The greatest night in the history of televised wrestling

[legendkiller1979]

It was 25 years ago tonight that The Main Event was broadcast for the first time. It was on this show that the biggest rematch in the history of wrestling took place when Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant had their rematch from Wrestlemania III. Also on the card was the Honky Tonk Man defending the IC title versus the Mach Man. One might say big deal, who cares about HTM?
This was a very hot feud at the time. A few months earlier HTM pushed Elizabeth to the ground as she tried to protect macho man from a guitar attack. HTM was potentially the most hated person in the business and people wanted so bad to see anyone take the belt from him and macho man was among the most popular wrestlers at the time. Strike Force also defended the tag titles against the Hart Foundation.

For those who weren't around for this era of wrestling, I'm sure you are racking for brains trying to come up with a better match or a more entertaining moment to argue with my point about this being the greatest night in televised wrestling history. I'm sure the John Cena/ Shawn Michaels rematch will be brought up or the beer truck. But you have to understand, There had never been anything like this before on TV. The main event from mania III was the most anticipated match ever. (In my opinion, it still is but I'm not here to debate that) For this match to be put on free TV was unheard of.

I can't come close to give an example from recent time to compare it to.
Ever since the Monday night wars, we have been getting pay per view quality matches every week. There haven't been any matches in quite a long time that people have really looked forward to. And even if there have been, the end results were a huge letdown. 1988 was the era of jobbers. So getting a pay per view quality match for free was a big deal. This is why Saturday Night's Main Event was so popular. The Main Event took this to a new level

There was more than enough reason to want to watch this show. What added to the intrigue was Ted Dibiase trying to buy the WWF title. Dibiase has failed to buy the belt from Hogan so he bought the contract of Andre to get the title for him. He was in Andre's corner for the match.

The first match was for the IC title. This was basically a blowoff match as HTM was counted out. I'm sure most of you know that Savage was supposed to win the title but HTM threw a temper tantrum and refused to drop the belt.

This brought us to the WWF title match. The match wasn't great but the historical greatness is off the charts. I don't think anyone thought Andre was going to win the match, especially after Hogan had already beaten the giant.
The end of the match was brilliant. Hogan did the job without really being pinned as Hogan kicked out after a one count. But the "evil twin referee" continued the count and awarded the title to Andre. The shock factor was off the charts. This was the end of the most important title reign in wrestling history.

To add to the shock, Andre immediately surrendered the "world world tag team champioinship" (yes, he actually said that) to Dibiase shortly after the "real Dave Hebner" appeared. It was great to see identical twin referees standing in the ring adding to the confusion and anger of so many hulkamaniacs.

After this, there was still one more match to go. I'm not sure who screwed up, but very little of this match made air.

A couple weeks later the title was declared vacant and a tournament was set up for Wrestlemania IV.

This broadcast remains the most watched program in the history of wrestling with 33 million viewers watching and there's a reason for that. The Hogan/Andre rematch was the biggest and most important rematch in history and people got to see it for free.

 

[Headman]

No arguments here. An argument could be made for the original Clash of the Champions created to take Wrestlemania IV head on, but personally I happen to agree with the OP on this one.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

By televised do you mean on nationally available TV? Cable? or PPV?

If it's cable then I think "The War To Settle The Score" has a big part to play, as it was the first time that Wrestling crossed over into the mainstream media on a "free basis" (of course I get people had to pay for cable, but they weren't specifically buying the show). While the focus was obviously Hogan and Piper, you had Cyndi Lauper, Andy Warhol and of course Mr. T. all appearing onscreen. MTV was the hottest thing in the US and Mr T. and The A-Team the hottest show and at the time the exposure did wonders for Wrestlemania buyrates. MTV's target audience were exactly who Vince wanted, teens and kids who would bully mom and dad into buying Wrestlemania. Sadly MTV got greedy and wanted a chunk of the company to continue, but by then Vince had what he needed from them and less than 3 years later, Main Event became the first network show as you mention. While the OP's point is right in someways, it never would have flown without War To Settle The Score first.

 

[closet_fan]

It was on NBC. I remember it was the first time the WWF had gone prime time. That was a great card. And that Hogan/Andre match is something I'll never forget.

Great Great memories that show was.

 

[Wally Dangerously]

That was a great night of wrestling. I was 8 years old and I remember watching it live. I balled my eyes out when Hulk lost because of the evil Hebner twin. The Honkey Tonk/Macho Man match was good also. If I recall, Macho Man took his boot off during the match for some reason, and I remember The Hart Foundation holding Savage while Honkey smashed him over the head with the guitar. Good stuff.

I remember staying up late on most Saturdays just hoping that SNME would be on instead of SNL. It seems like Main Event was only on 3-4 times per year, and my family didn't get TV Guide, so I was always excited with anticipation on Saturday nights and I would go nuts when SNME was actually on.

*sigh* The good old days....

 

[FlairFan2003]

Hogan-Andre II: Biggest prime time special in televised wrestling history, even bigger given how few programs outside of "Dallas" actually drew big numbers airing on Friday nights.

Steamboat Returns: In the days before the internet it was much easier to keep such returns secret. Still, watching Ricky Steamboat come out as Eddie Gilbert's mystery partner and trash Ric Flair & Barry Whyndam all over the ring, one year after his last WWE appearance and 5 years since he left NWA, that was a huge event.

Hogan-Flair II: It was the highest rated match of 1994 and one of the biggest matches in televised cable wrestling. Despite the screw job ending the fast pace, violent nature, and intensity of the bout may have made this these rivals best match.

Debut of Nitro (Lex Luger Returns): The surprise return of "The Total Package" just one night after wrestling at SummerSlam was the high light of a historic moment, the launching of The Monday Night Wars. It was also the beginning of a much harsher era in competitive counter programming as the shows dueled by giving away match results and stealing rival talent.

Brett Screwed Brett: Vince McMahon's out of character shoot interview on Survivor Series 97 remains one of the most memorable moments in RAW history. Alongside the infamous Steve Austin-Brian Pillman gun incident it is also the show's most controversial.

Whooo: Ric Flair's dramatic return to Nitro following a six month abscence due to Eric Bischoff's law suit was a huge event, even though he only appeared for a promo. The law suit and Flair's absence had made national news, getting coverage in magazines like People as well as numerous papers and even resulted in fan operated websites dedicated to petitioning WCW for his re instatement or listing corporate sponsors for organized boycotts. The episode also marked the last time Nitro beat RAW for an entire evening in the ratings.

Final Nitro: WWE buys WCW and portions of the show are simulcast on RAW. Even thinking about it now seems sureal.

Legends Say Goodbye: Too many times top wrestling stars exit the business or fade into obscurity without notice or tribute. Steve Austin's retirement on RAW following his last WrestleMania match (fittingly vs Rock) was a huge surprise but is significant in that it ended the Attitude Era once and for awhile. HBK left in 1998, too injured to climb in the ring and with a legendarily bad reputation behind the scenes as one of the hardest to work with performers of all time. His 2002 return set in motion one of the greatest reclamation acts of all time. Repairing his reputation while adding numerous classic matches to his resume helped elevate Michaels to Icon Status, making his dramatic retirement and storyline with another Icon The Undertaker a truly special event. The fact that HBK was allowed to break character in his goodbye speech added to the importance. No star ever got a sendoff like Ric Flair, a veritable nationwide retirement tour culminating in Pro Wrestling Illustrated Magazine's Match Of The Year at WrestleMania. His emotional farewell on RAW, including several returning legends and in ring tributes from virtually the entire roster, all allowed to break character, including Vince McMahon and Undertaker, remains the gold standard of tributes.

 

[starkmoto]

The Hogan vs Goldberg Nitro was crazy, tops that main event. It was crazy back then, goldberg had to go through hall first.

 

[Kidpolean]

while this moment might not be the biggest, I think it deserves a mention. When Mankind won the wwf title that moment was huge and so was the pop

 

[waylonmercy]

Mankind winning the title didn't create the pop, Steve Austin was in his ultimate prime and the crowd went absolutely berzerk when his music hit. It was a case of rabid fans rubbing off on not so rabid fans to create emotion. I saw the video on youtube and it gives you goosebumps.

 

[HBsam31]

The Hogan vs Goldberg Nitro was crazy, tops that main event. It was crazy back then, goldberg had to go through hall first.

I agree that Goldberg/Hogan was up there. I remeber being in front of my friends tv right at 8pm for that Nitro. I was a raw guy and usually watched Nitro taped. It was a huge event feel, and that crowd was hyped. That being said I still think The Main Event in the OP was bigger. I remember being 8 or 9 and staying up late to watch it. I was so huge getting to see the Hulk/Andre rematch on free tv. I thought it would just be another day at work for Hogan, and was in shock when we learned there was a twin Hebner. I was a die hard Hulkamaniac. The rest of the show was great, but I was up to see Hogan retain. I remember being so upset that Hogan would not keep his belt that night. A great night of wrestling that I will never forget with the Goldberg/Hogan Nitro coming in at a close second.

 

[deslok]

the Raw where Austin Vs. Big Show felt pretty damn big. while not the most epic, I think it had the highest rating of Raw, ever. (8.0) I remember thinking at the time, they probably should have saved that one for a big pay per view.

 

[Waylon Mercy]

I think the night Mick Foley won the title was historically one of the greatest nights in televised wrestling. WCW inadvertently lost the Monday Night Wars thanks to feeding spoilers about him winning the title. They had no idea just how many people wanted to switch channels to see Mrs. Foley's Little Boy live out his boyhood dreams.
I also think the night Bret Hart finally came home to the WWE on Monday Night Raw and made his peace with Shawn Michaels was one of the greatest moments as well. There was such a palpable tension in that crowd when Shawn stepped out from the curtains, and it was surreal. I don't remember ever being so excited to tune into Raw than I was on that night.

 

[dukes07]

I think the night Mick Foley won the title was historically one of the greatest nights in televised wrestling. WCW inadvertently lost the Monday Night Wars thanks to feeding spoilers about him winning the title. They had no idea just how many people wanted to switch channels to see Mrs. Foley's Little Boy live out his boyhood dreams.
I also think the night Bret Hart finally came home to the WWE on Monday Night Raw and made his peace with Shawn Michaels was one of the greatest moments as well. There was such a palpable tension in that crowd when Shawn stepped out from the curtains, and it was surreal. I don't remember ever being so excited to tune into Raw than I was on that night.

Actually the whole changing channel thing is a myth. Nitro would not have won that night. In fact most viewers switched back to Nitro during the overrun and the final hour had a larger number of viewers than normal: 4.9 (5.5,4.6,4.8). The week before had a 4.3 and the week after had a 4.6 final hour rating.

http://www.twnpnews.com/information/WCW/wcwnitro.shtml

Meanwhile RAW received a 5.7 and 5.8 for the two hours.

As for my favorite moment, the Piper v. Hogan with the War to Settle the Score was awesome. So was Hogan v. Andre.

My favorite two moments: The Lawn Dart Nitro is still one of the all time greatest shows. But Goldberg v. Hogan was the biggest moment. Most fans remember that specific incident. So many shows and PPV's bleed together. This will always be remembered and considered a great if not seminal moment on TV. Everyone can say it was for ratings, which it was. But it was also near once in a lifetime opportunity with Hogan dropping the belt cleanly to Goldberg. The largest Monday night crowd ever and the fans were on FIRE. If anything it could have paid off with increased interest in Nitro and they gain money through new fans and merch etc. Also Bash at the Beach had a huge buyrate. And if you look at the ratings from the month or so before and the next two months, interest in Nitro grew.

9/14/98 4.5 (4.8,4.0,4.8)
9/7/98 5.5 (5.1,6.6,6.2)
8/31/98 6.0 (5.0,5.6,5.9)
8/24/98 5.2 (5.5/4.9/5.5)
8/17/98 4.9 (5.0/5.0/4.9)
8/10/98 4.65 (4.6 / 4.7 / 4.6)
8/3/98 4.2 (4.3 / 4.0 / 4.3)
7/27/98 4.7 (4.6 / 4.7 / 4.7)
7/20/98 4.4 (4.7 / 4.2 / 4.2)
7/13/98 4.46 (4.7 / 4.0 / 4.7)
7/6/98 4.8 (4.4 / 4.5 / 5.6)
6/29/98 4.1 (4.0 / 3.8 / 4.1)
6/22/98 4.1 (4.0 / 4.0 / 4.2)
6/15/98 4.0 (3.8 / 4.1 / 4.2)
6/8/98 4.1 (4.3 / 4.0 / 4.0)
6/1/98 3.75 (4.0 / 3.4 / 3.8)
5/25/98 4.2 (4.1 / 4.2 / 4.3)

 

[The Brain]

Honestly, I don’t know why people are comparing weekly Raw and Nitro shows to the show mentioned in the OP. The WWF was so hot in the late 80s that a rematch between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant was given a prime time spot on NBC. I know it’s not exactly fair to compare a ratings system from 1988 to 1998 but you guys are comparing shows that did 4s and 5s to a show that did a 15.2 rating. The Monday night shows that have been mentioned were great shows but they were just among all the other shows that aired every single week in their regular time slots. The Main Event was a special show with a very energetic feel to it. You could feel the atmosphere from the arena pour through your television set. You just knew something special was going to happen. We saw Hulk Hogan’s four year title reign come to an end in one of the most famous angles of all time. 33 million people decided to give their Friday night to the WWF.

 

[I Heart Cena]

That was a great night of wrestling. I was 8 years old and I remember watching it live. I balled my eyes out when Hulk lost because of the evil Hebner twin. The Honkey Tonk/Macho Man match was good also. If I recall, Macho Man took his boot off during the match for some reason, and I remember The Hart Foundation holding Savage while Honkey smashed him over the head with the guitar. Good stuff.

I remember staying up late on most Saturdays just hoping that SNME would be on instead of SNL. It seems like Main Event was only on 3-4 times per year, and my family didn't get TV Guide, so I was always excited with anticipation on Saturday nights and I would go nuts when SNME was actually on.

*sigh* The good old days....

The Main Event was only on once a year.

How ironic that today's WWE Main Event is nothing like the WWF's Main Event. Today it's a C show, whereas it was a special Road to Wrestlemania opener back then.

And I 100% agree with the OP. Few moments in pop culture history tops the 1988 Main Event. It's the wrestling equivalent of the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. Where were you when Hulk's 4 year reign ended?

 

[Toroc102]

I'm going to go a different way than you guys, imo wrestling was never ever bigger than the first 2 years the nWo were in WcW, its may be stupid but I think there might be 12 legendary Nitro's in that period that felt like you were watching breaking news, from episode with the infamous Rey Mysterio "lawndart incident" where the Outsiders destroyed the entire WcW, to "Sting" being revealed as a member of the nWo, when they started spray painting people, I truly think that if the nWo hadn't come first, The Attitude Era wouldn't have had the popularity that it did, those Nitro's dragged fans back to wrestling for WWF to feed off of.