6. Andre The Giant (1946-1993)
Cause of death: Congestive Heart Failure - Aged 46 While Andre's death could hardly be considered a surprise (he was an ailing 7'5", 550 pound giant after all), the circumstances of his death were no less tragic. Andre died in his sleep on January 27, 1993 while attending his father's funeral in Paris, France. Many wrestling fans (myself included) remember exactly where they were when they learned of Andre's death as if they were again being told that Santa Claus wasn't real. Yes, we all knew that Andre looked terrible (watch his ghastly final WWE appearance at Summerslam '91
here), but as a bona fide larger-than-life gentle giant, it was easy to take his immortality for granted.
Impact of Andre's Death Of course no one thought Andre would live out his days as the world's oldest giant; however, his sudden death stunned and deeply saddened the wrestling industry nonetheless. Andre the Giant was once the biggest box-office draw in the history of professional wrestling, and at one point, he was also the highest paid professional athlete in the world. His death at the age of 46 reminded us all of our own mortality, and he was the first big-name "Hulkamania-era" wrestler to die tragically young. WWE honored his legacy with their first ever televised 10-bell salute on the February 1, 1993 edition on Monday Night RAW, and the WWE Hall of Fame itself was created later in the year to induct Andre as its first official member. More than two decades following his death, Andre continues to have a towering influence on the world professional wrestling. At the 30th anniversary of Wrestlemania earlier this month, the 1st annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal was announced by longtime friend and Wrestlemania III opponent Hulk Hogan. WWE will undoubtedly use this annual event to give a huge push to one of its up-and-coming superstars, as we saw this year with Cesaro's jaw-droppingly spectacular Wrestlemania moment. Read Andre the Giant's
official death certificate here. Spoiler alert: it's written in French.
