11 Misconceptions About WWE You Probably Believe
6. Hogan, Andre & The WrestleMania III "Firsts"
There's nothing inherently wrong about telling a few white lies in the spirit of promotion as long as they're not there to cynically deceive the consumer, and when it came to promoting WrestleMania III back in 1987, it made all the sense in the world to proclaim the main event a first of its kind in every respect.
Back then, the vast majority of people newly invested in the market leader had neither the knowledge nor interest in what Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant might have done in past wrestling lives, nor the means of finding out for themselves. The magic and majesty of the historic main event was powered by a near-universal belief that this was once-in-a-lifetime stuff. Buy a ticket if you live nearby, buy it on pay-per-view or closed circuit if you don't, but whatever you do don't miss out. Good business, and great lore for wrestlers that were inspired to get into the industry by the spectacle in front of them.
But not, as would later be explored by many a documentary and Network/Vault collection, the truth.
Hogan and Andre had wrestled many times before, for one. The heel/babyface dynamic had even been switched, for another. Then, and perhaps most crucially, there was the matter of 'Hulkster' doing what "had never been done before" and slamming Andre as part of the epic climax. This wasn't just not the first time The Giant had hit the deck in this manner, but wasn't even the maiden voyage for these two - Hogan had lifted the big man above his head several times during their prior battles.