Andre The Giant's Forgotten Faction In Pro Wrestling, Explained

Highlights

• Andre the Giant was temporarily suspended from WWE in April 1986, but it was actually part of a storyline to allow him time off to film The Princess Bride and deal with his health issues.
• The Machines, including Giant Machine portrayed by Andre the Giant, were introduced as mysterious new superstars from Japan, creating speculation about their identities and causing controversy with Bobby Heenan.
• The Machines eventually disbanded, and it was revealed that Bobby Heenan had orchestrated Andre the Giant's suspension being lifted in order to manipulate him into turning heel on Hulk Hogan, leading to their iconic Wrestlemania 3 match. The Machines' storyline is a fun, over-the-top example of 80s wrestling.

Andre the Giant achieved a level of fame that wrestlers today can only dream of. The seven-foot-tall Frenchman was not only a phenom in the wrestling world, but also became an icon in Hollywood for his portrayal of Fezzik in the 90s comedy movie The Princess Bride.

The image that comes to most wrestling fans’ minds when they think of Andre the Giant most likely comes from Wrestlemania 3. After all, it was there that Hulk Hogan did the unthinkable and body slammed the Giant, something that (at least in WWE canon) had never been achieved before.

RELATED: The Story Of Bret Hart Attacking A Drunk Vince McMahon At A Club, ExplainedHowever, the months before Andre the Giant’s feud with Hulk Hogan are arguably much more interesting to talk about. At the very least, they’re certainly more bizarre. It was during this period the WWE was introduced to The Machines, a short-lived yet incredibly unique wrestling stable.

Andre The Giant's “Suspension” From WWE

In April 1986, after months of feuding against Andre the Giant, Bobby "the Brain" Heenan launched a campaign to have the Frenchman suspended from WWE. After Andre didn’t show up to a tag team match against King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd, WWE President Jack Tunney gave into Heenan’s pressure and suspended Andre.

In reality, Andre the Giant was only suspended in the storyline. WWE was actually giving him time off so he could go film the classic movie The Princess Bride, and take a tour of Japan. In addition, Andre the Giant’s acromegaly was causing him significant back and joint pain, meaning that some time away from the WWE’s grueling schedule was likely best for him anyway.

RELATED: Seth Rollins' Dating History Before Marrying Becky Lynch Is WildAbout two months after Andre’s suspension, WWE began to air vignettes featuring two mysterious new superstars from Japan. The two of them, managed by Lou Albano, would be coming to America to prove that they’re the best tag team in the world.

The Debut Of The Machines In WWE

The original two Machines were Super Machine, portrayed by Bill Eadie, and Giant Machine, portrayed by (you guessed it) Andre the Giant. Bobby Heenan immediately began sounding the alarm, insisting that Giant Machine must’ve been Andre wearing a mask. However, WWE commentary consistently shrugged off his claims, suggesting that it could be Japanese legend the Giant Baba, or another 7-foot wrestler with a thick French accent.

RELATED: Hulk Hogan's Forgotten Partnership With "Classy" Freddie Blassie, ExplainedHowever, Heenan refused to let up. He went so far as to convince Jack Tunney to announce that if Andre was in fact using the Giant Machine persona to circumvent his suspension, the Giant would be permanently suspended from the WWE. Heenan would then sneak around the ring during Giant Machine’s matches with a camera in hand, taking pictures in an attempt to prove the Machine’s identity.

Soon after, Albano introduced Big Machine, portrayed by Blackjack Mulligan. It wasn’t long until even more machines showed up to aid in the fight against the Heenan Family, including Hulk Machine, Animal Machine, and the kilt-sporting Piper Machine. To this day, all of their identities remain a mystery…

The Giant Machine Departs And Andre The Giant Returns

The Machines’ last match aired on November 23, 1986. Miraculously, right after the bout, WWE announced that Andre the Giant’s suspension was lifted and he would return to the company imminently. What a coincidence!

The Machines all went their separate ways; Eadie, the man behind Super Machine, was repackaged as Ax of Demolition. Blackjack Mulligan departed from WWE a few months after his time as Big Machine came to an end.

However, not everything was resolved. The exact reason why Andre the Giant was reinstated remained a mystery for the next few weeks. Eventually, the truth came to light and shocked the wrestling world; it was none other than Bobby Heenan who pulled the strings to have Andre’s suspension lifted. He did so because he’d bought Andre’s loyalty and convinced the Frenchman to turn heel on the WWE’s most popular babyface, Hulk Hogan.

It was this infamous betrayal that started the build to Wrestlemania 3 and arguably the biggest match of both Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant’s careers. While that bout will live on in wrestling history, the Machines are an odd, forgotten prelude to the story. Though the Machines are a largely forgotten stable, their storyline is still incredibly fun to look back on. It’s the epitome of 80s wrestling, with its over-the-top plot points and unbelievable silliness.