I saw Andre wrestle in 83 at Nassau Coliseum, as a teenager, and slapped his hand on the way to the ring. His hands were simply massive. When people discuss how his height was exaggerated, that is true but it wasn't just the height that made Andre such an attraction. He was a giant, wide, thick, distorted even. Like no one you ever saw before. Something out of Tolkien. To make a comparison, Ernie Ladd was tall also, but a tall human. Andre was like another species. And as others have pointed out in this thread, there were 2 inches at least of afro in his prime years. He had toned down the afro in his later years. If you measured from the top of the hair, it may have gotten him to 7'4''. But it's wrestling, and of course they exaggerated his height. If he were a full 7'4'', the McMahons would have billed him as 7'8''.
His back issues with surgery and not being able to stand straight up made him look shorter then he was by the mid 80s. To get andres true height, he was would of have been measured or compared to others in the late 70s. At his max he was 7’3”. By the end of his life, probably barely 7’.
Giant Gonzales was an ex argentinian basketball player his height was 7,6 and they say Andre was 7,5 and 7,4 and 7,2 like as if he was 1 inch shorter than giant Gonzalez, Gonzales is way taller than Andre, WWF had Gonzales height at 8foot lol you couldn't pass a 5,6 guy of as 6 foot so why did they try pass a 7,6 guy of as 8 foot?
I am sorry but you are wrong. Andre before his health and back issues he was 7"4. His living relatives have answered this question already. His brother stated he was around 7"4 and after his back issues and surgery his spine became compressed which resulted in him using crutches the last few remaining years of his life. I met Andre the Giant back in his prime when he traveled the independent wrestling circuits, and I am 6"8 and he was at least a good 5 inches taller than myself. There is no way he was under 7 feet tall. That photo was not an accurate depiction of his height and even Arnold dispelled that photo a long time ago.
When i was 17, I was 5' 11" and a half. Just under 6'. I'm 49 now, and I'm 5'10. People shrink. It's entirely reasonable to assume that Andre could have lost some height, especially considering the surgeries and the insane amount of stress he put on his body. Carrying around 500 plus pounds takes a toll. It's comical seeing all these comments from people who have never been in the same room with Andre and a tape measure insisting they know how tall he was. I believe Andre was 7'1" in his prime and gradually ended up around 6'10". None of us really know. He was awesome, though.
It’s stories like these from the old timers that help keep Andre’s legacy alive. So many younger generations have no clue who Andre was or some of his legendary feats. Interviews like this will keep it going strong. Great stuff.
A lot of folks don't know that in his last years Andre chose to live in the very small community of Ellerbe, in rural North Carolina. I only know that because I ran into him at a convenience store, and you can imagine my shock seeing a famous giant in the backwoods of NC.
The legacy of a cheapskate who doesn't pay a ticket for someone after promising to pay for the ticket that Andre caused. In comparison, Andre expected people such as Tully Blanchard to repay him for bottles of wine that were accidentally spilled. Arn Anderson paid that bill for Tully and showed class. Unfortunately, Andre did not display that same level of class.
Being a lifelong Florida boy watching championship wrestling from Florida on the weekends and Barry Windham and the matches he had with the highlight of my weekend as a little boy.
I used to go to the armory as early as 73. Old ladies yelling & cigar smoke is what I remember. Saw all the greats including Andre. Bugsy, the Briscoe & American dream were fan favorites. I also liked Buddy Colt & in fact enlisted in the Marines upon my graduation in 75.
This is one of the better BW interviews, very free flowing, and seems to be enjoying himself. I've seen an few older shoots where Windham seemed to give one word answers, fantastic !
If you've ever see Stephan(skyscraper) Struve the tallest ever man to fight in the UFC, he was 6'11 and towered over everyone. Andre was probably 7 foot, but it wasn't his height, it was his sheer size! Fun fact : He was of Bulgarian Gypsy heritage and the Irish playwright Samuel Beckett lived near Andre's family in France. Beckett used to bring Andre to school in his truck because Andre couldn't fit on the school bus.
Barry is really looking like his dad now days lol. In my mind he will always be the 5th Horseman. After ole left he was the best replacement ever. Ric, Arn, Tully, Ole and then Barry.
Barry Windham's Widowmaker gimmick was over with the fans in 1989. Barry left the WWE to assist his father and brother with a counterfeit currency criminal charge. In the end, the two of them went to prison anyway. So, Barry's departure from the WWE was all for nothing.
Not sure Andre was 7’4 but he was 7 at the least. He came to Charleston WV and wrestled sometime during the 80’s and my step grandfather was a cab driver and drove him to a liquor store and a hotel and took a picture with him. My grandfather was 6’7 according to everyone in my family and from the picture I seen years ago Andre looked to be near a head taller than him. I would love to get my hands on that picture today.
Peak Andre in the 60s and 70s was about 7'1" but a lot of people point to that photo with him and Wilt in 1983 and how Wilt is taller. These people leave out that Andre put on weight and lost some height at that point. Andre in the 80s until his death in 93 was 6'9" or 6'10.
@@NateNizzle What you've just posted, is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever read. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in the comments are now dumber for having witnessed it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
Andre was billed at 7'4". Heights are always exaggerated in pro wrestling. So I'm thinking he was somewhere between 6'10" and 7' tall. His girth, hand size, feet size, and head/face size made him look even larger than he was.
Yeah, my theory is that Andre was a solid 7 feet tall (peak) in his 20s. Then he gradually began to shrink at some point in his 30s, until his death at age 46 in 1993.
If Andre could stand up straight when he 1st came to the US he was measured at 7ft and 1/2 inch tall. He couldn't stand up straight in later years he had visible scoliosis
@@drunkensailor112 As it pertains to Hogan his alleged 6'8'' was an immensely steep drop since Taker was always a few inches tallers than him... I always heard Andre was 6' 10'' but I am not willing to die on this hill. I'll take you at your word.
In his prime Andre dwarfed everyone else in the ring. I remember the seventies watching wrestling in Baltimore. His hand would engulf anyone else. Everyone sees him from after his hunched over years where he could no longer stand up straight. There are pictures of Andre when he was really young and his body dimensions still looked normal but twice the size of a normal man. He never arrested the disease which became his ultimate demise.
My dad was a casino manager in Nevada back in the 80s and Andre was staying at his hotel so we got to meet him briefly. Afterwards he walked over to blackjack tables and pulled up 3 stools to sit on...haha. very very nice guy who talked all the kids by the way.
Andre came to the memorial field house in Huntington WV in the early 80s during a stint in Georgia and he was every bit of 7ft tall back then, but in his later years the degenerative issues definitely took him down a good 3 maybe 4 inches..
Barry says Andre was closer to 7ft tall and the highway patrolman that pulled them over was around 6 ft9 or so,what I dont get it was when Andre and the patrolman locked eyes,he says the patrolman just looked up like Andre was more than just a coupe inches taller..
Yep WWF bull shitter guy in effect gotta keep pumping B's out of their mouths like cartoon characters, he was selling the Andre was a huge giant story,
Andre was notorious for wearing cowboy boots in public, which would have added a couple of inches , so if André was around 6'11 that would put him at 7'1 in boots
I remember seeing Andre vs. Blackjack Mulligan (Barry's dad) at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut in August 1982. Knew a guy who used to bring the wrestlers to & from the Civic Center & Bradley International Airport. One night, Andre had requested there be a 24 pack of Bud & a bottle of Jack Daniels waiting in the limo. It's about a 20 minute ride from Hartford to the airport. After he dropped Andre off, there were 24 empty beer cans & an empty bottle of Jack in the back seat.
Andre was 6-10 1/2" tall. I've been saying that for years and people have been getting angry at me for years. It's like they have a personal interest in Andre's real height. Anyone could see he was not 7 foot tall. But, he was large and in charge.
@@MrK623 He stood beside Ralph Sampson and was three inches shorter than him. Sampson is 7-4. But, let me guess, Sampson's height is also fudged? Oh wait, I went to college with Sampson. I know his height is real. And where's all this proof of basketball players fudging their height? Lol
@@MrK623 Oh I forgot....Chuck Nevitt was also there...he is 7-5 and, guess what, Sampson was 1 inch shorter than Nevitt and Wilt was 4 inches shorter than Nevitt.
That seems accurate, considering that Andre was a full inch shorter than the legit 7 feet and one-half-inch Wilt Chamberlain in 1984 on the set of Conan The Destroyer. Andre had serious problems with his posture that Wilt did not have.
@@benarcher7411 yet a 6’10” cop had to look up at him. I’m 6’4” and cousin is 6’6” and I’ve never had to look up at him at any noticeable angle. And there is no way that I’d be intimidated by someone just 2” taller then me.
Doesn’t have your height on passports haha, and nobody cares how tall you and your cousin are it has nothing to do with anything again LISTEN to man who knew him
@@chrishuber8930 No way he was only 6'10", he was closer in height to Wilt Chamberlain, even past Andre's prime, than Nash next to Kareem Abdul Jabbar. If you wanna see what 6'10 looks next to 7'2 look at Diesel ( Kevin Nash ) next to Kareem.
@@Miiiiiiighty Kareem Abdul jabbar is 6 foot 11 barefoot. Said so himself. Kevin Nash was billed as a 7 footer which was so exaggerated. Nash was a solid 6 foot 8 barefoot and never more.
per the coroners office in nc when andre died , in the local newspaper , he said andre was a little over 7.0 ft tall when he died. in his younger days he was probably 7'1-7"2 at the most. spines do suppress . most all wrestlers have their heights exaggerated. back surgeries will take away your height, just like at superstar bill graham. he was 6'4 and strunk down to 6'2 after all the surgeries and age.
generally with age people shrink, because their spines have been compressed for all those years that it's easy to lose an inch or two by the time you're 60.
Plus he kept growing young (18-22) andre versus old andre 40-46) is a different shape and size beyond hust weight gain his bones continued thickening his head hands etc kept getting bigger long beyond what is normal
Barry was at least 6'7" in those cowboy boots because I saw him tagging with Ron Fuller whose billed height was 6'9" but was really 6'7" , and they were the same height .
I saw Barry in a mall one time and he is a big and tall dude. I am 6 feet tall and he towered over me. He was wearing cowboy boots and with them on he looked about 6’9” , so I agree, Barry has to be at least 6’ 6” or 6’7”. Those boots really boost your height and Barry is also wide as well.
@@MrBargill No debates whatsoever about Haku's toughness, everyone to a man from the 80s to now cite him as the toughest, even Bad News Brown - Olympic Judoka and multiple times blackbelt admitted he was the toughest.
Andre was supposedly measured at 6' 10" after he died. It is not far fetched that he had lost several inches and was possibly 7 foot or 7' foot 1 at his peak. I understand that in his early career in Canada that he was measured at 7 foot 1, I believe it was Don Leo Jonathan who stated this. Andre also was not built like most tall people who usually have long legs in comparison to their torso. He was actually and unusually kind of stocky. ua-cam.com/video/7FGxmC-7jk0/v-deo.html
You're probably correct, my Dad and I went to a match with front row seats and I was pretty young so got to pat Andre on the leg when he stopped before the match. My Dad was 6ft 5 and I remember him standing right beside Andre and there was at least 8 inches difference, and he had to crank his head back to look him in the eye. This was back in the late 70's.
Andre seemed around 7 ft tall peak before his back surgeries and the toll wrestling took on his body....he was never 7'4"... but I think he was about 7 ft in his prime. A friend of mine saw him in person back in the 80s at a drive in movie theatre in So Cal and said Andre was about 7 ft tall
Andre even in the early 80's was shorter than Wilt Chamberlain who was 7'1 peak and 7.0 1/2 after knee surgeries. Wilt had thing sole shoes and Andre had cowboy boots. Andre was around 6'10 peak
@@googlemyself4091 chamberlain was 6 foot 11.5 and 7 foot 1 in shoes. They always measued you with shoes on in the NBA and added an inch. Shaq said this himself. Shaq is listed at 7 foot 1 and he said himself hes 6 foot 11 barefoot. Yes andre was around 6 foot 10 in his prime. The same as big show in his prime. At the end andre was about 6 foot 8.5
Andre wasn’t 7’5”, that’s for sure, but most say he was a over 7’ at his tallest. Ernie Ladd was 6’ 9” and he said Andre was taller than him by far. Andre had bad posture as well. It’s not just his height that made him a giant. It was his massive size along with his height that made him a giant.
A normal person can have their height change during waking hours, being taller and less compressed after waking, to becoming shorter, while the spine compresses after hours of being upright. This is normal. Andre is a human, built of the same things as smaller humans, having greater forces acting upon his systems.
I got the opportunity to meet Barry Windham at the River City Wrestling Con event in June and he shared a table with Ron Simmons and next to Barry was the table that Jerry Lawler sat at and next to Lawler was James Storm, all of these men were amazing to meet in person, the first and I believe the only time I ever got to watch Barry wrestle live was at the event that saw Barry turn heel on Lex Luger and join the 4 Horsemen
Barry is my all time favorite wrestler. Grew up in south Florida so championship wrestling from Florida is what I watched every weekend. Saw Barry live couple of times….hell of a worker.
Barry is my favorite as well. Loved his heel turn when he joined the Horsemen!!!! Best heel turn ever imo. The first live event I ever went to was right after that, and I got to see Windham vs Luger. Front row and all. I'll never forget it. And I still have the bandana with him on it wearing a pink sweater. One of my most prized possessions!!!!!
I saw Andre as a a 12 year old in 1979. I had front row seats ringside at a show where maybe 3500 was capacity. When Andre walked out I couldn't believe my eyes. I've never seen a man that huge before or since. I believe without a doubt he was over 7'1" no doubt. I shook his hand and believe me my hand disappeared. Then when he was leaving the ring he patted me on the head and it was like this huge hand palmed my entire head.
Billed at 7 '5 because Ralph Sampson was a 7'4 Centre Andre was never 7 ft Wilt was 7'1 Legit and was inches bigger than Andre wearing Cowboy Boots ....with Arnold .
@@rxnupe, Ernie was not as tall as Andre. I have seen pictures and video and Andre was a little over 7 feet tall when he was young. Add a pair of Cowboy boots and that thick, tall hair and he was about 7’ 4” when he was young. When he wrestled Ernie, Andre was wearing flat wrestling boots and he still was 3 or 4 inches taller than Ernie. Get out a ruler and look at 3 inches and you will see that it is not that much. Andre’s head from his chin to the top of his hair looked at least a foot to me. Look up Andre vs. Abdullah The Butcher on UA-cam and look at how tall Andre was at that time as he came to the ring, he was definitely 7 feet tall. As Andre aged and had surgeries he lost several inches of height.
Andre's height will always be the most disputed. Personally, I think he was 6'11"-7'0". When asked about the "7'4"" claim Vince said "Andre was 7 feet, but I dont think he was much more than that". I've heard ridiculous claims from the old seven-four one to his being 6'8". Another interesting thing is that the "standing nearly seven feet, weighing 390lbs.." billing for 'Thunderlips' on Rocky III which was allegedly an intro Stallone heard somewhere for Andre at a live event.
@@MichaelWilliams-so1pq Mikey, 1. Only a douchebag little uneducated trollkid uses "Um" in a textual setting. Dont do that. 2: Even a douchebag little uneducated trollkid should see that theyve no way of knowing which interview I was quoting Vince from. -If- SINCE you have to troll, at least speak like an adult and pretend youve common sense. Youre not talking to your family here.
Andre was on the undercard of the Muhammad Ali v Antonio Inoki fight and that was the first time mainstream sportswriters covered him. Many of them who covered the NBA felt might have been 6'11 maybe 7 ft. It was his build, most tall men are skinny, that helped with the perception of height. When he got older, and heavier, he lost an inch or two.
I agree, I saw him when he came to wrestle at my city. His proportions reminded me of a baby the way it has thick legs & arms. A 7 foot baby. He looked like if he fell on you he would kill you.
@@micmaliss Arnold said they were eating at a restaurant one day & he offered to pay the bill. Andre would have none of it & playfully picked up Arnold like a child & placed him somewhere else like he weighed nothing.
Saw Barry in 1981 citrus county high school gymnasium. They had a show with the killer bees, sweet brown sugar, big John Studd, and more. Those were the days
Well damn I was hoping for a my dad measured him and he was this tall kind of answer. This debate has been going on for years and Ive read or heard hundreds of opinions that people swear they know and they are all different. I started to read the comments and couldn't take it after a few lol
Andre sold the coliseum out on his first visit to my city. Andre wrestled the Hollywood Blondes, managed by Humperdink, in a handicapped match. Andre won and was swarmed by fans on his return to the locker room.
Andre no doubt was a massively large human being. No only because of his height, but his weight, hands and feet size too. Clearly he was 7 foot at most based on his being maybe 6 inches taller than a 6’5” at most Hogan in his prime. 6’11” or 7 foot is still massive but pro wrestling back then exaggerated for larger than life cartoon characters. Maybe with the 6 inch Afro he was 7’4” lol 😂
There are photos from the set of Conan the Destroyer that show Andre standing next to Wilt Chamberlain. We know Wilt was 7'1, so it looks like Andre was 7 foot even.
I was 9 years old when I watched WrestleMania 3 live on pay-per-view. At the beginning of the match when Hogan and Andre were face to face, I could tell that Andre was not 7'4. Hogan seemed to be only 2 or 3 inches shorter than him. Andre's height seemed to diminish as he got into his older years as his weight seemed to increase. RIP Andre!
Even though he did lose a couple inches in height, it wasn't like he was 7'4 and lost 6 inches. You lose a couple inches. If Hogan was around 6'5 then, then Andre was 6'9 and probably down from his 6'11 early days.
Watched Andre walk through a High school gym door in Washington state in 1981, He had to lower his head to not hit the top of the door frame, I was 5 foot from him. This was in the Don Owens territory, Also on that card Jesse Ventura, and the late great iron sheik.
Barry younger brother Kendall had a small restaurant on US 92 in seffner years ago we used to go there for lunch when I worked at lazy days RV the food was out of this world
Andre was definitely 7' mabey 7'1 as a young man. But during his days with the WWF in the 80s do to his weight,various surgeries, and the effects that "acromegaly" had on his body, he was probably around 6'9".
Andre was 7’1 at one point, but the guy never stopped growing. So he actually kept getting taller but he kind of would be looking shorter because of his hunch as he got older
I'd say Andre was a solid 7 foot in his prime. He always looks like he hunches tho. Even when he was young. Making him probably shorter. Once he got that big belly going made him shorter and shorter. There's always that photo of him standing next to wilt chamberlain who is a solid 7'1". Wilt was in movie clothes and Andre in street clothes. And they were more of less same height.
Very windy the most natural professional wrestler in the ring he should I got a push for many years to come she can be a baby face she can be a heel he was the ultimate Performer or professional wrestler which ever one you want to call her thank you Mr. Barry for the years of joy you gave us
I don’t know why there is still so much debate on this. I think people don’t want to know the answer. It’s out there if you want to know the answer. He was 6’9”.
51 yrs old . Lost my virginity across the street from Eddie Graham sports stadium . Days of Dusty Barry, Black Jack , Butch Reed, Iron sheik great times. My childhood was a blast .
I always figured Andre was about 6’11 at his peak. I saw a picture a few years ago of Andre on the set of Conan 2 standing with Wilt Chamberlain and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Wilt who was 7’1 is clearly a couple of inches taller than Andre and not only was Andre standing closer to the camera but Wilt was nearly 50 at the time. As others have mentioned however, Andre was big all around.
Yeah he was around 6'11" but due to his condition his hand size and facial features made him look more like a story book giant than tall NBA players look.
I agree Wilt was taller but not quite 2" taller than Andre. Don't forget, Wilt was wearing a big wig in those photos, which made him look even taller than he was.
Andre's height doesn't matter. He had a white boy afro that was 3 to 4 inches tall easy. He towered over everyone and usually had 150 pounds + on his opponent. Especially in his later years he was well over 400 pounds. The character of Andre the Giant was always The Star wherever he went.
Think it was once said he was measured 6'11" in France. Also read his autopsy said 6'9" but also noted some spine curvature. Put a guy that size in boots and have and afro and people will believe 7'4".
If you consider the "weight" of Andre's midsection, it isn't hard to believe that all that girth could aggravate his spinal curvature, and accelerate the rate at which he lost height.
Andre's head was about as big as a normal person's torso. His hands were bigger than your feet. He wasn't the tallest person to ever live, but he was probably the most athletic person to ever be diagnosed with "gigantism."
when I was a cop I met tall guys all the time. me and the other cops made it a fun little competition when we were bored. tallest guys we ever met. for me it was a former NBA player. dude came to the station and I shined with glee because I knew in that moment I had the new record. Dude told me he was 6 foot 11. let me tell you in real life 6 foot 11 is insanely tall
Andre was definitely BILLED at 7 foot 4 inch. Not unbelievable. But people only see Andre when he was already 20 years in the business and at his most popular. He definitely lost height, hunched more, bad knees, when he went to WWF. Before going to WWF, he was definitely 7 foot 1 in. Just too much mileage in the business will wear you down. Every wrestler loses height if they been in wrestling for more than 7 years. Its tough on the body.
Andre was never the full 7'4" he was billed as, but he was still very tall. I know people throw around the 6'10" figure, but that would have been around the time of his death and after his spine had been curving too much for a long time. In his prime he was likely 7' or slightly over. Besides his height, he with thick. You could find a basketball player taller than him, but Andre's wrists would be bigger around, his hands were bigger, his ribcage with much bigger. There is more to the size of a man's frame than height alone.
I would say Andre was about 6'11/ 7' feet as well. There is a picture of Andre with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Wilt Chamberlain. They both were holding Arnold up, so they were side-by-side. Wilt was standing well over Andre, and Wilt's only 7'1. So Barry's telling the TRUTH.
I saw Andre wrestle in 83 at Nassau Coliseum, as a teenager, and slapped his hand on the way to the ring. His hands were simply massive. When people discuss how his height was exaggerated, that is true but it wasn't just the height that made Andre such an attraction. He was a giant, wide, thick, distorted even. Like no one you ever saw before. Something out of Tolkien. To make a comparison, Ernie Ladd was tall also, but a tall human. Andre was like another species. And as others have pointed out in this thread, there were 2 inches at least of afro in his prime years. He had toned down the afro in his later years. If you measured from the top of the hair, it may have gotten him to 7'4''. But it's wrestling, and of course they exaggerated his height. If he were a full 7'4'', the McMahons would have billed him as 7'8''.
His back issues with surgery and not being able to stand straight up made him look shorter then he was by the mid 80s. To get andres true height, he was would of have been measured or compared to others in the late 70s. At his max he was 7’3”. By the end of his life, probably barely 7’.
Giant Gonzales was an ex argentinian basketball player his height was 7,6 and they say Andre was 7,5 and 7,4 and 7,2 like as if he was 1 inch shorter than giant Gonzalez, Gonzales is way taller than Andre, WWF had Gonzales height at 8foot lol you couldn't pass a 5,6 guy of as 6 foot so why did they try pass a 7,6 guy of as 8 foot?
@@CamaroAmx nope your an idiot that fell for wwf exaggerations he was 7 foot at his max when he was younger
@@CamaroAmx bs; in his prime he was just under 7'. The photo Wilt and Arnie confirms it. From that peak of about 6' 11.5'' he reduced.
I am sorry but you are wrong. Andre before his health and back issues he was 7"4. His living relatives have answered this question already. His brother stated he was around 7"4 and after his back issues and surgery his spine became compressed which resulted in him using crutches the last few remaining years of his life. I met Andre the Giant back in his prime when he traveled the independent wrestling circuits, and I am 6"8 and he was at least a good 5 inches taller than myself. There is no way he was under 7 feet tall. That photo was not an accurate depiction of his height and even Arnold dispelled that photo a long time ago.
When i was 17, I was 5' 11" and a half. Just under 6'. I'm 49 now, and I'm 5'10. People shrink. It's entirely reasonable to assume that Andre could have lost some height, especially considering the surgeries and the insane amount of stress he put on his body. Carrying around 500 plus pounds takes a toll. It's comical seeing all these comments from people who have never been in the same room with Andre and a tape measure insisting they know how tall he was. I believe Andre was 7'1" in his prime and gradually ended up around 6'10". None of us really know. He was awesome, though.
It’s stories like these from the old timers that help keep Andre’s legacy alive. So many younger generations have no clue who Andre was or some of his legendary feats. Interviews like this will keep it going strong. Great stuff.
A lot of folks don't know that in his last years Andre chose to live in the very small community of Ellerbe, in rural North Carolina.
I only know that because I ran into him at a convenience store, and you can imagine my shock seeing a famous giant in the backwoods of NC.
He was big, that's it.
The legacy of a cheapskate who doesn't pay a ticket for someone after promising to pay for the ticket that Andre caused. In comparison, Andre expected people such as Tully Blanchard to repay him for bottles of wine that were accidentally spilled. Arn Anderson paid that bill for Tully and showed class. Unfortunately, Andre did not display that same level of class.
Being a lifelong Florida boy watching championship wrestling from Florida on the weekends and Barry Windham and the matches he had with the highlight of my weekend as a little boy.
Barry could go. You're lucky to have lived it.
I used to go to the armory as early as 73. Old ladies yelling & cigar smoke is what I remember. Saw all the greats including Andre. Bugsy, the Briscoe & American dream were fan favorites. I also liked Buddy Colt & in fact enlisted in the Marines upon my graduation in 75.
His uncle was the ex brother in law of my mother's second husband. I'm also from Florida and loved watching the Windham's when I was a kid.
@@shawnj1966 I heard they had a restaurant on rt 92 back in the day.
@@shawnj1966 My father's sister's husband's former roommate....
On a side note I heard Barry is doing great. He restores old cars and bikes. Love to see his work 👍👍
This is one of the better BW interviews, very free flowing, and seems to be enjoying himself. I've seen an few older shoots where Windham seemed to give one word answers, fantastic !
Yea, other than one where I think Ricky Morton interviews him he seems to never been engaged.
If you've ever see Stephan(skyscraper) Struve the tallest ever man to fight in the UFC, he was 6'11 and towered over everyone. Andre was probably 7 foot, but it wasn't his height, it was his sheer size!
Fun fact : He was of Bulgarian Gypsy heritage and the Irish playwright Samuel Beckett lived near Andre's family in France. Beckett used to bring Andre to school in his truck because Andre couldn't fit on the school bus.
He was Bulgarian . Not Gypsy . Gypsy are not Bulgarian . They are a different ethnic group .
@@bobfaam5215 Maybe he was mixed Bulgarian/Gypsy? By the way, I'm Bulgarian/Turkish
I love how all these old timers have Andre stories. Good stuff.
Barry is really looking like his dad now days lol. In my mind he will always be the 5th Horseman. After ole left he was the best replacement ever. Ric, Arn, Tully, Ole and then Barry.
Yes! Benoit and Malenko were too small. Luger never felt right for sure. Barry and Mongo were the only additions i cared for!
Wow, I don't agree. I loved Barry as a Babyface, it was suprising when he turned heel.
Barry Windham's Widowmaker gimmick was over with the fans in 1989. Barry left the WWE to assist his father and brother with a counterfeit currency criminal charge. In the end, the two of them went to prison anyway. So, Barry's departure from the WWE was all for nothing.
bruh Barry's looking 10 times better than he did 15 years ago
10-15 years ago
Not sure Andre was 7’4 but he was 7 at the least. He came to Charleston WV and wrestled sometime during the 80’s and my step grandfather was a cab driver and drove him to a liquor store and a hotel and took a picture with him. My grandfather was 6’7 according to everyone in my family and from the picture I seen years ago Andre looked to be near a head taller than him. I would love to get my hands on that picture today.
Peak Andre in the 60s and 70s was about 7'1" but a lot of people point to that photo with him and Wilt in 1983 and how Wilt is taller. These people leave out that Andre put on weight and lost some height at that point. Andre in the 80s until his death in 93 was 6'9" or 6'10.
6'10 at most and more like6'8-6'9 when he died.
@@EddieHenderson92 No, he was never more than 6'10 and more like6'8-6'9 when he died.
Rotunda and Windham was the reason i started liking tag team wrestling.🤟
I'm sorry to hear that
🏮LONG⚱️LIVE🎪THE🦅KULT⭕F📿WINDHAM🈵
@@NateNizzle What you've just posted, is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever read. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in the comments are now dumber for having witnessed it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
I love your Somewhere in Time profile pic!
Love Barry! Seen many matches of his in person and many more on TV. A legit powerhouse and one of my all time favorites.
When Barry Windham turned on Lex Luger in that match against the Horsemen that was about as awesome as wrestling story telling can be.
Always loved Barry,especially when he was a Horseman.Truly one of the greats.Hope you post alot more of Barry.
Yes he was so smooth in the ring
Ric flair, arn anderson, barry windham, sid vicious
Andre was billed at 7'4". Heights are always exaggerated in pro wrestling. So I'm thinking he was somewhere between 6'10" and 7' tall. His girth, hand size, feet size, and head/face size made him look even larger than he was.
Yeah, my theory is that Andre was a solid 7 feet tall (peak) in his 20s. Then he gradually began to shrink at some point in his 30s, until his death at age 46 in 1993.
@@Scorch1028 yeah that sounds right
If Andre could stand up straight when he 1st came to the US he was measured at 7ft and 1/2 inch tall. He couldn't stand up straight in later years he had visible scoliosis
7"2' when he was young according to his French passport.
@@alfie8472 They measure you with your shoes on though
One of the greatest of all time.
It’s a shame WWF never gave him a proper run.
Andre was 7ft in the 60s and early 70s. He was bout 6ft 10 1/5 by aWM3 after mecromagoly kicked in.
were you his doctor
@@tau9508 yes
@@truthhurtseverybody1289😆
@@tau9508 the guy had tons of surgery on hips, knees that makes you shrink slightly. Just look at Hogan
@@drunkensailor112 As it pertains to Hogan his alleged 6'8'' was an immensely steep drop since Taker was always a few inches tallers than him... I always heard Andre was 6' 10'' but I am not willing to die on this hill. I'll take you at your word.
There is an OLD interview with Andre when he just started with wrestling in france. There he says that he is 7’1.
In his prime Andre dwarfed everyone else in the ring. I remember the seventies watching wrestling in Baltimore. His hand would engulf anyone else. Everyone sees him from after his hunched over years where he could no longer stand up straight. There are pictures of Andre when he was really young and his body dimensions still looked normal but twice the size of a normal man. He never arrested the disease which became his ultimate demise.
barry windham was allways one of my favorite wrestlers. just the way he move in the ring and he was underrated strong.
My dad was a casino manager in Nevada back in the 80s and Andre was staying at his hotel so we got to meet him briefly. Afterwards he walked over to blackjack tables and pulled up 3 stools to sit on...haha. very very nice guy who talked all the kids by the way.
Andre came to the memorial field house in Huntington WV in the early 80s during a stint in Georgia and he was every bit of 7ft tall back then, but in his later years the degenerative issues definitely took him down a good 3 maybe 4 inches..
Barry says Andre was closer to 7ft tall and the highway patrolman that pulled them over was around 6 ft9 or so,what I dont get it was when Andre and the patrolman locked eyes,he says the patrolman just looked up like Andre was more than just a coupe inches taller..
Yep WWF bull shitter guy in effect gotta keep pumping B's out of their mouths like cartoon characters, he was selling the Andre was a huge giant story,
Andre was notorious for wearing cowboy boots in public, which would have added a couple of inches , so if André was around 6'11 that would put him at 7'1 in boots
I remember seeing Andre vs. Blackjack Mulligan (Barry's dad) at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut in August 1982. Knew a guy who used to bring the wrestlers to & from the Civic Center & Bradley International Airport. One night, Andre had requested there be a 24 pack of Bud & a bottle of Jack Daniels waiting in the limo. It's about a 20 minute ride from Hartford to the airport. After he dropped Andre off, there were 24 empty beer cans & an empty bottle of Jack in the back seat.
That's a huge amount but this is one of them stories I believe as there's quite a lot of ppl that witnessed Andre drink huge amounts
Barry Windham is the most underrated wrestler ever. He should be in every wrestling hall of fame💯💯💯
BW was a wrestling machine!
Wind ham as Jimmy Cornette would say sux.
Is Windham not in the Hall of Fame?
@@PoofOfLogic For his singles accomplishments
@@kidray7818 Yeah, I just looked it up, he's only in the Hall as a member of the Horsemen...that's nuts.
He himself said 214cm in a French inteview which is 7'0.25"
Andre was 6-10 1/2" tall. I've been saying that for years and people have been getting angry at me for years. It's like they have a personal interest in Andre's real height. Anyone could see he was not 7 foot tall. But, he was large and in charge.
True he has a picture standing next to Wilt Chamberlain and he was 7ft1 and appeared to be at least 2in shooter. 6 10 at best
@@MrK623 Wilt was a legitimate 7-1.
@@MrK623 He stood beside Ralph Sampson and was three inches shorter than him. Sampson is 7-4. But, let me guess, Sampson's height is also fudged? Oh wait, I went to college with Sampson. I know his height is real. And where's all this proof of basketball players fudging their height? Lol
@@MrK623 Oh I forgot....Chuck Nevitt was also there...he is 7-5 and, guess what, Sampson was 1 inch shorter than Nevitt and Wilt was 4 inches shorter than Nevitt.
@@MrK623 look in the mirror, Mr. Insulted.
When Andre first arrived in North America, he was measured by several newspapers. At that time he was 7 feet and one half inch Tall .
That seems accurate, considering that Andre was a full inch shorter than the legit 7 feet and one-half-inch Wilt Chamberlain in 1984 on the set of Conan The Destroyer. Andre had serious problems with his posture that Wilt did not have.
Let it go somebody who actually knew the man has just told you he wasn’t 7 foot
@@benarcher7411 yet a 6’10” cop had to look up at him. I’m 6’4” and cousin is 6’6” and I’ve never had to look up at him at any noticeable angle. And there is no way that I’d be intimidated by someone just 2” taller then me.
@@benarcher7411 Wrong. On his French passport when he was young they measured him at 7"2'
Doesn’t have your height on passports haha, and nobody cares how tall you and your cousin are it has nothing to do with anything again LISTEN to man who knew him
Andre was huge. I saw him at a live event. We had seats on the 20th row. He was so large he looked like he was 20 feet in front of us.
If you find the old footage of Andre when he was being interviewed while still in Europe, he says he is 7'1".
Thats billed height. They play their characters.....he was 6 foot 10 in his prime
@@chrishuber8930 I think that interview was before he wrestled. I could be wrong. But he did say he was 7'1".
@@chrishuber8930 No way he was only 6'10", he was closer in height to Wilt Chamberlain, even past Andre's prime, than Nash next to Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
If you wanna see what 6'10 looks next to 7'2 look at Diesel ( Kevin Nash ) next to Kareem.
@@Miiiiiiighty yes he was only 6 foot 10. It's proven.
@@Miiiiiiighty Kareem Abdul jabbar is 6 foot 11 barefoot. Said so himself. Kevin Nash was billed as a 7 footer which was so exaggerated. Nash was a solid 6 foot 8 barefoot and never more.
per the coroners office in nc when andre died , in the local newspaper , he said andre was a little over 7.0 ft tall when he died. in his younger days he was probably 7'1-7"2 at the most. spines do suppress . most all wrestlers have their heights exaggerated. back surgeries will take away your height, just like at superstar bill graham. he was 6'4 and strunk down to 6'2 after all the surgeries and age.
generally with age people shrink, because their spines have been compressed for all those years that it's easy to lose an inch or two by the time you're 60.
He was kicked out of the French army for being 2.14m according to his brother. Which is a little over 7 feet
Plus he kept growing young (18-22) andre versus old andre 40-46) is a different shape and size beyond hust weight gain his bones continued thickening his head hands etc kept getting bigger long beyond what is normal
I saw the giant when I was young my friend was a 7 footer played basketball and the giant was eye to eye if not bigger .
You just made that up
Barry was at least 6'7" in those cowboy boots because I saw him tagging with Ron Fuller whose billed height was 6'9" but was really 6'7" , and they were the same height .
I saw Barry in a mall one time and he is a big and tall dude. I am 6 feet tall and he towered over me. He was wearing cowboy boots and with them on he looked about 6’9” , so I agree, Barry has to be at least 6’ 6” or 6’7”. Those boots really boost your height and Barry is also wide as well.
It is not even just his height. He was a wide man. A rock!
Andre the giant , super man strong
The two great debates of wrestling Andre's true height and Haku's toughness.
Right!!
@@MrBargill No debates whatsoever about Haku's toughness, everyone to a man from the 80s to now cite him as the toughest, even Bad News Brown - Olympic Judoka and multiple times blackbelt admitted he was the toughest.
I love hearing the old road stories from these wrestlers.
Always one of my favorites
Barry was always solid and other than the original, he was part of the best 4 Horsemen group!
Andre was supposedly measured at 6' 10" after he died. It is not far fetched that he had lost several inches and was possibly 7 foot or 7' foot 1 at his peak. I understand that in his early career in Canada that he was measured at 7 foot 1, I believe it was Don Leo Jonathan who stated this. Andre also was not built like most tall people who usually have long legs in comparison to their torso. He was actually and unusually kind of stocky.
ua-cam.com/video/7FGxmC-7jk0/v-deo.html
Yes his knees were shot towards the end. Definitely lost some height.
You're probably correct, my Dad and I went to a match with front row seats and I was pretty young so got to pat Andre on the leg when he stopped before the match. My Dad was 6ft 5 and I remember him standing right beside Andre and there was at least 8 inches difference, and he had to crank his head back to look him in the eye. This was back in the late 70's.
in the 2018 documentary Andre in his own words said he was 7'1" at his peak .so at time of his death id guess 6'10 or maybe 11
7'4 thanks to his hair.
Hogan came down to 6'4 from his peak 6'8 thanks
to all those back screws and excised vertebras
Andre seemed around 7 ft tall peak before his back surgeries and the toll wrestling took on his body....he was never 7'4"... but I think he was about 7 ft in his prime. A friend of mine saw him in person back in the 80s at a drive in movie theatre in So Cal and said Andre was about 7 ft tall
I’ve always said the same. He clearly lost a few inches by the end, but when young he looked 7 foot. Who knows, in his early 20’s maybe a shade over.
Andre even in the early 80's was shorter than Wilt Chamberlain who was 7'1 peak and 7.0 1/2 after knee surgeries. Wilt had thing sole shoes and Andre had cowboy boots. Andre was around 6'10 peak
@@googlemyself4091 chamberlain was 6 foot 11.5 and 7 foot 1 in shoes. They always measued you with shoes on in the NBA and added an inch. Shaq said this himself. Shaq is listed at 7 foot 1 and he said himself hes 6 foot 11 barefoot. Yes andre was around 6 foot 10 in his prime. The same as big show in his prime. At the end andre was about 6 foot 8.5
Yeah, peak Andre was around 7’0”-7’0.5”.
Andre hell of giant qmazing stories about him .
Andre wasn’t 7’5”, that’s for sure, but most say he was a over 7’ at his tallest. Ernie Ladd was 6’ 9” and he said Andre was taller than him by far. Andre had bad posture as well. It’s not just his height that made him a giant. It was his massive size along with his height that made him a giant.
Jody Hamilton (The Assassin) said in his book when Andre first came over they measured him and he was 7 foot 1.5 inches
Fantastic get James. !! I mean Barry Windham is a Legend and one of (if not The) the Best to ever Step into the ring. !!
A normal person can have their height change during waking hours, being taller and less compressed after waking, to becoming shorter, while the spine compresses after hours of being upright. This is normal.
Andre is a human, built of the same things as smaller humans, having greater forces acting upon his systems.
I got the opportunity to meet Barry Windham at the River City Wrestling Con event in June and he shared a table with Ron Simmons and next to Barry was the table that Jerry Lawler sat at and next to Lawler was James Storm, all of these men were amazing to meet in person, the first and I believe the only time I ever got to watch Barry wrestle live was at the event that saw Barry turn heel on Lex Luger and join the 4 Horsemen
Sweeeet!! I remember watching.
Wish I could've seen it live. Best heel turn ever imo!!!!
3:25 the fact that Barry is the shortest guy in this story is scary to a certain extant.
I like how Barry says, "Andre said 'I will pay that ticket for you,' which I never saw." Sounds like Andre should have paid Barry.
you have pinworm face jajajajaja
Barry is my all time favorite wrestler. Grew up in south Florida so championship wrestling from Florida is what I watched every weekend. Saw Barry live couple of times….hell of a worker.
Barry is my favorite as well. Loved his heel turn when he joined the Horsemen!!!! Best heel turn ever imo. The first live event I ever went to was right after that, and I got to see Windham vs Luger. Front row and all. I'll never forget it. And I still have the bandana with him on it wearing a pink sweater. One of my most prized possessions!!!!!
Barry was so good, so smooth in the ring. He could wrestle a broomstick and make the broomstick look like a million bucks.
I saw Andre as a a 12 year old in 1979. I had front row seats ringside at a show where maybe 3500 was capacity. When Andre walked out I couldn't believe my eyes. I've never seen a man that huge before or since. I believe without a doubt he was over 7'1" no doubt. I shook his hand and believe me my hand disappeared. Then when he was leaving the ring he patted me on the head and it was like this huge hand palmed my entire head.
Billed at 7 '5 because Ralph Sampson was a 7'4 Centre Andre was never 7 ft Wilt was 7'1 Legit and was inches bigger than Andre wearing Cowboy Boots ....with Arnold .
He wasn't over 7 feet- have you seen his matches against Ernie Ladd? Ernie Ladd was 6'9" and stood eye to eye with Andre
He was a legit 7'4 in his prime
@@leestens419 sure he was.
@@rxnupe, Ernie was not as tall as Andre. I have seen pictures and video and Andre was a little over 7 feet tall when he was young. Add a pair of Cowboy boots and that thick, tall hair and he was about 7’ 4” when he was young. When he wrestled Ernie, Andre was wearing flat wrestling boots and he still was 3 or 4 inches taller than Ernie. Get out a ruler and look at 3 inches and you will see that it is not that much. Andre’s head from his chin to the top of his hair looked at least a foot to me. Look up Andre vs. Abdullah The Butcher on UA-cam and look at how tall Andre was at that time as he came to the ring, he was definitely 7 feet tall. As Andre aged and had surgeries he lost several inches of height.
Andre's height will always be the most disputed. Personally, I think he was 6'11"-7'0". When asked about the "7'4"" claim Vince said "Andre was 7 feet, but I dont think he was much more than that". I've heard ridiculous claims from the old seven-four one to his being 6'8". Another interesting thing is that the "standing nearly seven feet, weighing 390lbs.." billing for 'Thunderlips' on Rocky III which was allegedly an intro Stallone heard somewhere for Andre at a live event.
Stallone was actually 150lbs Rocky 3. But billed at 190lbs
Um, misquoted. He said he didnt know if he was 4 inches over
@@mistermay7986 He was bigger than 150, but wasnt the 202 he was billed at in the movie.
@@MichaelWilliams-so1pq Mikey, 1. Only a douchebag little uneducated trollkid uses "Um" in a textual setting. Dont do that. 2: Even a douchebag little uneducated trollkid should see that theyve no way of knowing which interview I was quoting Vince from. -If- SINCE you have to troll, at least speak like an adult and pretend youve common sense. Youre not talking to your family here.
@@JackBarrett7
I agree. He was most likely around 180-185lbs juiced up.
It's amazing how many people BW got into the business. Both times I met him very nice and genuine guy.
Barry F'N windham!!! So awesome. 🐎🐎🐎🐎
Andres drinking stories are legendary
Andre was on the undercard of the Muhammad Ali v Antonio Inoki fight and that was the first time mainstream sportswriters covered him. Many of them who covered the NBA felt might have been 6'11 maybe 7 ft. It was his build, most tall men are skinny, that helped with the perception of height. When he got older, and heavier, he lost an inch or two.
It was not about Andre's height. We all knew he was not 7'4" at WM3. It's his girth. The guy was massively wide as he was tall.
I agree, I saw him when he came to wrestle at my city. His proportions reminded me of a baby the way it has thick legs & arms. A 7 foot baby. He looked like if he fell on you he would kill you.
@@alfie8472 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 He was a massive dude. Therebis a pic of him and Arnold Schwarzenegger and Arnold looks like a dwarf compared to him.
@@micmaliss Arnold said they were eating at a restaurant one day & he offered to pay the bill. Andre would have none of it & playfully picked up Arnold like a child & placed him somewhere else like he weighed nothing.
@@alfie8472 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I truly believe that happened. Andre was a monster. The stories I've heard about what he did to Warrior is priceless.
@@micmaliss What did he do to Warrior?
Saw Barry in 1981 citrus county high school gymnasium. They had a show with the killer bees, sweet brown sugar, big John Studd, and more. Those were the days
Chuck’s Boots in Lee’s Summit, Mo has one of Andre’s cowboy boots on display. It is marked as a size 26EEEE.
No matter who it is, everyone becomes Andre's driver!
Well damn I was hoping for a my dad measured him and he was this tall kind of answer. This debate has been going on for years and Ive read or heard hundreds of opinions that people swear they know and they are all different. I started to read the comments and couldn't take it after a few lol
Andre sold the coliseum out on his first visit to my city. Andre wrestled the Hollywood Blondes, managed by Humperdink, in a handicapped match. Andre won and was swarmed by fans on his return to the locker room.
When Andre was young he was SEVERAL inches taller than Blackjack, who in turn was a couple inches taller than Barry.
Andre no doubt was a massively large human being. No only because of his height, but his weight, hands and feet size too. Clearly he was 7 foot at most based on his being maybe 6 inches taller than a 6’5” at most Hogan in his prime. 6’11” or 7 foot is still massive but pro wrestling back then exaggerated for larger than life cartoon characters. Maybe with the 6 inch Afro he was 7’4” lol 😂
Andre was paid by Watts to do height&weight in Shreveport (MidSouth)back in the early 80s.
He was 7’1.5”/425ish.
That's about right.
@Lyles music he shrunk down to that later on
I always loved Barry
There are photos from the set of Conan the Destroyer that show Andre standing next to Wilt Chamberlain. We know Wilt was 7'1, so it looks like Andre was 7 foot even.
I was 9 years old when I watched WrestleMania 3 live on pay-per-view. At the beginning of the match when Hogan and Andre were face to face, I could tell that Andre was not 7'4. Hogan seemed to be only 2 or 3 inches shorter than him. Andre's height seemed to diminish as he got into his older years as his weight seemed to increase. RIP Andre!
Even though he did lose a couple inches in height, it wasn't like he was 7'4 and lost 6 inches. You lose a couple inches.
If Hogan was around 6'5 then, then Andre was 6'9 and probably down from his 6'11 early days.
@@MrK623 agree
you have pinworm face jajajaja
Barry was so smooth in ring!
Watched Andre walk through a High school gym door in Washington state in 1981, He had to lower his head to not hit the top of the door frame, I was 5 foot from him. This was in the Don Owens territory, Also on that card Jesse Ventura, and the late great iron sheik.
Barry younger brother Kendall had a small restaurant on US 92 in seffner years ago we used to go there for lunch when I worked at lazy days RV the food was out of this world
Andre was definitely 7' mabey 7'1 as a young man. But during his days with the WWF in the 80s do to his weight,various surgeries, and the effects that "acromegaly" had on his body, he was probably around 6'9".
Don't you guys listen to the man who actually knew him? He said he was near 7 feet... which means under 7 feet.
Andres height changed over the years.. when he was young is when he was tallest, then started losing height as he got older
Andre was 7’1 at one point, but the guy never stopped growing. So he actually kept getting taller but he kind of would be looking shorter because of his hunch as he got older
Lol
He was mever 7 foot 1. Ever. The tallest he was he was about 6 foot 10
His appendages grew a little, not his height. Andre was actually
6'-10 1/2" tall.
@@LT1HILLINGHOE
Okay, but he was at least a legit 7’1 in his twenties when he was doing the lumberjack gimmick as Jean Farre
@@jefftaylor1186 He was 6'-10 1/2" his whole life.
He looked around 7 feet to 7'1" at the tallest (you can never tell with shoes on).
He had a huge afro when I seen him in 73.looked @ least 7' w/ that. Height was just a small part of it ,his features were huge.
He was such a massive guy. His height may have been exaggerated but his weight probably wasn’t. Easily over 500 lbs.
Barry's father (Blackjack Mulligan) wrestled Andre a lot.
I'd say Andre was a solid 7 foot in his prime. He always looks like he hunches tho. Even when he was young. Making him probably shorter. Once he got that big belly going made him shorter and shorter. There's always that photo of him standing next to wilt chamberlain who is a solid 7'1". Wilt was in movie clothes and Andre in street clothes. And they were more of less same height.
For me, the ultimate Horsemen lineup is Arn and Tully as tag champs. Barry as the US champ and Flair as the World champ.
HELL YESSS!!!!
Very windy the most natural professional wrestler in the ring he should I got a push for many years to come she can be a baby face she can be a heel he was the ultimate Performer or professional wrestler which ever one you want to call her thank you Mr. Barry for the years of joy you gave us
Nice 'Animals' album cover print in the background, WSI!
Loved loved loved Barry windham he was just a natural didn’t matter if he was a heel or face just a great worker and underrated
I don’t know why there is still so much debate on this. I think people don’t want to know the answer. It’s out there if you want to know the answer. He was 6’9”.
51 yrs old . Lost my virginity across the street from Eddie Graham sports stadium . Days of Dusty Barry, Black Jack , Butch Reed, Iron sheik great times. My childhood was a blast .
WE don't need t hear about your sex life pal.....
This guy was great in NWA 80S
I gotta get Andre The Giant to last call... 🤣🤣🤣
I seen him about 73 @ the Armory in Tampa, he had a big fro. Was probably 7'1or 2" w/ the fro.
I always figured Andre was about 6’11 at his peak. I saw a picture a few years ago of Andre on the set of Conan 2 standing with Wilt Chamberlain and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Wilt who was 7’1 is clearly a couple of inches taller than Andre and not only was Andre standing closer to the camera but Wilt was nearly 50 at the time. As others have mentioned however, Andre was big all around.
Yeah he was around 6'11" but due to his condition his hand size and facial features made him look more like a story book giant than tall NBA players look.
I agree Wilt was taller but not quite 2" taller than Andre. Don't forget, Wilt was wearing a big wig in those photos, which made him look even taller than he was.
Chamberlain was 7'1" with no shoes. They used to measure basketball players with no shoes now it's with shoes
Looks like "Captain Keith" from Deadliest Catch
Andre's height doesn't matter. He had a white boy afro that was 3 to 4 inches tall easy. He towered over everyone and usually had 150 pounds + on his opponent. Especially in his later years he was well over 400 pounds. The character of Andre the Giant was always The Star wherever he went.
Think it was once said he was measured 6'11" in France. Also read his autopsy said 6'9" but also noted some spine curvature. Put a guy that size in boots and have and afro and people will believe 7'4".
7'5 with Vince at Ring side standing on a empty Box of Beer that he drank ..
If you consider the "weight" of Andre's midsection, it isn't hard to believe that all that girth could aggravate his spinal curvature, and accelerate the rate at which he lost height.
He measured 214 cm in France at a young age. That's 7'.
@@KISSFanBD That is possible that was his absolute peak before his back messed him up.
Nice to see Barry.
Andre's head was about as big as a normal person's torso. His hands were bigger than your feet. He wasn't the tallest person to ever live, but he was probably the most athletic person to ever be diagnosed with "gigantism."
when I was a cop I met tall guys all the time. me and the other cops made it a fun little competition when we were bored. tallest guys we ever met. for me it was a former NBA player. dude came to the station and I shined with glee because I knew in that moment I had the new record. Dude told me he was 6 foot 11. let me tell you in real life 6 foot 11 is insanely tall
One of the all time greats!
Andre was definitely BILLED at 7 foot 4 inch. Not unbelievable. But people only see Andre when he was already 20 years in the business and at his most popular. He definitely lost height, hunched more, bad knees, when he went to WWF. Before going to WWF, he was definitely 7 foot 1 in. Just too much mileage in the business will wear you down. Every wrestler loses height if they been in wrestling for more than 7 years. Its tough on the body.
I feel like James should put a playlist together of Andre drinking stories.
Andre was never the full 7'4" he was billed as, but he was still very tall. I know people throw around the 6'10" figure, but that would have been around the time of his death and after his spine had been curving too much for a long time. In his prime he was likely 7' or slightly over. Besides his height, he with thick. You could find a basketball player taller than him, but Andre's wrists would be bigger around, his hands were bigger, his ribcage with much bigger. There is more to the size of a man's frame than height alone.
andre was actually 8'4". they kayfabed him shorter not to freak people out actually
nice lol.
I would say Andre was about 6'11/ 7' feet as well. There is a picture of Andre with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Wilt Chamberlain. They both were holding Arnold up, so they were side-by-side. Wilt was standing well over Andre, and Wilt's only 7'1. So Barry's telling the TRUTH.
Bray Wyatt's uncle, the legendary Barry Windham used to be the tag-team partner of Mike Rotunda (Wyatt's father).