While wrestling is filled with larger than life characters who captured the collective imaginations of fans, it's hard to imagine anyone superseding André the Giant in that regard. Even though he died in 1993, his legacy continues to loom large over the business, as does his influence on all the big men that came after him. André's career was filled with amazing matches but some definitely stood out above the rest.

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10 WrestleMania I

André's ongoing feud with Big John Studd throughout the early 1980s was a huge part of WWF programming. At the core of their rivalry was Studd, who was also a huge man, claiming that he was the true giant of WWF and could not be body slammed. This was despite the fact that he had been repeatedly slammed by multiple wrestlers, including André. It all built up to a match at the first WrestleMania between André and Studd that could only be won by body slamming your opponent. André prevailed and won $15,000.

9 Beating Chuck Wepner By Countout

Having wrestlers face athletes from other sports, like boxing or MMA fighters, is nothing new. In 1976, André took on professional boxer Chuck Wepner, a match he won by countout after throwing Wepner over the top rope.

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The crazy part about this was that is wasn't the main event. It was an undercard match. The main event that evening was Antonio Inoki versus Muhammad Ali. That would have been one hell of a card to be in the audience for.

8 Debut WWWF Match

While André did wrestle around the world, he was best known for his work in the WWF. He debuted with the company that was then known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation on March 26, 1973. He faced off against Buddy Wolfe in one of the best known arenas in the world, Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was an auspicious start for the man who would become one of the most legendary figures in the industry.

7 André Vs Damien

Towards the end of his wrestling career, André's health was seriously in decline and he couldn't perform in the ring as consistently as he used to. One of his final major feuds was against Jake "The Snake" Roberts.

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While André dwarfed him in size, Roberts had the psychological advantage thanks to his snake, Damien. André was reputedly afraid of snakes. It culminated in a match at WrestleMania V, one of the better singles matches of André's late career.

6 Submitted By Antonio Inoki

When you talk about international wrestling greats, the name Antonio Inoki will inevitably come up. He founded NJPW and was the inaugural IWGP Champions. Inoki wrestled two matches with Ric Flair in North Korea in 1995 that drew attendance numbers of 150,000 and 190,00 respectively. He also faced André in 1986 in an epic battle that ended with André submitting to Inoki.  André the Giant being finished off via submission was not a common sight

5 60 Minute Draw With Harley Race

Describing the late Harley Race as one of the most iconic figures in the history of professional wrestling might not do the man's career justice. He held multiple championships in NWA and is one of six wrestlers to have been inducted into several wrestling Hall of Fames.

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When he and André faced off, it was a big deal. Their matches usually ended in draws to preserve both men's respective characters. One of their best matches was an hour long epic that ended in a draw, showing both men as the legendary wrestlers they were.

4 WrestleMania 2

Nothing makes a wrestler look more dominant than winning a 20-man battle royal. The one that took place at WrestleMania 2 was unique in that it featured a mix of WWF and NFL talent, including the legendary William "The Refrigerator" Perry. The final three men in the ring were André and The Hart Foundation. André first took out Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, then turned his attentions to Bret "The Hitman" Hart. As one would expect, André won the match and had two wins in a row at WrestleMania.

3 First Singles Championship

The "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase had been trying for a long time to buy the WWF World Heavyweight Championship off of Hulk Hogan. Naturally, Hogan refused to sell it so DiBiase brought in André the Giant. On The Main Event, the two men faced each other and André won his first championship thanks to dubious reffing.

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André ultimately sold the belt to DiBiase. WWF President Jack Tunney declared the title vacant, leading to a tournament to decide the new champion. André and Hogan would face off one more time in that tournament.

2 WrestleMania III

The match at WrestleMania III was a high watermark for both André the Giant and Hulk Hogan. In their previous meetings years earlier, André was the babyface and Hulk was the heel. Now, Hogan was the face and super over with the fans on a new level. Hulk defeated André with a body slam followed by a leg drop. For many WWF fans, it was the first time seeing André get slammed. In reality, he had been slammed by several wrestlers prior to that, including Hogan and Harley Race. While André's health issues were catching up with him and he was not at his physical peak, this match was a key point in wrestling history as it made Hogan into an absolute legend.

1 Mongolian Stretcher Match

In 1981, André feuded the "Mongolian Giant'' Killer Khan. Their animosity came from Khan kayfabe breaking André's ankle in a match. In reality, André broke his ankle getting out of bed and they needed a way to explain it in the story. But this led to what was considered by many to be the best wrestling feud of 1981, which culminated in a Mongolian Stretcher Match. It ended with the loser being taken back to the dressing room on a stretcher. Their feud packed venues for months.

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