Has The Big Show Surpassed Andre?

[Tenta]

Something I was thinking about, as I was watching Money in the Bank. I couldn't help but notice the many times both Matt Striker and Jery Lawler called The Big Show, "The Giant". Certainly it brought me back many a days, to the point in which The Giant actually used to be known as "Son of Andre". Bad times those were for Paul Wight. Bad times. Still, I can't help but wonder if perhaps The Big Show has surpassed Andre the Giant. So who better to ask than the informed of Wrestlezone. Quite frankly, I can sway either way, and need an argument or two to help me come to a conclusion. But, is it possible that The Big Show has surpassed Andre the Giant?

First, I'll give a few arguments for the affirmative, then a few for the, well, non-affirmative.

Yes, he's better

-His in ring work is much better than Andre's. While Andre had a nasty habit of plodding in the ring, and being somewhat awkward in his movements, one can't deny that he was a force. The Big Show may not be as powerful as Andre, but he is definitely quicker, leaner, and more athletic. Granted, that may all have to do with the fact that he hasn't suffered from Acromegaly, as Andre did, but it still can't be denied he works better in the ring than Andre did.

-His promos are better. Again, that isn't to fault Andre, as he had the whole Language Barrier thing. Still, Show is just flat out entertaining to watch. I mean, come on, the man just has a humorous way to him. He's taken these to movies before, need I remind you this is the original Captain Insano. But this man has a delivery and ability to cut a promo that is really damn good. Please, tell me you didn't find this entire promo entertaining.

[YOUTUBE]bI_694Vc4SU[/YOUTUBE]​

- He has more World Title victories. Of course, he won these at a time when World Titles were more freely passed around, and Andre never needed a title to be over. Still, yes, Show has won more titles, and given the ball more times to carry... And consequently fail with.

No, he isn't

- He also is proven to just not be a draw. There was a time in which Andre was more in demand in wrestling than The NWA Champion. Read; he passed the most important champion in North America for demand, because he sold out wherever he went. Big Show... Well, not so much. When he's on top, he just doesn't draw, period. When compared to Andre, one sees the disparity between the two in terms of ability to sell tickets.

- Show doesn't have the physical presence of Andre. Call it charisma, call it charm, but Andre had it. No matter where he was, Andre had people lining up to talk to him, and he always obliged. You always felt a legendary aura around Andre the Giant. You just don't get that with The Big Show.

- Andre was always at the top of the card. The Big Show's highs were highs, but his lows were also pretty damn low. For so long, he was the most underachieving character in wrestling, all things considered. It hasn't been til just now that he's had a consistent pattern of good, quality television. He's prone to sabbaticals, and to being sent to development, because he can be lazy at times. One thing you never can say about Andre.

So sway me. Is The Big Show now better than Andre?

 

[Steve Rogers]

Yes.

I feel already to many "no its Andre all the way" are going to be passes around already just because of Andres legendary status which is not as bad as it sounds, but still unwarranted.

Big Show as you have already said beats Andre, and soundly in my opinion, in the ring, and on the mic. What show does not have going for him is that he is not the only giant in the business, even at his height. "Giants" in general seem to be a dime a dozen, and are labeled as a "McMahon Muscle Man" or whatever or the IWC brands as clever at the moment, there for having a tough stigma to break. So seeing Show broke that looks more favorable to him.

And think about it for a second who in the company is really a draw as much as Andre was....John Cena.... maybe Rey Mysterio. Being a draw now is more impressive that being so in the past, when wrestlers being crossed over into the media was not so rare. When you could market to more then kids, seriously what kid cares about a giant man in this age.

I guess what I am trying to say is if that Show was in Andres era he would be just as big, no pun intended, or even bigger then Andre. If Andre was in this age I doubt his personality would have carried him to being much more then a glorified Khali not in terms of skills, but stature in the company.

So seeing as I feel:
Show in his prime > Andre in his prime. And that Show did not have a time in wrestling to be as much as draw as Andre was my verdict is.

Big Show.

 

[plagiuss]

I don't even think its close. Andre all the way. You asked the question who is better? What are you judging better on? Most here when doing polls rate on titles, fueds and ability to draw. If that is the standard then its Andre. Andrea didnt cut promos? He didn't have to...back then he had managers that did that for him. Wrestling ability....again back then what did he have to do moves to win a match...heck if you could body slam him you were a god. Big Show gets that done to him all the time. So wrestling ability again is relavent to the time/era they worked in. You are using wrestling moves and promos/humor as your bases and that isn't true wrestling or the whole story.

 

[Slyfox696]

The answer is Andre, without any doubts. First of all, Andre didn't plod and wasn't awkward around the ring until he got older and his disease became more crippling. Watch highlights of Andre's early years, and he moves with very good agility and speed. Big Show, in his younger days, was probably a better athlete than Andre, but by no means was Andre just some lumbering fat guy.

The thing about Andre is he was an attraction. You put Andre's name on the card, and it didn't matter who else was on the card, people were going to come watch. While this is not as important today, given the firm hold the WWE has on the entertainment business, back in the 70s and 80s, this was a huge deal to have a guaranteed full house. Having Andre on the card meant everyone was going to get a nice paycheck that night, and he meant more to the wrestling business than the Big Show ever has.

As far as the "in-ring" work protion goes, it's almost impossible to compare. Today's wrestling style is so different than when Andre was in his prime, trying to evaluate one or the other based upon one set of criteria is almost absurd. However, this much is a fact...when Andre was in the ring, people always cared far more for Andre than they ever have for Big Show.

In my mind, as good and underrated as Big Show is, he's not Andre. He's never been that draw, he's never been that entertainer, he's never been that man that everyone loves. He's never reached Andre's level.

 

[twentytwo]

lol no. Big Show is dog crap compared to Andre. Demolition better than Road Warriors now this...? I respect your desire for convo but damn, these are no brainers.

During his prime Andre was one of the most amazing athletes on the planet. At WM3 the dude was basically on his last legs and still helped draw 93,000. Big Show is a lazy bastard who couldn't do that in his wildest dreams.

 

[CobraVenom]

Being a draw now is more impressive that being so in the past, when wrestlers being crossed over into the media was not so rare.

Wow! Just fucking wow! You are delusional. Being a draw now is more impressive than it was back then? Look how many different ways Big Show can be broadcast all over the world as compared to how many Andre had. Andre didn't have satellite television.

You are also ass wrong about about wrestlers being crossed over wasn't rare back then. How many wrestlers today have movies? Fucking Kane has one. Wrestlers today have far more exposure to the media nowadays. It's not even close. How you can think this, I will never understand.

This topic is the easiest question I have ever had to answer. In no way has Big Show surpassed Andre in status. None. In a world where the term legend gets thrown around way too much, Andre still is, and always will be. Big Show will never be a legend.


EDIT: Oh, and one more thing. In Andre's prime, wrestling was NOT geared towards kids. Sorry, but it is a fact.

 

[Klown_Karnage]

While Andre is and always will be the sentimental favorite giant, and certainly (with the exception of the very forgettable Giant Gonzalez) was the biggest of the giants, the fact is that the Big Show has already surpassed Andre in all the important areas. Show just has much greater versatility both in terms of promo delivery and athleticism. He can just do more than Andre could. Not his fault, mind you, but that's the way it is.

This is not to say that it had to be this way. Andre was well on the way to being top of the list, but he died too soon. Had he but lived, had medical technology advanced to the point that it could have saved his life, then I believe that Andre had the potential to become a much greater force than the Big Show, and certainly he had that truly legendary status while he was still alive. Just didn't live long enough to use it to its full potential.

 

[malyse999]

Carear wise of coarse Paul was passed Andre and as an athlete. But it was two different eras so its is impossible to compare the two. Even though it would've been nice to them stand across the ring from each other.

 

[Tenta]

In my mind, as good and underrated as Big Show is, he's not Andre. He's never been that draw, he's never been that entertainer, he's never been that man that everyone loves. He's never reached Andre's level.

Yeah, this is the way I'm leaning towards right now. Funny, because this was a match for Andre and Show in the WZ Tournament, in which I picked Andre to win.

I think what it boils down to is that Andre draws, and Show doesn't. To the guy that said Drawing means nothing... Are you on crack? It means fucking everything to wrestling. If you don't sell tickets, your name is Mud in wrestling. Andre sold tickets, while Show never has. No one pays to go see The Big Show; everybody went to go see Andre the Giant. I guess, when I say awkward in the ring, I should also put it into context. Yes, Andre was agile in the ring against the likes of Funk, and Race and company, but for some reason, Show is more agile than him. Again, I blame Andre's disorder, which he couldn't have surgery.

I also scoff at the notion Andre couldn't survive in wrestling. Erm... What? Andre is a generation breaker, one who was even before his time, really. What makes you think that it's even possible that Andre wouldn't last.

I'm leaning towards Andre. Oh, and Demolition/LOD wasn't just a convo starter.... I know that Demolition is better than The Road Warriors

 

[CobraVenom]

This is not to say that it had to be this way. Andre was well on the way to being top of the list, but he died too soon. Had he but lived, had medical technology advanced to the point that it could have saved his life, then I believe that Andre had the potential to become a much greater force than the Big Show, and certainly he had that truly legendary status while he was still alive. Just didn't live long enough to use it to its full potential.

This is a worse argument than the media crack. Andre was well on his way to the top of the list? Junior, Andre was the list for many years. Well, before Hogan arrived.

Didn't live long enough to use his legendary status to its full potential? Yes, I laughed out loud to this. Andre's legendary status still lives today to those who were there to see him.

The fact is that those who pick Big Show here were simply not alive to see Andre or his impact on the game we call professional wrestling. This is why the cliche "children should be seen and not heard" came into play. Ignorance is not an attractive quality.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

No, Show has not surpassed Andre and here are the reasons why:

Although Show was quicker and more agile than Andre, we also got to remember the days (the 70s and early 80s) when Andre was actually quite agile for his enormous frame (he was able to perform dropkicks back in the day) and always did a tremendous job putting on a show for the fans. Now I will never say that he was more agile than Show, but he did pretty good given the circumstances.

He was a bigger draw than Show ever was which was a lot easier in the territory system as people didn't get sick of him because he just bounced around from territory to territory before people grew tired of him. Now this isn't exactly Shows fault because of the generation he grew up in, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter as it shows that Andre was 1000 times more over with the fans than Show ever was, he had a lot more charisma than Show and even though he didn't have good promo skills, he never really needed it either and the poor promo skills never hurt Andre.

In ring wise I always felt Show was superior to Andre, but Andre didn't do much because he didn't need to do much, and what he did he did superbly. Andre used the tools he had and really made the most out of them and stayed strong throughout his entire career. Show on the other hand had a career that was like a wave, it had highs and lows, and most of all Show simply wasn't booked as well as Andre so he never looked as strong as Andre did. When Show loses its no big deal, but beating Andre was like beating God in a wrestling match, if you beat Andre, you were on your way to superstardom plain and simple, beating the Big Show doesn't mean much.

At the end of the day Show will never surpass Andre because of how he was handled throughout his career and the generation he wrestled in. It isn't because show has the potential to surpass Andre, but he was handled poorly for a lot of years, and he didn't have the luxury of going from territory to territory so he didn't get stale, no matter what Show's on TV almost every week and the awe factor wore out a lot quicker than Andres did for this reason. Not shows fault at all, but for the reasons explained he will never surpass Andre, even though he has the tools to.

 

[Rasha]

Big Show is at a huge disadvantage here because the novelty of Andre, at the time, was part of his legacy. Now that novelty is really gone for Show because he's not much of a "giant" compared to Nash, Kane, and even Undertaker just to name some of his contemporaries. You also have the simple, obvious disadvantage of the fact that Andre came first. It's like the NBA and everyone being compared to Jordan; is it really Kobe's fault that he was born a decade after MJ? If they'd been in the league at the same time then they'd probably be remembered more like Magic and Bird; two equal rivals.

Sorry, where was I? Pro wrestling? Okay!

Obviously, Paul Wight is blessed with a more natural, athletic physique than Andre. To be fair, Andre had physical problems and also let himself go in those later when he knew he was within years of dying. But even at his physical peak Andre never had Wight's quickness. So that certainly gives Wight the capacity for more entertaining matches.

But here's where Big Show loses the battle. Despite his physical gifts, HE'S NOT MORE ENTERTAINING! And really, this gets to one of the most timeless points in wrestling. Think about three of the biggest stars of wrestling in the 1980s; Andre, Hogan, and Flair. Were any of these guys great athletes? If that's what mattered, then Ricky Steamboat would've owned the decade. Andre was one, like those other two, who entertained better than he wrestled. Were Flair's antics or Hogan's "hulking up" moments good wrestling? Of course not, but they claimed the crowd better than anything.

Andre knew how to work a match. His in-ring charisma was fantastic. And really, his mic skills and character were much better than you're giving him credit for. His accent and strange vocal delivery were limitations, but they only added to the "freakish" nature of his gimmick. But he was also extremely funny; there are classic promos with him and Heenan. Also, you mentioned Big Show's role in "The Waterboy;" need I remind you about Andre's classic part in "The Princess Bride?"

So no, Big Show has not and will never surpass Andre in terms of overall legacy. Yes, he has superior raw ability, but he came along at the wrong time and got lost in the crowd. Further, the easiest way to answer this question; go ask 100 people if they've ever heard of Andre the Giant, and then ask them if they've ever heard of The Big Show. You'll have your answer.

 

[airvar]

Big Show

Andre was great, he was the first real "giant" that drew. he was the 8th Wonder of the World, and a huge draw. His drawing potential was too a different time, in the 70's and 80's people were a little more closed off. How often do you get to see a physical specimen like Andre? It was a rare treat to see and meet someone so much bigger then any other person, honestly I hate to say it about such an amazing preformer but it was a little bit like a circus side show.. Y

People See Show every day on TV, it takes away from wanting to see him in person. Plus there is always Andre, and he is always seen by most as the "first". I think Big show has been walking in Andre's Shadow his entire career, and it has really watered down everything he has truly accomplished in the ring.

I think if you swapped places between these two, Big show would have had the same amount of success Andre had in the 70's and 80's, but I'm not sure Andre would have had the same amount of success in the 90s/2000's..

It's very close, but I will go out on a limb and say the Big Show is the better preformer, and entertainer of the two.

 

[Rasha]

While Andre is and always will be the sentimental favorite giant, the fact is that the Big Show has already surpassed Andre in all the important areas.

Not sure how old you are and if you're talking from experience or just history, but I think most of us who were fans in the 80s would disagree with you saying Andre was "on his way." There's a reason WMIII's Andre vs. Hogan match was epic, and there's a reason we refer to it as the night that Andre PASSED THE TORCH to Hogan. For someone to have a torch to pass, don't they have to be the top guy?

You say Big Show's surpassed Andre in "all the important areas," but Show could never give anyone the rub like Andre gave Hogan. I'd say star power is a pretty "important area" when your arguing who the greater wrestler was, and Andre KILLS Big Show there. To me, that's far superior than any amount of athleticism or mic skills.

 

[Optimist Prime]

Has The Big Show surpassed Andre?

In what sense? You don't really describe what you're getting at here. You ask a question and give two points of view but still don't explain what you mean. Surpassed in what aspect?

One could say that as similar they were in build...you strictly just can't compare them because one was a pioneer for the giants and oddities and the other just reached the pinnacle of the same craft.

It's like asking who was a better hitter? Babe Ruth or Albert Pujols? You just can't compare the two because it's impossible. There are too many different factors between them both to logically make a decision. You can make irrational decisions based on nonsense and personal bias - but to accurately compare Andre the Giant and The Big Show you just can't. It's not really possible.

I will say this though.

Andre the Giant was bigger than the game, both then and now. The Big Show certainly is not, never was, and never will be.

 

[Ferbian]

There's two ways you could really look into this. You've already covered them both very well. Andre is a bigger draw. That's true. Especially due to the big feeling around him as you also mention. But I think that is primarily because of the fact that. Well Andre was a special case back then. Ever since Andre disappeared we've seen cases of giants before. Giant Gonzales, The Undertaker (partially, alongside Kane), Great Khali and others most definitely.

But also there's the counter that Big Show is indeed better in the ring. He's the better talent in terms of over-all ability to have the look, in-ring ability as well as charisma.

Big Show will always be special. But Andre will always be a little bit bigger in terms of being special. He was around a time where his size was an amazing thing. Big Show - Still amazing, but not as much.

So Big Show hasn't surpassed Andre. And he most likely never will.

 

[SpoodBeest]

i think Andre will always be the most famous giant in wrestling history period. The man was such an impressive draw for WWE in the 80s. Like when he and Hogan had their iconic first encounter at WrestleMania III. The man just always had this dominating presence about him. I also thought for the most part Andre was a great worker and even when his illness was slowing him down, he still tried his damn hardest to pull of the best match he possibly could in his condition, which is something we should all admire him for.

While The Big Show as entertaining and fun to watch as he is. he just doesn't have that presence about him that Andre had. Something I cannot put my finger on is missing from Big Show that has made him merely another big man wrestler. That one something makes Andre the most well known giant in ALL of professional wrestling. The man is still remembered and admired for his work today. The Big Show maybe good, but Andre was always better. The most well known and legendary giant in all of wrestling I don't think will ever be surpassed, so even as good as The Big Show and other "giant" wrestlers may be, they basically have an impossible act to top.

 

[Optimist Prime]

There's two ways you could really look into this. You've already covered them both very well. Andre is a bigger draw. That's true. Especially due to the big feeling around him as you also mention. But I think that is primarily because of the fact that. Well Andre was a special case back then. Ever since Andre disappeared we've seen cases of giants before. Giant Gonzales, The Undertaker (partially, alongside Kane), Great Khali and others most definitely.

But also there's the counter that Big Show is indeed better in the ring. He's the better talent in terms of over-all ability to have the look, in-ring ability as well as charisma.

Big Show will always be special. But Andre will always be a little bit bigger in terms of being special. He was around a time where his size was an amazing thing. Big Show - Still amazing, but not as much.

So Big Show hasn't surpassed Andre. And he most likely never will.

Yeah, but I don't think anybody is comparing their in-ring ability. Because you could also say William Regal is a better technical wrestler than a whole bunch of current more popular wrestlers but what the hell does that matter?

You would probably have to wrap the whole package up as a whole to compare the two of them (if you're going to at all this may be the only way)...and when you do that. Andre's legacy dwarfs any of the in-ring abilities Big Show would have had.

Without Andre, there is no Big Show.

 

[Slyfox696]

Those of you who are saying Andre was only famous because of his size just don't get it. Being tall had nothing to do with Andre's success, it's how Andre translated his gift into becoming a superstar.

To give a parallel example: Every wrestler in the WWE can speak the English language, most of them can speak it quite fluidly. But The Rock had not only the ability to speak English, he had the talent to translate that ability into superstardom. There's never been a better mic worker in wrestling hisotry...was Rock just lucky he knew English? Of course not, he was just terrific into parlaying that in front of an audience.

So it goes with Andre. The fact that Andre was big really means nothing, it's the fact that Andre knew how to use it is what matters. Andre was very charismatic in the ring. He played his "giant" character perfectly, to the point no one thought of his as a character. When you watch Kevin Nash wrestle, do you get the feeling he's a "monster" in the ring? No, he's just a really tall wrestler.

Being tall had nothing to do with Andre's success. Just like The Rock turned the English language into his personal goldmine, Andre did the same with his size.

 

[NYJETMET]

Well, it's just like comparing Johnny Unitas and Joe Montana..............two different eras and they were called upon to do two different things with thier skills. Both were indeed GIANTS at thier craft.

Andre was a world ICON and at one time the poster boy of wrestling.
Show was not as limited as it relates to agility and maneauvers.
Andre was not required to be on TV every week.
Show is a great talker.
Andre held the WWE Title for 30 seconds (then gave to DiBiase) and tag belt with Haku.
Show has won multiple championships.

And so on..................

It all depends on how you want to look at the individual. But with a gun to my head, I tip my vote to Andre for the simple reason of this (regarding iconicism): even a 70 year old retired housewife knows who Andre the Giant is.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Show is a better athlete. They have a similar workrate in which they were both fairly adept at putting on passable matches in their prime. Out of their prime, they were both slow and deliberate.

What makes Andre so much better is:

1. The fact that he was more unique. A man that size, of that stature, in that shape, was far more rare in pro wrestling at the time. Abdullah the Butcher, Gorilla Monsoon, Haystacks Calhoun, and Happy Humphrey were all HUGE guys and Superheavyweights, but Andre was tall, wide, and fast in his prime. He was a monster. In Show's generation, guys like Bigelow, Vader, Undertaker, Kane, Hernandez, etc. have retooled what a big man is supposed to be capable of.

2. Andre benefitted from a consistency and fan attention span that Show has been victimized by. Andre was a babyface forever, and then turned heel prior to Wrestlemania 3. He remained a heel for 3 years until his farewell at Wrestlemania 6, where at the end of his match he turned face again. Show has been repackaged and flip-flopped so often, it's done him harm.

Andre drew money and worked with the biggest names not just in the US, but in the world. He was respected in Japan, Mexico, etc. Show is famous for being one of the worst world champions ever.

I like Show - he's a terrific athlete and a great guy. But Andre reigns.

 

[CobraVenom]

I tip my vote to Andre for the simple reason of this (regarding iconicism): even a 70 year old retired housewife knows who Andre the Giant is.

You just rattled out a forgotten memory with this sentence. Back in the 90s, I was talking to my mom about Stone Cold and why I loved him so much she told me that she and my dad once went to a wrestling event in the 70s. This was a few years before I was born. neither of my parents were wrestling fans, but they went. Why? To see Andre The Giant. Andre not only drew the die hard fans, Andre not only drew the casual fans, Andre even brought in the non wrestling fans.

 

[Optimist Prime]

You just rattled out a forgotten memory with this sentence. Back in the 90s, I was talking to my mom about Stone Cold and why I loved him so much she told me that she and my dad once went to a wrestling event in the 70s. This was a few years before I was born. neither of my parents were wrestling fans, but they went. Why? To see Andre The Giant. Andre not only drew the die hard fans, Andre not only drew the casual fans, Andre even brought in the non wrestling fans.

Exactly. Which is why when people compare "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin...I just chuckle and continue whatever it is that I was doing.

People from my grandparents to my parents to my little (non wrestling watching) cousin knew who Hulk Hogan was. Nobody at all whatsoever...and still don't...know who Steve Austin is. Unless they're mistaking him for the Six Million Dollar Man (which is actually why Steve Austin was given that name when he was Ted Dibiase's lacky known as The Ringmaster but everybody knew that already probably.)

Same exact thing is said about the comparisons/differences between Andre the Giant and The Big Show. It's just ridiculous.

 

[DiscipleofWrestling]

Has Big Show surpassed Andre in the ring? I don't think there's any doubt in my mind that he has. He moves faster than Andre did in the ring, he's able to take extreme high risk maneuvers if called upon, including falling over the top rope (Andre had to be slowly pushed or position himself to make the somewhat easier fall). The Big Show has also been credible in an age where you have so many talents come and go and become world champion in a haphazard way. I'm always entertained when Big Show appears as either wrestling or cutting a promo.

HOWEVER....

If you are to ask me who was the bigger draw, then hands down, I have to go with Andre the Giant. Andre was an unprecedented talent back in his day. He was THE attraction of his generation. Yes, he might not have been able to put on a five-star wrestling clinic, but everyone came out to see Andre wrestle. Even when his ring abilities had shriveled up, he still was able to help put 93,000 asses into seats at WrestleMania III. He also helped bring wrestling into the mainstream as he appeared on TV shows and movies. Andre is still such a public figure after his death that Family Guy, the juggernaut of pop culture randomness, joked about putting Andre on the Sistine Chapel!

I like the Big Show and consider him superior to Andre in the ring, but I can't deny what Andre was able to do in his time. Andre was the trendsetter for all big men that followed him, and while only a select few have been able to top his in-ring skills for that size, no one has been able to capture the imagination quite like André René Roussimoff.

 

[Ferbian]

Yeah, but I don't think anybody is comparing their in-ring ability. Because you could also say William Regal is a better technical wrestler than a whole bunch of current more popular wrestlers but what the hell does that matter?

But William Regal isn't a better technical wrestler. There's a flaw in that. He's good but still.

And in those terms the fact that he is better overall in the ring does make him a better all-around talent. Because he's better on the microphone as well as in the ring. While he might not have the same look. He still is quite a sight nonetheless.

You would probably have to wrap the whole package up as a whole to compare the two of them (if you're going to at all this may be the only way)...and when you do that. Andre's legacy dwarfs any of the in-ring abilities Big Show would have had.

Yes the legacy. But that doesn't create the whole package. The all-around wrestler isn't someone who has a long list of accomplishments. At least not to me. The all-around wrestler with the whole package ordeal is the guy who has the look, the in-ring ability and microphone skills. Two of which Big Show is pretty damn well standing in compared to Andre (Mind you I don't know too much of Andre's technical abilities but I do know he wasn't exactly Bret Hart)

Without Andre, there is no Big Show.

Arguable. Big Show could probably still have appeared. He would just have been repackaged in some other way during his time with WCW. But he would most likely still be Big Show in WWE.

Those of you who are saying Andre was only famous because of his size just don't get it. Being tall had nothing to do with Andre's success, it's how Andre translated his gift into becoming a superstar.

I get where you're coming from Sly. But you can't possibly deny that Andre weren't famous partially due to his size? It's the common rise to fame due to size. Nobody would give a flying fuck about Eli Cottonwood if it wasn't for his size. But surprise surprise he's still on NXT. Even though he's shit.

But that doesn't mean I undermine the other facts that Andre was still quite a talent. He was quite a draw. Which I would still credit somewhat to his size. But he was a great guy outside of the ring as well. I heard about the people working on the set with him during the movie filming to the movie.. Well some kind of movie. I forgot the name.