Wrestlers Andre The Giant Loved & Hated

Andre The Giant’s WWE career spanned almost 20 years throughout the 1970s to the early 1990s, meaning he rubbed his particularly large shoulders with many of the WWE’s Golden Age stars.

A great many publications have reported on the mythical backstage stories of Andre The Giant during his time in the WWE, but few have delved into those he held in high regard backstage, as well as those he didn’t get on terribly well with during his career.

UPDATE: 2024/05/09 18:30 EST BY MICHAEL CHIN

Andre The Giant Remains Relevant To This Day

Andre the Giant was a one of a kind spectacle in the world of professional wrestling. While plenty of big men have followed, none have quite matched his aura, and it’s telling that even thirty years after his passing, his name remains relevant to this day. In addition to his memorable performances in front of lively crowds of wrestling fans, Andre drew big reactions behind the scenes. Like many wrestlers, he struck some tremendous friendships among his colleagues backstage, including some that modern talents have made the public aware of. The Eighth Wonder of the World wasn’t above some conflict too, though, and was known to hold grudges against some of his contemporaries.

Andre The Giant Loved Peter Maivia

The Rock Drew Attention To This Legendary Friendship

• The Rock posted a photo of his grandfather and Andre the Giant to social media.
• The Rock revealed Peter Maivia wrestled Andre the Giant nightly and they were close friends behind the scenes.
• Andre the Giant and Peter Maivia are both now WWE Hall of Famers.

Long after Andre the Giant had passed, it was the grandson of one of his best friends who drew fans’ attention to a deep bond from yesteryear. The Rock took to social media (h/t People) about the special relationship between the Giant and High Chief Peter Maivia.

The Great One referenced Andre and Maivia wrestling together often and shared a photo of The Eighth Wonder of the World sitting on his grandfather’s lap, easily dwarfing the three-hundred-plus pounder. The two beamed in the photo, demonstrative of their easy friendship.

Andre The Giant Didn’t Love Kamala

There’s A History Of Wrestling’s Giants Having Heat With Each Other

• Big men have a history of worrying about one stealing the other’s spotlight.
• Kamala pulled a gun on Andre the Giant coming out of one dispute.
• Kamala indicated he and Andre became friends down the road.

More than a few figures in the wrestling history have commented on “giant heat.” Whereas one might assume that the physically largest men in the business might hang out, enjoying a specific kind of camaraderie or ability to commiserate with the challenges of traveling at their size, it turns out that’s often not been the case. Rather giants have resented one another out of a sense they’re competing for the same spot or one is making the other look less special to the fans.

Whether giant heat was the core issue, or just a subtext, Kamala and Andre the Giant had their issues. That includes the two having a heated exchange after a miscommunication in one match, that infamously led to Kamala pulling a gun on Andre. Fortunately, the two big men ultimately resolved their differences and from Kamala’s own account even became friends down the road from this incident.

Andre The Giant Loved Bruno Sammartino

Bruno Sammartino Was A Defining World Champion Of Andre The Giant’s Prime

• Bruno is on the short list of wrestlers whose legendary status can begin to compete with that of Andre the Giant.
• Andre the Giant traveled between territories a great deal.
• While Andre was in New York, Bruno Sammartino spent a lot of time with him.

One of the few figures in wrestling history whose legendary status rivals Andre the Giant’s is Bruno Sammartino, on account of his long run on top of WWE in the fledgling days of the promotion splintering from the National Wrestling Alliance. Sammartino and Andre crossed paths numerous times over the year.

The Living Legend told stories about their interactions, including that Andre didn’t like to be alone, so when he was coming through Sammartino’s territory, he’d often spend a great deal of time with him socially, even away from the arena.

Andre The Giant Didn’t Love Bad News Brown

Bad News Brown Was Up For Fighting Andre The Giant

• Bad News Brown was famously a real life tough guy.
• Bad News Brown felt Andre the Giant had disrespected him because of his race.
• Bad News Brown challenged Andre to fight him in Japan.

Bad News Brown famously never backed down from confrontation behind the scenes and he more than once found himself at odds with Andre the Giant. Whereas Andre was big and imposing enough that most of his colleagues readily accommodated whatever he wanted, Brown didn’t shy away from heat with the Giant.

The history between the two included Brown challenging Andre to shoot fight in Japan after he felt he’d been disrespected from his race, as well as an infamous incident years later in which Andre purportedly defecated in the ring, and proceeded to nonetheless hit Brown with his signature butt bump offensive maneuver.

Andre The Giant Loved Bret Hart

Andre The Giant Requested To Work With Bret Hart

• Bret Hart rose to the top of the wrestling world right around when Andre the Giant passed.
• Bret Hart and Andre the Giant worked together on a few occasions.
• Bret Hart gifted Andre the Giant one of his hand-drawn cartoons.

Although Bret Hart’s ascent to the top of WWE happened months before Andre The Giant passed away, Hart’s early days in the WWE saw him travel and become friends with Andre. There was even a rare match between the two that was featured on the DVD set Bret Hart: The Dungeon Collection in Milan, Italy back in 1989. Hart was nervous about being paired with Andre originally but was calmed after Andre told him that he requested to work with Hitman, respecting his ability.

Shortly before WrestleMania 6, Hart even gifted Andre one of his cartoons which Andre was touched emotionally by.

Andre The Giant Hated The Iron Sheik

Andre The Giant And The Iron Sheik Worked Stiffly With Each Other

• Andre the Giant resented The Iron Sheik thinking of himself as a tough guy.
• Andre was stiff with The Iron Sheik to put him in his place.
• The Iron Sheik had beef with Andre the Giant for shunning a fan as well.

Iron Sheik might be beloved by fans for his hilarious social media account and his years of service in the ring, Andre The GIant was far from a fan of the Iranian amateur wrestler.

Hulk Hogan stated in Andre’s HBO documentary that if you saw yourself as a “tough guy” in the locker room, Andre would make it clear who was in control.

Sheik had a reputation of being stiff with others and Andre didn’t like that, so he gave Sheik a taste of his own medicine. Sheik was not happy with being stiffed by the massive Frenchman and Sheik also alleges that Andre told a fan asking for an autograph at a show to “f*** off” which didn’t sit right with Sheik

Andre The Giant Loved Bobby Heenan

Bobby Heenan Was Synonymous With Andre The Giant’s Heel Run

• Bobby Heenan was widely respected, and Andre the Giant was among those who held him in high esteem.
• The two worked together in a variety of contexts.
• Bobby Heenan was a key part of Andre’s heel act opposite Hulk Hogan.

Nobody hates Bobby Heenan in the pro wrestling business and in fact, almost everybody trips over themselves praising the man who many consider to be the greatest manager in wrestling history. You can count Andre The Giant among those who loved Heenan.

Heenan managed Andre during The GIant’s biggest run in WWE and grew close to him over their years together. Heenan was a true confidant with Andre and respect flowed both ways as Andre held a lot of love for the weasel manager.

Andre The Giant Hated Big Boss Man

Andre The Giant Was Wary Of The Big Boss Man Stealing His Spot

• The Big Boss Man was large, but Andre the Giant dwarfed him.
• Andre the Giant was suspicious of Boss Man coming for his spot as a big man heel.
• The Big Boss Man avoided the conflict.

Despite being a name like Big Boss Man, Ray Traylor may as well have been a cruiserweight compared to Andre The Giant. However, that didn’t stop The Giant from not being a fan of this 1990s WWE midcarder staple.

By all accounts, Boss Man was very respectful to Andre and loved by most but just like many other bigger wrestlers, Andre didn’t like him as he believed that Traylor was trying to steal Andre’s spot as the “big man” of WWE. There was no major incident between the two as Boss Man steered clear of Andre but the fact remains that Andre was not a fan of this colleague.

Andre The Giant Loved Rocky Johnson

The Young Rock Series Depicted This Friendship

• Rocky Johnson was a trailblazer as a black star in wrestling.
• Rocky Johnson and Andre the Giant were friends behind the scenes.
• In some ways, Andre the Giant paved the way for Dwayne Johnson’s Hollywood career.

Rocky Johnson, The Rock’s father, sadly passed away following a trailblazing wrestling career which including becoming one of the first ever black champions in the WWE. As The Rock has reflected on many an occasion, his father and the 8th Wonder Of The World were friends outside of the ring, with several stories and photographs holding testament to the fact, in addition to it being depicted on the Young Rock series.

In many ways Andre himself paved the way for The Rock’s now burgeoning Hollywood stardom, as he was one of the first wrestlers to earn a major role in Hollywood with The Princess Bride, and his own posthumous feature film in the works.

Andre The Giant Didn’t Love The Fabulous Freebirds

The Freebirds Let Their Partying Get In The Way Of Their Job

• The Fabulous Freebrids were one of wrestling’s most noteworthy trios.
• Andre the Giant found The Freebirds unprofessional.
• Andre the Giant delivered the news when WWE let The Freebirds go for missing a show.

The Fabulous Freebirds were a trio consisting of Michael PS Hayes, Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts, who were one of the first notable trios in professional wrestling. The Freebirds were well-known for their antics outside of the ring, something that Andre didn’t take too kindly to on the occasions where they wrestled for the same company.

One time they were too drunk to make a plane journey to a WWE show the next day, so when they did finally turn up it was Andre himself who informed them that they were fired from the company. Despite tales of his drinking prowess, Andre was a professional unlike many other wrestlers at the time.

Andre The Giant Loved Vince McMahon

Vince McMahon Solidified Andre The Giant’s Legacy In The Golden Era

• Vince McMahon was moved to tears when he reminisced about Andre the Giant.
• Vince McMahon and Andre the Giant had a bond during their time working together.
• Andre the Giant’s heel run under Vince McMahon helped elevate his legacy further and further push Hulk Hogan to legendary status.

As can clearly be seen during the HBO documentary on Andre The Giant, Vince McMahon always held a special place in his heart for The Giant. The director of the documentary, Jason Hehir, managed something thoroughly miraculous in actually making the one and only Vince McMahon cry during filming as he reminisced on Andre and what he meant to him.

Vince is renowned for his tough-guy exterior, so to witness him get so emotional over one of his former superstars, shows that even despite some fallings-out between the two men over the years, they had a strong relationship that remains powerful long after Andre’s passing.

Andre The Giant Didn’t Love The Ultimate Warrior

The Ultimate Warrior Had A Tendency To Rub Colleagues The Wrong Way

• Toward the end of Andre the Giant’s career, he feuded with The Ultimate Warrior.
• A lot of wrestlers complained about The Ultimate Warrior.
• Andre the Giant said The Ultimate Warrior was stiff with him in the ring and took it upon himself to put the babyface in his place.

The dislike between these two actually stemmed from in-ring competition rather than backstage behavior, as they wrestled during a house show in the latter days of Andre’s career. Warrior was known at the time for being hard to work with due to his training and his ego; Andre felt that Warrior continued to stiff him (hit him unnecessarily hard) during the tour.

They regularly did a clothesline spot during their matches where Andre would be knocked into the ropes; having enough of Warrior’s antics, as he ran for the spot Andre simply lifted his humongous fist, which Warrior ran face-first into, nearly knocking himself out. It wasn’t one of Warrior’s best matches, but he learned his lesson and didn’t stiff Andre again.

Andre The Giant Loved Stephanie McMahon

Stephanie McMahon Was Just A Child When She Befriended Andre The Giant

• Stephanie McMahon has recounted that she could fit in the palm of Andre the Giant’s hand when she was three.
• Stephanie McMahon and Andre the Giant were friends throughout her childhood.
• Vince McMahon remembered fondly the sight of Stephanie growing up next to Andre.

Part of the reason why Vince became so emotional during the HBO documentary and in reliving his relationship was Andre, was sharing stories of the bond The Giant shared with his daughter Stephanie. Stephanie met Andre when she was just 3 years old, with one story re-told by Stephanie being that she fit into the palm of his hand at the time.

Linda McMahon called Andre Stephanie’s Gulliver, and the two would become great friends as she grew up, something that Vince himself still thinks of fondly.

Andre The Giant Didn’t Love Hulk Hogan (In The Early Days)

Andre The Giant Didn’t Agree With A Young Hulkster’s Approach To Wrestling

• Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant had one of the most famous rivalries in wrestling history.
• Andre the Gianthad qualms about Hulk Hogan early in his career.
• Andre the Giant resented Hulk Hogan writing notes to plan before matches.

Two of the greatest rivals in wrestling history, responsible for the WrestleMania III main event and the body slam that is iconic to this very day, but Andre and Hogan had their qualms with each other during the early stages of Hogan’s career.

Hogan revealed that he had written notes before the match, something Andre didn’t agree with, and that he had gotten on Andre’s bad side before, when he was receiving a push in the WWE initially. He also revealed during this interview with Sports Illustrated that had he shown Andre his notes, the two would have had even more heat than in the past.

Andre The Giant Loved Hulk Hogan (In The Later Days)

Andre The Giant And Hulk Hogan Drew Huge Numbers Together

• Hulk Hogan acknowledged Andre the Giant was a bigger star than he was.
• Hulk Hogan called Andre a gentle giant.
• Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant put together one of the most legendary rivalries of all time.

Despite having some early animosity towards Hogan for the huge push he was receiving, the two men eventually got on quite well backstage. During a WrestleMania Rewind shown on the WWE Network, Hogan did the unthinkable and actually said that Andre The Giant was a bigger star than he was, and that he paved the way for absolutely every successive megastar in the WWE, from Hogan himself to guys like The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Not only does Hogan hold Andre’s career in high regard, he acknowledges his demeanor as a gentle giant despite the nastiness he often received due to his height.

Andre The Giant Didn’t Love Randy Savage

Randy Savage Was Widely Respected But Rubbed Andre The Giant The Wrong Way

• Andre the Giant disliked The Macho Man throughout his run.
• Andre resented Randy Savage wearing so much baby oil, but The Macho Man said it was part of his gimmick and refused to stop.
• Andre the Giant was friendly with Savage’s brother, Lanny Poffo.

One backstage rivalry that Andre The Giant had with another superstar in the Golden Era of the WWE which is extensively covered in his HBO documentary is the dislike he held towards The Macho Man Randy Savage. There is a rather amusing reason for this in hindsight, as much of this dislike stems from Savage’s use of baby oil before matches; Andre hated how much baby oil he used before every match, with Savage saying it was his gimmick and refusing to stop.

Despite their rivalry, Andre did get on with Savage’s brother Lanny, who fondly remembers even today how much Andre loved playing cards backstage.

Andre The Giant Loved Ted DiBiase

Ted Dibiase Was A Good Heel Partner In The Twilight Of Andre The Giant’s Career

• Andre the Giant and Ted Dibiase got along well behind the scenes.
• On screen, The Mega Bucks were top heels opposite The Mega Powers, Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage.
• The Million Dollar Man and Andre were involved in a legendary angle that involved twin referees and the buying and selling of the WWE Championship.

Andre The Giant and The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase got on very well during their time in the WWE, so much so that they formed one of the most famous tag-teams of the era, The Mega Bucks.

They were both involved in the infamous storyline when Andre tried to sell the WWE Championship to DiBiase, and likely got on well backstage thanks to working so closely in the ring. One wrestler with words who Andre The Giant loved in addition to the above was the playwright Samuel Beckett, who famously drove Andre to school in his van because he wouldn’t fit on the school bus.

Andre The Giant Didn’t Love Big John Studd

Andre The Giant And Big John Studd Were Opponents At WrestleMania 1

• Professional jealousies drove a wedge between Big John Studd and Andre the Giant.
• Andre the Giant could make performers he liked look sensational by selling their offense.
• Andre never allowed Big John Studd to look good in the ring.

Big John Studd and Andre The Giant hated each other; Andre felt that Studd was trying to take his spot as the giant wrestler in the WWE, which meant the two men never saw eye to eye with one another. This transferred itself into the ring, as Andre would never work well with Studd and never allowed him to look good when he was in the ring with him, despite the two big men being defining big men of the Golden Era, booked opposite one another quite a few times.

He deployed similar tactics with other wrestler he disliked during the era, including The Iron Sheik; if Andre liked you, he was a caring and considerate friend, but if he didn’t he would ensure to let you know about it.