"You're bleeding"- WWE Hall of Famer's botch that left Hulk Hogan with a bruised chestÂ
35 years ago, on this day, Andre The Giant turned heel on Hulk Hogan during an edition of Piper's Pit.
Much has been said about this legendary moment that led to quite possibly the biggest WrestleMania main event in history. Today, we'll take a look at an interesting aspect of this segment that didn't garner as much coverage as the actual heel turn - Andre's botch that left Hulk Hogan bleeding from his chest.
What exactly happened between Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant on that fateful night?
Hulk Hogan had become the biggest star in pro wrestling by early 1987. He had headlined two consecutive WrestleManias and was the WWE Champion at the time. On the other hand, Andre The Giant was a major attraction but had never won the WWE title. These two megastars were best friends in kayfabe.
The Piper's Pit segment opened with Roddy Piper introducing Hulk Hogan, while Jesse "The Body" Ventura brought out Andre the Giant. Something seemed strange about the entire situation.
Hogan noticed that Andre was accompanied by Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, the biggest heel manager ever to step foot in a wrestling ring. Hulk tried to convince Andre to cut ties with Heenan but to no avail. Heenan accused him of using Andre and asked if he ever gave him a WWE title shot.
As Andre challenged him to a WWE title match at WrestleMania III, Hogan was left speechless. The latter then ripped Hogan's gear with his large hand and immediately left the spot. A distraught Hogan pleaded with Andre not to embrace his dark side, but to no avail.
At that exact moment, Roddy Piper noticed blood dripping out of Hogan's chest. When Andre ripped Hogan's gear, the cross that the latter was wearing also came off. The Giant wasn't too careful while putting his hand on Hogan, and the cross ended up bruising his chest. The Rowdy One informed Hogan that he was bleeding and asked him to come with him to get first aid.
The two men finally met in the main event of WrestleMania III, which emanated from the Pontiac Silverdome on March 29, 1987. 93,173 fans were in attendance to see Hogan face his biggest opponent ever.
The match ended with Hogan successfully bodyslamming Andre and then hitting a Leg Drop to retain the WWE title. Andre weighed a whopping 238 kg at the time, and no one had thought that Hogan would be able to lift him.
Hogan managed to do the unthinkable, and the bodyslam has since become one of the most iconic wrestling images of all time.