23. Andre The Giant vs. Hulk Hogan - WrestleMania III
While there is no questioning that Steamboat vs. Savage stole the show in front of the largest crowd in North American wrestling history, there is also no questioning the fact that most people in that building came to see and got one hell of a show from Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. Far too often, the main-event at the Pontiac Silverdome gets overshadowed. Sure, the IC title match was a workrate classic for all times. The WWE title match, though, was a Rock-Hogan or Cena-Rock for its generation. It was an unbelievable clash of two titans that no one ever thought they would see. The Giant was a huge star and one of the most recognizable figures in wrestling worldwide. He was a babyface character for nearly 15 years, so when he turned heel and aligned against Hogan, it was a momentous occasion. That moment where Andre showed up on Pipers Pit and ripped Hogans shirt (and ripped off his cross), bloodying him in the process, was the How about main-eventing one more WrestleManiawith The Rock of its time. It could not have featured any two bigger stars. To a huge fan base largely comprised of kids, it seemed unfathomable that Andre could lose, but at the same time improbable that the heroic Hogan would not win. It still elicits goosebumps when Hogan approaches Andre, his body shivering from the adrenaline coursing through his veins, and Gorilla Monsoon utters that classic line, The irresistible force meeting the immovable object. Andre battled as hard as he could given the condition of his body at the time, but it was the atmosphere that carried the match a lot like Rock-Hogan 15 years later. This was a match devoid of many highlights, but the overall presentation was so amazing that it seamlessly carried from Monsoons classic quote to Hogan slamming the Giant and hitting the leg drop for the win. It was an amazing thing to witness because of the atmosphere and crowd response. The day that we have a Top 30 that fails to include this is the day that the generation that saw it happen ceases to exist. It is just too iconic.
"The Doc" Chad Matthews has written wrestling columns for over a decade. A physician by trade, Matthews began writing about wrestling as a hobby, but it became a passion. After 30 years as a wrestling fan, "The Doc" gives an unmatched analytical perspective on pro wrestling in the modern era. He is a long-time columnist for Lordsofpain.net and hosts a weekly podcast on the LOP Radio Network called "The Doc Says." His first book - The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment - ranks the Top 90 wrestlers from 1983 to present day, was originally published in December 2013, and is now in its third edition.
Matthews lives in North Carolina with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.
