WWE Chairman Vince McMahon has paid tribute to Andre The Giant on what would have been his 75th birthday.
Writing on Twitter McMahon described his late friend as “A titan of stature, strength, athleticism, and heart.”
Andre The Giant passed away in his sleep on January 27th 1993.
Andre Roussimoff was born on May 19th 1946 in Coulommiers, Seine-et-Marne in northern France. Andre began his wrestling career in Paris in 1964 before moving to the United States in 1973.
A titan of stature, strength, athleticism, and heart. Thinking of my friend Andre the Giant on what would have been his 75th birthday. pic.twitter.com/ndihPHwxrA
— Vince McMahon (@VinceMcMahon) May 19, 2021
After moving to the States Andre enjoyed a long unbeaten streak and feuded with the likes of Harley Race and famously Hulk Hogan.
After a series of matches in the early 1980’s, Hogan and Andre The Giant met at WrestleMania III. The match ended with Hogan hitting the famous “bodyslam heard around the world” for the win.
Hulk Hogan paid his won tribute to Andre earlier this year, describing the Eighth Wonder Of The World as his “big brother, recalling how he taught him to respect the wrestling business.
However, by the time of WrestleMania III, Andre was in increasingly poor health. The former World Heavyweight Champion began to appear more sporadically and appeared for WWE for the final time in 1991. The giant Frenchman continued to struggle with his increased weight and his body began to breakdown, severely restricting his mobility and ability to perform.
Andre wrestled his final match in December 1992.
Outside of the ring, Andre also enjoyed a successful acting career, famously appearing in The Princess Bride in 1987.