Interesting question via Meltzer

[Guest Brian]

From the 8/29 update:

Here's a question for today. What do you think is the most famous match in wrestling history? Not the best, not the biggest money match, not the most watched match but simply the most famous.

 

So, what does everyone think?

[World's Worst Man]

Assuming it counts as pro-wrestling and is including overall fame, Ali vs. Inoki.

If Ali vs. Inoki doesn't count and is including overall fame, Hogan vs. Andre WMIII.

If we're talking fame among people who are actually wrestling fans, HBK vs. Hart Survivor Series 97.

[DrVenkman PhD]

My answer to Dave was Hogan vs. Andre from Mania III, but I pretty much agree with MGQ's statements (of course we were discussing the question on IRC previous to this thread being started).

[Epic Reine]

Hogan/Andre or Hogan/Warrior.

[Vampiro69]

It has to be Hogan vs Andre from WMIII. There is no match that had that feeling of something historic taking place.

[CanadianChris]

Easily Hogan/Andre. I don't think anything else comes close.

[Kahran Ramsus]

Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels in Montreal. Almost all of Canada knows about that, even if they are not wrestling fans.

[The Mandarin]

Rikidozan vs. Dick Beyer

Ali vs. Inoki

The first Elimination Chamber I'm joking.

[Guest Professor X]

1) Andre vs Hogan (Wrestlemania III)

2) Ricky Steamboat vs Macho Man (Wrestlemania III)

3) Undertaker vs Mankind (Hell in a Cell II)

4) Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels (Survivor 97)

5) Hogan vs Sting (Starcade 97)

[Internet Warfare]

Hogan/Mr. T vs Orndoff/Piper WM I

Hogan vs Andre WM III

and maybe Hogan vs Rock WM 18

[TheOriginalOrangeGoblin]

Hogan/Andre by miles and miles.

[iliketurtles]

I think Hogan/Andre as far as overall, but for modern day I'd say Hogan/Rock (Wrestlemania 18), Bret/Michaels (SS 97), or Taker/Mankind (KOTR 98)

[MillenniumMan831]

Nothing comes anywhere near Hogan/Andre.

[Internet Warfare]

what kind of publicity did Hogan/Andre get anyways?

[LivingLegendGaryColeman]

For most well known, I would say the matches with Karl Malone/DDP vs. Dennis Rodman/Hulk Hogan and Jay Leno/DDP vs. Hogan/Bischoff are more well known than like Hogan/Rock or the Elimination Chamber. There was stuff on all sorts of news shows and such on those two WCW matches. Hogan/Rock and such are famous within wrestling fans, but famous overall, it goes up when mainstream celebrities come in.

[snuffbox]

Hogan-Andre as a whole was by the biggest....there was both the huge WM3 match, and the 30 million that saw the SNME match. The amount of people who mustve seen at least a little of those two matches must be incredible...

[Ravenbomb]

Hogan/Andre

Inoki/Ali

Austin/Michaels (with Tyson as the inforcer, got all kinds of media coverage)

[Si82]

Like most people in this thread I'm going to go with Hogan/Andre from Wrestlemania III.

[Guest Ransome]

The answer very much hinges on how you define 'famous'. For example, do you mean a match that the average person on the street is most likely to know? If so, it's Hogan/Andre, but you have to take into account the fact that the public is generally ignorant of wrestling, and will have a tendency to remember only what is (relatively) recent. Is it fair to say that Jim Londos, in his day, was less famous or well-known that Steve Austin, who will most likely be equally unheard of in 80 years time? Otherwise, is it the match that has accrued the most fame amongst wrestling circles, in which case the long-term repercussions alone (storyline-wise and in real life) of Hart/Michaels certainly make it the front-runner?

[MikeJordan23]

My answer to Dave was Hogan vs. Andre from Mania III

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Without a doubt.

 

The closest one is probably Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart but that's more of a Pro Wrestling thing. Andre vs. Hogan transcended the business.

[King Cucaracha]

How much publicity did Lawler/Kaufman get at the time?

[DrVenkman PhD]

--In the poll of the most famous wrestling match of all-time we did for yesterday, here is how it wound up:

Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant Wrestlemania III 59.4%

Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels Survivor Series 1997 20.3%

Antonio Inoki vs. Muhammad Ali 1976 8.7%

Ric Flair vs. Kerry Von Erich 1984 2.9%

Hulk Hogan & Mr. T vs. Paul Orndorff & Roddy Piper Wrestlemania I 2.8%

Others 5.8%

[Dangerous A]

Well, since I've been a fan, it's Hogan-Andre WMIII. However, the Inoki-Ali is right there since it was in 1976 when Ali was still a huge deal as a boxer. Kaufman/Lawler got a lot of mainstream pub when that went down as well.

[Dobbs 3K]

I'm surprised Flair vs Von Erich finished that high...other than Texas wrestling fans, I don't think that match affected too much of the country otherwise, since Von Erich only had the belt for a couple weeks.

[Guest Rrrsh]

To wrestling fans, Bret-Shawn

 

To normal person: Hogan-Andre.

 

But Bret-Shawn has far more lasting power. Hogan-Andre was just the height of a boom with its two biggets stars. Bret-Shawn had an actual event that happened. I think people will view Andre-Hogan closer in proximaty to Hogan-Warrior and Hogan Piper stuff as the 80's boom. The screwjob is an action that will live forever to wrestling fans.

[pochorenella]

I'm more inclined to go with Hulk vs Andre as the most famous match, certainly for the mainstream and general population. Shawn vs Bret is more famous (or infamous, rather) to the wrestling public.

I'm also tempted to place Austin vs HBK from Mania XIV high on the list since it got huge publicity at the time from non-wrestling sources, the involvement of Mike Tyson, and the highest buyrate ever at the time.

[cabbageboy]

Gotta be Hogan/Andre from WM 3. Just wondering but why the Flair/Von Erich match? It didn't have any real significance long term, just Flair jobbing and regaining like he did a plethora of times in the 80s. I'd say Lawler/Hennig from 1988 has as much regional type significance.