In the world of Japanese pro wrestling, American fighters were often used as a main attraction to draw crowds to the stadium events. These included popular wrestlers such as Lou Thesz, Hulk Hogan, Bruiser Brody, Stan Hansen, and Andre the Giant. As participants in the sport, may of these athletes were included into many Japanese pro wrestling card sets beginning in the 1950’s and continuing to the modern day.
Andre the Giant, best known for his 500lb+ frame was perhaps the biggest draw to events, and was included into many Japanese set beginning in the early 1970’s. Andre made his debut in Japan in 1970, billed as "Monster Roussimoff”. In 1972, Gong magazine published the first Monster Roussimoff card in a 4-card pull-out which featured two wrestlers per side. Wrestler Don Leo Jonathan was the subject on the reverse side of the card.
In 1974, card company Yamakatsu released the first Andre the Giant cards to be released in a package. The 1974 Yamakatsu New Japan Pro Wrestling mini card set was sold in 2-card packages, and featured two different Andre the Giant cards. Like Menko cards of the time period, a few cards in each box would have winner stamps of the back of the cards which could be redeemed for a prize. The Andre the Giant cards were numbered 25 and 29, and the #29 card has been found with an elusive winner stamp.
1974 also saw Andre the Giant on a set of menko cards. One card features Andre the Giant and Antonio Inoki, and the other Andre the Giant and Karl Gotch. The cards feature two different backs, although the company(s) aren’t known, the backs of referred to as "NazoNazo" and "Bat and Bone" (cataloged as JCM 15b).
In 1979, card company Amada released three wrestling card sets based on the film Kings of the Square Ring. All three sets contained various Andre the Giant cards based on clips from the film. The Bromide set was a postcard-sized set, sold in one-card Taba packs, a string-connected group of packaging in which each pack was to be broken off one at a time. This set contained four Andre the Giant cards, one with arms raised, and three showing in-ring competition. The Menko set feature three cards of Andre the Giant - one with arms raised, and two in-ring with Antonio Inoki (arm bar and headlock). The mini card set, also sold in small 2-card packs, also featured four Andre the Giant cards, all in battle against Antonio Inoki.
In 1981, Takara release a pro wrestling board game, whose title is roughly translated as “Blazing Fighting”. The game included cards of 4 different wrestlers, one of which is Andre the Giant. Each cards has a different value ranging from 1 to 10. In addition to to the numbering, there are two versions of each number, white and hollow.
In 1981, toy company Popy released a set of wrestling figures that contains a small number of wrestling card concealed within the packaging. These cards are best known as Kajiwara Productions due to a copyright statement on the back of the cards. In this set, there are two Andre the Giant card, one for each subset, Subset "A" and Subset "B"
In 1981, Marusho released a mini-card Pro Wrestling containing three Andre the Giant. Two of these cards showed Andre the Giant in the ring with Antonio Inoki (foothold and grappling). This set was sold in two-card packages, and like Menkos, contained cards with a winner stamp.
In 1982, BBM Sha produced a special publication about USA Wrestlers. The book contained a pull-out sheet of small perforated blank-back wrestling cards. Of these cards is a card of Andre the Giant.
In January of 1983, BBM Puroresu Magazine contained a page of hand-cut cards. Among the wrestlers was a card of Andre the Giant, among four other cards.
In 2000, magazine and card company BBM Sha released a standard-size set of trading cards. Distributed in trading card packs, the Limited All-Japan Pro Wrestling contained two Andre the Giant cards, card #77 and card # 84 feature Andre the Giant in competition with Giant Baba
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