DId Andre the Giant use steroids like most of his WWF peers?

[old-school-lifter]

he was so huge already, did he take steroids to become more muscular?


is there a good book with accurate/true inside info on what really went on in the WWF?

[Vince G, CSN MFT]

he was so huge already, did he take steroids to become more muscular?


is there a good book with accurate/true inside info on what really went on in the WWF?

No, he didn't need them because his size was due to his body producing excessive amounts of growth hormone

[old-school-lifter]

true, he had acromegaly/gigantism but we know GH is more effective in muscle building when stacked with AS

[Kwon3]

true, he had acromegaly/gigantism but we know GH is more effective in muscle building when stacked with AS

Steroids are for small men. Show me a WWE wrestler, active or current, over the height of 6'4" that uses them. Kane, Undertaker, Kevin Nash all looked natural to me. The exceptions are obviously Batista and Great Kali, but in Batista's case he was under pressure to look the part because he was the champion for most of the 2000s and having a big but flabby body like The Big Show wouldn't have been acceptable.

Andre was as big as they come. Truly enormous. He was also French, and didn't seem from interviews to completely embrace the American wrestling ethos that bigger is better at any cost. Actually he came off as very stubborn and strong-willed, and I doubt Vince had the guts to order him to use drugs the way he ordered Hogan to do it (according to his court testimony in 1993). Andre was and still is an icon in the United States, which is why those memes of him become a real-life thing on pretty much every telephone pole a number of years ago. Cool guy, it seems.

But he was too big for his own body and eventually his heart couldn't take it anymore. I mean he was nearly 600lbs for Christ's sake. His last matches he could barely breathe or move in the ring.

[Griffith]

Steroids are for small men. Show me a WWE wrestler, active or current, over the height of 6'4" that uses them. Kane, Undertaker, Kevin Nash all looked natural to me. The exceptions are obviously Batista and Great Kali, but in Batista's case he was under pressure to look the part because he was the champion for most of the 2000s and having a big but flabby body like The Big Show wouldn't have been acceptable.

Andre was as big as they come. Truly enormous. He was also French, and didn't seem from interviews to completely embrace the American wrestling ethos that bigger is better at any cost. Actually he came off as very stubborn and strong-willed, and I doubt Vince had the guts to order him to use drugs the way he ordered Hogan to do it (according to his court testimony in 1993). Andre was and still is an icon in the United States, which is why those memes of him become a real-life thing on pretty much every telephone pole a number of years ago. Cool guy, it seems.

But he was too big for his own body and eventually his heart couldn't take it anymore. I mean he was nearly 600lbs for Christ's sake. His last matches he could barely breathe or move in the ring.

Hulk Hogan, John Cena, Triple H and all the top guys used.

Today, the look has changed though, and the smaller guys mostly don't seem to be using, like Daniel Bryan and CM Punk, and they were popular with the fans too.

[Kwon3]

Hulk Hogan, John Cena, Triple H and all the top guys used.

Today, the look has changed though, and the smaller guys mostly don't seem to be using, like Daniel Bryan and CM Punk, and they were popular with the fans too.

Those guys aren't over 6'4", with the exception of Hogan. The company also adds 3-4" for a lot of its talent. They didn't have that many huge stars when the drugs were part of the look on the shows. Hogan was certainly at least 6'5" but also the face of the company and probably one of the first to start using based on the testimony he gave, like from the late '70s at the latest. Cena is still very much on the gas. But the truly large guys hovering under 7' were mostly natural in my opinion based on how they looked.

[Skylge]

Jake the snake roberts looked natural imo

[IRON CROSS]

Look 4 doco ' Andre the giant' 

[SuperTed]

Steroids are for small men. Show me a WWE wrestler, active or current, over the height of 6'4" that uses them. Kane, Undertaker, Kevin Nash all looked natural to me. The exceptions are obviously Batista and Great Kali, but in Batista's case he was under pressure to look the part because he was the champion for most of the 2000s and having a big but flabby body like The Big Show wouldn't have been acceptable.

They all most likely used at some point. If not for appearance, then for enhancing performance in the ring and improving recovery. Edge used steroids and HGH for instance and was hardly known for his physique.
IIRC, Nash has admitted to using gear. Kane carried a lot of muscle during his prime years. Other like Sid Vicious (6'8ft) were clearly juicing while some such as Test (6'6ft) faced suspensions for violating the "Wellness Program".
Considering how common substance abuse is within the industry, truly natural wrestlers are a rarity.

[Kwon3]

They all most likely used at some point. If not for appearance, then for enhancing performance in the ring and improving recovery. Edge used steroids and HGH for instance and was hardly known for his physique.
IIRC, Nash has admitted to using gear. Kane carried a lot of muscle during his prime years. Other like Sid Vicious (6'8ft) were clearly juicing while some such as Test (6'6ft) faced suspensions for violating the "Wellness Program".
Considering how common substance abuse is within the industry, truly natural wrestlers are a rarity.

Those guys aren't active or current AFAIK, with the exception of Kane. I thought Edge retired? In other words, I was very much referring to the current trend toward a more natural look that Griffith referred to rather than historical steroid use in previous gens of the company. There certainly was a time when Vince himself insisted all his talent be as big and as ripped-looking as possible, so even the guys who I mentioned could've been naturally big might have dabbled. But steroids don't last for long. If you used them 5 years earlier, you wouldn't know it based on how you look now.

A notorious duo who used and were tall would be Chris Masters and Bobby Lashley; but Masters was pushed out not long after he debuted under that same "wellness" excuse, which they use to get rid of guys they don't want anymore while letting others hit the gas freely. I just always felt like the shortest guys were hitting the heaviest cycles, but nobody really knows other than the guys selling it to them and their doctors.

[Powerlift66]

   
"Did Andre the Giant use steroids like most of his WWF peers?"

Of course not...

[Dokey111]

of course he did he got them from steve reeves

[SuperTed]

Those guys aren't active or current AFAIK, with the exception of Kane. I thought Edge retired? In other words, I was very much referring to the current trend toward a more natural look that Griffith referred to rather than historical steroid use in previous gens of the company. There certainly was a time when Vince himself insisted all his talent be as big and as ripped-looking as possible, so even the guys who I mentioned could've been naturally big might have dabbled. But steroids don't last for long. If you used them 5 years earlier, you wouldn't know it based on how you look now.

A notorious duo who used and were tall would be Chris Masters and Bobby Lashley; but Masters was pushed out not long after he debuted under that same "wellness" excuse, which they use to get rid of guys they don't want anymore while letting others hit the gas freely. I just always felt like the shortest guys were hitting the heaviest cycles, but nobody really knows other than the guys selling it to them and their doctors.

Yes, the industry has moved into the direction of having more slimmer and natural looking wrestlers. I think it started after the Benoit incident and has gained momentum over the years with more emphasis on ability then looks. There are some exceptions though.
Masters was huge when he first arrived but returned half the size after his suspension. I remember they pushed the angle that Masters was "leaner and meaner" but we all knew what was really up.

[Kwon3]

Masters was massive. And now, he's just another dude in a t-shirt. All drugs, the usual. Impressively simple gimmick with the master lock, though. Only a couple of guys broke free from it. That would've never worked for a short wrestler. You didn't see Undertaker, Kane, Big Show, Andre, or Nash shrink like this, which is why I don't think they were running anything. But like I said, we'll never know, because these guys all claim natural in official interviews.

[Purge_WTF]

No, he didn't need them because his size was due to his body producing excessive amounts of growth hormone

 This. Steroids would've been redundant.

[Mr.1derful]

he was so huge already, did he take steroids to become more muscular?


is there a good book with accurate/true inside info on what really went on in the WWF?

Andre loved Clen.  That's what made him so ripped.

[chaos]

Steroids are for small men. Show me a WWE wrestler, active or current, over the height of 6'4" that uses them. Kane, Undertaker, Kevin Nash all looked natural to me. The exceptions are obviously Batista and Great Kali, but in Batista's case he was under pressure to look the part because he was the champion for most of the 2000s and having a big but flabby body like The Big Show wouldn't have been acceptable.

Andre was as big as they come. Truly enormous. He was also French, and didn't seem from interviews to completely embrace the American wrestling ethos that bigger is better at any cost. Actually he came off as very stubborn and strong-willed, and I doubt Vince had the guts to order him to use drugs the way he ordered Hogan to do it (according to his court testimony in 1993). Andre was and still is an icon in the United States, which is why those memes of him become a real-life thing on pretty much every telephone pole a number of years ago. Cool guy, it seems.

But he was too big for his own body and eventually his heart couldn't take it anymore. I mean he was nearly 600lbs for Christ's sake. His last matches he could barely breathe or move in the ring.

Kane, Undertaker and Nash all used at one point. Look at some older stuff, Kane is fucking massive, Undertaker and Nash were pretty big also, especially for their heights.

[Fallsview]

No, he didn't need them because his size was due to his body producing excessive amounts of growth hormone

I love the way the Lump Charcoal Kid comments with such authority and knowing. First off Vince you know just as much about Pro Wrestling as you do bodybuilding...near ZERO. Second, how would you know what someone does behind closed doors? So you are going out of your way to say No because you were...

1. Andre The Giants Porter Boy?

2. Andre The Giants Personal Assistant?

3. Andre The Giants Personal Ball Washer?

4. Andre The Giants Food Chewer?

5. You were Andre The Giants Anal Sac popper?


Just because you showed up to some random Craiglisters backyard in your Pink Leotard, bear hugged a few Hilbilly Twinks and open faced a mule doesn't make you anything close to a Pro Wrestler. Stop the nonsense.

And another thing, you don't have a "HOUSE" its a TRAILER....big difference.

Many confuse the TRUTH as being NEGATIVE but the TRUTH hurts and the TRUTH will set you FREE.

Consider this tough love for your own good Vince.





WHO WANTS TO WALK WITH FALLSVIEW?

[Fallsview]

Kane, Undertaker and Nash all used at one point. Look at some older stuff, Kane is fucking massive, Undertaker and Nash were pretty big also, especially for their heights.

Drank beers with Undertaker back in 1995. I was a tad smaller than him in the height department and I'm 6'4. He's supposedly 6'9 but we all know there are wrestling weight and height. Nash...total asshole. Seriously one of the biggest egotistical jerks along with Shawn. Maybe it was Kayfabe but the Undertaker...he was cool and shot the shit with me. It was a huge Dance club that I used to work at and I was off that night. The club was filled with Strippers, posers and pretty boys....which none of them knew who these guys were, lol.




WHO WANTS TO WALK WITH FALLSVIEW?

[tres_taco_combo]

razor ramon

[Mr.1derful]

[Kwon3]

Kane, Undertaker and Nash all used at one point. Look at some older stuff, Kane is fucking massive, Undertaker and Nash were pretty big also, especially for their heights.

Yeah, but my post said "current or active". Not 20 years ago.

[Kwon3]

Drank beers with Undertaker back in 1995. I was a tad smaller than him in the height department and I'm 6'4. He's supposedly 6'9 but we all know there are wrestling weight and height. Nash...total asshole. Seriously one of the biggest egotistical jerks along with Shawn. Maybe it was Kayfabe but the Undertaker...he was cool and shot the shit with me. It was a huge Dance club that I used to work at and I was off that night. The club was filled with Strippers, posers and pretty boys....which none of them knew who these guys were, lol.




WHO WANTS TO WALK WITH FALLSVIEW?

Yeah, Mark was billed as 6'10" but I never put him at more than 6'6". Same with the other guys. I've seen him in the crowd at MMA events and he's completely normal and approachable, which makes the quality of his acting on the WWE relatively impressive considering how corny their personalities usually come off on microphone. I've heard Nash is a jerk too, and why would he fake it in public just to stay in character? That's just who he was.

[Fallsview]

Yeah, Mark was billed as 6'10" but I never put him at more than 6'6". Same with the other guys. I've seen him in the crowd at MMA events and he's completely normal and approachable, which makes the quality of his acting on the WWE relatively impressive considering how corny their personalities usually come off on microphone. I've heard Nash is a jerk too, and why would he fake it in public just to stay in character? That's just who he was.

You are 100% right. That Razor guy was around that night but was walking around the place. I didn't have any interaction with him. Some of these wrestlers get so wrapped up into character that the lines between reality and fiction get blurred. Scott Steiner comes to mind.

There was a wrester named Tiger...Something I can't remember. He was Indian. I was in a club in Toronto and he literally cleaned house. I'm telling you he was a maniac. As a person attending the club...it was crazy how this guy busted these (pretty damn big, steroided up) bouncers. I understand that steroids don't make the fighter but these guys were getting thrown around like they were toys.

One thing is for certain, when you see these wrestlers in public...like bars, clubs...you may not know who they are but you know enough that they are somebody just by how they look. 

[Kwon3]

You are 100% right. That Razor guy was around that night but was walking around the place. I didn't have any interaction with him. Some of these wrestlers get so wrapped up into character that the lines between reality and fiction get blurred. Scott Steiner comes to mind.

There was a wrester named Tiger...Something I can't remember. He was Indian. I was in a club in Toronto and he literally cleaned house. I'm telling you he was a maniac. As a person attending the club...it was crazy how this guy busted these (pretty damn big, steroided up) bouncers. I understand that steroids don't make the fighter but these guys were getting thrown around like they were toys.

One thing is for certain, when you see these wrestlers in public...like bars, clubs...you may not know who they are but you know enough that they are somebody just by how they look. 

Thanks for sharing that vignette. Not many people on here have had contact with professional athletes outside the narrow prism of bodybuilding, and as longtime viewer of the WWF (and early WWE), I've always wanted to know more about the superstars off the stage. As we saw with Benoit and a few others, they, like a lot of us, have a dark side hidden from the view under the glare of the lights and cameras and the millions of fans inside & outside the venues where they perform so often and passionately for our entertainment.

Never liked Razor Ramon/Scott Hall but this recent video of him reminded me of the old shoot videos the guys did for the WWE.