wrestler allegedly roughed up a local TV cameraman. [http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/andregiantmug1.html The Smoking Gun]
| + | Slacker |
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| - | As a child, André was referred to by his parents as Dédé and showed no signs of being the size that he would end up being.
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| - | Actor [[Cary Elwes]] explains in his video diary of ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]'' that [[Samuel Beckett]] was a neighbor of the Roussimoff family while living in France. The Nobel Laureate would sometimes drive André to school.
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| - | Screenwriter and author [[William Goldman]] once said that André loved going out for dinner, but regardless of who extended the invitation, he would always pay for the meal. One time, when one of his friends slipped away to give his credit card to the ''maître d''', the friend felt himself being lifted off the ground, carried back to the table, and deposited back in his chair "like a little boy". Concluding, Goldman added that the friend in question was [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]].
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| - | ''[[Andre: Heart of the Giant]]'' is a movie about André's life and struggles in and out of the wrestling ring. Actors will play real life wrestlers, managers, promoters, and legends.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0475218/ Andre: Heart of the Giant (2007)] ''IMDB''.</ref>
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| - | | + | |
| - | == Death ==
| + | |
| - | André died in his sleep on [[January 27]], [[1993]], in a [[Paris]] hotel room{{Fact|date=March 2008}}. He was in Paris to attend the funeral for his father{{Fact|date=March 2008}}. It was later concluded that he died of [[congestive heart failure]], a by-product of the growth hormone-secreting [[pituitary]] [[tumor]] he had much of his life and chose not to have treated{{Fact|date=March 2008}}.
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| - | | + | |
| - | André's body was [[cremated]] in accordance with his wishes and his ashes scattered at his ranch in [[Ellerbe, North Carolina]]{{Fact|date=March 2008}}. According to his [[A&E Biography]], André's wish to be cremated was almost not carried out, since a crematorium in France could not be found that could handle his large frame{{Fact|date=March 2008}}.
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | ==In wrestling==
| + | |
| - | *'''Finishing and signature moves'''
| + | |
| - | **'''[[Piledriver (professional wrestling)#Tombstone Piledriver|Kneeling belly to belly pilediver]]'''
| + | |
| - | **'''[[Professional wrestling attacks#Elbow drop|Elbow drop]]'''
| + | |
| - | **'''[[Professional wrestling attacks#Big splash|Big splash]]'''
| + | |
| - | ** Multiple [[Suplex#Suplex|Suplex]] variations
| + | |
| - | ***[[Suplex#Double underhook suplex|Butterfly suplex]]'''
| + | |
| - | ***[[Suplex#Underhook suplex|Neck lock suplex]]'''
| + | |
| - | **''Head and Neck Rake'' (André places his opponent in a standing headscissors, then jumps up and down, aggravating the neck area)
| + | |
| - | **[[Professional wrestling attacks#Headbutt|Hard headbutt]]
| + | |
| - | **[[Professional wrestling throws#Gorilla press slam|Gorilla press slam]]
| + | |
| - | **[[Professional wrestling holds#Bearhug|Bearhug]]
| + | |
| - | **[[Professional wrestling attacks#Big boot|Big boot]]
| + | |
| - | **[[Professional wrestling throws#Samoan drop|Samoan drop]]
| + | |
| - | **[[Professional wrestling attacks#Seated senton|Butt drop]] (while holding onto ropes)
| + | |
| - | **Falling backwards and getting his arms interlocked between the top and middle ropes, leaving him prone to attack
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | *'''[[Manager (professional wrestling)|Managers]]'''
| + | |
| - | **[[Bobby Heenan]]
| + | |
| - | **Frank Valois
| + | |
| - | **[[Lou Albano]]
| + | |
| - | **K.Y. Wakamatsu
| + | |
| - | **[[Ted DiBiase]]
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | ==Filmography==
| + | |
| - | *''Casse tête chinois pour le judoka'' (1967)
| + | |
| - | *''[[The Six Million Dollar Man]]'' - "The Secret of Bigfoot I and II" (1976), Bigfoot
| + | |
| - | *''[[B.J. and the Bear]]'' - "Snow White and the Seven Lady Truckers" (1981), Unnamed Character
| + | |
| - | *''[[The Greatest American Hero]]'' - "Heaven Is in Your Genes" (1983), Monster
| + | |
| - | *André makes an appearance in "[[The Goonies 'R' Good Enough]]" music video by [[Cyndi Lauper]], along with several other 80s icon wrestlers like [[Rowdy Roddy Piper]].
| + | |
| - | *''[[Conan the Destroyer]]'' (1984), Dagoth (uncredited)
| + | |
| - | *''[[Micki + Maude|Micki & Maude]]'' (1984), Himself
| + | |
| - | *''I Like to Hurt People'' (1985), Himself
| + | |
| - | *''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]'' (1987), Fezzik
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | ==Championships and accomplishments==
| + | |
| - | *'''All-Star Pro-Wrestling'''
| + | |
| - | :*NWA Australasian Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with [[Butch Miller (wrestler)|Ron Miller]]
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | *'''[[Championship Wrestling from Florida]]'''
| + | |
| - | :*[[NWA Florida Tag Team Championship]] ([[NWA Florida Tag Team Championship#Title history|1 time]]) - with Dusty Rhodes
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | *'''[[International Pro Wrestling]]'''
| + | |
| - | :*IPW World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Michael Nader
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | *'''NWA Tri-State'''
| + | |
| - | :*NWA Tri-State Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with [[Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)|Dusty Rhodes]]
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| - | | + | |
| - | *'''Stampede Wrestling'''
| + | |
| - | :*[[Stampede Wrestling#Hall of Fame|Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame]] <ref> {{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/ab/hof.html |title=Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame (1948-1990) |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= }} </ref>
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | *'''[[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Federation]]'''
| + | |
| - | :*[[WWE Championship|WWF Championship]] ([[List of WWE Champions|1 time]])
| + | |
| - | :*[[WWE Hall of Fame|WWF Hall of Fame]] ([[WWE Hall of Fame#1993|Class of 1993]]) (posthumous) <small>First inductee</small>
| + | |
| - | :*[[World Tag Team Championship (WWE)|WWF World Tag Team Championship]] ([[List of World Tag Team Champions (WWE)|1 time]]) - with [[Tonga Fifita|Haku]]
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | *'''[[Pro Wrestling Illustrated]]'''
| + | |
| - | :*[[PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year]] award in 1977
| + | |
| - | :*[[PWI Match of the Year]] award in 1981 <small>versus [[Killer Khan]]</small>
| + | |
| - | :*PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year award in 1982
| + | |
| - | :*[[PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year]] award in 1988
| + | |
| - | :*PWI Match of the Year award in 1988 <small>versus Hulk Hogan - ''[[WWF The Main Event#The Main Event I|The Main Event]]''</small>
| + | |
| - | :*[[PWI Stanley Weston Award|PWI Editor's Award]] in 1993
| + | |
| - | :*PWI ranked him #'''3''' of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003.<ref name="PWI500ofPWIYears">{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe-zone.com/other/pwi/500_of_pwi_years/index.htm|title=Pro-Wrestling Illustrated 500 of the PWI Years|publisher=Pro-Wrestling Edge|accessdate=2008-06-02}}</ref>
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | *'''[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]'''
| + | |
| - | :*Feud of the Year in 1981 <small>vs Killer Khan</small>
| + | |
| - | :*[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame]] ([[Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame#1996|Class of 1996]])
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | *'''Broadcast Radio'''
| + | |
| - | :*Inductee into the Wrestling-Radio.com Hall of Fame class of 2007
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| - | | + | |
| - | ==DVD==
| + | |
| - | On [[January 25]], [[2005]] WWE released ''André The Giant'', a DVD focusing on the career of André. The DVD is a reissue of the out-of-print ''André The Giant'' VHS made by [[Coliseum Video]] in 1985, with commentary by [[Michael Cole]] and [[Tazz]] replacing [[Gorilla Monsoon]] and [[Jesse Ventura]]'s commentary on his [[WrestleMania I|WrestleMania]] battle with Big John Studd, with an option to hear no commentary at all.
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| - | The video is hosted by [[Lord Alfred Hayes]]. Later matches, including André's battles against Hulk Hogan while a [[heel (professional wrestling)|heel]], are not included on this DVD. The following matches are featured on the DVD:
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | # André The Giant vs. [[Moondog Rex]] — ([[August 8]], [[1981]])
| + | |
| - | # 18-Man Battle Royale including [[Sgt. Slaughter]], [[Big John Studd]], [[Jimmy Snuka]], [[Pat Patterson]], [[Hulk Hogan]], [[Paul Orndorff]], [[The Iron Sheik]] & [[Tito Santana]] (circa 1984).
| + | |
| - | # André The Giant vs. Black Gordman & Great Goliath ([[January 12]], [[1976]])
| + | |
| - | # André The Giant vs. Jack Evans, [[Johnny Rodz]], & Joe Butcher Nova (circa 1979)
| + | |
| - | # André The Giant vs. [[Gorilla Monsoon]] (early 1970s)
| + | |
| - | # André the Giant & [[Jimmy Snuka]] vs. the [[Wild Samoans]] ([[February 18]], [[1983]] at [[Madison Square Garden]], [[New York City]])
| + | |
| - | # André vs. the [[Masked Superstar]] ([[February 20]], [[1984]] at Madison Square Garden)
| + | |
| - | # André the Giant & [[S.D. Jones]] vs. [[Big John Studd]] & [[Ken Patera]] ([[December 15]], [[1984]]). Studd and Patera beat André into unconsciousness and — with help from [[Bobby Heenan]] — cut his long locks of hair
| + | |
| - | # André The Giant vs. [[Ken Patera]] ([[January 21]], [[1985]] at Madison Square Garden)
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| - | # André The Giant vs. [[Big John Studd]] ("$15,000 Bodyslam Match" [[March 31]], 1985, [[WrestleMania I|WrestleMania]] at Madison Square Garden)
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| - | ==Video games==
| + | |
| - | * André appeared in the [[Arcade game|arcade game]] ''[[WWF Superstars]]'' as one-half of [[The Mega Bucks]], the game's [[Boss (video games)|boss]] tag team.
| + | |
| - | *André was in the original ''[[WWF WrestleMania (video game)|WrestleMania]]'' video game for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]], as well as its sequel, ''[[WWF WrestleMania Challenge|WrestleMania Challenge]]''.
| + | |
| - | *André the Giant is a legendary wrestler in ''[[WWF No Mercy]]'', ''[[WWE Day of Reckoning]]'', ''[[WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW]]'', and ''[[WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2006]]''. Due to his size, he is billed as an "Ultra-Heavyweight", a weight class unassignable to any other character. In ''[[WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007]]'', which André did not appear in, his unique weight category was handed down to [[The Great Khali]]<ref> [http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/823/823593p1.html IGN: The Great Khali]</ref> (despite their differences in weight; Khali is actually lighter than André<ref> [http://uk.ps2.ign.com/articles/662/662053p1.html IGN: Andre the Giant])</ref> and [[Paul Wight|The Big Show]] (who, despite being billed as over 500-pounds,did not make it into the Ultra-Heavyweight category)<ref> [http://uk.ps2.ign.com/articles/732/732008p1.html IGN: Countdown Big Show]</ref>.
| + | |
| - | *André has also appeared on games 2 and 3 of the ''[[Legends of Wrestling]]'' series.
| + | |
| - | *Capcom has used André as the basis for a series of characters in the ''[[Street Fighter]]'' world. The ''[[Final Fight]]'' series introduced the character [[Andore]] as one of many thugs to fight, with several [[palette swap]]s based on Andore were also used in these games as additional foes. Andore returned in ''[[Street Fighter III]]'' under the name '''Hugo'''. His special pre-fight entrance with Alex (who resembles Hulk Hogan) features the two having a stare-down as a reference to the Hogan-André stare-down at [[Wrestlemania III]].
| + | |
| - | *André the Giant is a final boss in ''[[WCW Wrestling|WCW: World Championship Wrestling]]'' for the Nintendo Entertainment System. However, he is not known as "André the Giant," but as "WCW Master." The "WCW Master" was based on a superstar in Japan known as Giant Machine. Giant Machine was really André the Giant wearing a mask.<ref>[http://www.geocities.com/jmigden99/wrgame.html Someone took a doody in my sandbox!<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
| + | |
| - | * ''[[WCW vs. the World]]'' features a hidden character named Giant who is not based on [[Paul Wight]] (who was wrestling in [[World Championship Wrestling|WCW]] as The Giant at the time), but rather has an appearance and move set based on André.
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| - | | + | |
| - | == Legacy and appearances in pop culture==
| + | |
| - | * Largely to honor André the Giant, the WWF created the [[WWF Hall of Fame]] later in 1993 and made him the first inductee.
| + | |
| - | * In 1989, street artist/graphic designer [[Shepard Fairey]] appropriated André's image in a popular guerrilla art campaign that eventually evolved into the [[Andre the Giant Has a Posse|OBEY]] art style that Fairey became famous for.
| + | |
| - | * In the "[[Code Monkeys]]" episode "Wrassle Mania", Mr. Larrity hires 4 professional wrestlers (all based on popular wrestlers of that era, set in the 1980s) to compete against their rival videogame company. The four wrestlers were Bulk Brogan ([[Hulk Hogan]]), "Manly Man" Ricky Ravage ([[Randy Savage|"Macho Man" Randy Savage]]), Sergeant Murder ([[Sergeant Slaughter]]), and André The Giant's counterpart, Sergei the Giant.
| + | |
| - | * André was the inspiration for the 1998 movie ''[[My Giant]]'', written by his friend [[Billy Crystal]], whom he had met during the filming of ''[[The Princess Bride]]''.
| + | |
| - | * [[Paul Wight]] was originally billed as the son of André the Giant despite no biological relation.
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| - | | + | |
| - | ==References==
| + | |
| - | {{reflist}}
| + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | ==External links==
| + | |
| - | {{Portal|Professional wrestling|break=yes}}
| + | |
| - | *[http://www.andrethegiant.com AndreTheGiant.com (Official Website)]
| + | |
| - | *[http://www.wwe.com/superstars/halloffame/andrethegiant/ WWE Hall of Fame Profile]
| + | |
| - | *[http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/a/andre-the-giant.html Andre's Online World of Wrestling Profile]
| + | |
| - | *[http://www.wrestlingmuseum.com/pages/bios/halloffame/andrebio.html Wrestling Museum Biography]
| + | |
| - | *[http://www.marksfiles.com Memphis Wrestling History 1961 - 1993]
| + | |
| - | *{{imdb name|id=0000764|name=André the Giant}}
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| - | *[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=4359 Find A Grave Entry]
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| - | <!-- Translations -->
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| - | {{DEFAULTSORT:Andre the Giant}}
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| - | [[Category:1946 births]]
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| - | [[Category:1993 deaths]]
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| - | [[Category:People with acromegaly]]
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| - | [[Category:People with gigantism]]
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| - | [[Category:Bulgarian-French people]]
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| - | [[Category:Polish-French people]]
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| - | [[Category:Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame]]
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| - | [[Category:World Wrestling Council]]
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| - | [[Category:Dead wrestling superstars]]
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| - | [[Category:WWE Hall of Fame]]
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| - | [[ast:André'l Xigante]]
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| - | [[bar:André the Giant]]
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| - | [[bg:Андре Гиганта]]
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| - | [[da:André the Giant]]
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| - | [[de:André the Giant]]
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| - | [[es:André the Giant]]
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| - | [[fr:André The Giant]]
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| - | [[it:André the Giant]]
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| - | [[he:אנדרה הענק]]
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| - | [[nl:André the Giant]]
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| - | [[ja:アンドレ・ザ・ジャイアント]]
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| - | [[sv:André the Giant]]
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Vince lived a good life till he was five years old, he even got a game boy when he was three. He and his father thought that their good life and wealth would never end… that is till his mother died.
Vince’s mother was killed December 25th, 1994, she was killed by a shotgun blast to the head in front of both Vince and his fathers eyes. As Vince stared at his mothers brains which at that point where spread against the floor of his house he promised himself not to cry.
His money was taken away from his family and soon he learned how it felt to be poor. It was then that his father became a High school football coach at Barry Coleson High. To Vince high school football became a way of life and he soon was obsessed with the game.
At nine he entered a children’s league and he played till he couldn’t anymore and by the time he was fourteen he had become a great football player, so great that he was added to the starting line up of the high school football team as a freshman.
Vince is now considered popular but has no real friends… he feels detached from his peers.
After spending some time thinking about his few hours on the island Vince went to the well where he set a full scale attack on the group there (which consisted of Clare Shephard, Neville Eden, Ryan Torres, and Dorien Graywood. Vince was then shot at by a shotgun and the force behind that caused him to land on a very sharp rock, knowing the end was near Vince took his own life.
With Vince I wanted to accomplish something that had never been done on SOTF, as I got deeper into Vince’s personality I realized that his journey from a naïve boy to that of an insane man failed to accomplish what I wanted (a natural progression), but Vince still left me fulfilled, for some very strange reason…
