Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio, Hey
Speaker 1: brain Stuff, Lauren Vogelbaum. Here, fans knew Andre the Giant
Speaker 1: as the eighth Wonder of the World, but friends and
Speaker 1: loved ones had their own designation. We spoke via email
Speaker 1: with Benjamin Brown, an archivist for World Wrestling Entertainment or
Speaker 1: the w w E. He said, Andre the Giant was
Speaker 1: and still is, affectionately referred to as Boss, symbolizing the
Speaker 1: respect he commanded and was appropriately given, long before the
Speaker 1: Towering icon became a pop culture phenomenon. Under the Giant
Speaker 1: was Andre Russomov, a French kid who led up somewhat
Speaker 1: average life until puberty hit. Born in Grenoble, France in
Speaker 1: ninety six, Rusimov was a beautiful baby, his older brother,
Speaker 1: Antoine said in the HBO documentary about Andrea's life, quote,
Speaker 1: he was normal. His life changing transformation began in his
Speaker 1: early teens, when it became evident that Rusomov had a
Speaker 1: pituitary gland disorder called acromegaly. The disorder, according to the
Speaker 1: Mayo Clinic, occurs when the pituitary gland produces too much
Speaker 1: growth hormone during adulthood, causing the bones to increase in size.
Speaker 1: It typically affects middle aged adults, but can happen at
Speaker 1: any age and what it strikes still developing kids, like
Speaker 1: it did in Rusumov's case, it can cause a condition
Speaker 1: called gigantism, which results in abnormal increases in height and
Speaker 1: exaggerated bone growth. Russimov's major physical transformation occurred in the
Speaker 1: time between his departure from home at age fourteen to
Speaker 1: seek employment outside of Grenobla and his first return visit
Speaker 1: at age nineteen ninety one. Sports Illustrated Profile reported indeed,
Speaker 1: during the five years young Andre had been estranged from
Speaker 1: his parents, he had grown so large that even his
Speaker 1: mother and father failed at first and even second glance
Speaker 1: to recognize him or to connect the giant they had
Speaker 1: seen on television with the gangly dreamer who had hied
Speaker 1: himself to Paris so long before. Rusimov continued to grow.
Speaker 1: By the age of twelve, he hit six feet that's
Speaker 1: one point eight meters and two hundred and forty pounds
Speaker 1: or a hundred kilos, and rapidly grew from there. So
Speaker 1: he set his side on a career that allowed him
Speaker 1: to use his size to his advantage wrestling. After training
Speaker 1: with French champion Frank L. Waugh, who later became as manager.
Speaker 1: Rusomof began competing under the name Jean Fair in Montreal
Speaker 1: and Monster Russomov in Japan. The young Giant began making
Speaker 1: a name for himself as a baby faced, colossal competitor,
Speaker 1: and Val was introduced him to legendary wrestling promoter Vince
Speaker 1: McMahon Sr. As the founder of the Worldwide Wrestling Federation
Speaker 1: or w w F, which later became the w w E.
Speaker 1: McMahon made a few suggestions to increase Rusumov's potential success,
Speaker 1: including a name change. McMahon dubbed the wrestler Andre the
Speaker 1: Giant and sent him off to compete around the world.
Speaker 1: On March nine, seventy three, Under the Giant made his
Speaker 1: w w F debut at New York City's Madison Square Garden.
Speaker 1: He went on to wrestle more than three hundred days
Speaker 1: a year and rose to fame as one of the
Speaker 1: industry's most respected competitors. Brown said Under the Giants surpassed
Speaker 1: the often one dimensional nature of a traction wrestler to
Speaker 1: become a massive draw wherever he went in the world.
Speaker 1: Andrea was both the leader of the locker room and
Speaker 1: a measuring stick for all those who came after. Andre
Speaker 1: the Giant was intelligent, multi lingual, and an exceptional in
Speaker 1: ring talent. While the wrestler's success is indisputable, his eventual
Speaker 1: size is up for debate. Most sources claim he reached
Speaker 1: a height of seven feet four inches that's two point
Speaker 1: two meters, though according to biography dot com, he was
Speaker 1: more likely closer to six ft eleven inches or one
Speaker 1: point nine meters. At its full size, Russimov weighed about
Speaker 1: five hundred pounds that's two hundred and twenty six kilos.
Speaker 1: The wrestler's unique physicality led to plenty of opportunities outside
Speaker 1: of the ring, including a memorable role in the film
Speaker 1: The Princess Bride, and Rusumov's love for food and drink
Speaker 1: was no joke. There are many stories of him drinking
Speaker 1: more than a hundred beers in one sitting, though it
Speaker 1: supposedly wasn't the norm. His best friend Tim White told
Speaker 1: w w E he'd go into a restaurant and eat
Speaker 1: twelve stakes and fifteen lobsters just to quote put on
Speaker 1: a show and have some laughs. Russimov remained a formidable
Speaker 1: competitor throughout his career, taking on titans like Hulk Hogan
Speaker 1: and Mascho Man Randy Savage, but by the early nineteen nineties,
Speaker 1: the effects of his acromegaly and the massive physical wear
Speaker 1: and tear of his career had led to severe effects
Speaker 1: on his health. Acromegaly is known to cause everything from
Speaker 1: high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease to spinal cord compression
Speaker 1: and vision loss. Rusimov grappled with chronic pain and could
Speaker 1: no longer endure the breakers of wrestling. He retreated to
Speaker 1: his North Carolina ranch, but flew home to France at
Speaker 1: early nine three when his father passed away. On January seven,
Speaker 1: nine three, Andre the Giant died in his sleep of
Speaker 1: congestive heart failure. The wrestler was never married, but he
Speaker 1: was survived by a daughter, Robin Christensen Rusumov, born in
Speaker 1: nineteen seventy nine. Andre the Giant continues to be heralded
Speaker 1: by wrestling fans as one of the sports greatest competitors.
Speaker 1: Brown said, this quote is from Tim White, Andre's best friend,
Speaker 1: who called me while I was writing this. Once he
Speaker 1: befriended you. He was your friend for life. Today's episode
Speaker 1: was written by Michelle on Stantonowsky and produced by Tyler Clang.
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