André The Giant's Height

SI Wrestling Staff | Jan 2, 2025

IMAGO / Capital Pictures

André the Giant's billed height was 7 feet, 4 inches tall. That's 88 inches, or 223.52 centimeters.

André the Giant, born André René Roussimoff, was a global icon and pro wrestling legend. Standing an 7 feet 4 inches tall and weighing over 500 pounds at his peak, his size and strength earned him the nickname "The Eighth Wonder of the World."

IMAGO / Capital Pictures

Per WWE, his billed height was seven feet, four inches tall. However, there has been some debate about his exact height through the years, with various sources suggesting he was likely shorter.

Andre the Giant and Kareem Abdul Jabbar lift Arnold Schwarzenneger / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

A book titled "The Eighth Wonder of the World: The True Story of André the Giant," includes a chapter on André's height. Selected excerpts below:

The very first TV interview André did in January 1966, he said he was two meters 10. (France uses the international system of units: meters, centimeters and kilograms.) Two meters 10 is six foot 10. A poster from September 1966 listed him as "2m08," which is kind of funny to think that someone would intentionally lowball the giant's height. Was it that or a simple mistake? We'll never know.

- The Eighth Wonder of the World, Ch. 7

Andre the Giant lifts four women in 1972 / IMAGO / MediaPunch

As years went by, French posters increased his height slightly: he was two meters 12 (six foot 11.5) by 1968. On the poster from his last show in France before coming to Montreal in 1971, his height is two meters 14, which is just over seven feet.

- The Eighth Wonder of the World, Ch. 7

The only official document where his height was mentioned was on his French passport (he never became an American or Canadian citizen) and it said two meters 18, which is a little under seven foot two.

- The Eighth Wonder of the World, Ch. 7

Andre the Giant and Mike Pappas in1974 / IMAGO / MediaPunch

Adding to the legend, there is Tony St. Clair's story. The wrestler was present in 1969 when André's height was measured in England. "He was seven foot one, with this wrestling shoes on," remembered St. Clair. Those shoes were not as thick as wrestling boots are today, adding only about an inch to his real height. That brings his height to about seven feet, or two meters 14.

- The Eighth Wonder of the World, Ch. 7

Whether he was 7'4" or not, the wrestling and entertainment legend remains an unforgettable figure whose presence transcended numbers, captivating fans and audiences with his larger-than-life size and persona.