Andre the Giant...as a boxer(?)

[BoxBuzz]

The rabbit punches don't look "pulled", I think think that pissed Andre off. Might be the only real aspect. I agree the head butt is silly. Maybe Wepner wasn't supposed to take those serious shots. Wepner himself says he hit him with serious shots, and I guess he's takin that story to the grave with him. But overall it's a work no doubt.

[Robinson]

Brutu

watch some Japanese pancrase works, or any fight that Takada won in
Pride..some UWFi stuff etc if you want to see some, semi legit looking
fake fights.

In any case as much as you like it to be...they stink of bad works, though
Andre the Giant made the Princess Bride work well ;).

[Brutu]

what would be the purpose of pre-staging a contest like this?
It wasnt on wrestlemania but on the undercard of a Muhammad Ali contest
via closed circuit not on saturday morning television.

[Collins2000]

what would be the purpose of pre-staging a contest like this?
It wasnt on wrestlemania but on the undercard of a Muhammad Ali contest
via closed circuit not on saturday morning television.

Entertainment, mate, entertainment.

[Robinson]

Brutu

Father xmas will be here soon. So it will be all fine :)

[Brutu]

If there had been any type of script it just simply read for the giant to keep his cool and try and not accidently kill the boxer.
Chuck Wepner's "Wepner Wallop" was not effective due to the extreme size and bulk of his opponent .
Esp when he was being held up in the air at a 45 degree angle.

[Brutu]

-Here are some additional vital statistics of Andre the Giant(taken in 1987 ).

Neck - 24 inches
chest-71 inches

bicep-21 inches
forearm-17 inches
wrist-11 inches
hand-16 inches

thigh-36 inches
calf-22 inches
shoe size-24

[Brutu]

here is a rare clip of a 20 yr old Andre the giant.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1NMk6-rxWQ

[Robinson]

Brutu

I get it...Andre is your Edward Cullen. :)

He was a big unit.

[Rocky Balboa]

* There has been much discusssion over the years concerning Andre the Giant's true standing height
however it would appear that his true height around the early 1970's was about 6ft.10 inches tall(in his socks).
He wore a size 22 boot.

Size 22 feet? WTF! Must have spent a small fortune on footwear because hardly anywhere could have that size in stock!

[Brutu]

1976-
ah remember the year well,it was the year of the Bicentennial when America still felt like a great country and you felt you were
special just because you were a citizen.I dont think anyone under 30 these days could possibly imagine how it felt.
Also 1976 thats when they still had major fights held in ballparks.
Muhammad Ali vrs Ken Norton III,was held in Yankee Stadium Sept 1976,which i believe was the last major fight to be held in a ballpark.

[Brutu]

[quote="Brutu"]That wasnt the case a year earlier ,June 25 1976 when Andre the giant took on HW contender Chuck Wepner
for a scheduled ten round exhibition at Shea stadium in NYC.
Notice Andre the giant looks very serious as does Wepner,totally diiferent atmosphere.
there was true danger in the air that evening.Here is the link to youtube to the Andre/Wepner bout.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3EksOFtILs[/quoteamm

Its unfortunate that the Andre/wepner bout has been dismissed as a farce over last 20 yrs y people who probably never seen it.
I guess Muhammad Ali only imagined the blood clots on his legs from Antonio Inoki too.

[wouter]

Chuck is pulling his punches, Andre's delivering fake headbutts.... sure it's real.

[Brutu]

Chuck Wepner was never know as a devasating puncher,which is probably why Andre's team accepted the challange.
Real punches and a real headbutt which obviously dazed Wepner.
I bet the same people who thought the match was fixed r same people who think the moon landing were a hoax.

[Brutu]

The head butt was ridiculous, Andre definitely didn't hit Wepner with his head. That is supposed to be what "hurt" Wepner and allowed Andre to catch him and throw him from the ring. Notice that the "injured" Wepner was able to catch the rope with his gloved hand as he was "thrown" out and break his fall so he didn't fall from the ring to the floor.

I didn't see anything about the video that looked real. Typical wrestling "work."

Of course the head butt to Wepners forhead was real.How much force would he have needed to put into it?
Isnt the headbutt a favorite techique of the thugs in the UK?

[wouter]

I didn't see anything about the video that looked real. Typical wrestling "work."

Of course the head butt to Wepners forhead was real.How much force would he have needed to put into it?
Isnt the headbutt a favorite techique of the thugs in the UK?[/quote]

You must have a great time watching Monday Night Raw.

[John Galt]

Andre makes Chuck Wepner look fluid, and quick. Wepner looks like SRL in the ring compared to Andre. Overall, Andre has to be the most unathletic person I have ever seen.

[Collins2000]

Andre makes Chuck Wepner look fluid, and quick. Wepner looks like SRL in the ring compared to Andre. Overall, Andre has to be the most unathletic person I have ever seen.

Yep, he looks fekkin ridiculous.

Brutu, do you think The Big Show cold be a serious threat as a pro boxer too?

[Brutu]

Its interesting how the careers of Primo Carnera and Andre the Giant parrallled one another.
Except maybe Carnera moved from Italy to France to start his strongman/boxing career, and Andre the Giant was already in France.

[HomicideHenry]

Andre Rene Rousimoff would have been a mediocre boxer. His enormity [6'10" 280-320 pounds at the age of 18], which only progressed as time went on [at best he was 7' and 550 pounds], would have been a hinderance, more so than a benefit. The only thing he may have had going for him was an intimidation factor. His build, however, I think would have been more aptly suited to weightlifting. Had he been a power lifter, he could have been 600 pounds of muscle, and been doing squats of 900 pounds.

[Brutu]

here is a rare clip of a 20 yr old Andre the giant.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1NMk6-rxWQ

That clip has been removed from youtube since I originally posted the link.
However I remember it was a clip from a rarely seen 1967 French spy/ James Bond-esqe movie,when he was only 20.
(so rare a film not even listed in IMDB).
It was a scene for a karate/mixed Martial arts fight (choreographed of course),u had to look twice and study it, to recognize that it was Andre the giant
(IMOP he looked about 6 ft 9 and under 300 pounds to me),but he was real surprisinly fast and agile in it,karate kicks and wrestling on the ground.

[orbtastic]

Nice piece on him here, with some good boxing related photos:

http://theselvedgeyard.wordpress.com/20 ... e-matters/

[Caractacus]

check out this clip from a 1967 French film with a 20 year old Andre the Giant.
Look at him move!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwdDu4vn_iU

[HomicideHenry]

I interviewed Chuck once and asked him about it, and he said it was all a work.

[Jan]

andre could beat eceryone in streetfight, but as a boxer he wouldent survive i think.