15 Things We Learned From Dark Side Of The Ring: Tony Atlas
6. His “Clean” Win Over Hulk Hogan Wasn’t That
This week's 'Dark Side' opened up with footage of Atlas pressing a huge Hulk Hogan high above his head before slamming him down. That feat of strength is spectacular to watch even today, and it left Mark Henry in awe. The clip was taken from Tony vs. Hulk on a WWF card inside the hallowed halls of Madison Square Garden on 16 March 1981, and it's regarded as one of Atlas's finest hours.
Tony beat Hogan clean on that night, or so the record books say. Footage from VICE's show actually proves that Hulk's feet were clearly on the ropes. The referee was looking right at them, but didn't call it and counted to three anyway. Ladies and gentleman, the original original screwjob. Also, Atlas beating Hogan wasn't the one off it's presented as either.
The pair clashed on numerous company cards around that time period, and Tony won his fair share of them. He also picked up victories over a heel Hogan in Philadelphia and in Maryland. It's unclear whether or not Atlas and Hulk repeated the impressive press slam spot during those bouts though.
It's so strange that the referee ignored Hulk's legs dangling over the ropes. Either that wasn't an official rule at the time, or he didn't want to extend the match by calling what was blatantly obvious. Hmm. Regardless, Atlas became one of a small group who can say they pinned Hulk "clean" in the WWF/WWE. That didn't happen too many times across multiple stints on the WWE roster for Hogan.
Check out the press slam slip if you can. It's awesome.