10 Biggest Swerves WWE Made Before WrestleMania
1. Andre The Giant Gifts The Title To Ted DiBiase (1988)
Failing to convince Hulk Hogan that he should sell the WWF Title to him, 'Million Dollar Man' Ted DiBiase resorted to using Andre the Giant as a (literally) giant weapon. That story provided a perfect backdrop for the epic WrestleMania III rematch between Andre and Hogan on The Main Event, a televised special that would draw massive ratings in February 1988.
Unthinkably defeating Hulk to win the title, Andre's victory was mired in controversy when it was revealed that DiBiase had paid off referee Earl Hebner, convincing the evil official to 'detain' his elder brother Dave and take his place. It was classic WWF drama, and the situation was made even more outlandish when Andre attempted to give DiBiase the belt in return for wads of cash.
This necessitated the woeful 14-man tournament to crown a new champion at WrestleMania IV, but it can't be forgotten that Andre's win (however controversial) did change the lay of the land heading into the supercard; many had been expecting Hogan vs. DiBiase for 'Mania, a match fans didn't actually get one-on-one on pay-per-view.
The WWF Title was held up until Randy Savage beat DiBiase in a tournament final to become the new champ, thus ending the saga and protecting Hogan whilst a new titleholder could be crowned.
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What other big twists and turns do you recall WWE making right before WrestleMania? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments section below!