100 Greatest WWE WrestleMania Moments
1. Hulk Slams Andre (WrestleMania III)
Here it is. The number one WrestleMania moment, and it's something so iconic that it's become part of WWE's fabric. That'll never change no matter how hard Hulk Hogan tries to clown himself in the media. The image of him body slamming a gargantuan Andre The Giant will live forever. It squeezed one of the loudest pops ever out of a massive crowd in the old Pontiac Silverdome, and it set the scene perfectly for a Hulk leg drop then pin to retain the WWF Title.
The apparently "unbeatable" Andre had been vanquished. Being honest, the company hoped fans would forget about some of The Giant's previous defeats, and this wasn't even the first time Hogan had slammed him anyway. However, nothing this huge had happened on such a scale before. 'Mania III was a culture-shifting occasion for the WWF and the industry as a whole.
It changed the game and upped expectations for what Vince McMahon's territory-smashing organisation could accomplish. They had the biggest star in the biz (Hogan), a ruthless boss who'd step on anyone in his way (McMahon), and now they had wrestling fans by the throats. Nobody could take their eyes off what the fed was doing, especially once they were swept up in the majesty of Hulk slamming Andre then winning in front of a booming live crowd.
Of course, Hulk vs. Andre was as basic a headline match as you could ever get bell to bell, but it was box office. The body slam into leg drop spot was all that really mattered to those watching. It's the prototypical "WrestleMania moment", even more so than anything that happened at 'Mania I or II beforehand.
What's your favourite WWE WrestleMania moment? For more wrestling, check out 50 Things You Learn Binge-Watching Every WWE Royal Rumble and 50 Things You Learn Binge-Watching Every WWE WrestleMania!