4) Challenging Andre To A Drinking Contest
Ken Patera told the funny story of him drinking with Andre the Giant. They were in Las Vegas for a show and himself, Andre, Dick Murdoch, Dino Bravo, and Captain Lou Albano decided to go to Caesar’s Palace before the show.
Patera says that Murdoch challenged Andre to a beer drinking contest at Caesar’s palace bar. Andre could never pass up a challenge, so they all kept track with their bottle caps.
The contest lasted from 9 o’clock in the morning until about 5 or 6 pm. The final tally according to Patera was:
“Andre had 116 bottle caps in his bucket. Frank Valois, Andre’s manager had like 65. Understand, he was 60 years old… I had 46”
I am not sure what is more impressive, Andre drinking 116 or his 60-year-old manager drinking 65.
The best part of the story is that Patera and Andre had to wrestle that same night. They were told that they needed to fill 16 minutes of TV time in their match. They did their best to avoid each other for the entire time, only locking up a few times. He says that they definitely phoned the match in but the crowd was still going wild for them.
Safe to say that it wasn’t a smart idea to challenge Andre to a drinking contest.
3) The Andre Screwdriver Story
Bobby Heenan has been the manager of many famous wrestlers during his legendary career. One of the names that stands out on the list is Andre the Giant. As you can imagine, the two traveled together during that time and Heenan has some stories.
Heenan told the story about Andre ordering a drink on a plane ride that they were on together:
“We got on the plane one morning in Chicago going to Omaha. Andre liked to have a few [drinks] in the morning…like four or five triples. So he gets on the plane and we’re in first class and he’s pulling up the armrest between the seats – you know, remove that and it gives him a little more room. The Stewardess comes by and she says, ‘What can I get you?’ So Andre says, ‘SCREWDRIVER.
About 10 minutes goes by and she comes back and hands him a screwdriver – a Black And Decker screwdriver! You know what Andre says to her? ‘WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE BROUGHT ME IF I’D HAVE SAID A BLOODY MARY?’ I take the stewardess aside and I said, ‘Look, you may be new to this, but this might help you with your job…if a guy gets on the plane and he’s seven-foot-five and he weighs 550 pounds and he’s tanked…don’t bring him tools. What if the guy wanted a Jackhammer?’”
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