Andre the Giant vs The Undertaker

[mkw]

I dont know who told you all this bullshit but you couldnt be more wrong
He was in the WWF since 1973, a 20 year run
He didnt start off teaming with Hogan, they feuded in the early 80's including a big match at Shea Stadium
He was pinned clean multiple times in multiple territories by several different wrestlers, long before Hogan at Wrestlemania III
After Wrestllemania III, he main evented the very first Survivor Series and The Main Event, which was the most watched match in television history

I am aware of Andre's work in the territories. I was referring to his WMIII program specifically because I feel that is when he had the most prolonged week-to-week exposure and the biggest platform, the situation most comparable to Undertaker's WWF/E career in an era of weekly TV and PPV build. The essence of what I am saying is that Andre was always an attraction, whereas Undertaker was more versatile. Undertaker could carry a promotion as a champion, Andre was never a champion because of his inherent limitations. He worked better by appearing occasionally and adding excitement to a territory before he could get stale. As you said, he did lose cleanly in the territories, which was my point about how he was used as an accessory to get other guys and programs over. Andre is never the focal point because he is never the long term goal for anyone.

Perhaps I generalized too much, but I stand by that idea. Andre came in and out of territories on a rotating basis, including the WWF, until his end run. Although 'Taker had qualities of an attraction, he could also be used on a perennial week-to-week basis to carry a company.

 

[Zaynbrahh]

WWE themselves ranked Taker as the greatest big man and this was several years ago.

https://www.wwe.com/amp/classics/classic-lists/the-30-best-big-men-in-wrestling-history
Taker is #1 without a doubt, probably the greatest professional wrestler of all time not just big man and Andre is #2 big man

 

[BigSexy444]

I went with Taker but fully admit I haven't seen much of Andre pre-Hulkamania. Both are absolute icons in the business.

 

[My Spot]

Andre never came out to Limp Bizkit.

 

[the ambush]

Undertaker for having more big matches

 

[Belaya Smert]

Poll is embarrassing. The Giant would have trucked The Undertaker.

 

[Fugazy]

Taker's matches with brock and goldberg were the drizzling shits.

Hell in a Cell where Taker had a “broken arm” was a great match.

Its Taker by such a long stretch anyone who says otherwise is being a histrionic cuuuunt.

Andre was a cool thing because of his size, but in all seriousness, his matches were generally awful, he wasn’t interesting outside of his size and the guys talking about local shows in the 70’s…

Yeah okay, most of you fucks never even saw him.

Saying Andre was more of an icon because of the princess bride is a fucking lying ass trash statement. People know what Andre looks like. Everyone knows how Undertaker sounds and can picture him in a brawl. Literally everyone in the US and any wrestling market knows Taker. They know what it means when the bell tolls. No one knows Andres entrance. Most people in those markets only know pictures of Andre or him getting dumped and blowing out Hogans back at WM.

Save that bullshit.

 

[Fugazy]

Taker is Cal Ripken

Andre is Mutumbo

 

[Mike]

Taker for sure

 

[Clark Rogers]

Andre the Giant was/is a pop culture icon in a way Taker is not. However, that doesn't mean Andre was actually the more successful wrestler.

Andre was used as an attraction in an accessory capacity. He would travel to different territories to either team with the top babyface or face off with the top heel. If facing a heel champ, the heel would retain the belt through nefarious means, protecting Andre's aura. The Giant would then rotate out of the territory again. He was in and out. Even in the WWF, he started off teaming with Hogan, then faced him at Mania III, where he finally lost clean. That was basically a wrap on his career, other then his subsequent middling heel work. It was a relatively short run.

Andre could only be used in this carefully curated, accessory attraction capacity. He could not be the reigning champ of a territory. He would get stale and lose his mystique. He also wasn't a talker or a versatile worker. He was a spectacle, a special treat meant to be used sparingly. Undertaker was a true main eventer and franchise player. He could carry a company. Andre could not and should not have carried a company. Taker was also the better performer, though that goes without saying.

Different eras. Back in the 70s, Andre would wrestle once a month, if that - and he wasn't always televised. It was a spectacle to see him. And he couldn't move for shit. Still a legend, and worthy of the status.

Mean Mark/Undertaker took a cartoony gimmick, and made it legendary. Ontop of that, he was an exceptional worker. Capable of wrestling anyone, and had wonderful matches with Shawn/Bret/etc. Putting Jeff Hardy "over" while still beating him was a great moment, even though Hardy is maybe a third the wrestler Taker is.

these

 

[immyaxl]

Andre the Giant
Years Active - (1966-1992)
My Favorite Match - WM 2 Battle Royal (first match I saw him wrestle in when I started watching in the early 90s)

The Undertaker
Years Active - (1987-2020)
My Favorite Match - vs Shawn Michael's at Bad blood 97.

[/QU90's Undertaker

Mid 90's Undertaker vs mid 70's Andre would've been a great big guy match.

 

[immyaxl]

I am aware of Andre's work in the territories. I was referring to his WMIII program specifically because I feel that is when he had the most prolonged week-to-week exposure and the biggest platform, the situation most comparable to Undertaker's WWF/E career in an era of weekly TV and PPV build. The essence of what I am saying is that Andre was always an attraction, whereas Undertaker was more versatile. Undertaker could carry a promotion as a champion, Andre was never a champion because of his inherent limitations. He worked better by appearing occasionally and adding excitement to a territory before he could get stale. As you said, he did lose cleanly in the territories, which was my point about how he was used as an accessory to get other guys and programs over. Andre is never the focal point because he is never the long term goal for anyone.

Perhaps I generalized too much, but I stand by that idea. Andre came in and out of territories on a rotating basis, including the WWF, until his end run. Although 'Taker had qualities of an attraction, he could also be used on a perennial week-to-week basis to carry a company.

By 87 Andre was all but done. He could barely move at that point. The territories worked completely different than what the WWF did once Vince bought it. Belts were protected in those days and not just given to anybody. Andre was promoted as a traveling side show attraction. He was the unbeatable giant. Vince senior loaned him out to other territories and got a cut of the gate for it. Andre was never meant to have a belt nor should he. Kafabe was still a thing back then & Andre was looked at as unbeatable by the fans. So the only way he usually got beat was by count out or DQ. There were rare occasions someone might get a clean win over him but those got major heat with Vince Sr when they did happen. I can think of one occasion with Jerry Lawler for instance. Mark Callaway's entire Undertaker run happened after all the territories except for Memphis were dead. Their careers were completely different do to the circumstances. I'd imagine if Andre was still in his prime during the 90's or 2000's his career would've been more like the Big Shows.