Andre's Heel Turn

[Guest Your Olympic Hero]

I'm too young to remember this, but back before Wrestlemania III when Andre turned heel, was this at all expected? Was there anyone else that everyone expected Hogan to feud with until Wrestlemania for the main event?

[cawthon777 0]

I'm guessing most people expected it to be Hogan vs. Orndorff. Andre wasn't even on TV (aside from Giant Machine) in the fall and winter of 86.

 

It was only a week or so after the SNME cage match aired that the Piper's Pit segments with Hogan and Andre started - so I think it was obvious at that point.

[Betty Houle 0]

I'm guessing most people expected it to be Hogan vs. Orndorff. Andre wasn't even on TV (aside from Giant Machine) in the fall and winter of 86.

 

It was only a week or so after the SNME cage match aired that the Piper's Pit segments with Hogan and Andre started - so I think it was obvious at that point.

Yeah.

It wasn't obvious until it was obvious if you get my meaning.

 

I was fairly young at the time and had been only watching wrestling since 1985 so I wasn't thinking too far advance about what the WM main event would be.

 

That changed the next year but who could have guessed that whole tournament thing before February of 1988?

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

I'm guessing most people expected it to be Hogan vs. Orndorff.  Andre wasn't even on TV (aside from Giant Machine) in the fall and winter of 86.

 

It was only a week or so after the SNME cage match aired that the Piper's Pit segments with Hogan and Andre started - so I think it was obvious at that point.

Yeah.

It wasn't obvious until it was obvious if you get my meaning.

 

I was fairly young at the time and had been only watching wrestling since 1985 so I wasn't thinking too far advance about what the WM main event would be.

 

That changed the next year but who could have guessed that whole tournament thing before February of 1988?

How many people thought Andre had a snowballs chance in hell of winning?

[snuffbox 0]

I'm guessing most people expected it to be Hogan vs. Orndorff.  Andre wasn't even on TV (aside from Giant Machine) in the fall and winter of 86.

 

It was only a week or so after the SNME cage match aired that the Piper's Pit segments with Hogan and Andre started - so I think it was obvious at that point.

Yeah.

It wasn't obvious until it was obvious if you get my meaning.

 

I was fairly young at the time and had been only watching wrestling since 1985 so I wasn't thinking too far advance about what the WM main event would be.

 

That changed the next year but who could have guessed that whole tournament thing before February of 1988?

How many people thought Andre had a snowballs chance in hell of winning?

Probably a large chunk of the Pontiac audience....and the rest of the wrestling world. Hogan wasnt so known for never jobbing then, and Andre hadnt lost clean in 15 years...why wouldnt marks think he could win?

[cawthon777 0]

How many people thought Andre had a snowballs chance in hell of winning?

Andre was looked upon as being on an entirely different level as Hogan's challengers from that time - especially similar big men like King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd.

 

Andre had a mystique around him that no other wrestler had and to pit him against Hogan was pure gold. I'd say the Hogan marks HOPED the champion would win but going into the match it was anyone's game.

 

The fanbase wasn't as educated as they are today regarding injuries, booking, etc - had they been, I'm sure most would have predicted Hogan walking away with the belt. If everyone was a subscriber to the Observer back then, then no - no one would have given Andre a hope in hell.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

I meant for the Feb 88 Main Event. Hogan had already beaten Andre clean 1-2-3 a year earlier, and even more cementing himself as the unstoppable champion.

[snuffbox 0]

I meant for the Feb 88 Main Event. Hogan had already beaten Andre clean 1-2-3 a year earlier, and even more cementing himself as the unstoppable champion.

Quite a few apparently...iirc, some 30 million viewers tuned in for that on primetime NBC.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

I meant for the Feb 88 Main Event. Hogan had already beaten Andre clean 1-2-3 a year earlier, and even more cementing himself as the unstoppable champion.

Quite a few apparently...iirc, some 30 million viewers tuned in for that on primetime NBC.

Eh... Damn. I think if Andre pinned Hogan at Survivor Series back in November it would've made him look like he could beat Hogan I think. Or a win in any situation between WM III and the ME. It always made Flairs opponents look like they had a chance in NWA, so I think that would've worked better.