10 Legendary WWE Feuds That Never Had A Payoff
4. Hulk Hogan Vs. Ted DiBiase (1988)
It is well known that The Million Dollar Man was the initial selection to be crowned World Wrestling Federation Champion coming out of the WrestleMania IV tournament. Instead, due to backstage politics and talent negotiations involving the Honky Tonk Man, Randy Savage was awarded the title, which threw a wrench into the future of Ted DiBiase.
Originally, the plans called for a Hulk Hogan vs. Ted DiBiase WWE Championship match as the main event of the inaugural SummerSlam in 1988. But when Savage won the gold, a tag team match headlined the event instead, with The Mega Powers meeting The Mega Bucks (DiBiase and Andre The Giant).
Clearly, WWE's plans were to anchor 1988 and beyond with a Hulk Hogan vs. Ted DiBiase program and, for all intents and purposes, they did. They just never delivered that colossal, one-on-one, televised match-up between The Hulkster and The Million Dollar Man to settle the rivalry.
Over the years that followed, Hogan and DiBiase clashed at several events (Survivor Series '89, Survivor Series '90, WrestleMania IX) but the major payoff to their original feud was one of the biggest missed opportunities of 1988.