12 Things We Learned From The Eighth Wonder Of The World: The True Story Of André The Giant
10. He Debuted On TV Only Two Weeks After His First Match
As mentioned, André's first official in-ring match came on January 25, 1966 in a victorious effort against Ted Lamar.
In a call that would be a hot-shot decision in any decade, André would find himself making his TV debut barely two weeks after that first match. That first television appearance came on February 11, 1966 as part of a deal between promoters Obert Lageat and Étienne Siry and matchmaker Maurice Durand, and the Giant's appearance here is the first known footage of André Roussimoff in any form or fashion.
On that night, André would be billed as 7'1" and 330 lbs, and even back then he was using the 'over the top rope' entrance of his that would become so famous throughout his career.
André didn't actually compete on that February 11 night. Instead, he was merely introduced to the ring as a spectacle and as a way to hype his first televised match just two nights later. And in between those days, February 12 saw him partake in his first televised interview and a public workout of sorts.
At this point in time, the 19-year-old André was billed as a lumberjack who spent his days chopping wood and drinking milk - a far different André to the roaring, wine-guzzling figure we'd come to see later down the line in the life and times of André the Giant.