Earl Hebner Talks About The Time Andre The Giant Gave Him Two Black Eyes

Former WWE referee and Impact Wrestling Hall of Famer Earl Hebner recalled one of the many times Andre The Giant didn't know his own strength. Hebner called numerous matches during Andre The Giant's career, including the well-known twin referee angle with his late brother, Dave. Earl and Dave argued about who was the actual referee of the WWE Championship match between Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant. It was Dave who counted the pinfall for Andre The Giant despite the fact that Hogan beat the count well before three.

Andre The Giant was known for being an intimidating figure due to his size. Over the years, stories about how he handled wrestlers he didn't like certainly played into the intimidation factor as well. Sometimes, however, the former WWE Champion didn't always do damage on purpose. During a "K&S WrestleFest" live stream, Hebner recalled the time Andre The Giant gave him two black eyes simply by getting his head in a vice-like grip.

"We were in Winnipeg doing a match with Andre," Hebner said. "It was a spot where he was gonna hold me. He grabbed me right here and he held me in the corner. The next day we flew from there to Madison Square Garden. From the pressure on his hands, I had two black eyes. Could not referee, couldn't see. I walk up to Andre, 'Andre, look what you did, boss.' He goes, 'No, not me.' I go, 'Yeah, you.'"

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "K&S WrestleFest" with an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.