20 Biggest Myths WWE Tells About Its History
5. André's Size Lies
The Myth: André the Giant was 7’5” and 500 lbs.
The Truth: André was a huge man indeed, but never approached these incredible numbers, especially not simultaneously. André was at his tallest in his youth, before the twin ravages of acromegaly and age caused his spine to deform and compress, shrinking him.
When he was young, however, he was also lithe, and lacking the hulking presence we associate with him today. At 24 years of age, the young André was measured by a decidedly non-kayfabe French athletic commission at 6’11”.
Even in his late 30’s, when he cut his most impressive figure, plenty of tricks were employed to make André look bigger than he was. He'd stand on a phone book during interview segments, for example, to further dwarf Gene Okerlund and make him seem almost supernatural.
That's why, despite being the same shoot height as Colin Cassady, he's like ten feet tall when he shows up in WWE video games.