klunderbunker
Welcome to My (And Not Sly's) House
Hulkamania Volume 3
Hosts: Craig DeGeorge, Hulk Hogan
Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon, Jesse Ventura, Vince McMahon, Lord Alfred Hayes, Bobby Heenan
It’s time for more of Hulk here. I would have bet that this was for Hogan/Andre II at Mania 4 but this has the main event of that show on it also. Odd indeed. This is the Hogan vs. Andre feud plus the entire fallout from that. This is incredible stuff from a history perspective. Luckily for me I reviewed the shows that Pits aired on so there will be a lot of cutting and pasting here. Let’s get to it.
DeGeorge, our annoying host, is on a boat for this. Oh ok Hogan is there too. This might be called The Giant Betrayal apparently. Hulk talks about being betrayed by Andre and how much it hurts to be around him now. Hogan hopes that Andre will come back from this. Eh he will once the heel run dries up Hulk. Don’t worry. There’s a bad 80s movie in there somewhere.
A lot of these Pit reviews are copied and pasted, so expect that a lot. Anything saying from so and so date are Piper’s Pits.
From January 17, 1987.
There’s a big trophy. This is it! Jack Tunney is brought out and reads the trophy, which is talking about how Hogan has been champion for three years now. In a great example of issues with canned heat, the crowd is shown exploding but the sound isn’t that great.
Actually that's’ backwards but you get the idea. Hogan’s best friend Andre comes out and says that three years to be a champion is a long time. We don’t get the rest of the story yet, but it’s coming. Sweet damn this angle was well done. It was so simple too.
From January 24, 1987.
He brings out Jack Tunney who has a trophy presentation, in this case for Andre the Giant for being undefeated (not quite) for 15 years. His trophy isn’t as big as Hogan’s was for being world champion for three years. Andre has a legit complaint here I’d say. Andre says he has something to say and Hogan runs out to steal the spotlight. There’s your match being planted right there. Andre is clearly annoyed here and he walks off. Say it with me: uh oh. Piper isn’t happy either.
From January 31, 1987.
Jesse is in the Pit this week and both trophies are there too. He suggests Heenan had something to do with Andre being reinstated. Now keep in mind, this made NO sense back in the day. Heenan got Andre suspended and hated him to say the least.
Jesse says he knows what no one else knows and he’s not talking. BIG heat for that. Jesse points out the trophies being shorter and Jesse suggests that Hogan has ducked Andre. Piper defending Hogan is just not right. They argue and Jesse suggests a match between himself and Piper. BIG pop for that. Instead, next week in the Pit, Andre and Hogan. Yep it’s THAT Pit.
From February 7, 1987.
Piper brings out Hogan and Jesse brings out Andre….AND HEENAN! Freeze it for a second. You have to get the backstory here to get why this is stunning. For YEARS Heenan and his cronies had feuded with Andre, dating back to before the first Mania. There had been an angle where Andre had (kayfabe) skipped a show and Tunney suspended him indefinitely.
A trio of Japanese guys known as the Machines eventually showed up (two at first then joined by a third). They were clearly Americans posing as Japanese guys under masks which was the joke. Giant Machine was Andre, although he would often sit out due to injuries and be replaced by guys like Animal Machine, Piper Machine or Hulk Machine. You get the idea.
So Heenan went on this rampage screaming (the obvious) that Giant Machine was Andre who wasn’t allowed to be there. If he could prove it, Andre was gone forever. Naturally he couldn’t do it and the Machines just left on their own. Tunney lifted the suspension due to being convinced by some unknown man around the beginning of 87 and Heenan more or less became a blithering idiot because of it.
That set in motion the angle we’re at now, with everyone trying to find out who got Andre’s suspension lifted while at the same time Andre is acting strange over the trophy size. Remember also that it was Andre who was the first to congratulate Hogan when he won the title back in 84. See how much more intricate things were back then?
So anyway, this was STUNNING. This is up there with the Higher Power or Cena returning at the Rumble as the audience gets it all at once and the reaction is great. Even Jesse is shocked. Anyway, Hogan FREAKS. It’s some of the best acting he’s ever done, and considering this is the guy from Mr. Nanny, he can say whatever he wants.
Oddly enough, I’m watching Jeopardy and Andre was a clue! Anyway Hogan says Andre is the guy that got him into wrestling and who he looks at as his role model, so if nothing else we know who to blame. Andre just stares down at Hogan and this is all great. Piper’s head flying back and forth from both guys is hilarious for some reason. Andre is magnificent here, just not moving an inch and glaring down at Hulk.
Hogan puts his hand on Andre’s shoulder and begs him not to do this and Andre says to take his hands off of Andre. Heenan and Hogan go at it and it’s all revealed that Andre can’t stand Hogan and is tired of being looked at as someone taking a backseat to Hogan. Finally, Heenan says Andre has one more thing to say and we get the legendary moment as Andre challenges Hogan for a title match at Wrestlemania III, ripping off his shirt and breaking the cross he wore which makes Hogan’s chest bleed.
He leaves Hogan on his knees and begging Andre to come back. Easily, without a doubt, the biggest angle and the biggest heel turn ever at this point in time. This was huge to say the least and while it looks basic now, this would be like when Hogan turned heel and formed the NWO. It’s that big.
From February 14, 1987.
The guest is Hogan, and you know what’s coming. Piper recaps the whole ordeal and brings out Hogan. He of course comes out in wrestling gear with the pieces of the cross in his hands. At least he has a band-aid on his chest from the cut. After a promo, Piper point blank asks him if he’ll fight him. Hogan shouts yes and the arena ERUPTS! This is still the biggest match ever so there we are.
From February 28, 1987.
We go to the contract signing for Hogan vs. Andre. Naturally Hogan is in wrestling gear. That makes perfect sense right? Heenan is there with Andre of course. They actually call him Mr. Rousimoff. WOW. Heenan wants a new belt made to fit Andre.
Allegedly that was made but I don’t think it was ever shown. If it was then it was only one time. Hogan is freaking strung out here and it’s kind of funny. I mean DAMN. He seems like he’s had about a kilo of coke or something. He’s hyperventilating and demanding that Andre speak English when he already is. This was WEIRD.
Hogan says he’s ready.
We get some clips of Hogan vs. Andre from Mania 3, as in the beginning and the last two minutes or so. Shame they didn’t have the whole thing but we got the important stuff in there. Still incredible, still the biggest match of all time, Dave Meltzer still doesn’t get it to say this is negative four stars. Since I’m feeling nice though, here’s the (mostly) full review of the match. I took out the backstory and some stuff that was kind of stupid.
WWF World Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant
This match has been called the biggest match in the history of professional wrestling and that very well may be true. It was the first true super main event in Wrestlemania history.
Andre comes out and the booing is mindblowing. In something that I find funny, he waves to the fans on the way down to ringside.
Jesse gives the tale of the tape, which is all of Andre and Hogan’s measurements, showing that as big as Hogan is, Andre is so much bigger. Bob Uecker is the guest announcer and after introducing Andre, says three simple words: and, his opponent. After that, the fans just lose it. Hogan’s music hits and nothing else matters at all.
Gorilla puts it best by saying “The roof of the Silverdome is about to explode here!” In a great camera shot, you get a wide angle shot of the arena with the spotlight on Hogan which really shows how this whole show has been building to this one moment. Hogan gets in the ring and it’s on. I won’t go into detail here either as I’m sure you’ve all seen this at one time or another. Every word of commentary is famous here as I can almost quote the whole match to you.
Within 15 seconds, Hogan goes for a slam and we nearly get a pin. That is a point that is used for over a year as Hogan might not have gotten his shoulder up in time. The way the camera is set up you really can’t tell if he did or not. This would be the focal point of the main angles for the next year.
The in ring work here is really pretty bad, but no one cared. This match was all about the meaning of what was going on and the truly epic nature of the match. No one really knew who was going to win here and it was a legitimate possibility that Hogan would lose. Andre more or less beats the living fuck out of Hogan the whole match until the very end. Hogan gets some shots in here and there that do some damage and Andre is clearly worn out at the end of it.
The crowd is almost stunned that Hogan is being dominated. They brawl on the floor for a bit and then head back into the ring. Andre misses a boot and Hogan clotheslines him, knocking him down. The fans go insane at the sight of this. Hulk Hulks Up and he has the crowd in the palm of his hand at this point. In what might be the most mous scene in the history of wrestling, Hogan slams Andre in a completely unplanned spot.
Even the commentators are in awe at this point as Hogan drops the leg and wins the match. Andre was so bit at the time that Hogan ripped his ab muscles to pieces slamming him and was out for a few months. The music plays and Heenan and Andre get into the cart that takes them to the back as Heenan has his head in his hands, wondering what just happened. Hogan poses as we close the show with the fans absolutely going nuts.
Rating: A. The match itself is pretty bad but the historical significance is second to absolutely nothing. Now I've seen a lot of people (including his majesty Mr. Meltzer) say this was a horrible match and all that jazz. In short: SCREW YOU ALL. Get the damn sticks out of your asses and have some damn fun for once. If you don't get chills watching the staredown and the slam, then go watch something else.
You have Hogan and Andre who can barely move at all. What are they supposed to do out there? The entire idea here was to have a major showdown and that's exactly what they did. This match was epic, still is epic and will always be epic. Anyone that says this wasn't a great match that did exactly what it was supposed to do is a fool, and I don't care who I have to argue this with.
Hogan says that if he had known about this earlier he could have talked to Andre about it and we wouldn’t have had to come to this.
We get a clip of where Andre was beaten down by Bundy and Studd on SNME but Hogan made the save. We also get clips of the tag match that followed.
Hogan says that this was Heenan’s doing, not Andre’s.
We get an interview from the 11th SNME. Heenan and Andre have a sit down interview where they say they have film proof of Hogan losing to Andre. They show the opening of the match of the slam where Hogan almost didn’t get out in time. It really is close and Heenan actually has a point: from the referee’s vantage point, Marella couldn’t see Hogan’s arm pop up but called it a two anyway. This would fuel the main event up to Mania 4.
Hogan says Heenan wants the title and he doesn’t care who wins it for him.
The following match is clipped but this is the full review of it because I don’t feel like watching it again.
WWF Title: Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy
This is from the 13th SNME. Heenan brings out Andre to be the cornerman for Bundy. We haven’t gotten any reference to Survivor Series yet either. Hogan, with tassels from the headband over his eyes, cuts a completely insane promo about being brought back to life from a heart attack or something like that. Has there ever been a better theme song than Real American? I think not.
Something tells me this is going to be a run of the mill Hogan match. He throws a high knee if nothing else to break the monotony. Yep the slam misses and a crowd that is barely moving has an incredibly loud and audible chant. What a shock. Yeah Vince fucks up and says just after that that the crowd isn’t very lively, yet they just had a very loud chant.
We hit a chinlock for a minute or five and Hogan makes his comeback only to have Andre jump Hogan. He gets sent to the back and the match is restarted. What follows is, shockingly, a Hogan 101 match as he does his normal get beaten down by the power heel only to make the comeback and win.
Actually that’s a lie as amazingly, Hogan LOSES. Yeah. They fight on the floor and Heenan keeps Hogan from getting back in time and Bundy wins by countout, which is exactly what happened two days before, although it was One Man Gang and not Bundy but whatever. Hogan goes after Heenan and hurts his neck which I think is legit.
Rating: B-. It’s a Hogan match. These things were cookie cutter as hell but that’s all they needed to be really. They worked and the crowds ate them up. What more could you ask for really? This was really just to have Andre and Hogan in the same place which was still a HUGE money feud.
Hogan talks (keep in mind that every time I say that it’s Hogan and DeGeorge on a boat doing an interview) about Heenan bringing in Ted DiBiase to try to get the title.
DiBiase talks about everyone doing things for some of his money (including a kid that bounced a basketball. His name would eventually be changed to Rob Van Dam). Everybody has a price apparently and Hulk Hogan is part of everybody. He’s going to buy the WWF Title from Hogan no matter what it costs.
Jack Tunney says he’s not sure if it’s legal or not.
Hogan (in the arena, not the boat) says that he’s been thinking about how much he’d love to have that much money and all the cars and such that he could buy with it. After thinking it over, he has to say HELL NO!!!!! If DiBiase wants the title, come and get it!
DiBiase says the people would be stunned if they knew the amount he offered Hogan. There’s more than one way to buy a Hulk and he’s going to get what he wants. Hogan has a price and DiBiase is going to get what he wants one day no matter what.
Hulk Hogan/Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Ted DiBiase/Virgil
This is from January of 88 in MSG. Andre is with the heels here. Virgil very rarely wrestled in this era so this was a rarity. Bigelow was the freaking man at this point so this is like the Superfriends teaming up. The heels jump them during the music as Heenan sits in on commentary. Double big boot puts DiBiase down as the bald brotherhood cleans house. Hogan and DiBiase officially start us off.
The crowd is insanely hot here. Off to Bigelow and DiBiase is reeling. The headbutts begin Back off to Hogan and the fans erupt again. Running forearm puts Ted down and he gets battered between the heroes. Hogan gets the windmill punch but Andre trips him because he’s EVIL. DiBiase finally goes on offense and chokes away. Apparently this is the anniversary of Hogan winning the title.
Virgil comes in off the top and hammers away. Hogan vs. Virgil. Who would have ever imagined that would have happened in MSG? Hogan plays face in peril here for a good while which is weird to see as you would think he would do the big hot tag. That shows you what you had in Bigelow. Chinlock by DiBiase as Andre says ring the bell. For once that might actually work.
If Andre told me to do something I’d do it. Also I’d be freaked out as he would be a corpse at this point. Hogan gets up and it’s a double clothesline to send Hogan and DiBiase down. Bigelow had a bad knee at this point which would explain why he’s been in about 10 seconds so far. Hot tag to Bigelow who cleans house. Gorilla press and some headbutts take down Virgil. DiBiase tries the save but Virgil takes a legdrop instead. An assisted splash ends Virgil and we’re done.
Rating: C. Just a match here to make the fans rather happy. Virgil was great for something like this as it let DiBiase get in there without blowing DiBiase vs. Hogan. Good little match here that was fine for a big match on a house show. The hot crowd helped it a lot and this was a nice little addition for some rare content.
The heels beat down Hogan and Bigelow until Bigelow gets the tips of his toes on Andre’s back which is called a dropkick here. Hogan and Bam Bam grab chairs and the evil ones decide to fight another day.
We get a clip of the rematch of Bundy vs. Hogan’s rematch which isn’t important. What is important is the post match stuff with Hogan posing and Andre attacking him. This was to set up the rematch on February 5, 1988 which was two days after I was born and drew a mind blowing 15.8 rating. An army of faces come out to try to save Hogan but Andre beats them up with ease. After Andre shrugs off six guys, Duggan comes out to beat on him with the 2x4. Andre just glares at him while the faces get Hogan out of there.
DiBiase says that he’s bought the contract of Andre the Giant. Little side note here: Heenan was paid $1 million for the contract. In a year or so he would buy it back for $100,000. So in other words he got Andre back and made $900,000 profit. And people wonder why he was called the Brain.
Clip of the contract signing for February 5 where Andre beat Hogan up and the table wound up on Hogan.
Hogan says the money was everywhere but he didn’t think it would be like this.
Hogan works out to Jake Roberts’ music for some reason.
The following match just has clips but the whole post match angle is shown here. This is from February 5, 1988 in Indianapolis on a live show.
WWF Title: Andre the Giant vs. Hulk Hogan
So yeah, this is the biggest match ever on television and still is to this day. Again: it got a FIFTEEN in ratings. To put that in perspective, Jay Leno gets about a three. Hogan says there was no controversy in the count and that he’s beaten Andre once and can again. He also says that he’s invested into his fans. Good promo as you can tell Hogan thrives in this kind of environment. Now if only they had noticed something: Hogan has the OLD design for the title in the interview but as he walks out you see the famous winged eagle title debut. Nice job guys. That interview was probably taped in late 87.
The pop for Hogan is just absurd as he’s almost at the height of his powers here. Ok so 87 was bigger but close enough. Hogan wants to start immediately but Hebner stops him. I’ve seen this match multiple times and this has me fired up very well. Andre stalls forever on the apron as Hogan is all kinds of fired up. Hogan gives the sign for slamming him and Andre’s face says nothing but “Bitch please.”
The crowd is electric as they do a masterful job of letting the tension build. Hogan has finally waited long enough and drills into the heels and cleans house. He hammers away early as you can definitely see a faster pace here than they had last time. Granted that might be due to Hogan needing to do more here as Andre is getting very bad very fast.
ALL Hogan here but Hogan can’t do much here other than strike. DiBiase is counting money so Hogan stomps on his hand for the fun of it. Big wind up punch and Andre WILL NOT GO DOWN. Hogan like an idiot tries to go up and gets the Flair treatment for his luck. Andre tries a diving headbutt and just misses completely. He chokes away and other than that and basic strikes he has nothing.
The idea here is that Andre’s offense is very limited but his size and power plus great selling by Hogan makes him seem like a killer. Andre gets a big boot to Hogan’s chest and falls down too. He chokes with the strap on his singlet and Hogan is in trouble. Hogan breaks a choke and it’s on all over again. A middle rope clothesline finally drops the Giant.
Hogan gets the legdrop but Virgil grabs the referee. Andre gets up and drills some headbutts and hits a suplex kind of move which was his finisher. Hogan clearly gets his shoulder well off the mat at about one and a half and the referee keeps counting anyway, getting to three and declaring Andre as the winner. And let the controversy begin.
Rating: C-. The match itself was just ok but obviously the biggest angle of all time happening here is the real story. The 9 minute match was a backdrop for that as Andre couldn’t do a damn thing but choke for the most part which is fine given his physical condition at the time. Not bad at all, all things considered.
The referee says it was three and Hogan says he got his shoulder up which is absolutely true. Hebner gets the belt and hands it to Andre. This is the end of Hogan’s over four year title reign. Gene is at ringside and talks to Andre who calls it the world tag title for some reason and then surrenders it to DiBiase. The image of DiBiase with the belt around his waist is downright terrifying.
Hogan turns his attention to Dave Hebner and here comes….Dave Hebner. There are TWO Dave Hebners as the fans are STUNNED. Hogan figures out what is going on as the guy that refereed the match was an impostor and we actually have an evil twin storyline. The evil one beats up the good one but Hogan gets his hands on him anyway to throw him to DiBiase and Andre.
Post match Hogan wonders how much the plastic surgery cost. He rants and raves about getting ripped off which for once is absolutely true. We see a replay of the count and Hogan’s arm is clearly up before two.
DiBiase, with the title around his waist, says he told us he would get it. This is very rare stuff as he got it Friday and was stripped of it on Sunday.
Speaking of being stripped of it, WWF President Tunney vacates the title, saying that he can’t make Hogan champion because Hogan didn’t pin the reigning champion and that DiBiase isn’t champion because Tunney says so and that Andre isn’t champion because he “won” the title (meaning he’s officially a former world heavyweight champion) and surrendered it, which is legal. The title is vacant.
Hogan talks about how he wasn’t going to let someone else get screwed over like he did, leading to a clip of a match with DiBiase and Savage two weeks before Mania. Andre got involved and Hogan ran down for the save once Liz went back and got him. DiBiase wins by countout, but the point of this was to see Hogan come out for the save and kind of the forming of the Mega Powers.
DeGeorge tells us about the tournament at Mania 4 and sets up this. The following match is shown in full.
Second Round Match: Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant
Andre has DiBiase and Virgil with him for this. Much faster pace than last year’s match which to me is an improvement. Andre just goes off to start this match. Hogan breaks it up with some running punches/forearms but DiBiase gets on the apron. Hogan rams them together with the all time best name move: the Double Noggin Knocker. Andre’s offense here is just so simple that it’s great.
This is one of those matches where you can tell Andre just has nothing left so they're going with REALLY basic stuff to make it look like he's still awesome when he can barely move. It says a lot that he wrestled at two more Manias and appeared at #7.
Hogan gets in control, Andre chokes him. Hogan gets knocked down, Andre sits on him. Hogan starts running, Andre turns his back to him and Hogan falls down. It’s so simple yet so effective. Hogan comes back and signals for a slam but DiBiase cracks him with a chair as the ref is distracted. Hogan nails Andre with the chair, Andre hits Hogan with it in one of the worst chair shots I’ve ever seen. Not because of how Andre swung but Hogan just looks awful taking it.
Someone with Hogan swinging first it’s a double DQ and both men are eliminated, meaning the winner of DiBiase and Muraco is in the finals. Hogan hits a running chair shot to knock Andre down then chases off Virgil and DiBiase before going back to slam Andre and pose.
Rating: C. These two getting together is always awesome and the faster pace made it a lot better this time. That being said, the match wasn't much at all. Andre was DONE at this point and everyone knew it. He was trying though so I'll give him a ton of credit for that. The ending was the only real way to get rid of both of them to set up a new champion so that’s fine too. Just not long enough to be a great match though.
That leads us to this. This is also clipped but this is the full review of course.
WWF World Title: Randy Savage vs. Ted DiBiase
This was a very interesting match at the time because no one knew who was going to win it. That to me will always make a match better. From what I’ve heard the original plan was to have Hogan get to the finals with DiBiase and lose thanks to Andre, eventually getting the title back at Summerslam while Savage would win the IC title from Honky either here or at Summerslam. However, Honky refused to do it and they made this the plan. I like the first one better I think.
Anyway, Andre and DiBiase are here against Savage and Liz. Andre keeps cheating so Savage whispers to Liz and everyone knows what’s coming as for about two minutes no one is watching the ring. This is about as simple of an explanation as you could ask for regarding the problems that would plague Savage's reign.
What possible reason do we need Hogan out there for? Rather than having him out there and taking part of the spotlight, why not have Savage make the Superman comeback and get the title on a rollup when Andre can't make the save? Instead we have Hogan coming out there, making himself the focus or at least half of it. This right away makes Savage look like a weak champion because Hogan made the save and Savage would have lost without him.
This is the kind of stuff that Savage would be paranoid about and have big delusions over over time. They’re proven right as Hogan comes through the curtain to even the odds. Savage looks dead in the ring which is what he’s supposed to do. The fans are all looking at him now because he's the new thing they see out there. Anyway, DiBiase mostly destroys Savage with nothing too special as Savage is just dead.
Great false finish as Savage goes for the elbow and the place goes nuts but he misses it. Million Dollar Dream and Savage tries to get to the ropes but Andre pulls it back. Ref warns him and Hogan comes in and nails DiBiase with a chair leading to the elbow and a new champion! Post match sees something very interesting as Hogan, Savage and Liz celebrate. For those that can read lips, you can see Savage say to Hogan, “Please let me have my moment.” Hogan doesn’t leave, and that my friends, started the real life feud between these two.
Rating: B. We had seen these guys WAY too much tonight which is the problem with tournaments. We just get sick of these guys. Savage had 4 matches at this show. He’s one of the best ever but four times in a show is just too much. For this tape it’s ok but at the PPV this was way too much.
Hogan says the belt is safe and he’s going to get the belt back in time and work within the system.
Real American plays over a highlight reel (mainly against Nikolai Volkoff) plays us out.
Overall Rating: A. WOW. This is absolutely the best Coliseum Video I have ever seen bar none. If you took this exact tape (it runs 2 hours) and added on the rest of the matches you cut out and added on up through say Mania V with the Mega Powers exploding, this is a 5 hour DVD that I would buy in a heartbeat. I’ve never seen a WWF release with such detail and every promo that mattered and every major match plus other little ones thrown in.
If you take this tape and added on say the full versions of Hogan vs. Sheik, the Atlas/Andre vs. Bundy/Studd match where Hogan made the save, the following tag, Andre vs. Hogan 1-3, the first Survivor Series main event (Team Andre vs. Team Hogan with Andre winning), the Summerslam main event (Mega Powers vs. Andre/DiBiase) and the Main Event match/angle with Savage snapping and turning heel then the Mania V match, WOW.
That would be an incredible DVD that would cover one of the most intricate angles ever in perfect form. I loved this and I was dreading watching it. If you can somehow find it, watch this as it covers about a year and a half nearly as well as you could ask for. Absolutely awesome and I had a freaking blast with this.
Hosts: Craig DeGeorge, Hulk Hogan
Commentators: Gorilla Monsoon, Jesse Ventura, Vince McMahon, Lord Alfred Hayes, Bobby Heenan
It’s time for more of Hulk here. I would have bet that this was for Hogan/Andre II at Mania 4 but this has the main event of that show on it also. Odd indeed. This is the Hogan vs. Andre feud plus the entire fallout from that. This is incredible stuff from a history perspective. Luckily for me I reviewed the shows that Pits aired on so there will be a lot of cutting and pasting here. Let’s get to it.
DeGeorge, our annoying host, is on a boat for this. Oh ok Hogan is there too. This might be called The Giant Betrayal apparently. Hulk talks about being betrayed by Andre and how much it hurts to be around him now. Hogan hopes that Andre will come back from this. Eh he will once the heel run dries up Hulk. Don’t worry. There’s a bad 80s movie in there somewhere.
A lot of these Pit reviews are copied and pasted, so expect that a lot. Anything saying from so and so date are Piper’s Pits.
From January 17, 1987.
There’s a big trophy. This is it! Jack Tunney is brought out and reads the trophy, which is talking about how Hogan has been champion for three years now. In a great example of issues with canned heat, the crowd is shown exploding but the sound isn’t that great.
Actually that's’ backwards but you get the idea. Hogan’s best friend Andre comes out and says that three years to be a champion is a long time. We don’t get the rest of the story yet, but it’s coming. Sweet damn this angle was well done. It was so simple too.
From January 24, 1987.
He brings out Jack Tunney who has a trophy presentation, in this case for Andre the Giant for being undefeated (not quite) for 15 years. His trophy isn’t as big as Hogan’s was for being world champion for three years. Andre has a legit complaint here I’d say. Andre says he has something to say and Hogan runs out to steal the spotlight. There’s your match being planted right there. Andre is clearly annoyed here and he walks off. Say it with me: uh oh. Piper isn’t happy either.
From January 31, 1987.
Jesse is in the Pit this week and both trophies are there too. He suggests Heenan had something to do with Andre being reinstated. Now keep in mind, this made NO sense back in the day. Heenan got Andre suspended and hated him to say the least.
Jesse says he knows what no one else knows and he’s not talking. BIG heat for that. Jesse points out the trophies being shorter and Jesse suggests that Hogan has ducked Andre. Piper defending Hogan is just not right. They argue and Jesse suggests a match between himself and Piper. BIG pop for that. Instead, next week in the Pit, Andre and Hogan. Yep it’s THAT Pit.
From February 7, 1987.
Piper brings out Hogan and Jesse brings out Andre….AND HEENAN! Freeze it for a second. You have to get the backstory here to get why this is stunning. For YEARS Heenan and his cronies had feuded with Andre, dating back to before the first Mania. There had been an angle where Andre had (kayfabe) skipped a show and Tunney suspended him indefinitely.
A trio of Japanese guys known as the Machines eventually showed up (two at first then joined by a third). They were clearly Americans posing as Japanese guys under masks which was the joke. Giant Machine was Andre, although he would often sit out due to injuries and be replaced by guys like Animal Machine, Piper Machine or Hulk Machine. You get the idea.
So Heenan went on this rampage screaming (the obvious) that Giant Machine was Andre who wasn’t allowed to be there. If he could prove it, Andre was gone forever. Naturally he couldn’t do it and the Machines just left on their own. Tunney lifted the suspension due to being convinced by some unknown man around the beginning of 87 and Heenan more or less became a blithering idiot because of it.
That set in motion the angle we’re at now, with everyone trying to find out who got Andre’s suspension lifted while at the same time Andre is acting strange over the trophy size. Remember also that it was Andre who was the first to congratulate Hogan when he won the title back in 84. See how much more intricate things were back then?
So anyway, this was STUNNING. This is up there with the Higher Power or Cena returning at the Rumble as the audience gets it all at once and the reaction is great. Even Jesse is shocked. Anyway, Hogan FREAKS. It’s some of the best acting he’s ever done, and considering this is the guy from Mr. Nanny, he can say whatever he wants.
Oddly enough, I’m watching Jeopardy and Andre was a clue! Anyway Hogan says Andre is the guy that got him into wrestling and who he looks at as his role model, so if nothing else we know who to blame. Andre just stares down at Hogan and this is all great. Piper’s head flying back and forth from both guys is hilarious for some reason. Andre is magnificent here, just not moving an inch and glaring down at Hulk.
Hogan puts his hand on Andre’s shoulder and begs him not to do this and Andre says to take his hands off of Andre. Heenan and Hogan go at it and it’s all revealed that Andre can’t stand Hogan and is tired of being looked at as someone taking a backseat to Hogan. Finally, Heenan says Andre has one more thing to say and we get the legendary moment as Andre challenges Hogan for a title match at Wrestlemania III, ripping off his shirt and breaking the cross he wore which makes Hogan’s chest bleed.
He leaves Hogan on his knees and begging Andre to come back. Easily, without a doubt, the biggest angle and the biggest heel turn ever at this point in time. This was huge to say the least and while it looks basic now, this would be like when Hogan turned heel and formed the NWO. It’s that big.
From February 14, 1987.
The guest is Hogan, and you know what’s coming. Piper recaps the whole ordeal and brings out Hogan. He of course comes out in wrestling gear with the pieces of the cross in his hands. At least he has a band-aid on his chest from the cut. After a promo, Piper point blank asks him if he’ll fight him. Hogan shouts yes and the arena ERUPTS! This is still the biggest match ever so there we are.
From February 28, 1987.
We go to the contract signing for Hogan vs. Andre. Naturally Hogan is in wrestling gear. That makes perfect sense right? Heenan is there with Andre of course. They actually call him Mr. Rousimoff. WOW. Heenan wants a new belt made to fit Andre.
Allegedly that was made but I don’t think it was ever shown. If it was then it was only one time. Hogan is freaking strung out here and it’s kind of funny. I mean DAMN. He seems like he’s had about a kilo of coke or something. He’s hyperventilating and demanding that Andre speak English when he already is. This was WEIRD.
Hogan says he’s ready.
We get some clips of Hogan vs. Andre from Mania 3, as in the beginning and the last two minutes or so. Shame they didn’t have the whole thing but we got the important stuff in there. Still incredible, still the biggest match of all time, Dave Meltzer still doesn’t get it to say this is negative four stars. Since I’m feeling nice though, here’s the (mostly) full review of the match. I took out the backstory and some stuff that was kind of stupid.
WWF World Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant
This match has been called the biggest match in the history of professional wrestling and that very well may be true. It was the first true super main event in Wrestlemania history.
Andre comes out and the booing is mindblowing. In something that I find funny, he waves to the fans on the way down to ringside.
Jesse gives the tale of the tape, which is all of Andre and Hogan’s measurements, showing that as big as Hogan is, Andre is so much bigger. Bob Uecker is the guest announcer and after introducing Andre, says three simple words: and, his opponent. After that, the fans just lose it. Hogan’s music hits and nothing else matters at all.
Gorilla puts it best by saying “The roof of the Silverdome is about to explode here!” In a great camera shot, you get a wide angle shot of the arena with the spotlight on Hogan which really shows how this whole show has been building to this one moment. Hogan gets in the ring and it’s on. I won’t go into detail here either as I’m sure you’ve all seen this at one time or another. Every word of commentary is famous here as I can almost quote the whole match to you.
Within 15 seconds, Hogan goes for a slam and we nearly get a pin. That is a point that is used for over a year as Hogan might not have gotten his shoulder up in time. The way the camera is set up you really can’t tell if he did or not. This would be the focal point of the main angles for the next year.
The in ring work here is really pretty bad, but no one cared. This match was all about the meaning of what was going on and the truly epic nature of the match. No one really knew who was going to win here and it was a legitimate possibility that Hogan would lose. Andre more or less beats the living fuck out of Hogan the whole match until the very end. Hogan gets some shots in here and there that do some damage and Andre is clearly worn out at the end of it.
The crowd is almost stunned that Hogan is being dominated. They brawl on the floor for a bit and then head back into the ring. Andre misses a boot and Hogan clotheslines him, knocking him down. The fans go insane at the sight of this. Hulk Hulks Up and he has the crowd in the palm of his hand at this point. In what might be the most mous scene in the history of wrestling, Hogan slams Andre in a completely unplanned spot.
Even the commentators are in awe at this point as Hogan drops the leg and wins the match. Andre was so bit at the time that Hogan ripped his ab muscles to pieces slamming him and was out for a few months. The music plays and Heenan and Andre get into the cart that takes them to the back as Heenan has his head in his hands, wondering what just happened. Hogan poses as we close the show with the fans absolutely going nuts.
Rating: A. The match itself is pretty bad but the historical significance is second to absolutely nothing. Now I've seen a lot of people (including his majesty Mr. Meltzer) say this was a horrible match and all that jazz. In short: SCREW YOU ALL. Get the damn sticks out of your asses and have some damn fun for once. If you don't get chills watching the staredown and the slam, then go watch something else.
You have Hogan and Andre who can barely move at all. What are they supposed to do out there? The entire idea here was to have a major showdown and that's exactly what they did. This match was epic, still is epic and will always be epic. Anyone that says this wasn't a great match that did exactly what it was supposed to do is a fool, and I don't care who I have to argue this with.
Hogan says that if he had known about this earlier he could have talked to Andre about it and we wouldn’t have had to come to this.
We get a clip of where Andre was beaten down by Bundy and Studd on SNME but Hogan made the save. We also get clips of the tag match that followed.
Hogan says that this was Heenan’s doing, not Andre’s.
We get an interview from the 11th SNME. Heenan and Andre have a sit down interview where they say they have film proof of Hogan losing to Andre. They show the opening of the match of the slam where Hogan almost didn’t get out in time. It really is close and Heenan actually has a point: from the referee’s vantage point, Marella couldn’t see Hogan’s arm pop up but called it a two anyway. This would fuel the main event up to Mania 4.
Hogan says Heenan wants the title and he doesn’t care who wins it for him.
The following match is clipped but this is the full review of it because I don’t feel like watching it again.
WWF Title: Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy
This is from the 13th SNME. Heenan brings out Andre to be the cornerman for Bundy. We haven’t gotten any reference to Survivor Series yet either. Hogan, with tassels from the headband over his eyes, cuts a completely insane promo about being brought back to life from a heart attack or something like that. Has there ever been a better theme song than Real American? I think not.
Something tells me this is going to be a run of the mill Hogan match. He throws a high knee if nothing else to break the monotony. Yep the slam misses and a crowd that is barely moving has an incredibly loud and audible chant. What a shock. Yeah Vince fucks up and says just after that that the crowd isn’t very lively, yet they just had a very loud chant.
We hit a chinlock for a minute or five and Hogan makes his comeback only to have Andre jump Hogan. He gets sent to the back and the match is restarted. What follows is, shockingly, a Hogan 101 match as he does his normal get beaten down by the power heel only to make the comeback and win.
Actually that’s a lie as amazingly, Hogan LOSES. Yeah. They fight on the floor and Heenan keeps Hogan from getting back in time and Bundy wins by countout, which is exactly what happened two days before, although it was One Man Gang and not Bundy but whatever. Hogan goes after Heenan and hurts his neck which I think is legit.
Rating: B-. It’s a Hogan match. These things were cookie cutter as hell but that’s all they needed to be really. They worked and the crowds ate them up. What more could you ask for really? This was really just to have Andre and Hogan in the same place which was still a HUGE money feud.
Hogan talks (keep in mind that every time I say that it’s Hogan and DeGeorge on a boat doing an interview) about Heenan bringing in Ted DiBiase to try to get the title.
DiBiase talks about everyone doing things for some of his money (including a kid that bounced a basketball. His name would eventually be changed to Rob Van Dam). Everybody has a price apparently and Hulk Hogan is part of everybody. He’s going to buy the WWF Title from Hogan no matter what it costs.
Jack Tunney says he’s not sure if it’s legal or not.
Hogan (in the arena, not the boat) says that he’s been thinking about how much he’d love to have that much money and all the cars and such that he could buy with it. After thinking it over, he has to say HELL NO!!!!! If DiBiase wants the title, come and get it!
DiBiase says the people would be stunned if they knew the amount he offered Hogan. There’s more than one way to buy a Hulk and he’s going to get what he wants. Hogan has a price and DiBiase is going to get what he wants one day no matter what.
Hulk Hogan/Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Ted DiBiase/Virgil
This is from January of 88 in MSG. Andre is with the heels here. Virgil very rarely wrestled in this era so this was a rarity. Bigelow was the freaking man at this point so this is like the Superfriends teaming up. The heels jump them during the music as Heenan sits in on commentary. Double big boot puts DiBiase down as the bald brotherhood cleans house. Hogan and DiBiase officially start us off.
The crowd is insanely hot here. Off to Bigelow and DiBiase is reeling. The headbutts begin Back off to Hogan and the fans erupt again. Running forearm puts Ted down and he gets battered between the heroes. Hogan gets the windmill punch but Andre trips him because he’s EVIL. DiBiase finally goes on offense and chokes away. Apparently this is the anniversary of Hogan winning the title.
Virgil comes in off the top and hammers away. Hogan vs. Virgil. Who would have ever imagined that would have happened in MSG? Hogan plays face in peril here for a good while which is weird to see as you would think he would do the big hot tag. That shows you what you had in Bigelow. Chinlock by DiBiase as Andre says ring the bell. For once that might actually work.
If Andre told me to do something I’d do it. Also I’d be freaked out as he would be a corpse at this point. Hogan gets up and it’s a double clothesline to send Hogan and DiBiase down. Bigelow had a bad knee at this point which would explain why he’s been in about 10 seconds so far. Hot tag to Bigelow who cleans house. Gorilla press and some headbutts take down Virgil. DiBiase tries the save but Virgil takes a legdrop instead. An assisted splash ends Virgil and we’re done.
Rating: C. Just a match here to make the fans rather happy. Virgil was great for something like this as it let DiBiase get in there without blowing DiBiase vs. Hogan. Good little match here that was fine for a big match on a house show. The hot crowd helped it a lot and this was a nice little addition for some rare content.
The heels beat down Hogan and Bigelow until Bigelow gets the tips of his toes on Andre’s back which is called a dropkick here. Hogan and Bam Bam grab chairs and the evil ones decide to fight another day.
We get a clip of the rematch of Bundy vs. Hogan’s rematch which isn’t important. What is important is the post match stuff with Hogan posing and Andre attacking him. This was to set up the rematch on February 5, 1988 which was two days after I was born and drew a mind blowing 15.8 rating. An army of faces come out to try to save Hogan but Andre beats them up with ease. After Andre shrugs off six guys, Duggan comes out to beat on him with the 2x4. Andre just glares at him while the faces get Hogan out of there.
DiBiase says that he’s bought the contract of Andre the Giant. Little side note here: Heenan was paid $1 million for the contract. In a year or so he would buy it back for $100,000. So in other words he got Andre back and made $900,000 profit. And people wonder why he was called the Brain.
Clip of the contract signing for February 5 where Andre beat Hogan up and the table wound up on Hogan.
Hogan says the money was everywhere but he didn’t think it would be like this.
Hogan works out to Jake Roberts’ music for some reason.
The following match just has clips but the whole post match angle is shown here. This is from February 5, 1988 in Indianapolis on a live show.
WWF Title: Andre the Giant vs. Hulk Hogan
So yeah, this is the biggest match ever on television and still is to this day. Again: it got a FIFTEEN in ratings. To put that in perspective, Jay Leno gets about a three. Hogan says there was no controversy in the count and that he’s beaten Andre once and can again. He also says that he’s invested into his fans. Good promo as you can tell Hogan thrives in this kind of environment. Now if only they had noticed something: Hogan has the OLD design for the title in the interview but as he walks out you see the famous winged eagle title debut. Nice job guys. That interview was probably taped in late 87.
The pop for Hogan is just absurd as he’s almost at the height of his powers here. Ok so 87 was bigger but close enough. Hogan wants to start immediately but Hebner stops him. I’ve seen this match multiple times and this has me fired up very well. Andre stalls forever on the apron as Hogan is all kinds of fired up. Hogan gives the sign for slamming him and Andre’s face says nothing but “Bitch please.”
The crowd is electric as they do a masterful job of letting the tension build. Hogan has finally waited long enough and drills into the heels and cleans house. He hammers away early as you can definitely see a faster pace here than they had last time. Granted that might be due to Hogan needing to do more here as Andre is getting very bad very fast.
ALL Hogan here but Hogan can’t do much here other than strike. DiBiase is counting money so Hogan stomps on his hand for the fun of it. Big wind up punch and Andre WILL NOT GO DOWN. Hogan like an idiot tries to go up and gets the Flair treatment for his luck. Andre tries a diving headbutt and just misses completely. He chokes away and other than that and basic strikes he has nothing.
The idea here is that Andre’s offense is very limited but his size and power plus great selling by Hogan makes him seem like a killer. Andre gets a big boot to Hogan’s chest and falls down too. He chokes with the strap on his singlet and Hogan is in trouble. Hogan breaks a choke and it’s on all over again. A middle rope clothesline finally drops the Giant.
Hogan gets the legdrop but Virgil grabs the referee. Andre gets up and drills some headbutts and hits a suplex kind of move which was his finisher. Hogan clearly gets his shoulder well off the mat at about one and a half and the referee keeps counting anyway, getting to three and declaring Andre as the winner. And let the controversy begin.
Rating: C-. The match itself was just ok but obviously the biggest angle of all time happening here is the real story. The 9 minute match was a backdrop for that as Andre couldn’t do a damn thing but choke for the most part which is fine given his physical condition at the time. Not bad at all, all things considered.
The referee says it was three and Hogan says he got his shoulder up which is absolutely true. Hebner gets the belt and hands it to Andre. This is the end of Hogan’s over four year title reign. Gene is at ringside and talks to Andre who calls it the world tag title for some reason and then surrenders it to DiBiase. The image of DiBiase with the belt around his waist is downright terrifying.
Hogan turns his attention to Dave Hebner and here comes….Dave Hebner. There are TWO Dave Hebners as the fans are STUNNED. Hogan figures out what is going on as the guy that refereed the match was an impostor and we actually have an evil twin storyline. The evil one beats up the good one but Hogan gets his hands on him anyway to throw him to DiBiase and Andre.
Post match Hogan wonders how much the plastic surgery cost. He rants and raves about getting ripped off which for once is absolutely true. We see a replay of the count and Hogan’s arm is clearly up before two.
DiBiase, with the title around his waist, says he told us he would get it. This is very rare stuff as he got it Friday and was stripped of it on Sunday.
Speaking of being stripped of it, WWF President Tunney vacates the title, saying that he can’t make Hogan champion because Hogan didn’t pin the reigning champion and that DiBiase isn’t champion because Tunney says so and that Andre isn’t champion because he “won” the title (meaning he’s officially a former world heavyweight champion) and surrendered it, which is legal. The title is vacant.
Hogan talks about how he wasn’t going to let someone else get screwed over like he did, leading to a clip of a match with DiBiase and Savage two weeks before Mania. Andre got involved and Hogan ran down for the save once Liz went back and got him. DiBiase wins by countout, but the point of this was to see Hogan come out for the save and kind of the forming of the Mega Powers.
DeGeorge tells us about the tournament at Mania 4 and sets up this. The following match is shown in full.
Second Round Match: Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant
Andre has DiBiase and Virgil with him for this. Much faster pace than last year’s match which to me is an improvement. Andre just goes off to start this match. Hogan breaks it up with some running punches/forearms but DiBiase gets on the apron. Hogan rams them together with the all time best name move: the Double Noggin Knocker. Andre’s offense here is just so simple that it’s great.
This is one of those matches where you can tell Andre just has nothing left so they're going with REALLY basic stuff to make it look like he's still awesome when he can barely move. It says a lot that he wrestled at two more Manias and appeared at #7.
Hogan gets in control, Andre chokes him. Hogan gets knocked down, Andre sits on him. Hogan starts running, Andre turns his back to him and Hogan falls down. It’s so simple yet so effective. Hogan comes back and signals for a slam but DiBiase cracks him with a chair as the ref is distracted. Hogan nails Andre with the chair, Andre hits Hogan with it in one of the worst chair shots I’ve ever seen. Not because of how Andre swung but Hogan just looks awful taking it.
Someone with Hogan swinging first it’s a double DQ and both men are eliminated, meaning the winner of DiBiase and Muraco is in the finals. Hogan hits a running chair shot to knock Andre down then chases off Virgil and DiBiase before going back to slam Andre and pose.
Rating: C. These two getting together is always awesome and the faster pace made it a lot better this time. That being said, the match wasn't much at all. Andre was DONE at this point and everyone knew it. He was trying though so I'll give him a ton of credit for that. The ending was the only real way to get rid of both of them to set up a new champion so that’s fine too. Just not long enough to be a great match though.
That leads us to this. This is also clipped but this is the full review of course.
WWF World Title: Randy Savage vs. Ted DiBiase
This was a very interesting match at the time because no one knew who was going to win it. That to me will always make a match better. From what I’ve heard the original plan was to have Hogan get to the finals with DiBiase and lose thanks to Andre, eventually getting the title back at Summerslam while Savage would win the IC title from Honky either here or at Summerslam. However, Honky refused to do it and they made this the plan. I like the first one better I think.
Anyway, Andre and DiBiase are here against Savage and Liz. Andre keeps cheating so Savage whispers to Liz and everyone knows what’s coming as for about two minutes no one is watching the ring. This is about as simple of an explanation as you could ask for regarding the problems that would plague Savage's reign.
What possible reason do we need Hogan out there for? Rather than having him out there and taking part of the spotlight, why not have Savage make the Superman comeback and get the title on a rollup when Andre can't make the save? Instead we have Hogan coming out there, making himself the focus or at least half of it. This right away makes Savage look like a weak champion because Hogan made the save and Savage would have lost without him.
This is the kind of stuff that Savage would be paranoid about and have big delusions over over time. They’re proven right as Hogan comes through the curtain to even the odds. Savage looks dead in the ring which is what he’s supposed to do. The fans are all looking at him now because he's the new thing they see out there. Anyway, DiBiase mostly destroys Savage with nothing too special as Savage is just dead.
Great false finish as Savage goes for the elbow and the place goes nuts but he misses it. Million Dollar Dream and Savage tries to get to the ropes but Andre pulls it back. Ref warns him and Hogan comes in and nails DiBiase with a chair leading to the elbow and a new champion! Post match sees something very interesting as Hogan, Savage and Liz celebrate. For those that can read lips, you can see Savage say to Hogan, “Please let me have my moment.” Hogan doesn’t leave, and that my friends, started the real life feud between these two.
Rating: B. We had seen these guys WAY too much tonight which is the problem with tournaments. We just get sick of these guys. Savage had 4 matches at this show. He’s one of the best ever but four times in a show is just too much. For this tape it’s ok but at the PPV this was way too much.
Hogan says the belt is safe and he’s going to get the belt back in time and work within the system.
Real American plays over a highlight reel (mainly against Nikolai Volkoff) plays us out.
Overall Rating: A. WOW. This is absolutely the best Coliseum Video I have ever seen bar none. If you took this exact tape (it runs 2 hours) and added on the rest of the matches you cut out and added on up through say Mania V with the Mega Powers exploding, this is a 5 hour DVD that I would buy in a heartbeat. I’ve never seen a WWF release with such detail and every promo that mattered and every major match plus other little ones thrown in.
If you take this tape and added on say the full versions of Hogan vs. Sheik, the Atlas/Andre vs. Bundy/Studd match where Hogan made the save, the following tag, Andre vs. Hogan 1-3, the first Survivor Series main event (Team Andre vs. Team Hogan with Andre winning), the Summerslam main event (Mega Powers vs. Andre/DiBiase) and the Main Event match/angle with Savage snapping and turning heel then the Mania V match, WOW.
That would be an incredible DVD that would cover one of the most intricate angles ever in perfect form. I loved this and I was dreading watching it. If you can somehow find it, watch this as it covers about a year and a half nearly as well as you could ask for. Absolutely awesome and I had a freaking blast with this.