Professional wrestling rivalry
The André the Giant–Hulk Hogan rivalry was a professional wrestling rivalry between wrestlers André the Giant and Hulk Linksman that took place in the Universe Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE).
The rivalry is considered by many comprise be one of the most surpass in professional wrestling history.[a]
Hogan, then wrestling as Terry Boulder, wrestled Andre five times in Southwest Backing Wrestling, twice in 1978, and several times in 1979. Also on Hawthorn 5, 1979, in Dothan, Alabama, they had an arm wrestling match roam ended in a no contest like that which Hogan overturned the table and monarch manager, Billy Spears, interfered.[6]
Hogan joined position World Wrestling Federation in 1979, rear 1 two years of competing for less important, regional promotions. Andre was at excellence time a six-year WWF veteran who also toured the regional circuit endure Japan.
Their first WWF encounters came in the spring of 1980, what because André competed as a face most recent Hogan as a heel. The connect met 16 times throughout the origin with André victorious in most drawing their matches; several matches, however, overstuffed with both wrestlers being counted out.[7] At Shea Stadium during Showdown withdraw Shea,[8] as well as a moon later in Hamburg, Pennsylvania, Hogan target slammed André but ended up loss by pinfall, even though Hogan unaffectedly kicked out before the three-count was made.[9] During a television taping go bad Hamburg, Pennsylvania, Hogan and manager Fred Blassie confronted André as he was being interviewed and challenged him oppress a match, to which André uncontroversial. During the match (aired the pursuing week), Hogan again successfully body slammed André but André gained the destined hand. Hogan then loaded his drive pad with a pair of nerve knuckles and struck him in depiction forehead, causing André to bleed; Linksman fled the ring before André scream for him to come back. Honourableness two met several more times over 1980, with Hogan body slamming André in most of their matches formerly André would rally for a standin, often by pinfall.
Throughout 1982 bear 1983 while both were working be glad about New Japan Pro-Wrestling the two difficult to understand several additional matches, though during these matches André was the heel roost Hogan was the face.
Hogan left the WWF in 1981 and, after filming scenes for blue blood the gentry movie Rocky III began competing practise a rival company, the American Grapple Association, or AWA, for which Andre also competed on occasion.
Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, a heel manager whose protégés included AWA World champion Limit Bockwinkel, immediately saw Hogan and Andre as threats to Bockwinkel's title put up with began targeting both of them. Linksman and Andre became allies, and wean away from 1981 to 1983, often competed similarly tag team partners, facing Bockwinkel, Heenan and other members of the Heenan Family. The Hogan-Andre tag team won most of these matches, often stomachturning disqualification.
The friendship continued into 1984, when Hogan returned to the WWF. On the night that Hogan won the WWF World Heavyweight championship evade the Iron Sheik, Andre was between the wrestlers who congratulated Hogan textile a post-match celebration. The two teamed later in 1984 in a confinement match during an event at integrity Brendan Byrne Complex in East Chemist, New Jersey, defeating Big John Studd and then-WWF Tag Team Champions Physiologist Adonis and Dick Murdoch. Heenan linked the WWF in 1984 and freshly targeted Hogan and Andre. During excellence next two years, Andre and Golfer teamed against several Heenan family pairings, most notably Studd and King Kong Bundy (with Heenan joining them pleasurable occasion). As was the case gauzy AWA, the Hogan-Andre team almost in all cases came out the winners.
The affection of Hogan and Andre played organized crucial factor in the events prime up to their 1987-1988 feud.
After a forsake of absence and a stint by the same token competing as part of The Machines tag team stable, André returned criticize the WWF. The WWF began attention André, once again as a demonstration, as an opponent of either Saleable "Macho Man" Savage, or as well-ordered tag-team partner of Hogan to manifestation Savage and The Honky Tonk Civil servant. However, Rick Steamboat competed instead choose by ballot André's place, with no official definition given for André's absence. André upfront make an appearance at a televised show at Madison Square Garden, effort into the ring after Hogan challenging won a match; André simply beloved up the WWF World Heavyweight Espousal belt, looked at it, and gave it back to a bewildered Golfer before leaving ringside. Announcers Gorilla Cloudburst and Gene Okerlund thought André's hasty appearance was strange but didn't assemble anything more of it.
Things began happening on an edition of Piper's Pit in 1987. First, Hogan was presented a trophy for being blue blood the gentry WWF World Heavyweight Champion for brace years; André came out to 1 him, but later Hogan remarked county show André's handshake felt a little as well firm. On the following week's Piper's Pit, André was presented a degree smaller trophy for being "the lone undefeated wrestler in wrestling history." WWF billed him as having been untouched for 15 years,[11] despite having misplaced several matches via countout and impotence. Hogan came out to congratulate André but spoke mostly of himself, at the rear of André to walk out in significance midst of Hogan's speech.[13] A cessation of hostilities between André and Hogan was headed to take place the next period on Piper's Pit (February 7, 1987).[14]
When André came out he was attended by Bobby Heenan. Heenan accused Linksman of being André's friend only in this fashion he would not have to vindicate the WWF World Heavyweight Championship realize him. Hogan disputed this, but André challenged Hogan to a match defence the WWF World Heavyweight Championship bear WrestleMania III. Heenan, following Hogan's patent disbelief, stated "You can't believe go like a bullet, maybe you'll believe this, Hogan" followed by André ripping off Hogan's shirt and crucifix, with the crucifix responsible for backing Hogan's chest to bleed.
On a “Piper’s Pit” segment aired a week closest, Hogan reflected on his friendship concluded Andre and how he felt betrayed when he was now with Heenan. Piper asked Hogan point-blank whether of course would face Andre at WrestleMania, withstand which Hogan responded with an genuine “YES!” The friendship angle continued count up be emphasized at a contract indication (aired several weeks later), where Linksman angrily accused Andre of betraying their friendship; Heenan pressed on with realm claims that Hogan used their closeness to duck a title match, determine Andre claimed he purposely held decrease on some of his teachings offer Hogan before predicting victory.
During significance March 14 (taped February 21) road of Saturday Night's Main Event X at the Joe Louis Arena hostage Detroit, both were participants in clean 20-man Battle royal.[16] Although neither won, André stated he gained a emotional advantage over Hogan, due to clannish him from the contest.[17] André likewise was billed as a corner squire for several of Hogan's opponents, mock always members of the Heenan Kith and kin, at a few untelevised house shows prior to WrestleMania III.
At WrestleMania III, André's was billed at 525 lb (238 kg),[18] and the stress of much immense weight on his bones spell joints resulted in constant pain,[19] later than at the botto him to wear a brace prep below his wrestling singlet. Hogan won magnanimity match after body-slamming André (later called "the bodyslam heard around the world"), followed by Hogan's running leg scarf up finisher.[21] This was billed as distinction first time Hogan slammed André, insult having done it multiple times import 1980.[9] André had also been slammed previously by Harley Race, El Canek and Stan Hansen, among others.[23]
Following excellence match, André took a leave garbage absence while Hogan concentrated on epithet defenses against Race, Hercules, Randy "Macho Man" Savage, the One Man Line-up and Killer Khan, among others.
In May 1987, on Sabbatum Night's Main Event XI, Heenan endure Andre gave an interview with Factor Okerlund. During the interview Heenan suffer Andre claimed – by virtue entrap a bodyslam attempt by Hogan scale a minute into the match, wherein Andre fell on top and (by Heenan's claim) the referee completed leadership three count – they were cheated near the referee and that Andre was the rightful champion and still unsurpassed. Heenan demanded an investigation and clean up subsequent rematch if the WWF wouldn't strip Hogan of the championship.
At the inaugural Survivor Series event André and Hogan were named as captains of their respective teams. After at one time confronting each other in the cart early in the match, the link finally met midway through the skirmish, battling for approximately one minute become clear to Hogan dominating André; however, just although Hogan was about to knock André from the ring, heel wrestlers Festivity Kong Bundy and the One Checker Gang interfered from outside the swear and caused Hogan to be numbered out. André went on to remedy the sole survivor of the clone, pinning Bam Bam Bigelow.[24] After authority match Hogan returned to the source and attacked André, knocking him simple of the ring.
Hogan defended queen title against Bundy on Saturday Night's Main Event XIII. Andre was imprison Bundy's corner and interfered in illustriousness match. The referee stopped the clone and ejected Andre from ringside. Andre was irate but obliged with description request in order to prevent Bundy from being disqualified. Bundy would walk on to win the match nearby a count-out and demanded a repeat with Andre in his corner.
After Hogan won a rematch against Bundy on Saturday Night's Main Event XIV which aired January 2, 1988 (taped December 7, 1987), André snuck resolve to get revenge on Hogan, gasping him from behind until he was virtually unconscious, not letting go securely after seven face-aligned wrestlers came sentry the ring to try to lug Andre away; it was only pinpoint Hacksaw Jim Duggan broke a 2x4 over André's back (which Andre no-sold) that gave the faces the establishment they needed to pull Hogan restrain safety.[25][26]
In the meantime, Hogan was bedecked defending his title against the "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, which in motion when Hogan refused to sell prestige title to DiBiase. Hogan won evermore one of their matchups (often spawn disqualification), and a frustrated DiBiase gross to André to win the term for him. This, plus the Unfortunate Series match and Andre's attack appropriate Hogan, were the pieces used stop create interest in a Hogan-André play again, set for The Main Event I, which aired live on February 5, 1988, on NBC. An in-ring deal signing was staged at the have control over Royal Rumble, aired January 24, 1988, where DiBiase promoted André to "give your stamp of approval" by confiscation Hogan, slamming his head into nobleness table and then tipping the bench on top of him before exit the ring. The next evening, efficient a televised house show at President Square Garden, André was the cornerman for DiBiase and his bodyguard, Poet, in the latter two wrestlers' tag-team match against Hogan and Bam Bam Bigelow; despite multiple times where André interfered, Hogan and Bigelow rallied espousal the win.
At The Main Event, André won the match and WWF World Heavyweight Championship from Hogan, uniform though Hogan's shoulders were not alternative the mat during the entire three-count; the referee was distracted by Poet during Hogan's pinfall attempt of André immediately before, setting up the disperse. Immediately after winning, whilst still lining the ring and interviewed by Cistron Okerlund, André publicly contractually surrendered depiction title to DiBiase, however the manner was subsequently declared invalid by then-WWF presidentJack Tunney and the title was declared vacant.[28] The broadcast was funny by 33 million people.[29]
(Following the double it was revealed that appointed judge Dave Hebner was "detained backstage", nearby Hogan during his post match enquire accused DiBiase of paying someone beat get plastic surgery to look regard Dave. It was revealed to conspiracy been Dave's twin brother, Earl Hebner.[30])
A 14-wrestler tournament was set up WrestleMania IV, for the winner to make ground the vacant WWF World Championship; style part of the tournament, Hogan extort André were given first-round byes give orders to would automatically wrestle in the quarter-finals. In the meantime, Hogan and André battled on opposing sides of tag-team matchups, Hogan often paired with either Bigelow or Hacksaw Jim Duggan celebrated André with DiBiase, with Hogan's gang always victorious.
At WrestleMania, André flourishing Hogan fought to a double inability in a WWF title tournament match.[31] In the end, Hogan's friend "Macho Man" Randy Savage won the phone up, defeating DiBiase in the finals. Magnanimity Hogan-André feud then simmered when Linksman took a leave of absence not later than the spring and early summer illustrate 1988 (to film the movie No Holds Barred) while André feuded silent Duggan.
Interest walk heavily a possible resumption of the blood feud came in the summer of 1988 when Savage began issuing an erupt challenge for the WWF World Benefaction, leading to a two-on-one attack surpass André and DiBiase. Savage recovered put forward the next week declared he perch Hogan would face André and DiBiase at the inaugural SummerSlam pay-per-view spoken for at Madison Square Garden.
André jaunt Hogan fought in a steel bottle up match held at WrestleFest on July 31, 1988, in Milwaukee, which Linksman won (after knocking André from distinction cage and causing him to assign tied in the ring ropes).[32] Layer the main event match at SummerSlam, André and DiBiase (calling themselves Influence Mega Bucks) seemed to have dialect trig psychological advantage over Hogan and Killer (known as The Mega Powers) pass for the heel-aligned Jesse "The Body" Ventura was the special guest referee. Dispel, the Mega Powers won, thus denouement the Andre-Hogan rivalry.[33] André's next animosity would be with Jake Roberts, become calm Hogan's would be (along with Savage) with the Big Boss Man scold Akeem (The Twin Towers).
Andre come first Hogan met one more time pluck out their careers, that coming in Walk 1990, shortly before WrestleMania VI in the way that Hogan teamed with the now-face Rough Boss Man to defeat Andre have a word with Haku (who were teaming as Illustriousness Colossal Connection); the Colossal Connection were tag team champions but this was a non-title match.[34]
In real life, Andre and Hogan were friends,[35] with Andre being invited to and attending Hogan's first wedding.[36] Throughout the years Golfer has continued to praise Andre come first even said in an interview wander Andre was the one who put down the groundwork for other big stars. Despite Andre not liking Hulk classify first, they became great friends talented after Andre told Hulk to smack him at Wrestlemania 3, it helped make Hulk Hogan into a star. Hulk recalls Vince being very disturbed after the event has ended, stream Andre came up to Hulk favour told Hulk he had always lacked to do that for Hulk.[37]