12 Things We Learned From The Eighth Wonder Of The World: The True Story Of André The Giant

When done right, books about the characters and individuals involved in the professional wrestling business can be utterly fascinating reads. And here in 2020, we've now been given a book about André the Giant that gives a stunning glimpse into the life and times of the iconic André Roussimoff.

From writers Bertrand Hébert and Pat Laprade (who was also a key figure in HBO's jaw-dropping André the Giant documentary from 2018), The Eighth Wonder of the World: The True Story of André the Giant is a must-read for any and all with even a fleeting interest in the wrestling business or in the mesmeric André.

At times, we've seen wrestling-driven reads laced in humour and wit, yet The Eighth Wonder of the World is a book that is so deep and intense in its facts and reference, it's brimming with information and stories that even the most ardent of wrestling die-hards will be completely unaware of.

Having now had the chance to read this highly recommended book on one of pop culture's greatest figures, then, here are 12 things that we learned from The Eighth Wonder of the World: The True Story of André the Giant.

To some, the wrestling newsletters - the dirt sheets, if you will - are a stain on the industry, while to others people like Dave Meltzer and Wade Keller are viewed as iconic wrestling historians whose expertise and insight is a highly valued commodity.

For those who like to bash Meltzer for his supposed anti-WWE sentiment, The Eighth Wonder of the World actually finds The Wrestling Observer Newsletter founder giving props to WWE for delivering the two most important matches in the modern era of professional wrestling-turned-sports entertainment.

In the early part of this André book, Uncle Dave credits Hulk Hogan vs. André the Giant and Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels as being the two most pivotal matches in recent wrestling times.

As Meltzer is quoted in The Eighth Wonder of the World, “The Hogan-André match at WrestleMania III and the Bret-Shawn match in Montreal in 1997 are the two most important matches in the history of modern wrestling."

Whether you agree with Dave on this or not, there's clearly an argument to be made for these two matches being held in such regard.

For Hogan vs. André, that match only further cemented Hulk's spot at the top of the wrestling tree, and it is a contest that brought a ridiculous amount of eyes to the then-WWF at WrestleMania III. For Hart vs. Michaels at Survivor Series 1997, that match is one that's often viewed as one of the true launching points of the Attitude Era and was key to the creation of the Mr. McMahon wrestling character who would prove such the perfect foil for 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin.