Andre the Giant

by Michael Krugman

  by Ed Ricciuti

  Jake issued a challenge....“Everyone has something they fear, Giant, even you. Some people are afraid of the dark. Some of their own thoughts. I know what your fear is, André, and I’m looking forward to meeting you again.”

  In November, the second Survivor Series saw the program continue, though unlike the Pay-Per-View’s initial installment, André was no longer the head-liner. Teams formed around the two protagonists, with the Giant supported by Rick Rude, Dino Bravo, Curt “Mr. Perfect” Hennig, and Harley Race, with the managerial assistance of Frenchie Martin and Bobby Heenan. The Snake was joined by “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, Ken Patera, Scott Casey, and Tito Santana.

  Survivor Series 1988 program

  “ANDRÉ THE GIANT HAS A PHOBIA”

  André the Giant, the gargantua who fears no other man, has a phobia—of snakes.

  The truth is out. The sight of a snake totally unnerves the huge Giant. He absolutely dreads serpents. Fear spreads through his mammoth body and grips his brain with icy claws.

  Bobby “The Brain” Heenan has protested Jake’s carrying of Damien to the officials. “It’s not fair,” Heenan says. “It’s a travesty. It’s dangerous.”

  Heenan’s words are not all bluff. If the one thing André fears is eliminated, Heenan’s cunning mind reasons, the Giant can be unleashed to do the Brain’s will. So Roberts must expect that Heenan is hatching all sorts of crafty—and dangerous—schemes against the Snake and Damien. Roberts cannot count on André’s fear of snakes to eliminate the danger posed by Heenan and his brutal behemoth. The threat to Roberts is as real as the fear inside André’s mammoth breast.

  November 24, 1988: Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH

  SURVIVOR SERIES: ANDRÉ THE GIANT, RICK RUDE, DINO BRAVO, MR. PERFECT & HARLEY RACE (W/FRENCHIE MARTIN & BOBBY HEENAN) VS. JAKE ROBERTS, “HACKSAW” JIM DUGGAN, KEN PATERA, SCOTT CASEY & TITO SANTANA

  “What a piece of humanity,” says Gorilla Monsoon of André. “A condominium with feet.”

  André interferes briefly, reaching in to grab Duggan from the apron after Hacksaw pitched Perfect over the post with a roundhouse right. . . . Later, Casey gets trapped in the enemy corner by Rude. André holds him there for Race, who tags in and goes to work. As he pounds Casey into the buckle, André reaches in and chops Casey’s back. . . . Duggan struts in enemy territory as he battles Perfect. This time André catches him and pulls him into the corner for Perfect to punch away at his midsection. André headbutts Duggan down, then leans over to grab him by the hair for another. . . . Race takes Tito into the corner and rams him directly into André’s head, which, Ventura notes, “is worse than hitting the turnbuckle.”

  André enters when Santana pins Race, surprising Tito by grabbing a fistful of hair as he rises from the mat. The Giant stays close to the ropes, holding the top while choking Santana with his right hand. As ever, he makes sure to keep it legal, breaking the grip just before getting disqualified. He bounces Santana against the ropes, then lets go, sending Tito face-first to the canvas. A massive chop is followed by a pair of buttdrops. Santana tries to fight back but is throttled to his knees. André sends him into the ropes, setting up a sunset flip that fails to pull André over. Rather, André sits down on Tito and scores the pinfall at 14:40.

  Hacksaw enters and immediately clotheslines the Giant, trapping him in the ropes. Referee Joey Marella and Rude try to untie him, but Duggan takes the opportunity to land a series of punches to André’s head. Roberts jumps in and continues the assault, also managing to deck Rude and Perfect before choking the trapped Giant. Freed from the ropes, André headbutts Jake away and tags Rude in. . . . Later, Perfect gets Roberts under the ropes, allowing André to stand on the bottom rope to choke the Snake. . . . Duggan is DQed for using his two-by-four on Bravo, setting up Roberts in a four-on-one situation. He takes on Perfect, who tags in Bravo, who brings in Rude. Rick rakes Jake’s eyes, pummels him into the buckle, lands a big roundhouse right. Roberts wanders into the enemy corner, where Bravo takes a shot, knocking him to the mat. Inverted atomic drop keeps Jake down as Rude keeps up the attack. Eventually Rude decides to end it by dropping a fist from the top. Rick stands over Jake and swivels his hips before heading into his corner to tag in André. Roberts gets up and surprises Rude with a DDT at 28:45.

  André climbs in and picks up Roberts from the pin position, pummeling him with punches before choking him mercilessly against the turnbuckle. He is enraged to the point where he leans in and bites the Snake’s throat, before returning to the vicious choke. At 29:39, referees Marella and Earl Hebner call for the bell, DQing the mad Giant. André headbutts the barely conscious Snake to the canvas before leaving. Perfect hooks the leg and gets the three-count, ending the match at 30:03. Sole Survivors Perfect and Bravo celebrate with Frenchie Martin, while André and Heenan confab outside.

  Meanwhile, Roberts is on the floor, bringing Damien out from under the ring. He pitches the python into the ring, then taunts André, who quickly leads his team up the aisle.

  December 18, 1988: Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA

  ANDRÉ VS. JAKE “THE SNAKE” ROBERTS

  Bobby Heenan takes the mic before the bell. “I’m gonna make it very simple for you, Jake. If you wanna have a match, and don’t wanna disappoint all your humanoid fans, then I suggest that snake goes back to the dressing room or there is no match!”

  Roberts argues with referee Earl Hebner, then relents and puts the sack under the ring. Jake goes on the attack, wrapping an arm around André’s chest and beating on his back with a forearm. Clothesline ties André up in the ropes, though Jake seems to have injured his upper arm in the process. Hebner tries to free him, but Roberts, still favoring his right arm, starts choking the Giant. He breaks at the count of four, then grips André’s throat for more. André gets loose and leans on the ropes for support. Roberts attacks but is caught in André’s grip.

  The Giant leans Roberts on the ropes and alternatively chops and chokes. He pushes Jake down on the ropes. “C’mon, André,” Hebner yells, “let him up!”

  André grits his teeth and chokes Roberts harder. “I’m gonna disqualify you in a minute,” Hebner promises.

  Finally André lets go, springing Roberts face-first off the ropes. He rolls all the way across the ring, his head under the bottom rope. André wraps his arms around the top for leverage and stands hard on the bottom, choking Roberts.

  André stands Jake up and immobilizes him with a wristlock, then goes to work on his injured shoulder and arm with headbutts and punches. A front facelock disguises the strap around Roberts’s throat.

  Jake fights out and leads André into the corner. The Giant counters with a headbutt and they reverse. André shoulderblocks Jake against the buckles. Hebner breaks it up, and when André goes in for another, Roberts chops him hard across the shoulders. André reels backward and drops to one knee, holding on to the top rope.

  Behind him, Roberts calls for the DDT. He tries to catch André as the Giant rises, but is pushed away, favoring his upper arm. André reaches down and chokes him. “C’mon, André, you’re gonna kill him,” says Hebner between counts of four.

  “That’s what I’m here for,” André says, grinning, then hits a pair of big butts on Jake’s chest. “Ha ha ha ha!”

  André pulls Jake up by his hair and sets him up in the corner for more chops and choking, then leans back to squash the Snake. He turns away and Jake gets up on the second rope. He jumps and just barely hits André across the shoulder with his injured arm. André goes down anyway, giving Jake time to go outside to retrieve Damien from under the ring. He tosses the python in just as André turns to face him. “Ahhhhhhh!”

  André bolts as Heenan runs in after the sack. Roberts hits him with a knee, and Heenan bumps over the top. André lies against the bottom rope in terror as Jake takes Damien out of the bag. Hebner calls for the bell, DQing Roberts at 6:20. André rolls out and up the aisle before Jake can place Damien atop him.

  January 3, 1989:
Von Braun Civic Center, Huntsville, AL

  THE BROTHER LOVE SHOW W/ANDRÉ AND BOBBY HEENAN

  André is casual in sports shirt and slacks. “Now, several weeks ago, brothers and sisters,” begins the red-faced televangelist, “Brother Love told each and every one of you that we were on a crusade, to rid the company of its serpents. And here is the man who is going to do it, Brother Eighth Wonder of the World, André the Giant. But you see, a lot of people out here said that Brother Giant was afraid of snakes. But that indeed is not the case at all, is it, Brother Brain?”

  “No, he’s not afraid of snakes,” replies Heenan. “I’ll guarantee you that.”

  “What?” asks an indignant André, but Heenan reassures him, mouthing, “You’re not afraid of snakes.”

  “No, no, Brother Giant is not afraid of snakes, isn’t that right, Brother Brain?”

  “Hey!” says André, making sure Brother Love isn’t alleging any ophidiophobia on the Giant’s part.

  From left: Brother Eighth Wonder of the World, Brother Love, Brother Brain.

  “Like I said before,” Heenan explains, “he just does not like to be surprised. And what I’ve done is, I’ve taken this man and I’ve hired the best hypnotist in the world just to prove to myself and this man and the world that André the Giant fears no man, let alone no snake!”

  “Y’know, Brother Brain, to prove it, why do you know that right back here in this bag right here is a gigantic fifteen-foot snake.”

  André quickly backs away to the far edge of the stage. Heenan is clearly angered as Brother Love continues. “I brought it out here just to prove to everybody that the Giant is—”

  “No, no, no, no,” Heenan interrupts, stopping Brother Love from opening the bag. “There’s nothing to prove to anybody. You can take my word for it. This man, the Eighth Wonder of the World, fears nothing.”

  But Brother Love is determined, and again reaches down to open the sack. “But let’s show everybody that he’s not—”

  André grabs Brother Love’s arm to stop him, his eyes never leaving the bag. “It’s obvious these people don’t need to know how he or myself feel about whatever you brought in that bag,” says Heenan. “It’s not necessary.”

  “But we will prove it to everyone!” Brother Love declares, bending to reveal the bag’s contents. “We’ll bring it out—”

  Both André and Heenan grab an arm and yank Brother Love away. Heenan and Brother Love exchange a few heated words off-mic as André takes a few steps backward, always keeping a close watch on the sack. He keeps going, winding up safely behind Brother Love’s pulpit.

  “Well, you see, ladies and gentlemen,” the crimson preacher declares at last, finally having been shown the light, “you have witnessed a miracle! A miracle! Brother Giant fears no man! He fears no serpent! He’s not afraid of some snake in the bag! And he certainly is not afraid of you, Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts!”

  Brother Love returns the mic to its holder and hugs Heenan while André maintains a safe distance from the bag.

  “Well, I guess they proved it, huh, McMahon?” notes Jesse Ventura.

  “Yeah, I don’t think so,” says a still-skeptical Vince. “Not to me. Not to me at all.”

  The Royal Rumble kicked off 1989—the latest installment in the ever-increasing slate of World Wrestling Federation Pay-Per-View, and the starting point for WrestleMania buildup. The event was and remains headlined by the Royal Rumble itself—a thirty-man, over-the-top Battle Royal, with wrestlers entering the ring at two-minute intervals. With André the undisputed king of Battle Royals, the Rumble made an ideal match to light the fuse of his upcoming match with Roberts at WrestleMania V.

  January 15, 1989: The Summit, Houston, TX

  ROYAL RUMBLE: PARTICIPATING WRESTLERS: AX, SMASH, ANDRÉ THE GIANT, MR. PERFECT, RON GARVIN, GREG VALENTINE, JAKE ROBERTS, RON BASS, SHAWN MICHAELS, BUSHWHACKER BUTCH, HONKY TONK MAN, TITO SANTANA, BAD NEWS BROWN, MARTY JANNETTY, RANDY SAVAGE, ARN ANDERSON, TULLY BLANCHARD, HULK HOGAN, BUSHWHACKER LUKE, KOKO B. WARE, THE WARLORD, BIG BOSS MAN, AKEEM, BRUTUS BEEFCAKE, THE RED ROOSTER, THE BARBARIAN, BIG JOHN STUDD, HERCULES, RICK MARTEL, & TED DIBIASE

  André enters the Royal Rumble at number 3, following Ax & Smash— World Wrestling Federation Tag Team Champions Demolition. The Giant gingerly climbs on the apron and enters, immediately on the receiving end of a double clothesline from Demolition. He goes down, and the tag team begins pummeling him with double axhandles. Back up against the ropes, Ax and Smash put the boots to André, literally placing their boots on his throat. He gradually gets to his feet, but is pushed into the corner. He manages to get free, but Demolition continues their assault.

  As the buzzer goes off, signaling the entry of number 4, André is on the offensive, banging Ax and Smash’s heads together. Mr. Perfect saunters to the ring as André has his arms held behind his back by Ax, allowing Smash to rain punches. Smash goes to drive a shoulder into the Giant, but André puts up a big boot and takes him down. Perfect finally runs in, punches Smash, then starts hitting André, who is now crushing Ax into the corner. Smash gets back into it, throwing blows at Perfect as André chops Ax. As Ax drops to his knees, André grabs Smash by the hair and tosses him over the top rope. Perfect tries to shift André’s balance by taking hold of his leg. Ax takes André’s boot, the Giant bent face first into the turnbuckle, allowing Perfect to kick up into his midsection. Ax and Perfect double-team André, now down in the corner, choking him as they put the boots to him. Two boots in the throat, André’s head on the bottom rope. Perfect takes his foot off André, and Ax turns on him. The two trade blows as André catches his breath. Ax sends Perfect face-first into the opposite turnbuckle, and then quickly returns to the nowstanding Giant. But André gets his hands around Ax’s neck, choking him down to his knees. Perfect breaks the choke with forearms to André’s back, but gets a huge headbutt for his efforts and comes very close to elimination. Back against the corner, André chops and punches Perfect and Ax as the capacity crowd counts down the entry of number 5, “Rugged” Ronnie Garvin.

  Garvin runs down the aisle as André beats on Ax. Perfect goes for André’s gut and is joined by Garvin, dropping André again to the mat, his back up on the ropes. André is tied up in the top two ropes as Perfect and Garvin each grab a leg in an attempt to eliminate the Giant. Ax turns his attention to Perfect. Garvin stupidly frees one of the Giant’s arms, but pays for it with a punch. André gets back up and goes at it with Ax, who falls into the corner, setting up André to crush him with his big butt. With Ax trapped under André’s behind, Perfect and Garvin team up on André. He butts their heads together, sending them both down to the mat. André gets to center ring and punches Perfect three feet off the canvas. Before long, all three men are again beating on André. Ax and André begin battling in the corner, while Garvin and Perfect exchange chops.

  The buzzer sounds, sending in Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, as André gets triple-teamed against the ropes. Valentine runs in and drives an elbow into André’s forehead, making it a four-on-one battle. Somehow André pushes them off and, with a mighty forearm, sends Garvin out over the top.

  André destroys Demolition, Royal Rumble 1989.

  Valentine chops at André’s chest in the corner, but the Giant gets his hands up and starts choking the Hammer. Ax clotheslines Perfect, and then breaks up André’s choke with an ax-handle to his shoulders. Holding on to the rope for support, André starts choking Ax, a hungry grin sweeping across his face for the first time in the match. Perfect comes from behind and takes two handfuls of André’s hair, turning him around for a series of chops.

  The buzzer goes off, and Jake Roberts runs in. André turns away from Perfect and catches his nemesis with a big boot. André holds Roberts’s head as the Snake punches away at André’s midsection. André chokes the Snake down onto the top rope. The Hammer, sensing an opportunity, whips himself off the ropes and clotheslines the Giant’s back, but is shrugged away. He tries it again, but André refuses to be distracted
from his assault on Roberts. Jake goes down, allowing André to place a big boot on his throat. He then sits down on Jake’s chest, then steps right on the Snake’s belly, placing his weight on Roberts’s guts. André then shoulderblocks Roberts into the corner. Ax tries to intervene but takes a big chop to the chest. The Hammer tries it, and gets a headbutt for his efforts. André wraps his shoulder strap around Roberts’s throat, choking him into the turnbuckle.

  “The Outlaw” Ron Bass enters at number 8, considers attacking André, but thinks better of it. André grabs the back of Jake’s tights and tosses him up and over. He turns and decides to enact payback on Valentine, who backs himself into the corner. André grabs his throat and squeezes. Perfect pulls André off, and then finds his own neck in the Giant’s grip. Hammer tries to help, but André piles Perfect and Valentine into the corner, driving his shoulder into Perfect’s midsection. He chops Perfect away, then resumes choking Valentine.

  Shawn Michaels runs in and takes on Bass, André now crushing Valentine’s throat with a boot. André turns to face Bass as Michaels and Perfect go at it. Maintaining a grip on the top rope for balance, André chokes Bass into the corner. He puts the Outlaw into a bearhug, the Hammer now up and attacking André’s back with blows.

  The buzzer sounds, and Butch Bushwhacker comes in as Bass and Valentine double-team André. All of a sudden Roberts returns, holding Damien in his sack. He slides the snake into the ring. André’s eyes pop out in fear at the sight of it and he quickly climbs out over the top, eliminating himself. André leaves as the ref chews out the Snake, who takes Damien and leaves.

  “André bailed outta there in a hurry,” says Gorilla Monsoon, “which proves only one thing, Jess.”

  “He’s still deathly afraid of snakes,” Jesse Ventura agrees.