Before I start this piece I would just like to say something -although Andre the Giant is a wrestling legend, and the first man inducted to the WWF's Hall of Fame, I never watched him in his prime, which, from what I hear, was in the 70's and early 80's. I've read stories and articles about him, and about how he would execute moves that Matt and Jeff Hardy would be proud of. I never saw that Andre. I first saw him wrestle in 1989, against Jake Roberts at Wrestlemania V, so it's that Andre I'm going to write about, because it's that Andre I know, it wouldn't feel right doing a piece on something I haven't seen myself.
So the question is, who would win a match between Andre the Giant of 1989, and the Big Show of today?
Andre, in 1989, and for a few years after, was, from what I have read, not a prime specimen. Injuries, and age had reduced Andre to nothing more than a lumbering hulk, whose matches basically consisted of him pushing around, choking and punching his much smaller opponents, and basically crushing them in the corner by backing into them. Andre was, in my view, living on reputation alone, and should have retired.
The Big Show of today is, in my opinion, just hitting his prime. The rookie who kicked the hell out of Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair in his first few matches is just getting into his stride. His matches with Kane and the Undertaker proved he can keep pace with the heavy-hitters of the WWF, and he seems much happier in McMahon-land than he was in the last year or so of his WCW stint.
But back to the matter at hand. Who would win? My vote would have to go to the Big Show. This man is just hitting his stride. Although shorter than Andre, his speed and greater mobility would allow him to easily avoid the lumbering Andre of 1989. Andre could try and over-power him, but the much younger Show would easily recover.
So would Show be able to finish Andre off with his trademark chokeslam? Perhaps. Perhaps not. He did chokeslam Viscera once, so he might be able to. As for Andre, well, maybe I'm not being fair to this wrestling legend and fellow European. If someone can get me some tapes of Andre in his prime, before he teamed with Hulk Hogan, and before the so-called Wrestling Classics that Sky now show, then I would be willing to re-evaluate my thinking. Although I would like to say that the Andre of 1989 would be more than a match for the other huge giant goofballs who didn't really do that well in the WWF, Jorge the Giant Gonzalez, and the Oddity Giant Silva. These two are proof that size alone doesn't matter. (If ever you see these two men in person, though, please don't say that I insulted them!)
So the question is, who would win a match between Andre the Giant of 1989, and the Big Show of today?
Andre, in 1989, and for a few years after, was, from what I have read, not a prime specimen. Injuries, and age had reduced Andre to nothing more than a lumbering hulk, whose matches basically consisted of him pushing around, choking and punching his much smaller opponents, and basically crushing them in the corner by backing into them. Andre was, in my view, living on reputation alone, and should have retired.
The Big Show of today is, in my opinion, just hitting his prime. The rookie who kicked the hell out of Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair in his first few matches is just getting into his stride. His matches with Kane and the Undertaker proved he can keep pace with the heavy-hitters of the WWF, and he seems much happier in McMahon-land than he was in the last year or so of his WCW stint.
But back to the matter at hand. Who would win? My vote would have to go to the Big Show. This man is just hitting his stride. Although shorter than Andre, his speed and greater mobility would allow him to easily avoid the lumbering Andre of 1989. Andre could try and over-power him, but the much younger Show would easily recover.
So would Show be able to finish Andre off with his trademark chokeslam? Perhaps. Perhaps not. He did chokeslam Viscera once, so he might be able to. As for Andre, well, maybe I'm not being fair to this wrestling legend and fellow European. If someone can get me some tapes of Andre in his prime, before he teamed with Hulk Hogan, and before the so-called Wrestling Classics that Sky now show, then I would be willing to re-evaluate my thinking. Although I would like to say that the Andre of 1989 would be more than a match for the other huge giant goofballs who didn't really do that well in the WWF, Jorge the Giant Gonzalez, and the Oddity Giant Silva. These two are proof that size alone doesn't matter. (If ever you see these two men in person, though, please don't say that I insulted them!)
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