10 WWE Title Changes That Shocked The World

8. Andre The Giant (5/2/1988)

Andre The Giant
WWE.com

Andre the Giant's shady defeat of Hulk Hogan on 5 February 1988 would be much higher on this list if the monster hadn't then been stripped of the belt for trying to hand it off for money to the 'Million Dollar Man' Ted DiBiase straight afterwards.

Deemed a vacation of the title by then-WWF President Jack Tunney, the deal between Giant and DiBiase was also a key component of shock when fans realised the mighty Hulk Hogan had been beaten for the gold he had worn since 1984; watching The Main Event bout's conclusion now is stunning, because it was as though air had been sucked from the building when Hogan's shoulders were counted to the mat.

This would set the scene for Randy Savage as champion. It was swish of the WWF to deftly avoid the need for Savage to beat fellow babyface Hogan for the title, and Andre's 'victory' is still one of the most controversial moments in WWE history.

It's just a shame there was no genuine heel follow up for either Andre or DiBiase, because attention quickly turned to build for Savage vs. Hogan the following year.

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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.