Andre - Overated?

King Steventon · 01-28-2009, 03:54 PM

Now, at the risk of plagarising, I was on another board and I saw someone make a post about Andre The Giant. Personally, I am no expert on the man, but from that which I have seen, I could not agree more with this.

Quote:

Andre is often casually referred to as the best big-man ever, one of the best wrestlers ever, etc. This is almost entirely a result of WWF/WWE rose-tinted glasses.

-Andre wasn't especially tall by today's standards. He was more 6'9" or 6'10", putting him closer to Baba than Big Show.

-Andre wasn't "undefeated" and had been bodyslammed several times heading into WM3.

-Andre had no moveset, could hardly bump after a few years and was never that good on the mat.

-The only place Andre had a long run of any real success was WWF, and that was much more about Hogan than Andre. Andre was better than King Kong Bundy or One Man Gang as a Hogan foil but that's setting the bar real low. Everywhere else Andre went his limitations killed his appeal very quickly.

Now, the number one thing that caused Andre to stink in the ring was his untreated gigantism. Big Show was treated and that's why he's much more mobile despite being larger. But Baba, who I'm reasonably sure also had untreated gigantism, smokes Andre in-ring and then some. I've seen Andre from the '70s and very early '80s when he was in his "prime" and nothing even begins to touch '70s Baba. Early '90s broken down Baba is way better than late '80s broken down Andre.

Big Show has now been around for 13 years. He'll never headline a money-maker like WM3, but he's been reliable as an upper-card wrestler and certainly doesn't tank the box office. Meanwhile he's infinitely more watchable than Andre, both as a young kid throwing dropkicks and now as a monster who can chuck you around with ease. To the extent that WWE's production and branding are the draw, well, Big Show isn't a big draw. To the extent that Big Show has been on high-profile PPV matches and has headlined dozens of shows that draw 10,000+, he's far exceeded Andre as a draw. Plus Show can talk, though of course Andre had to overcome the language barrier.

Andre gets by on WM3 and the novelty he had in olden times. However I don't think he objectively holds up to Baba and Big Show, not to mention Undertaker who's taller but not a "giant".

Andre = overated?
Best big man ever?
Is Show a contender?

Discuss.

horrorfan_1986 · 01-28-2009, 04:36 PM

The Big Show could be great if he wasn't phoning it in so often. Easily, one of the biggest disappointments ever.

But a few lines that stood out for me in the article or post (Whatever it is)

Quote:

-Andre wasn't "undefeated" and had been bodyslammed several times heading into WM3.

But The Undertaker is really dead though, right? It was all a gimmick to help promote matches. However, the wrestlers who body slammed Andre before Hogan, body slammed a much lighter Andre. Andre gained a lot of weight after taking off time for his surgery.

Quote:

-Andre had no moveset, could hardly bump after a few years and was never that good on the mat.

This guy clearly hasn't seen too much earlier Andre. By the final few years of his career, Andre was terrible, but it doesn't mean he always was. But as far as bumping goes, considering he was mostly in squash level matches, of course he won't bump.

Quote:

Meanwhile he's infinitely more watchable than Andre, both as a young kid throwing dropkicks and now as a monster who can chuck you around with ease.

Andre HAS hit a dropkick earlier in his career. But just like The Big Show, once he got older and his body got out of shape, he no longer had the ability to hit the moves.

In the end, this guy (I hope it's not you since I can't stop laughing at the writer's idiocy) is trying to compare Andre's most famous time (Heel run where his body was beyond repair and he was in retirement before Vince came begging for him) to the Big Show who has had the advantage of having better health.

If anything, Andre is underrated because so few people has seen him in good health. In my opinion, no one has come closer to being as good of a big man (In American wrestling) than Andre. In his youth, he could actually wrestle (I'm talking actual technical wrestling), could draw people from all over and help put on arguably the biggest event of all time.

King Steventon · 01-28-2009, 04:39 PM

What do you mean by Show is "phoning it in?"

horrorfan_1986 · 01-28-2009, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord Steventon
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 20 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

What do you mean by Show is "phoning it in?"

Show has been incredibly lazy in his career. Whether it's allowing his weight to get out of control or just not putting on as good of a match as he could. By all rights, Big Show should be one of the biggest stars of all time. Fact is, he isn't and he'll easily be forgotten once he retires. Andre on the other hand, is easily one of the most famous wrestlers of all time (Including with non wrestling fans).

King Steventon · 01-28-2009, 04:48 PM

I don't know... I think that's a case of how they are presented. WWE present Andre as the best big man ever, and they constantly hype the Hogan match, so yes even non-wrestling fans will know him, whereas Show was never really given the reigns or the spotlight like Andre was. For all we know, if it wasn't for Show being an ex-WCW guy they could be hyping him as being better than Andre. Also, I have my doubts on wether Andre would have been able to carry Floyd Mayweather to a quality match, just saying.

horrorfan_1986 · 01-28-2009, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord Steventon
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 20 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

I don't know... I think that's a case of how they are presented. WWE present Andre as the best big man ever, and they constantly hype the Hogan match, so yes even non-wrestling fans will know him, whereas Show was never really given the reigns or the spotlight like Andre was. For all we know, if it wasn't for Show being an ex-WCW guy they could be hyping him as being better than Andre. Also, I have my doubts on wether Andre would have been able to carry Floyd Mayweather to a quality match, just saying.

At the same time, Show has the benefit of rarely being shoved in squash matches. For most of Andre's career, he was in a special attraction match. Show has been booked against the best technical wrestlers in Chris Benoit and Bret Hart, huge names such as Rock, Austin and Hogan, other big man such as Nash and Khali, and plenty of World Title matches from the first moment he stepped into wrestling.

As for the Mayweather match, you're possibly right. Show was actually motivated going into the match. They were able to design a match that made Show look like a legit monster, but made it believable that Mayweather won.

Dr. Proxy · 01-29-2009, 12:36 PM

Yes, he is over rated, most big men are, the Big show, great Khali, yokozuna, they are all way over rated in my book.

John Smith · 01-29-2009, 05:37 PM

Andres prime was probably the 60s/early 70s, he started off in Europe didn't he? Although I don't suppose much footage from that time exists.

King Steventon · 01-29-2009, 05:42 PM

I have seen matches from him in Mexico and Japan, both from late 70's-early 80's which is usually considered his prime.

John Smith · 01-29-2009, 09:48 PM

I don't think "The Big Show has a posse" has the same ring to it.

Andre - Overated?

This is a discussion on Andre - Overated? within the General Pro Wrestling : Classic & General forums, part of the Wrestling Forums category; Now, at the risk of plagarising, I was on another board and I saw someone make a post about Andre ...