The Hulk Hogan and André the Giant feud transformed two of the industry’s biggest stars from longtime tag team partners into bitter enemies. They produced matches that reshaped how pro wrestling was promoted, broadcast, and remembered.
The story began in January 1987 on Piper’s Pit when the WWF presented Hogan with a large trophy in recognition of three years as the World Heavyweight Champion. André came out to congratulate his friend but appeared cold, made a pointed remark about three years being a long time, and gave Hogan a noticeably stiff handshake.
One week later, André was honored with his own trophy for being undefeated for fifteen years in the WWF. The award was visibly smaller than the one Hogan had received, and the contrast was the point. The reigning champion had been celebrated with more pomp than the man who had gone undefeated for over a decade, and the disparity was meant to feel like a slight. Hogan came out to congratulate André, but spent most of the segment talking about himself. Before Hogan’s speech ended, André walked off the set.
The turn came on the February 7, 1987 episode of Piper’s Pit. André arrived alongside Bobby Heenan, who had spent years as Hogan’s chief adversary. André challenged Hogan for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania III, then ripped Hogan’s t-shirt and crucifix necklace off his chest. The image of a stunned Hogan kneeling on the broken set with blood on his chest set the tone for the next eighteen months.
Their match at WrestleMania III on March 29, 1987, at the Pontiac Silverdome was billed as the biggest main event in sports entertainment history. Hogan retained the title after slamming the roughly 520-pound André and following with the leg drop. The body slam itself became one of the most replayed images in WWE history.
The feud continued through 1987 with sporadic flare-ups. At the inaugural Survivor Series on November 26, 1987, Hogan and André captained opposing teams. André’s side won, with Hogan counted out earlier in the match. In December 1987, André attacked Hogan from behind during a Saturday Night’s Main Event taping and choked him into near unconsciousness while a group of babyfaces tried to pry him off.
The story took a sharp turn in early 1988. Ted DiBiase had been trying to buy the WWF Championship from Hogan and failed, then bought André’s contract from Heenan to act as his enforcer. The rematch aired live on NBC on February 5, 1988, as the first installment of The Main Event. The broadcast drew a 15.2 Nielsen rating and an estimated 33 million viewers, both of which remain records for American televised wrestling.
André pinned Hogan with the count made despite Hogan visibly kicking out before the referee’s hand hit the mat. The referee was revealed to be Earl Hebner, the identical twin brother of the assigned referee Dave Hebner, with DiBiase having bribed him to throw the match. André immediately handed the championship to DiBiase. WWF President Jack Tunney later ruled that titles cannot be transferred by gift and vacated the championship.
A fourteen-man tournament for the vacant title was held at WrestleMania IV on March 27, 1988, at the Atlantic City Convention Hall. Hogan and André received first-round byes and met in the quarterfinals. Both were eliminated by double disqualification after Hogan, and then André struck each other with a steel chair in front of referee Joey Marella.
The match was much shorter and slower than their first encounter, reflecting André’s ongoing back problems. Randy Savage went on to win the tournament with help from Hogan in the final.
The feud effectively concluded at the inaugural SummerSlam on August 29, 1988, at Madison Square Garden. The Mega Powers, Hogan and Savage with Miss Elizabeth, defeated The Mega Bucks, André and DiBiase with Heenan and Virgil, with Jesse Ventura as special guest referee.
Elizabeth distracted the heels by removing her skirt to reveal a swimsuit underneath, and the babyfaces hit the leg drop and elbow drop in sequence to finish DiBiase. The Mega Bucks split up afterward, and Hogan and André never had another major one-on-one feud. André’s declining health limited his role for the remainder of his career, and he passed away in January 1993.
The rivalry remains a defining moment for both men. It validated Hogan as the biggest draw in wrestling and gave André a final marquee run before his health forced him out of top-card competition. The WrestleMania III main event was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a match in 2026 with the Immortal Award.
