Andre the Giant

by Michael Krugman

  The ultimate winner of the Royal Rumble 1989 was none other than André’s old nemesis Big John Studd, who had returned to the World Wrestling Federation roster some weeks earlier. When Heenan attempted to welcome Studd back into the folds of the Heenan Family, Big John rejected the offer. The stage was set for a return to the classic André vs. Studd feud, only with the roles reversed—it was now André as the heel in the war of the gargantuas.

  May 1989

  “ANDRÉ VS. STUDD: WHO’S THE REAL GIANT?”

  by Keith Elliot Greenberg

  André the Giant gripped the dressing room curtain and pried it open just enough to peer down the aisle at the action in the ring. The date was January 15, and the Giant—who had earlier quit the Royal Rumble when a python-waving Jake “The Snake” Roberts approached the ring—wanted to size up a man he hadn’t seen in two years: Big John Studd.

  “André can be a very introverted character,” says a source close to the wrestling family of manager Bobby “The Brain” Heenan. “He’s very secretive about his inner feelings. But he makes it clear that John Studd occupies a good deal of his thoughts. I don’t know if it’s Studd’s size, his reputation as a brawler who never quits, or the simple fact that they’re so often compared with each other. All I can tell you is that André sees Studd as a pretender who must be put down hard.”

  As Studd stood in the center of the ring, André slowly closed the curtain and lumbered down the dressing room corridor. A reporter approached to ask him about his earlier run-in with Jake the Snake. A morose André took a wide step around the journalist, but before disappearing behind a changing room door, the Giant uttered a phrase indicating Studd, not Roberts, was on his mind: “I am still the real giant.”

  Big John Studd had only made his return to World Wrestling Federation a few days earlier when he visited the screening room of the television production facility. . . . Although Studd spent several hours reviewing matches of the top stars, the majority of his time was devoted to studying André.

  “He wanted to see everything the Giant had done lately—Singles matches, Tag Team matches, Battle Royals—you name it,” the technician says. “And he wouldn’t watch the matches once, but five or six times. I can’t remember him saying a lot during the screening. A few times, he pressed the stop button, rewound the tape for a few seconds, looked at André executing a move in slow motion and muttered, ‘Interesting.’”

  “Ever since Big John Studd returned, he and André the Giant have been on a collision course.” The words were spoken by commentator Jesse “The Body” Ventura during a break between television matches. “It’s just so obvious to me. When Studd was in the ring before, it seemed he was wrestling for a one-man audience: André. Studd spent his hiatus from wrestling perfecting new techniques, and he wanted André to know it. When the referee raised Big John’s hand, I thought he was going to grab the microphone and say, ‘Look who the giant really is.’”

  Gorilla Monsoon agrees: “André and Studd both have their concepts of what a giant should be. Although size plays a part of it, the word ‘giant’ to them means totally domination. André and Studd both have the power, the talent, and the experience to rise to that position. Each sees the other as the biggest obstacle to gaining that achievement.”

  André claims otherwise. “Big John Studd does not stand in my way,” insists the man-mountain from the French Alps. “He is just another wrestler, and I am the giant of professional wrestling.” He thrusts his arms forward, intertwines his fingers and shakes, choking an imaginary foe. “This is what I would do to Big John Studd.” His eyes pop out, and a grimace sweeps across his face. “I would leave him lying in the ring, knowing what it is like to lose to a real giant.”

  Heenan, the Giant’s manager, says he is uncertain that Studd is even qualified to wrestle André. “A member of the Heenan Family does not just sign on the dotted line to go against some slouch. You have to prove yourself to get in the ring with one of my men. And I’m not so sure that Big John Studd has proved anything. He just burst onto the scene, making these outlandish claims about who he is and what he’s done. He was so busy lying, I’m surprised he didn’t say that he invented the cure for polio. André is a legend of professional wrestling—the one and only true giant—and he might not want to dirty his hands with this untested scrub.”

  “Untested?” Studd rages. “Heenan must be living in fantasy land! If I recall correctly, you didn’t see André’s arm raised at the Royal Rumble. Millions of people watched me win the match—long after André was eliminated. That’s a giant? To me, it sounds like a fraud.”

  “With the type of animosity that exists between these two, I think the rulebook would be left at home,” Monsoon states. “I expect André and Studd to fly at each other from the opening bell, with putting the opponent out of action taking precedence over a clean victory. Remember, a lot is at stake here. Whoever comes out on top wins bragging rights to the term ‘giant.’”

  “I’ll be watching this one very closely,” Hulk Hogan admits. “The Hulkster’s wrestled both men and knows how deadly each can be. When either grabs hold of you, it feels like you’re about to split in half. They’re that strong! When André the Giant and Big John Studd lock horns, it’ll be a nuclear explosion. Only one man will walk out of the mushroom cloud after it’s all over. And everyone will call him ‘giant.’”

  Tensions mounted in February as Studd was named special guest referee for André and Roberts’s match at WrestleMania V, making it the first official confrontation between the two men vying to be recognized as the true giant of World Wrestling Federation. With Studd wearing stripes and Damien slithering in his sack outside the ring, the deck would be undeniably stacked against the indestructible Giant at the annual extravaganza.

  January 24, 1989: Convention Center, Tucson, AZ

  ANDRÉ VS. TITO SANTANA & JIM POWERS

  The unlucky babyface team enters first, seeming unaware that they are the victims of this two-on-one Handicap match. “What a match this is gonna be,” says Jesse Ventura as André comes to the ring. “Yes, it’s gonna be a great one,” agrees Vince.

  Santana and Powers go right for André, but receive a noggin knocker almost instantly. André begins choking Santana, as Powers tries to break it by hitting his huge back with a series of ax-handles. André tosses Tito aside and grabs Powers in a bearhug.

  Vince McMahon notes, “There’s someone out there in the wings looking forward to being a guest referee.”

  “André,” says Big John Studd via remote, “I understand you’re very concerned that I’m the special referee in your match with Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts in WrestleMania V. Well, you can count on one thing, I can’t be pushed around, and I won’t be intimidated, and I guarantee you there will be a winner!”

  Meanwhile, the Handicap match continues, with Santana and Powers double-teaming André into the corner. André headbutts Santana to the mat. Powers throws an ax-handle to the Giant’s chest, followed by punches to the midsection. For his trouble, he receives a headbutt of his own.

  “That’s the Eighth Wonder of the World in there,” says Jesse Ventura. “The master of the Battle Royals. You think he ain’t ever been double-teamed before?”

  “He’s been double-teamed, triple-teamed, and every other kind of teamed,” McMahon acknowledges.

  André is taking the double-team efforts with a grain of salt, getting in his offense when he can. He takes Powers’s arms and pulls them back, and then drives a headbutt between his shoulders. Santana flies in, throws a few punches, and hits a dropkick, almost sending André over the ropes. Powers nails a dropkick of his own, and now André is reeling on the ropes. But André quickly regains his momentum and stacks Santana and Powers into the corner, crushing into them with a series of shoulders.

  Suddenly, Jake Roberts’s music hits, and his voice is heard in the arena. “André. Damien and I are watching you! Come on, André. Where am I? You never know where we’re gonna be.”

  Heena
n searches around the ring while André continues working on his opponents.

  “But sooner or later, André,” Roberts’s disembodied voice continues, “Damien will strike. Just like I will.”

  Heenan accuses Howard Finkel of having something to do with Roberts’s presence, but the ring announcer shakes his head, denying any knowledge. Santana and Powers take advantage of the moment, coming at a distracted André from behind. He turns and grabs them both in a double bearhug. He lets go, tosses Santana into the ropes. A sunset flip fails, but a clothesline from Powers knocks the Giant backward. Santana takes a leg as Powers covers, but André tosses him off at one. André gets up, headbutts Powers, and whips into Santana, sending Tito rolling out through the ropes. André—gingerly—drops an elbow on Powers, and three seconds later, it’s over at 3:32.

  Heenan holds André’s arm up as Roberts’s voice is heard again. “André, be careful where you step, my man. You never know where Damien might be.”

  André looks around, disconcerted by the possibility of confronting Damien.

  “We’re watching you, André,” the Snake goes on. “Both of us are watching you, all the time.”

  January 25, 1989: Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, AZ

  LORD ALFRED HAYES INTERVIEWS ANDRÉ AND BOBBY HEENAN

  “I want to show you all,” the Brain begins, “just how much fear Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts has for this man. When they asked us to sign the contract for WrestleMania V, against Jake ‘The Snake,’ they asked for a stipulation about a special referee. I said, ‘Sure, we’ll have a special referee. You can throw whoever you want in there!’ but I never thought for one moment it would be six-foot-ten, 390-pound Big John Studd! Now this man, and I use that term loosely, is nothing but a backstabbing, ungrateful lowlife! I took him to the heights of professional wrestling, I made him exactly what he is today, but that’s all right! Because I’m a bigger man, and I’ll tell ya something, Lord Alfred Hayes, André the Giant is definitely a bigger—”

  The crowd pops as Studd comes to the platform. “Uh-oh,” notes Gorilla Monsoon. “Big John is on his way. Take a look at that bohemoth [sic].”

  Studd stands on the bottom step and stares eye-to-eye with Heenan. As he climbs up to the platform, the Brain scurries to safety behind André. The Giant and his old rival stare each other down, with André still the bigger man. André sucks on his teeth, showing no fear and slight boredom at the thought of facing Studd once more. He grins as Monsoon wraps the segment, saying, “Not a whole lot of difference in size between these two guys. What a referee Big John Studd is gonna make.”

  January 29, 1989: Los Angeles Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA

  ANDRÉ VS. JAKE “THE SNAKE” ROBERTS

  André refuses to get in the ring as long as Damien is in the corner. “No way,” he says, shaking his head as he walks back up the aisle. After some discussion with Roberts, referee Joey Marella trots toward the locker room to settle the issue. André comes halfway to the ring, and Marella explains to Roberts that his snake will have to go. Jake stomps his foot but ultimately places Damien under the ring.

  André comes to the ring, lifts up the apron, and demands Damien be farther away. “All the way,” he tells officials, gesturing his desire for the snake to be far out of Roberts’s reach.

  André climbs between the top ropes, and before he can stand up, Jake hits him with a knee to the face. The Giant reels back and gets his arms tied up in the ropes. Roberts begins choking André. Marella breaks the choke, but Jake throws a series of shots to the seated Giant’s forehead. Jake goes to the apron, planning to fetch Damien, but the ref stops him. Meanwhile André sits on the mat, trapped in the ropes, terrified of Damien. Prevented from getting his snake, Jake goes back to choking André. He then quickly goes out to the floor, but the ref promises to disqualify him if he brings Damien into the ring.

  Jake comes back in. Marella frees André from the ropes, and the Giant immediately wraps a big hand around Roberts’s throat. Holding on the top rope for support, André—on his knees—brings Jake down to the canvas, putting all his weight on Roberts’s neck. He then stands erect on Roberts’s solar plexus, though he keeps a grip on the ropes for balance. André steps off, but clamps a big boot down on Roberts’s hand. Holding his hand down, the Giant grabs a fistful of Roberts’s hair and pulls him up, stretching his arm. He removes his foot, allowing Jake to stand up, and then hits a hard chop before wrapping both hands around Jake’s throat.

  Jake breaks the choke with shots to André’s midsection, and then forces André into the corner with a series of rights. The Giant—holding himself up by gripping the rope—pulls Roberts’s hair, but Jake gets loose and starts pummeling André with lefts and rights. Roberts turns away for a split second, and André grabs his hair, pulling it around and in for a headbutt. Roberts goes down, his head on the apron under the bottom rope. André sees the opportunity and steps on the bottom rope, strangling Roberts under it.

  Marella breaks the choke, and as André argues, Roberts rolls toward the center of the ring and catches his breath. He gets up, but André is right there. He grabs Roberts’s throat and pushes him back against the top rope. He chokes him repeatedly, then jerks Roberts back so he slingshots forward across the ring. Jake is still on his back, giving André time to come to the other side of the ring.

  Holding the top rope with both hands, the Giant drops a sit-down splash onto Jake’s chest, his face nonchalant. Roberts gasps for breath, holding his battered ribs. André stands over him, gesturing for Roberts to get up and face him. He wipes sweat from his huge brow and flicks it down on the squirming Snake. Roberts reaches up for help and André assists, only to headbutt him as soon as Jake is on his feet. A chop sends Roberts to the corner, setting up André’s backsplash and series of shoulders to the midsection.

  André jaws a bit with the ref, and when he goes back, Roberts

  manages to land a forearm across the Giant’s shoulders. André reels, stung, down to one knee. Roberts attempts the DDT, but André shoves him away, pulling himself up with the rope. Still maintaining his hold on the top rope, André drops to a knee and chokes Roberts. The ref counts to four repeatedly, but André keeps returning to the

  Jake Roberts and Damien keep the Giant at bay.

  choke. Eventually he decides to lift Roberts up by his hair, chopping him into the corner for another backsplash. André crushes his weight back on Roberts.

  Marella and André debate the legality of the move, giving Roberts time to climb up on the middle rope. He leaps, barely hitting André with a forearm. Nevertheless the Giant goes down, flat on his back. Jake rolls out and goes for Damien. As André gets to his feet, Roberts opens the sack and tosses the serpent into the ring. André howls and falls back. Jake takes Damien and winds it around the flailing Giant. André rolls out and onto his feet, the snake wrapped tight around his wrist. André jerks himself free and stumbles away up the aisle as the bell rings, the winner of the match via DQ at 7:32. Roberts is in the ring, his hand bleeding profusely from a snakebite.

  February 15, 1989: Broome County Arena, Binghamton, NY

  FACE TO FACE W/ANDRÉ, BOBBY HEENAN, JAKE ROBERTS, AND BIG JOHN STUDD

  Vince McMahon moderates a Face to Face debate between the WrestleMania V protagonists. Two podiums are arranged in classic debate fashion.

  “With me at this time, Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan [furious boos from the crowd, prompting André to clap for his manager] along with the Eighth Wonder of the World, André the Giant [more boos].

  “At WrestleMania V, with Big John Studd as the guest referee, André the Giant will meet Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts!”

  “He better not have that snake with him,” Heenan says, as André grabs Vince by the shoulder. “He better not have a bag with him!”

  Roberts is indeed carrying his sack. André is enraged and points a finger in McMahon’s face. As Jake approaches the platform, André steps behind Heenan. “You tell him that bag goes back right now!”

&nbs
p; Jake places his bag on the platform. Vince backs away, as does André.

  “You better back up,” Heenan says to McMahon. “You better get somebody out here. Somebody to control this man!”

  “Gentlemen, gentlemen,” Vince says in an attempt to restore order.

  André is howling “No! No!” while pointing at Jake’s sack.

  “You’re safe, André,” McMahon says. “The snake is next to a police officer and is fine. May we please have ninety seconds for Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts? Go ahead, please.”

  Jake leans on his podium like a politician. “In any contest, in any physical matchup, we have comparisons. I do not match up with this man’s size. In fact, the last time he was my size, he was a fetus. You understand that?”

  André begins to interrupt, but Heenan manages to back him away from the mic.

  “Hey, come on. I’ve got my time. I got my time. But you know something, every man, every woman, every child, has something inside that makes them snap. Whether it be deep water, dark rooms, or whatever’s in the closet, or maybe what’s underneath the bed. Your problem is in that bag. I know that. In WrestleMania V, John Studd will be the special referee. The reason he is that special referee is because we need somebody in there that can keep the rules down the middle. I don’t like John Studd, you don’t like John Studd. There’s no favoritism. All I want is a fair shot at you, my man, because you use the same style every time. You put those big hands around somebody’s neck and you choke the life out of them.”

  Though André has been bellowing unintelligibly throughout, it is Heenan who rebuts. “You want a fair shot?”

  “Wait just one moment, please,” interrupts moderator McMahon. “We would like to hear from André the Giant. Your rebuttal?”