DETROIT, MI - Metro Detroit has a history of memorable athletes and performances, but none can truly compare to pro wrestling legend Andre the Giant and his body of work.

The Giant (7'4" and more than 500 pounds) and Hulk Hogan, both then of World Wrestling Federation fame, set an indoor attendance record (93,173 spectators) at Pontiac Silverdome for their headlining match at Wrestlemania III in 1987.

Now there's news out,

, that The Giant (his real name was

André René Roussimof; he died in 1993 - 20 years ago Sunday) used unconventional means to engineer his comeback for the unprecedented Silverdome match.

Writer Richard English claims in his lengthy and very entertaining piece that The Giant and an anesthesiologist discovered that two liters of vodka would do the trick to help numb The Giant's pain so he could get much-needed back and knee surgery and get his wrestling comeback in motion.

An excerpt from English's piece - a must-read for any wrestling fan:

The time arrived, and the anesthesiologist was frantic. He had never put a person of Andre's size under the gas before and had no idea how much to use. Various experts were brought in but no solution presented itself until one of the doctors asked Andre if he was a drinker. Andre responded that, yes, he'd been known to tip a glass from time to time. The doctor then wanted to know how much Andre drank and how much it took to get him drunk.

"Well," rumbled the Giant, "It usually takes two liters of vodka just to make me feel warm inside."

And thus was a solution found. The gas-passer was able to extrapolate a correct mixture for Andre by analyzing his alcohol intake. It was a medical breakthrough, and the system is still used to this day.

Five months later, Andre the Giant wrestled a "body-slam" match against Hulk Hogan and brought down the house.

Two liters of vodka. Warm and fuzzy. Side by side like that, the two sentences hardly make any sense. For most of us, two liters of vodka means a one-way ticket to Blackout Island aboard the good ship Regurgitania.

After Wrestlemania, Andre retired for good. His beloved father died in 1993 and Andre returned to France to be with his family. He was still there when, on January 26th, 1993, Andre died in his sleep of heart failure at the age of 47.

The Modern Drunkard Magazine piece also mentions some unbelievable tales about The Giant's fondness for alcohol and unprecedented consumption.

Two stats English claims are true: The Giant drank an average of 7,000 calories worth of booze every day and once drank 119 beers in a matter of six hours.

English estimates the 119 beers in six hours would mean the wrestling icon drank a beer every three minutes - non-stop.

Were you at Wrestlemania III at Pontiac Silverdome or watched it on TV?

What do you remember of it?

What do you think of Andre the Giant's career?

Let us know in our comments section.

Below is a a look at the historic match, one that saw Hogan body slam the Giant and generate a roar of cheers: