Hulk vs Andre WM3 Question

[Angle-plex 0]

I was watching this match the other day, right after I watched Hogan vs Rock WM 18. I barely remember WM 3 live and I noticed something different between the two matches that I am wondering about. Hogan was a heel in the WM 18 match but got mega-cheered and Rock got booed. My question is, at WrestleMania 3, did Andre have any supporters? I can't hear any from the crowd reaction, but you would imagine he would have loyal fans since he was such a prominent figure in the 70s. Or was kayfabe so alive back then it didn't really matter?

 

BTW I think both matches are a little underrated as far as workrate and storytelling go.

[Guest RyechnaiaSobaka]

I was watching this match the other day, right after I watched Hogan vs Rock WM 18. I barely remember WM 3 live and I noticed something different between the two matches that I am wondering about. Hogan was a heel in the WM 18 match but got mega-cheered and Rock got booed. My question is, at WrestleMania 3, did Andre have any supporters? I can't hear any from the crowd reaction, but you would imagine he would have loyal fans since he was such a prominent figure in the 70s. Or was kayfabe so alive back then it didn't really matter?

 

BTW I think both matches are a little underrated as far as workrate and storytelling go.

 

Not really, and part of the reason for this is that the development of Andre as a bad guy was done quite well. By the time you get to Wrestlemania 18 - and this is nine Wrestlemanias after I stopped watching, caring, or paying any attention at all - you have a very different environment with respect to babyfaces and heels.

 

With Andre, he was involved in the Battle Royal at Wrestlemania 2 as a face. I remember watching 3 before 2 on tape and going back to see Andre in his yellow trunks and that huge afro hairstyle. It was really something, because Andre had been built as such a monster heel for Wrestlemania 3 that it was hard to believe he'd been a popular face before that.

 

In any case, I think it was something like Hulk Hogan wouldn't give Andre a title shot, so he made Heenan his manager and turned heel. That's when he started wearing the black singlet and became a total monster in the ring. There was a Battle Royal on Saturday Night's Main Event in the period right when Andre turned heel where he threw Lanny Poffo out of the ring like a ragdoll, and Poffo either bladed like hell or got a hardway - in any case, Poffo was down on the ground outside the ring bleeding all over the place, and I think they even had to bring a stretcher out to take him away. I'm assuming because of that Poffo had bladed, but this was before Poffo became The Genius so he was still a face and despite that whole poetry thing being totally weird, was pretty popular with the fans.

 

So it was kind of like "Andre went crazy and is hurting people on purpose now," which helped to build Andre as this mega-heel for Wrestlemania 3. Ironically he didn't win that Battle Royal, as it ended up being used to set up the Hercules-Billy Jack Haynes feud instead (for the same PPV).

 

But yeah, if you watch as Andre is coming to the ring at WM3, not only is he not getting cheered, but he's getting pelted with garbage. Him and Heenan both are just getting nailed with it, it's like it's raining trash down on them. It's really something.

 

Now in some sense maybe people did still have kind of a soft spot for Andre, which was allowed to grow a bit when he was less invincible later in his career. I'm talking mainly about him doing programs with guys like the Ultimate Warrior, who beat him every night at house shows, and then eventually turning face again at WM6 when he and Haku lost the tag titles and Heenan slapped Andre. Andre took exception and beat the crap out of Heenan and Haku, and then rode the little mini-ring cart back to the dressing room to an ovation.

 

Hope that answers your question.

[Guest LUSCIOUS JOHNNY]

They did a great job making Andre a killer heel and by the time they got to WMIII Andre was full fledged hated.