Twitter Reacts to HBO's Andre the Giant Documentary

Without Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan doesn't have his career's most iconic moment. Without Andre the Giant, there may have never been a pro wrestling boom in the 1980s. Without Andre the Giant, wrestling still may be a regional niche rather than the billion-dollar business it is today.

Andre's story finally got its due Tuesday night in the form of an HBO documentary, Andre the Giant, which charts his rise from a small village in France to becoming an international phenomenon to his untimely death at age 46.

Born Andre Rene Roussimoff, his story is unlike anything we'd seen before or have seen since. He was discovered as a teenager and began touring the world throughout the 1970s before being diagnosed with acromegaly while working in Japan.

The disorder causes excess hormones and uncontrolled growth, particularly in the hands and feet. Andre's feelings about his stature—particularly the people who would make fun of him—were a focus of the documentary.

Once Andre the Giant made his way to the United States, there was no stopping him. Literally. He spent years being billed as "undefeated," though it was far easier back in those days to fudge the records—which WWE did (heavily).

Positioned as a fun-loving babyface and gentle giant early in his career, Andre turned heel for one purpose—putting Hogan over and making him the biggest star in the sport. And it worked. Hogan's powerslam of Andre at WrestleMania III remains one of the most iconic moments in wrestling history.

Hogan was a major focus of the documentary, as many noted:

"

tfw the Andre The Giant documentary somehow turns into a Hulk Hogan documentary pic.twitter.com/NOjtblFMJM

— Capt. Hyman Shocker (@AnthraxJones) April 11, 2018"

Otherwise, the tweeps went out of their way to compliment the documentary as a celebration of Andre's life: