9 Last-Minute WWE Disasters That Came So Close To Ruining WrestleManias!

5. André’s Back Potentially Stops The Body Slam Heard Around The World - WrestleMania III

André the Giant squaring off against Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania III is one of the most important and celebrated matches in wrestling history. Not for its technical skill, far from it, but for its emotional payoff when ‘The Irresistible Force’ Hogan bodyslammed ‘The Immovable Object’ André to the mat. But that iconic moment was in great jeopardy of happening before the ‘The Show of Shows’ began.

Hogan has spoken of the circumstances before the match that night, “Andre had come off huge back surgery, and he was in a lot of pain. ‘Andre,’ I said, ‘Dude, your back’s bad, are we gonna do the slam?’ He goes, ‘I don’t know’.

André was billed as being 7-foot-4 and 520-pounds at that point, with him suffering through crippling daily pain in his bones and joints from being so big. His singlet that night helped him conceal a back brace underneath that helped him get through the match.

Feeling the rush of the crowd, André called for Hogan to body slam him towards the end and the rest is history. This is a large reason why Vince McMahon holds André in such high esteem, having fought through the pain to wrestle Hogan that night and attract a record setting box office.