WWE Hall of Famer Andre the Giant needed important back surgery in 1987 before his legendary WrestleMania 3 match against Hulk Hogan.
Professional wrestling supremo Vince McMahon was desperate to have Andre back in the ring to main-event the biggest show of the year with Hogan.
However, the heavyweight giant was in bad physical shape at the time after a grueling two-decade long career that saw him pick up a raft of injuries.
The then 41-year-old grappler had just finished filming The Princess Bride with members of cast claiming Andre struggled to shoot certain scenes, especially the fighting ones, due to his back.
The Frenchman wasn't keen to compete at WrestleMania but McMahon was determined to get his big man.
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So much so that The Chairman flew out to Europe for a face-to-face meeting with the 7ft 4in, 520lbs star.
The American promoter even offered to cover all the medical costs as well as open his house for him during his recovery.
When the ex-WWE Champion agreed he flew to the US where he was checked by a group of surgeons.
But the doctors couldn't determine how much anaesthesia would be required as they had never worked on someone as big as him.
Too little would lead on an angry giant waking up during surgery with his back wide open and too much would have seen him die on the operating table.
That was until one of them thought about asking The Eighth Wonder of the World how much alcohol he consumed in one sitting - and the wrestling great was a notoriously heavy drinker.
Andre responded: "It usually takes two liters of vodka just to make me feel warm inside."
And that was the catalyst that led to a successful back surgery which set up one of the most unforgettable WrestleMania matches of all time.
Hogan went on to beat Andre, whom he picked up and knocked down the mat with the "slam heard 'round the world".
But sadly the pop culture phenomenon's body kept giving up and the legendary wrestler passed away six years later in Paris.
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