8. The Hulkster Gets Counted Out - Survivor Series 1987
The inaugural Survivor Series not only was Vince McMahon's attempt to stick it to Jim Crockett Promotions and the NWA, it was also a showcase for his promotion's wildly successful headline rivalry between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. Thus, when audiences tuned in to the November 26, 1987 pay-per-view, they fully expected to see the Hulkster and the Eighth Wonder of the World do battle on a grand stage for the first time since WrestleMania III. And why wouldn't they? Booking 101 dictated that the match gradually build heat before climaxing with Hogan and Andre waging war for the second straight time on a WWE extravaganza. Instead, McMahon changed things up, taking the opportunity to shine the spotlight on a bright young star and an aging veteran rather than his marquee, pop culture phenomenon. Hogan captained a team of popular midcard stars, including Paul Orndorff, Ken Patera, Don Muraco and newcomer Bam Bam Bigelow, while Andre headed up a team of dastardly villains the likes of Rick Rude, Butch Reed, One Man Gang and King Kong Bundy. Girth met power in the most anticipated match of the night and fans in Richfield, Ohio were hot for the entire contest. The idea of so many recognizable stars battling for supremacy in an event so heavily hyped was incredibly appealing and late in the bout, fans erupted as Hogan entered the contest and hammered away at his king sized rival. Before he could inflict too much damage to the giant, Bundy pulled him out of the ring. In typical Hulkster fashion, he fought back but, in the process, got himself counted out, much to the dismay of the Richfield fans, who could not believe that Hogan would not be around by the end of the contest to vanquish Andre. In his absence, Bigelow turned in a valiant effort but fell short, suffering a butterfly suplex from Andre, who was sole survivor of his team. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_uzUHW63xI The decision to eliminate Hogan prior to the culmination of the match was an incredibly risky one for McMahon. His foray into pay-per-view was still in its infancy and could have been irreparably damaged if his product wasn't as hot as it was. People paid their hard earned-money to see Hogan and Andre square off for the second time in 1987 and were not delivered that, instead treated to Bigelow's breakout performance. Had Bam Bam been able to keep his ego in check and became the next big breakout star for the company, the booking choice would have been forgivable. Since that was not the case, it is difficult to look back on the Hogan elimination as anything but one of the worst in Survivor Series history, especially the early years.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
