Hogan vs Andre(Wrestlemania III): An observation

[James Lofton]

Watched this match earlier this week and got a different perspective of it. At the beginning of the match(well, after Hogan and Andre stare at each other for a year), Hogan decides to "go for the jugular" by body slamming Andre. He **** up, and Andre winds up landing on top of him. Ref starts to count, and may have in fact counted to three. Even Ventura says,"was that two or was that three?"

As a kid, I just saw it as a close call. As an adult, I see that Mcmahon was leaving the option on the table to either "Dusty Finish" this match or have Jack Tunney intervene like he did in the set up to WM IV, but much earlier. The camera angle showing this pin attempt is behind the ref. That is clearly intentional, as there were a million cameras at this event.

Who knows what they would have done, but the event was just so massive that there would have been a HUGE backlash had they pulled a stunt like that, which is probably why it didn't happen and this "2 or 3 count" became a very minor footnote of the evening.

[Hammy]

I always thought it was just a way of setting up a huge rematch, obviously they had one the next year but it was a double dq and very short, I think but for his poor health they'd of run with it as the Main Event the next year.

Speaking of the next year I always hated how Savage needed Hogan's help to defeat Dibiase, but I guess in a way it worked into the Savage-Hogan Mega Powers feud, Savage not only resented Hogan for getting close to Liz, but deep down he hated how he had needed Hogan's help.

[James Lofton]

Hogan/Andre was such a huge spectacle that it didn't need a near pinfall at the start of a match to fuel its fire. That happened for a reason.

I would rather have had controversy surrounding this pinfall than that evil twin referee **** that happened later in the year causing Andre/Dibiase to be stripped of the belt. Thats one of the worst angles in history. Even I was rolling my eyes at that bullshit.


As far as WM IV goes, I agree that the event had many flaws, including that Hogan intervention. All parties involved were afraid to move on from Hulkamania, so we got another huge dose of it. Lucky for them, it paid off.

[More Cowbell]

Looking back at the wm3 match every few years it amazes me as it wasn't much of a wrestling match or much to it. Two huge egos and names on the table. I don't think there was anyway hulk would of lost that title that night. Biggest event in company history. It was my first wrestling event I went to and you had 93k behind hogan. They didn't have raw back then with a ratings raw so to the 93k in attendance and millions buying on ppv it could of turned away lots of wwf. Fans at that time.  WWF was built around baby faces, so to give a heel a win on that night would of been suicidal