8 Andre the Giant’s induction into the Hall Of Fame
1993 saw the introduction of the WWE Hall of Fame and its first inductee was none other than the eighth wonder of the world, Andre the Giant. Andre had been struggling with illness for a number of years and finally lost his last battle in January 1993, succumbing to heart failure.
The company clearly had to find a way to recognise Andre for his many many years of service, and the way he was able to elevate not just the company, but the entire industry high above his massive shoulders. Andre can be credited with supplanting Hulkamania as synonymous with the WWF, and for that at alone he was worthy of the biggest send-off imaginable.
The Hall of Fame has become a staple of the WWF calendar ever since and remains to this day the highest accolade a former Superstar can hope for.
It has brought old wrestlers back into the fold after years in the wilderness, helped the company’s male and female employees find some stability in their lives and now serves as the spiritual home of Conor’s Cure, a charity set up to tackle paediatric cancer, and it all started with Andre the Giant in 1993.
