A beloved and respected figure, Andre The Giant was the kind of happy-go-lucky smiling character that fans enjoyed watching. Similarly, people adored Hulk Hogan, which only made the events on Piper's Pit in early-1987 even more startling. Both guys were set to be presented with trophies marking their achievements, but Andre wasn't happy that Hogan's was larger than his. Spanning across multiple editions of the popular interview segment, Andre was eventually led onto the set by Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan. The manager told Hogan that his friendship with the giant was manipulated from Hulk's side, because he didn't want to defend the WWF Heavyweight Title against him. Credit must go to Hogan for selling what happened next like a hammer blow. Ripping Hulk's trademark vest and crucifix from his body, Andre vacated the scene. This set the table for an epic clash between the pair at WrestleMania III, but few could believe that Andre had turned his back on his friend in favour of Bobby Heenan. It was the perfect build for 'Mania, and even though the match wasn't a technical stunner, it's still talked about to this day.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
