Hacksaw Jim Duggan Recalls Sign Of Respect From WWE Hall Of Famer Andre The Giant

The word among those who knew Andre the Giant in the locker room was that he either liked you or he didn't, but fortunately for "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, he was in the former group. 

On "The Hacksaw Hour," Duggan recalled his early interactions with Andre, which began before their WWF days when the two wrestled in Hawaii. 

"If you were afraid of Andre, he didn't like you... I met him as 'The Convict' in Hawaii. I knew him, I had respect for him, and he did so many favors for me," Duggan said.

Duggan mentioned that despite being on the losing end of their early matchups, Andre incorporated a simple wrestling trope into his performance that Duggan interpreted as a sign of mutual respect. The larger-than-life WWE Hall of Famer would put his feet on the ropes during the pinfall, usually a move reserved for heels to "gain extra leverage" on their fallen opponent.

"When Andre the Giant would beat me, one, two, three ... he'd put his feet on the ropes," Duggan said. "That's a huge sign of respect. He doesn't have to put his feet on the ropes to beat me. I had a good relationship with Andre."

Beyond their days in Hawaii, Duggan and Andre tangled at various points during their WWF tenure, including a six-man tag team match at SummerSlam '89. Of course, not everyone found themselves in Andre's good graces as Duggan did. It's said that "Macho Man" Randy Savage routinely irked "The Eighth Wonder of the World" with his overuse of baby oil, while Bad News Allen once challenged Andre to a fight over Andre's use of racial slurs, which he did not accept. However, the giant Frenchman retaliated years later by pooping on him.