Hulk Hogan says former WWE rival "beat the c**p" out of him
Hulk Hogan recently recalled how Andre the Giant legitimately hurt him several times during their matches in the early 1980s.
The legendary rivals famously faced off in the main event of WrestleMania 3 in 1987. Prior to that, they shared the ring over 100 times while performing for various promotions around the world, including the AWA and NJPW.
On the latest A&E WWE Rivals episode, Hulk Hogan revealed that Andre the Giant did not hold back during their early matches against each other:
"I was real full of myself when I was younger. I was afraid of him, but then after we made physical contact I became delusional. In my mind, thought I could beat this guy. I knew I wasn't as big as him, but I thought I was because I was in really good shape and I was very strong when I was younger. And he just beat the c**p out of me."
The rivalry between @HulkHogan and Andre the Giant is HUGE! Tune in this Sunday for back-to-back season premieres of @WWEonAE's Biography: WWE Legends and WWE Rivals all starting at 8/7c only on @AETV. https://t.co/9FfO1oe8RG
Andre the Giant was one of the largest wrestlers of all time. Billed at seven-foot-four and 520 pounds, the Frenchman sometimes taught his opponents a lesson if he disliked them.
WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker recently joked that Andre "damn near killed" Big John Studd during a match because they did not get along.
Why Andre the Giant had an issue with Hulk Hogan
Jimmy Hart, Hogan's long-time friend and manager, also discussed The Hulkster's rivalry with Andre the Giant.
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Hart revealed that Andre wanted to test Hogan to see how tough he really was:
"When Hulk came in, he had a little bit of notoriety. I don't care if you're the king on the hill. When somebody else comes in that you think might be a threat, there's always that situation of you going, 'I'm gonna see what this kid's really made of to see if he should really be in this business.'"
At the end of the show, Hogan was reduced to tears during a discussion about Andre's health struggles before he passed away in 1993.
Where do you think the Andre the Giant vs. Hulk Hogan rivalry ranks among WWE's top feuds? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit A&E's WWE Rivals and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.