Andre the Giant

by Michael Krugman

  VINCE McMAHON: “André was so proud of himself. He was feeling good leading up to WrestleMania, at least he was feeling better than he was. A lot better.”

  As the biggest babyface in the business, Hogan needed an opponent who was a heel of equal stature. Having been a heroic and popular figure for most of his career, André agreed to turn. In the months leading up to WrestleMania III, World Wrestling Federation television was dominated by the tale of André’s anger at being mistreated by his world champion protégé, a rage that saw him turn to Hogan’s archnemesis, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, for managerial guidance.

  Though Hogan and André had of course battled before—with André as the babyface—WrestleMania III was sold as the first in-ring meeting between two legends, one of whom had been undefeated for more than a decade. André vs. Hogan became the most anticipated professional wrestling matchup in history and a true highlight of what would become known as the ’Mania Era.

  HULK HOGAN: “I was at the pinnacle of my popularity, the biggest attraction in wrestling at the time. And the guy I would be going up against had been the biggest attraction in wrestling up until that time. There was no telling what we could draw with a combination like that.”

  January 5, 1987: Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ

  PIPER’S PIT W/ANDRÉ, JACK TUNNEY, AND HULK HOGAN

  Piper, enters, chewing gum. The trophy sits in the foreground: “Nineteen hundred and eighty-seven and I’m still alive! In the true fashion of Piper’s Pit, I have something, as you can tell, very prestigious and possibly the most important bit I have ever done in my life. Obviously, we have here a presentation, and to do the presentation I would like President Jack Tunney to please come on out here and issue this presentation.” Tunney comes in through the archway and stands directly behind the trophy, which obscures his face.

  “Thank you.”

  “Pleasure to have you here.”

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” says Piper, “we’re delighted to help honor a very special man on a very special occasion. Let me read what it says on this trophy [putting on his glasses and opening a folder]. ‘Three years ago this week you captured the heavyweight championship belt in a memorable battle. You’re one of the greatest professional athletes in the history of sports. You are a champion who has raised wrestling to heights never before scaled. You are one of America’s most patriotic citizens. You are loved and idolized by men, women, and children of all ages. You are the single most recognizable star in the entire world. We salute you on the third anniversary of your reign. Let’s all honor the one and only Hulk Hogan.’”

  Hogan comes to the set, wearing the World Wrestling Federation Championship belt. Smiling, he lifts up the trophy and shows it to the fans as Piper chews his gum. “It’s yours,” says the Hot Rod, sticking the mic in Hogan’s face.

  “Unbelievable! You know, January 23, 1984, when I won the world title, I knew there was something special, man [cut to the locker room celebration, with André smiling and pouring champagne on Hogan and Mean Gene, then shaking Hogan’s hand]. I knew there was some kind of electricity. But I never believed, three long years down the road, thousands of people just like you would all turn into Hulkamaniacs. To receive an award for something that I believe in— the training, the saying the prayers, the eating the vitamins—to be rewarded for living the thing, this is unbelievable! This has got to be just as great as when I won the world title, this has got to be just as great as the first time I saw you Hulkamaniacs, and from here, it’s higher and higher we go. This is unbelievable. Unbelievable!”

  Enter André. With a huge smile lighting up his face, he puts a big hand on Piper’s and Hogan’s shoulders, startling the Hulkster.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” Roddy announces, “Hulk Hogan’s best friend, André the Giant! I’m sure you have come here for congratulations, and I’m sure you’ll have something to say.”

  “Three years to be a champion, it’s a long time,” André booms, lacing his fingers together thoughtfully. He turns to face Hogan, grinning and extending his huge hand.

  “It’s a long time, yeah,” agrees Piper.

  André and Hogan shake, with Hulk grasping his friend’s enormous hand in both of his own. As André turns and leaves through the archway, Hogan massages his palm, expressing some surprise at the strength of the Giant’s grip.

  January 5, 1987: Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ

  PIPER’S PIT W/ANDRÉ, JACK TUNNEY, AND HULK HOGAN

  Piper comes out and sells his Hair match at WrestleMania III. He then points out the trophy and says, “We have a real special Pit again this week, as you can see, starting this year off right. We had an exceptional one last week and without further ado, I’d like to again bring out President Jack Tunney, come out and please present this special award.”

  “Thank you very much, Roddy,” says Tunney. “We’re very pleased to honor another extraordinary hero. I’ll read what’s on the trophy [putting on his glasses]: ‘This man is the all-time greatest athlete in the history of wrestling. This man is the only undefeated wrestler in wrestling history. Please join me in saluting the one and only André the Giant.’”

  Tunney moves to stage right as André comes out, a toothsome smile lighting up his face. “In living color,” says the Hot Rod, shaking André’s hand. “André the Giant!”

  André waves to the cheering fans.

  “This is a very special and prestigious award,” says Piper, “and very deservedly so. You are a tremendous athlete, and I am proud to be part of giving you this award. I’m sure that you must have some things to say to your many, many fans.”

  He holds the mic up for André, but the Giant just smiles and waves. After a moment, he decides to speak. “Well, yeah. I got only one thing to say—”

  Just as he begins his acceptance speech, André is interrupted by the arrival of Hulk Hogan, in full ring gear and wearing the championship belt. He rushes out and, with no preamble, picks up the trophy and hands it to the Giant.

  “I’m more excited about this than you are, André,” he says as André raises the trophy aloft. “Y’know, this is about time, man, that they recognize the greatest athlete of all time! Not only is he undefeated, man, André the Giant is the greatest role model. When I had to pattern myself, I wanted to be like André. His sense of fair play, the sportsmanship, the way all over the world he’s been kind to all the little kids, André the Giant is number one. I’d like to thank you for recognizing, in my book, the real champion of superstars all over the world, that’s André—”

  But André is displeased about being upstaged by Hogan at his own award presentation. Rather than listen to the champ extol his virtues, he puts the trophy down and simply walks off. Hogan watches the Giant go, looking perplexed as he tries to get a round of applause out of the crowd.

  “I’m sure that...,” says Piper, turning to discover that his guest of honor has left the set.

  “That’s the biggest package of modesty you’ll ever see,” says Hogan, clapping his hands together. “How about, for André?”

  Cut to: Gorilla and a red-rhinestone-tuxedoed Bobby Heenan behind the news desk. “Boy, what tremendous accolades from the World Heavyweight Champion,” says Monsoon.

  “Please!” disagrees the Brain. “You talk about the things I do, how despicable they are. You talk about how I’m a fountain of misinformation ....”

  Over the next few weeks, Roddy Piper and Jesse Ventura met to broker some kind of truce between the two friends. After much negotiation, it was agreed that André and Hogan would both appear on an upcoming Piper’s Pit to resolve their differences.

  January 6, 1987: Hershey Park Arena, Hershey, PA

  Gorilla Monsoon does a stand-up interview with André, his eyes heavy-lidded and his face unshaven.

  “André the Giant, a whole lotta speculation going here in World Wrestling Federation,” Monsoon begins. “I’d like to clear the air at this point in time. Will, in fact, you be here next week to meet, one-on-one, in a
discussion with World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan?”

  “I’ll be there,” the Giant replies, pointing a finger to the camera and the audience at home.

  January 26, 1987: SunDome, Tampa, Fl

  PIPER’S PIT

  Piper and Jesse Ventura are in the Pit. “I promised it to ya this week,” Piper says. “I ain’t gonna fool around—”

  “Hey, I’ve got one thing to say, Piper,” says Jesse, grabbing the stick. “My man is here. The man who I promised is here. What about you?”

  “My man, you’re talking about?”

  “My man’s here. My man’s here.”

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” introduces Piper, “would you please welcome [punching the table] the Heavyweight Champion of the World, Hulk Hogan!”

  Hogan enters. “My man is here!”

  “I’m impressed, and I don’t impress easy,” says the Body. “Now, for this discussion, may I present, fifteen years undefeated, the Eighth Wonder of the World, seven-foot-four, five hundred pounds, André— whoa!—the Giant!”

  To the shock and surprise of all three men, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan leads André through the arch. A stunned Hogan takes the mic, “Wait, what’s going on here? Hold on, man. What are you doing with him? You guys aren’t together, come on, man. André, what are you doing here with Heenan? André, listen, man, you can’t be here with him. Don’t you know what Heenan’s done to me, to these people out here, since you’ve been gone?”

  Piper puts the mic to André, but the Giant just stares coldly.

  “It can’t be so,” Hogan beseeches. “André, listen to me, day one, when I set my eyes on you, brother, you’re the reason I got in professional wrestling. You’re like a god to me, a role model. You can’t be here with him, man. You’re the one that took me all the way from nothing to the world’s title. André, you can’t be with him, man.”

  Heenan tries to interrupt. “Let me tell you something—”

  “No no, wait one minute,” pleads the Hulkster. “You’re the one that taught me, man, about respect for the fans, about helping the kids. You’re the one that taught me about good sportsmanship.

  With Bobby “The Brain” Heenan.

  You set the mold for me to follow, man. What are you doing here with him?”

  André just stares at Hogan, a steely glint in his eyes.

  “I’ll tell you what he’s doing here with me,” explains the Brain. “He’s sick and tired of you and what you stand for. Let me tell you something, Hogan. You’re the one that for three years as world champion used this man. You’re also the vermin that made this man, I can’t tell you what I think about it, you used him, they gave him a trophy. But no, that wasn’t good enough. It was a littler trophy than yours and you had to walk out and steal that moment. You’re so jealous of this man, you can’t stand it. This is the man that for fifteen years is undefeated, but did you ever once—”

  Hogan pulls back the stick. “No, man, you’re wrong! You’re wrong, you’re wrong! When I won the world title, he poured champagne over my head, it was like a bond of friendship. You’re wrong, Heenan!”

  “Did you ever once, once in your life, offer him a championship match? You laughed behind his back.”

  “No, André, listen,” begs Hogan. “It’s not happening. Tell me it’s not so, man. Even though you came out here with him, you don’t have to leave with him [pleading, gripping André’s shoulders]. It’s not happening!”

  “Take your hands off my shoulders,” André says flatly. Hogan complies, bowing his head in disbelief.

  “He’s got one more thing to say to you,” adds Heenan as André puts a finger under Hogan’s chin to lift his face up.

  “Look at me when I’m talking to you,” says the Giant. “I’m here for one reason—to challenge you for a world championship match in WrestleMania.”

  Ventura is flabbergasted by the challenge, mouthing “Whoa!” Hogan is even more dismayed.

  “André, please, no, it’s not happening, man,” he moans, his head bowed in supplication. “We’re friends! We’re friends, André, please!”

  “You can’t believe it? Maybe you’ll believe this,” says Heenan as André grabs Hogan’s collar and tears off his shirt. He throws it to the floor and leaves with Heenan as Hulk drops to his knees and picks up the gold cross that André yanked off along with the yellow T-shirt.

  “André? What are you doing, man? You can’t leave like this, man! What are you doing, André? You can’t ... my cross ... the shirt ... what’s wrong with him, man? You can’t leave like this!”

  Piper joins Hogan on his knees. “You’re bleeding,” he says softly, noting the blood on Hulk’s chest.

  “It’s not happening! André, come back, man! You don’t have to leave like this! What is he doing?”

  “You’re bleeding,” Piper says again, helping a rattled Hogan to his feet. “Take it easy. Come. Come on.”

  Piper puts his arm around the heartbroken Hogan’s waist and escorts him away.

  HOWARD FINKEL: “For André to rip the cross off of Hulk Hogan was one of the single most dramatic moments in our industry. Here you had Hulk Hogan, who was the train that just kept on running. The ripping of the cross by André was the very first seed that we planted for WrestleMania III, and as the precursor to what we wound up with, was executed perfectly. People were stunned, legitimately stunned, by what had happened. It just absolutely floored the audience to watch that.”

  RODDY PIPER “It’s funny how things go. One sentence helped to bring in 93,000 people. Andre reaches and grabs the cross off of Hogan, Hogan went down, and all of a sudden I went, ‘You’re bleeding.’ Cut! That probably was the strongest statement ever said on Piper’s Pit. I don’t know how to explain it. It was a very powerful statement, and such a simple one.”

  January 26, 1987: SunDome, Tampa, FL

  PIPER’S PIT

  The Hot Rod emerges and grabs the stick off the tabletop. “Are you people half as confused as I am?” he asks, massaging his brow. “You’re doggone right. Three weeks ago, we came on, the beginning of 1987 and presented an award for Hulk Hogan, who has managed to be the World Heavyweight Champion for three years in a row. The next week we come out, we give another nice award to André the Giant, for fifteen years of pro wrestling without a defeat [pounding the tabletop]. The next week, yes, the next week, Gravel Gertie, the Aunt Jemima of professional wrestling, Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura, comes out, and he starts stirring up all kinds of stuff. I don’t know what’s going on, so the next week comes on, you folks saw it, we got André, we got Hulk Hogan, the world’s champion. Next thing I know, André the Giant is tearing the clothes off the World Heavyweight Champion, and if that don’t beat all, if that don’t beat all [pounding the table for emphasis], he says—”

  Cut to André: “I’m here for one reason—to challenge you for a world championship match in WrestleMania.”

  “Ain’t that the damnedest thing?” Piper continues. “So, I follow Hogan out, I followed Hogan to his dressing room, I go to the dressing room, I’m serious, I go to the dressing room, he’s sitting down like this, I’ve never seen him like this before, man. He’s sitting down, he’s got his head down, and I said, ‘Hey, Hogan, what’s wrong with André?’ And Hogan just kinda looked up at me and I looked at him and his eyes were all kinda steamy, and his eyes, and he put his head back down, between his legs, I said, ‘Hogan, what’s wrong?’ And he just kinda goes like this to me [flicking a hand away]. Then I said, ‘All kinds of people have been asking me questions.’ I said, ‘There’s only one man in the world that can tell us if he’s gonna accept this challenge or not.’ [Putting up a hand] But wait, wait...”

  Hogan appears in the archway.

  “...I saw Hogan in the hallway, I said, ‘Hogan, are you coming on the Pit? There’ll be nobody else there....’ ”

  Piper finally sees Hogan, rubbing his eyes, holding his torn shirt and cross, looking hangdog. “Ladies and gentlemen, the World Heavyweight Champion, Hulk Hogan
!”

  The champ is forlorn and barely responsive.

  “Yo. Yo, look at me,” demands Piper. “Look at me in the eye. Hulk, I don’t understand something, man. Look at me in the eye, please [Hogan finally looks up]. What’s going on with André?”

  Hogan pauses and looks away.

  “Please, look me in the eye. I’ve always known you to be a man at least, look me in the eye and tell me what’s going on with André. We want to know!”

  “You don’t understand, man,” Hogan says. “I worshipped the guy. He was like a friend, man. Everything he was, I wanted to be like him. I watched him on nationwide TV, that’s the reason I’m here!”

  “Wait a second; I thought he’s your best friend.”

  “I thought so. I thought so, man. Like I said, that’s why I’m here. I patterned my whole life after him, man. The courtesy, the way he treated people, in and out of the ring, man. The way he was a good sport, brother. That’s what I wanted—”

  Piper tries to interrupt.

  “No, no, no,” says Hogan. “I knew I couldn’t be as big as him, man. I wanted to be just like him. I watched him move, man. I watched him treat people.”

  “Treating people?” Piper interjects. “Ripping clothes off is not my idea of treating people right.”

  “When I saw him with Heenan, you’re right, man. I knew he’d changed. When he was with Heenan, I knew he was a different man. I knew Heenan had got to him. I knew something was different. We used to fight for the same things; we used to fight because we believed in the straight and narrow. When I saw him with Heenan, I don’t know if it was jealousy, greed, the money, something had gotten to him. But when he pulled this shirt, man, when he ripped the cross off my chest, he didn’t just tear it off, he dug in and tore my heart out, man. Why didn’t you just take a stake and drive it in my heart, André? You know something? Now that he’s with Heenan, it’s all changed, man. He’s different!”