Andre the Giant - Feat of Strength

[OLE BIG]

Two peas in a pod; I'm sure you know Sting & Ultimate Jim were originally tag team partners.

As for Andre, if he didn't like you, he could be one miserable prick towards you. For instance, he never liked the Iron Sheik, who was often a bit of a bully with the jobbers. He'd stretch them during matches just to take liberties with them.

Andre didn't like that Sheik did that, so he used to pin Sheik face down on the mat, sit on his back, grab his wrists, and "row" his arms in circles as if they were oars on a boat. That hurt like Hell, and is why the Iron Sheik never liked working with Andre.

The Blade Runners, right?  Imagine if they had stayed together.  The tag-team world probably would have been much different.  Of course, those two were going to be big, so they never would have done that.

[tu_holmes]

The Blade Runners, right?  Imagine if they had stayed together.  The tag-team world probably would have been much different.  Of course, those two were going to be big, so they never would have done that.

[MCWAY]

Is that Zeb Coulter/Uncle Zebekiah/Dutch Mantel, as their manager?

[tu_holmes]

Is that Zeb Coulter/Uncle Zebekiah/Dutch Mantel, as their manager?

Yessir!

This was actually under their name "The Freedom Fighters", they changed it to the Blade Runners shortly after.

[polychronopolous]

I'll give credit where it is due: Hellwig had problems with more than a few guys with whom he worked. Rick Rude was one. Surprisingly, Jim has spoken well of Rude in shoot-type interviews. He also offered very kind and humble words about Randy Savage after he passed.

But, his online "feud" with Hogan is laughable and seen by many as a pathetic attempt to stay relevant.

Bret mentioned in his book a story describing how Ultimate Shit-head totally blew off a kid from Make-A-Wish at a live event. The kid had cancer and had his heart set on meeting UW. ALL of the guys made a point to stop by and greet the kid, including the heels. When told of the kid's presence and wish, Hellwig told WWF officials that he doesn't like to be interrupted while "preparing" for a match, but to tell the kid and his family that he would stop by afterwards. The rotten cunt instead bolted out of the arena after his match, and that poor little kid never got to meet his "hero."

Rick Rude and Jim go all the way back to the WCCW days if memory serves me correct. It could just be one of those situations where they just growled at each other off and on for years. Jim strikes me as the kind of guy who could have that type of relationship with other wrestlers, especially if it carried over to multiple companies as in their case.

[OLE BIG]

Is that Zeb Coulter/Uncle Zebekiah/Dutch Mantel, as their manager?

Give me some credit because I don't watch much anymore, but I thought Zeb was Dutch Mantel when I first saw him.  Has he been with the company for a while, or what has he been doing?

I assume that angle has some reality to it?  Monty, any knowledge?
 

[Montague]

Rick Rude and Jim go all the way back to the WCCW days if memory serves me correct. It could just be one of those situations where they just growled at each other off and on for years. Jim strikes me as the kind of guy who could have that type of relationship with other wrestlers, especially if it carried over to multiple companies as in their case.

I don't know how they got along then.

For their program in WWF, they worked a series of matches leading up to Summer Slam. During one or maybe several of those matches, Jim stiffed Rude a couple of times. It doesn't sound like it was on purpose, but the fact was Jim was careless in the ring. Rude had finally had enough the one night, so he clamped a headlock on dip-shit, took him to the mat, and whispered, "If you potato me one more time, I'm gonna shove your head up your ass!"

Asshole was a lot more careful after that, and he and Rude drew some good money together.

[Montague]

Give me some credit because I don't watch much anymore, but I thought Zeb was Dutch Mantel when I first saw him.  Has he been with the company for a while, or what has he been doing?

I assume that angle has some reality to it?  Monty, any knowledge?
 

I honestly don't know.

Sorry, friend.

[Montague]

As for Andre, if he didn't like you, he could be one miserable prick towards you. For instance, he never liked the Iron Sheik, who was often a bit of a bully with the jobbers. He'd stretch them during matches just to take liberties with them.

Andre didn't like that Sheik did that, so he used to pin Sheik face down on the mat, sit on his back, grab his wrists, and "row" his arms in circles as if they were oars on a boat. That hurt like Hell, and is why the Iron Sheik never liked working with Andre.

 

[Mr Nobody]

 

Great pic Beetlejuiice was going to beat his ass once.

[OLE BIG]

Great pic Beetlejuiice was going to beat his ass once.

Funny!  What was the deal with that?

[Mr Nobody]

Here is the explanation from Beetle.

[OLE BIG]

Here is the explanation from Beetle.

I'm not sure I know any more than I did.

[Thin Lizzy]

Steve Austin has a new podcast. In a recent episode he interviewed Bret Hart who talked about the one time he wrestled Andre. During the match Andre was set to do an elbow drop on a flat on his back Bret. Bret recalled looking up at Andre and thinking, "If he messes this up, I could actually die, here."

Bret also said that Andre wouldn't hesitate to "police" a wrestler who didn't show the business proper respect. Apparently, one of those wrestlers was Bam Bam Bigalow whom Andre roughed up during a match.

I believe this is the match that Bret was talking about. Check out the 4:45 mark. It looks pretty vicious.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8jy6x_bam-bam-bigelow-vs-andre-the-giant_sport#.UcaEUPzD_IU

[Montague]

Steve Austin has a new podcast. In a recent episode he interviewed Bret Hart who talked about the one time he wrestled Andre. During the match Andre was set to do an elbow drop on a flat on his back Bret. Bret recalled looking up at Andre and thinking, "If he messes this up, I could actually die, here."

Bret also said that Andre wouldn't hesitate to "police" a wrestler who didn't show the business proper respect. Apparently, one of those wrestlers was Bam Bam Bigalow whom Andre roughed up during a match.

I believe this is the match that Bret was talking about. Check out the 4:45 mark. It looks pretty vicious.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8jy6x_bam-bam-bigelow-vs-andre-the-giant_sport#.UcaEUPzD_IU

Bam Bam had a fairly shitty attitude early on in his career. He was talented, but extremely cocky, which didn't go over well in the locker room. He was much more humble and likable from his second WWF run, on.

[Soul Crusher]

[GraniteCityDon]

Just came across this clip, hilarious yet makes you wonder just how powerful the man really was.

[The Showstoppa]

Steve Austin has a new podcast. In a recent episode he interviewed Bret Hart who talked about the one time he wrestled Andre. During the match Andre was set to do an elbow drop on a flat on his back Bret. Bret recalled looking up at Andre and thinking, "If he messes this up, I could actually die, here."

Bret also said that Andre wouldn't hesitate to "police" a wrestler who didn't show the business proper respect. Apparently, one of those wrestlers was Bam Bam Bigalow whom Andre roughed up during a match.

I believe this is the match that Bret was talking about. Check out the 4:45 mark. It looks pretty vicious.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8jy6x_bam-bam-bigelow-vs-andre-the-giant_sport#.UcaEUPzD_IU

Really?  I didnt see anything out of sorts in that match. 

[Darren Avey]

How the hell would you fight this guy on the street?

[Soul Crusher]

How the hell would you fight this guy on the street?

Hopefully you stay away long enough so that he gasses so bad you just do some dirty shit and run away. 

[tu_holmes]

Hopefully you stay away long enough so that he gasses so bad you just do some dirty shit and run away. 

That's the thing though... Andre was not in terrible shape either.

I mean, he wasn't running marathons, but he did move around a wrestling ring for some time.

The guy was a legit bad ass.

[Montague]

That's the thing though... Andre was not in terrible shape either.

I mean, he wasn't running marathons, but he did move around a wrestling ring for some time.

The guy was a legit bad ass.

He was usually tanked, though! That may have given you a sight advantage if you planed your timing right.

Then again, Davey Boy was plastered on pills during the incident in Syracuse, and a group of Marines couldn't take him off his feet!

[polychronopolous]

How the hell would you fight this guy on the street?

Maybe attack the leg with sweeps (multi billionaire, cage fighter extraordinaire getbigger style).

But lets face it, once a young Andre gets those bear claws on you....GAME OVER!

[Thin Lizzy]

Going back to my Renzo Gracie / Craig Kukok days, they felt the best way to get a much bigger opponent down is to shoot low, head in between his legs, cup one of his ankles, then drive sideways into his knee joint.

If your opponent doesn't know the counter, he goes down or his knee ligaments tear.

The problem is that wrestlers tend to be good at stopping leg shots.

[Montague]

Going back to my Renzo Gracie / Craig Kukok days, they felt the best way to get a much bigger opponent down is to shoot low, head in between his legs, cup one of his ankles, then drive sideways into his knee joint.

If your opponent doesn't know the counter, he goes down or his knee ligaments tear.

The problem is that wrestlers tend to be good at stopping leg shots.

Another interesting fact about Andre is that he received formal training in catch-as-catch-can wrestling by the Englishmen; essentially a form of shoot fighting developed by the Wigan coal miners.