..Hogan vs Andre 5 stars no doubt, I agree with Bret. But I think Hogan vs Andre is bigger than a scale, it changes something in the industry. And becomes mythological. When the crowd is pleased, interacting and emotional invested, that's how you see a great match.
I saw it live on closed circuit when I was ten. The Steamboat/Savage match was incredible-but the entire crowd gasped and went nuts when Hogan slammed Andre. So Savage and Steamboat was definitely the better match wrestling-wise but the emotion and spectacle belonged to Hogan and Andre. For that card to do what it did, both matches had to be there.
Hogan vs Andre 5 stars no doubt, I agree with Bret. And I think Hogan vs Andre is bigger than a scale, it changes something in the industry. When the crowd is pleased, interacting and emotional invested, that's how you see a great match.
It’s possibly the greatest sports entertainment type match ever. It’s not some other good things, but it is that and nobody can take that away like it or not.
Agreed Hogan vs Andre drew over 90k people at WrestleMania & delivered up to their expectations & sent them home feeling that they had watched something special. They didn't need to be crazy athletic to do that. Compared to Bret vs HBK WrestleMania 14, who didn't drew anywhere near the number nor with all their technical wrestling could produce anything remotely close to a moment that can match Hogan body slamming Andre moment.
As a Bears fan who is old enough to remember the career of Refrigerator Perry (I was born in 1971 and lived in northern IL until i was 19), I have to concur with Hart here. Perry was SUCH a talented athlete when he first came up in Chicago. He was big, but he was quick, he was agile, and he was powerful. He could have been a wrestler if he wanted to do that. The problem with Perry is that I have never seen an athlete do as little with the talent he had as him. He allowed the fame and folk hero status that was put on him to get to his head. He didn't take himself or the game of football as seriously as he could have, and I honestly think that is a reason (a lesser reason) why the Chicago Bears could never replicate their success after 1985. His weight ballooned, he was never as quick, and I honestly think he missed out on a Hall of Fame career. He had the talent to be enshrined in Canton. He didn't have the will. Perry will always hold a soft spot in my heart as a Bears fan, and i am grateful I got to see the Bears win with one of the greatest single-season teams of all time. But I always think more could have happened. And when I think this, Perry is always at the top of my life of "what if" scenarios. What if Ryan had stayed as defensive coordinator? What if Walter Payton and Gary Fencik were two years younger? What if Jim McMahon had stayed healthy? What if the fame had not gotten to the heads of so many players (and coaches; Ditka is not faultless here), not just Perry? What if Otis Wilson doesn't suffer a career ending injury before the 1988 season started? And what if Perry had taken himself and his career a little more seriously? Lol, I've written too much. Sorry about that. Thank you for the clip, i really appreciate it. And thanks to Bret Hart for talking about him. My apologies for making this a post about Perry and the Chicago Bears on a Hart interview. Lol
they had a TV match but a build up and a PPV bout would have really been something extra special. Hitman versus The Dragon in 1991 should have been a dream match !
I believe Steamboat was in WCW at that time. While it would have been a great match, I always felt like Ricky fit better in the NWA/WCW. He was a guy that could wrestle Ric Flair for the world title, or have a US title match with Luger or have a great match with a young Steve Austin or a gritty vet like Arn Anderson. Ricky really was a Swiss army knife in WCW. He could be put into wherever he was needed on the card and perform his role at a very high level. In WWE, he was great but he was never gonna be a world title guy. IC title was probably his ceiling there. But he could have had some real bangers with Bret and Mr. Perfect and Rick Rude for sure.
@@Romulan2469 I understand it might not give you the warm, fuzzy childhood feelings anymore, but things change. The legends of the past can’t be around forever.
This comment shows how out of touch and clueless "WWE" and "sports entertainment" fans are. In reality, there has NEVER been a pro-wrestling event/PPV/extravaganza as momentous and grand in scale as WrestleMania III, and not just because of the incomparable venue and indoor attendance record-and there never will be again. Unless you were alive and old enough to understand and appreciate how big and exciting professional wrestling was in the Golden Era of the 1980s (the best) and 1990s (second best), you simply cannot understand-period. (And watching old videos does NOT count. You truly "had to be there" to know what I mean.)
It’s really nice to hear Bret’s kind words for William “The Refrigerator” Perry. WrestleMania 2 was my first live wrestling experience (watching in a local auditorium on closed circuit TV with 2000 or so other fans) and I’ve always felt he showed a deftness in the ring that stood out to me. It’s validating to hear that the best there is, best there was and the best there ever will be felt that way too!
For Hogan vs Andre? No way. 5/5 is dead on accurate. It's not just the moves inside the ring during the match that's important. It's also the drama leading up to the match. It wasn't just two guys fighting over the belt because one of them happened to win a battle royal or was cashing in a MITB contract. This was two former best friends, one of whom joined forces with their mutual mortal enemy, turning his back on the other and breaking his heart in the process. Add to that how well Hulk and Andre managed to hide just how much pain The Giant was in during the match? And despite his lack of mobility, Andre was still able to come off as a truly dangerous monster heel. They might not have been bumping their asses off, but they were taking the audience to school about how to tell a great story in the ring. And THAT is how you determine a truly great wrestling match.
If it wasn't Hogan vs Andre at wrestlemania 3, there might have been 20,000 people in a 90,000 seat stadium. Back then it was that much of a difference between a Hogan card and one without.
People don't give hogan enough credit. He was the only wrestler bigger than the brand. Wwe rewrites history to try to make cena, undertaker or stone cold as the babe Ruth or goat. They are all great but when the timing when hogan was out he was mythical and superhero like. For a time Along with tyson, Arnold and stallone he was the most recognizable star in the world
@@only1icon1801 Hogan is truly greatest brand WWF ever had. All others are great, and maybe even more popular among hardcore fans. But in general, Hogan was reason why wrestling was made huge
@@only1icon1801I love how people today throw their 2 cents in "what would have worked" ... WWE went from a $1 million dollar company to now a $7 billion+ dollar company... I think they knew what they were doing and if Savage would have drawn just as good or better than Hogan - they would have went for it... They gave Savage the gold - he didn't draw like Hulk could, it's the facts.
Matches like Andre Hogan & Rock Hogan break the star rating scale. They are without question 5 stars because they are so historic most famous matches ever.
@@CeemPlay Nah, if it's a bad match, it still sucks. If they did Rock/Roman Reigns right now, you'd see how crappy it'd be, regardless of who was working. Roman would be fine, but I have my doubts about Rock's ability to work anymore, we'll have to see.
Andre v Hogan wasn’t a good match. Andre was well past his prime and in a lot of pain. He was wearing a back brace under his tights. It was monumental because Andre was passing the torch to Hogan. But the match itself was two lumbering giants. It was pretty sloppy.
@@Rasender87 They don't have to be great. They just have to be passable. Hogan vs. Rock was only 16 minutes and Hogan's body was broken. He did good enough just enough to not screw it up and the match will live forever even as a 3 star match at best.
As a kid in the 80’s I remember the grown ups talking about Holmes vs Cooney. The first time outside of baseball I ever remember us kids talking about was Hogan vs Andre. You can say wrestling’s not a sport, say it’s fake. When Hogan slammed The Giant at WrestleMania III, to me it was one of the greatest sports moments of the 20th Century.
It was a vey good match. Considering Andre's condition and pain he was in he did great. Hogan has always been an underrated worker. Now from a significance standpoint, it's the most iconic and important match in pro wrestling history.
I think Hogan vs Andre was more about the story than any technical wrestling. The slam at the end though is iconic. Steamboat vs Savage was so far ahead of its time.
Technical wrestling never drew a dime anywhere, good storytelling draws. 99% of the wrestling audience doesn't give a shit about technical skills and usually gets bored with long matches (hence why Wrestlemania 12 bombed so badly, the premise of watching 2 guys roll around the mat for 1 hour drove people away) but they sure enough tune in if there's a compelling storyline/rivalry/feud like Andre vs. Hogan was. There's a reason the re-match drew 33 million viewers.
@@ShadowAngel606Savage vs Steamboat was a better storyline and Savage and Steamboat weren't technical wrestlers. They were main eventers put out early to build anticipation for big match. Hogan vs Andre was a big deal in 1987 but looking back it's God awful. Savage vs Steamboat is easily the highlight of the show in hindsight.
@@thegoughandbordenfamily8234 If you're a workrate mark, then yes, that match with little real buildup was "amazing" because they did 30 moves. Hogan vs. Andre worked because the storyline was in the work for years and years with a betrayal of friendship, jealousy. Savage vs. Steamboat didn't have that, it was mostly a throwaway match in a generic "I just don't like you" feud. Or in other words: People who like Steamboat vs. Savage are people who like movies like Transformers or Marvel movies: Flashy stuff without any substance. People who like Andre vs. Hogan are like people who like Kurosawa or Hitchcock: More substance, more meaning and a actual plot. After all, there's a reason why even in 1997 the WCW crowd sat on their hands during a meaningless Ultimo Dragon vs. Dean Malenko match, despite a billion moves and a billion flips, but going apeshit during Hogan vs. Luger.
@@ShadowAngel606speak for yourself. I like to watch good performers in the ring like Shawn, angle, Eddy. I can give 2 sh*ts if they drew or not. All I cared about watching their amazing matches
“Smart marks” get surprised by things like this because they don’t understand professional wrestling. It’s not about moves, it’s about telling a story. Hogan and Andre told a brilliant story and worked the crowd beautifully. Don’t get me wrong of course there’s a place for match quality, but modern fans especially like Meltzer for example put too much emphasis on moves.
Savage/Steamboat was the better WRESTLING match, but Andre/Hogan was THE match that everyone wanted to see. If you take Andre/Hogan off the card, the event flops.
I dont like when people write that. A better Wrestling match? The technical part is just 1/20 of the game. Hogan vs Andre was the better WRESTLING match. Example: Dean Malenko is a better TECHNICAL wrestler than the Undertaker. But Undertaker is still the better WRESTLER than Dean Malenko.
@@KrillepSavage wasn't Dean Malenko. He was Shawn Michaels. He was the complete package and a massive draw. You take Takers gimmick from him and entrance and Malenko is by far the wrestler you wanna watch. Malenko was probably the greatest technical wrestler of all.
Steamboat and Savage brought the house down. Hogan and Andre was great for spectacle but doesn't stand the test of time. Half the match are rest holds. Savage and Steamboat had as much heat as Hogan and Andre and had a timeless match for the ages.
Of all the interviews I’ve seen: these guys really revered Andre The Giant 💣 I have never heard anyone talk shit about him like they have about each other
Al Snow said it best. Hulk Hogan vs Andre was the best match at wrestle mania 3 because that was that match that sold tickets not macho man vs ricky the dragon steamboat
@@kentldubz I understand what he’s trying to say but by that same logic, the finger poke of doom could be considered a great match bc 40,000 people paid to see Nash vs hogan. The tickets are already sold by the time the match happens.
Never cease to find the idea hilarious, of the image of them actually audibly yelling to each other ‘Noo what are ya doin! Get off a mee, ah ain’t supose to be dumped out yet ya idiot!’ 😂
Im going tomsay this once: Im not Canadian or from USA, but the BEST in ring PERFORMANCE that I’ve seen (and I DO NOT CARE ABOUT DRAWING MONEY etc etc) is NOT hogan, flair, shawn, stone cold etc, but was BRET!!!!!!!!!!
As a fan you should definitely not care about drawing money. Idky anyone does. If you aren’t making a dime from it then it’s completely irrelevant to you
That Bret-Steamboat match in Boston Garden is such a gem of a match. Anyone training to be a Wrestler should watch a nice crisp, well worked match that ages beautifully where both guys look fantastic.
Back in 1987 someone gave me a VHS copy of the PPV version of Wrestlemania 3. The reason I wanted that tape so badly was to watch the Hogan vs Andre match, but I kept rewatching the Macho vs Steamboat and the Honky vs Jake match. IDK, but the pace of the Hogan/Andre match was kinda slow, Hogan got his butt kicked in most of that match, but overall it was a decent match. One funny thing I observed is, a lot of the camera angles in the PPV version are different than the Coliseum Video version.
I nearly stopped reading Power Slam / Inside the Ropes because Finlay Martin said Andre Vs Hogan "was the pits" ...... he's subsequently re-evaluated his opinion so we're friends again
Bret mentions no one pays attention to a Battle Royal..normally true but in Wrestlemania 2 Bret lasting to the end and the issue with John Studd and Refrigerator Perry was talked about at that time..when they gotinto a fight over being eliminated
Of course Andre was limited in what he could physically do because of his back but the match itself was not what made it so amazing. It's almost impossible to explain the hype and the lead up to the match. It was a match with the two biggest wrestling stars ever and no one could imagine either one of them losing a match. The anticipation leading up to the match was something never seen in professional wrestling before or after and will never be seen again. It was the biggest wrestling match in history and always will be.
I loved Ricky,he was so incredibly good,he would ve made a great champion,he could fly and brawl,he had it all,mic skills,the look...there really is only one like him.
I saw the Boston Garden match on youtube between Bret Hart vs. Ricky Steamboat and damn that's technical wrestling, it had wrestling psychology etc. It it's non-stop movement in motion, like ballet similar to Bret's matches with Dynamite Kid.
He’s right. That match paid the house. Everyone was there for that match. It’s a business and that’s the match that put everyone in their seats. It also delivered. People were so into it at the time. That hasn’t happened in over 20 years now.
He’s just becoming another Nash. They told him in the locker room day of, that he wasn’t fighting Steamboat. But they told him a few weeks before that Andre loved the finish.
I thought they killed it. Its not like a work rate clinic - but all the major spots slapped; Andre's so fucking underrated it makes me nuts. He makes Hogan look like something off the top of the mountain of Zeus and there's nothing - and I mean NOTHING from Hogan that is spotlight hogging or anything. If I had a criticism - it'd be that both were a little too giving in that match. But it ruled for what it was.
I agree. WM 3 was a pinnacle of sports entertainment. Hogan vs Andre was the top of the mountain. No question about it. They drew the most money. Steamboat vs Savage not so much. The business was and always will be about drawing money.
"Over the years, Hulk Hogan has stated that, although Andre the Giant was billed at 450 pounds, he was closer to 600 pounds at the time of the match. For the reason alone, Hogan claims that in the infamous body slam, he tore every single muscle in his back, yet never missed a day of work. Although many have said that Andre was indeed around 450 pounds at the time, that hasn't stopped Hogan from continuing to lie." (Hulk Hogan lies)
There's definitely not much precedent for downplaying a monster heel's weight by 150 pounds. Unless you're trying to fool the athletic commissions so they don't block the match, it wouldn't make sense.
How in the universe do you know just exactly how big Andre was. Hogan was there and exactly WHO said Andre was 450lbs, he wasn't billed that since 1983/84 when he was much thinner. I am amazed that you pathetic Hogan haters are acting like you know the truth/facts/details like you were there. Hogan also NEVER said that he tore every muscle in his back. All you haters do is lie and speak on what you believe vs what you actually know.
Oh and never mind that Bret here says Andre was 7'3 or 7'4 when he was 6'10 at that time. Funny how if Hogan keeps kayfabe he is a liar, yet when any other wrestler does it you dweebs don't even register it.
You cant tear every muscle in your back and continue to wrestle, he would have had massive black and blue all over his back. People would have noticed that.
Yeah. The Steamboat vs Savage match was epic. Except for its ending, its 1 of the best matches you'll ever see. Its as good as Steamboat vs Flair in WCW or the 1st world championship match between Flair and Ronnie Garvin. 2 Best tag matches were AA and Tully vs Midnight Express ( for the WCW tag belts ) and Flair & Garvin vs The Russians ( Ivan & Nikita Kolloff) and Hart Foundation vs Demolition
That was worth the wait. Figured he would rate it highly not necessarily 5 stars but Bret gets it. It certainly was one of Andre's best matches & that's what the people paid for. To 10 yr old me in the moment Hogan vs Andre was the best match. As I reached adulthood I gained more of an appreciation for the Savage Steamboat match but I think that match gets overrated by too many people. I much prefer Hogan v Rock & pretty much all of the Undertaker HBK/Triple H matches over Savage Steamboat as far as just WrestleMania matches & honestly still think Andre Hogan was still the best match on the WMIII card
@@thegoughandbordenfamily8234 Thanks for letting me know you disagree with my opinions. I sure would've thought everyone would agree with what I think. Shocker. Have a nice life
Lol listening to the first 2 minutes, in what story does Bret hart not get screwed??? He was supposed to fight Ricky the steamboat? Fuck I would have been crying about that too
Back in the early days Bret respected Hogan. It's only in the latter days that Hogan showed his true colors that Bret began to lose respect to him. It was made more prominent when Hogan refused to work with Bret in a potential championship match.
To paraphrase Al Snow: 93K fans paid to see Andre & Hogan, therefore the had the best match. Couldn't agree more, one of the biggest matches in history, the hell with the Star rating
Good rating. I'd give it about 4 overall because the story telling was so great. 1 for the match and 5 for the story, so 4 overall. I'll have to check for that Bret eye injury next time I watch Wrestlemania 3.
Metzler wrongly underrated that match because he had an issue with the finish. Was the finish as epic as the rest of the match itself ? No, BUT overall, it's still easily 1 of the best matches ever in professional wrestling
always wondered what ticket prices were for wm2. i mean how much were they charging fans to watch 4 matches live and then watch the rest on small TV monitors placed at ringside? at least the hart foundation got to finish the battle royal with andre. i mean the battle royal is not the place you want to be on a ppv cause you don't get a lot of space to show off. but if you're gonna have to do one, finishing with the 8th wonder of the world makes it easier to stomach what makes a match can vary. it can be story, it can be a finish, it can be about the work rate. Andre v Hogan was probably one of the best moments of story telling in history. it was amplified by the setting because it all seemed bigger than life
Was prepared for a bad rating, because... Hogan. But this rating was shocking for real coming from Bret "Hogan and Golberg are worst wrestlers ever" Hart.
If you want a good wrestling match you dont want Andre Hogan, but Andre and Hogan was straight theatre and sometimes thats better than the in ring stuff. Austin wasnt putting on 5 star matches. But you couldnt find a better story.
Andre wasn’t 7ft 4in or 7ft 3in tall, there’s a famous picture of Andre with a basketball star of the time Wilt Chamberlain (don’t ask me when as I’m English and know little about basketball but still loads more than the NFL). Now Wilt Chamberlain was 7ft 4in legit 7ft 4in and Andre stood next to him is several inches shorter and this photo was taken sometime in the 70’s while Andre was still relatively healthy. Also Andre was measured during his autopsy and his height was measured at 6ft 10in, so Andre was shorter than the Big Show, the Great Khali and was a lot shorter than Giant Gonzales who was either 7ft 7.5in or 7ft 9.5in (.5=half) and was the same height as Kevin Nash. Only difference between Nash and Andre was that Andre’s hands, head and internal organs were larger than Nash also he was around 170lbs heavier than Nash (Andre always looked like he had more teeth than a normal person when you see his teeth when he smiled).
I thought George "The Animal" Steele being involved in Savage v Steamboat makes it bad presentation. Execution of what they did was good. I appreciate Bret being able to say for what they were trying to accomplish and for the time, Hogan v Andre was 5/5.
Hogan vs andre was a 5 star match for hype- more of a confrontation than a wrestling match. They definitely did their jobs though. The excitement for it was heavy all through it.
Steamboat vs Savage at Wrestlemania 3 is one of the best matches ever. Comparing these two matches is like comparing apples and oranges. Hulk vs Andre is a more iconic match but Savage vs Steamboat was a much better match.
Most people here think Hogan VS Bundy would have stolen the show because apparently an all American roider slamming a non athletic fat guy is what everyone went to see.
Wrestling match should be rated with three categories 1- wrestlers performance 2- crowd reaction and atmosphere 3- build up and story telling For me i give it 4.5 star as of below result 1- wrestlers performance : 2 2- crowd reaction and atmosphere : 5 3- build up and story telling : 5 So it is gonna be 12 outta 15 Still a historical match
I think Hogan vs. Andre was slow and at times dragged a little but at the same time the best match you could script between these two at that time. It complemented both wrestler's strengths and kept the crowd going.
What’s better? Hogan vs Andre or Steamboat vs Savage? Let us know in the comments below!
Hogan/Andre, the spectacle. emotion. storytelling. crowd reactions. the defining moment of the company to this day
To be honest hogan vs andre!!
..Hogan vs Andre 5 stars no doubt, I agree with Bret.
But I think Hogan vs Andre is bigger than a scale, it changes something in the industry. And becomes mythological.
When the crowd is pleased, interacting and emotional invested, that's how you see a great match.
I saw it live on closed circuit when I was ten. The Steamboat/Savage match was incredible-but the entire crowd gasped and went nuts when Hogan slammed Andre. So Savage and Steamboat was definitely the better match wrestling-wise but the emotion and spectacle belonged to Hogan and Andre. For that card to do what it did, both matches had to be there.
The match that drew the money is better. Andre vs Hogan
Hogan vs Andre 5 stars no doubt, I agree with Bret. And I think Hogan vs Andre is bigger than a scale, it changes something in the industry.
When the crowd is pleased, interacting and emotional invested, that's how you see a great match.
Steamboat vs macho man
It’s possibly the greatest sports entertainment type match ever. It’s not some other good things, but it is that and nobody can take that away like it or not.
I thought the match between hogan and Andre was boring
@@jacksmith-mu3ee Not a good match. It doesn't stand up to modern standards and the whole thing is clearly over rehearsed.
Agreed Hogan vs Andre drew over 90k people at WrestleMania & delivered up to their expectations & sent them home feeling that they had watched something special. They didn't need to be crazy athletic to do that.
Compared to Bret vs HBK WrestleMania 14, who didn't drew anywhere near the number nor with all their technical wrestling could produce anything remotely close to a moment that can match Hogan body slamming Andre moment.
Rewatched it the other day... the pop when Hogan knocks over Andre with a clothesline is insane
😅 Andre Hogan at Mania 4 is a fun watch too
Now that's Bret keeping it 💯 about Hogan vs Andre. I can only imagine how electric it was watching from behind the curtain
With one eye!
As a Bears fan who is old enough to remember the career of Refrigerator Perry (I was born in 1971 and lived in northern IL until i was 19), I have to concur with Hart here.
Perry was SUCH a talented athlete when he first came up in Chicago. He was big, but he was quick, he was agile, and he was powerful. He could have been a wrestler if he wanted to do that.
The problem with Perry is that I have never seen an athlete do as little with the talent he had as him. He allowed the fame and folk hero status that was put on him to get to his head. He didn't take himself or the game of football as seriously as he could have, and I honestly think that is a reason (a lesser reason) why the Chicago Bears could never replicate their success after 1985. His weight ballooned, he was never as quick, and I honestly think he missed out on a Hall of Fame career. He had the talent to be enshrined in Canton. He didn't have the will.
Perry will always hold a soft spot in my heart as a Bears fan, and i am grateful I got to see the Bears win with one of the greatest single-season teams of all time. But I always think more could have happened. And when I think this, Perry is always at the top of my life of "what if" scenarios.
What if Ryan had stayed as defensive coordinator? What if Walter Payton and Gary Fencik were two years younger? What if Jim McMahon had stayed healthy? What if the fame had not gotten to the heads of so many players (and coaches; Ditka is not faultless here), not just Perry? What if Otis Wilson doesn't suffer a career ending injury before the 1988 season started? And what if Perry had taken himself and his career a little more seriously?
Lol, I've written too much. Sorry about that. Thank you for the clip, i really appreciate it. And thanks to Bret Hart for talking about him. My apologies for making this a post about Perry and the Chicago Bears on a Hart interview. Lol
Brett vs Steamboat would’ve been awesome.
They had a match at MSG I think, it's a bonus match on Bret's DVD, was pretty good.
They did have a match and it was awesome. I'm sure it's on RUclips
they had a TV match but a build up and a PPV bout would have really been something extra special. Hitman versus The Dragon in 1991 should have been a dream match !
Bret
I believe Steamboat was in WCW at that time. While it would have been a great match, I always felt like Ricky fit better in the NWA/WCW. He was a guy that could wrestle Ric Flair for the world title, or have a US title match with Luger or have a great match with a young Steve Austin or a gritty vet like Arn Anderson. Ricky really was a Swiss army knife in WCW. He could be put into wherever he was needed on the card and perform his role at a very high level. In WWE, he was great but he was never gonna be a world title guy. IC title was probably his ceiling there. But he could have had some real bangers with Bret and Mr. Perfect and Rick Rude for sure.
That whole conflict with Bill Fralic, Big John Studd & William the Refrigerator Perry battling it out in that Battle Royal was great
I feel like wrestlemania 3 was truly the beginning of what wrestlemania would eventually become today!
And what is that exactly? Wrestlemania is a disappointment these days versus back in the 80s and 90s.
@@Romulan2469 I understand it might not give you the warm, fuzzy childhood feelings anymore, but things change. The legends of the past can’t be around forever.
I disagree. Wrestlemania was always an arena show like most ppvs until 17. Wrestlemania 3 was a one-off.
This comment shows how out of touch and clueless "WWE" and "sports entertainment" fans are. In reality, there has NEVER been a pro-wrestling event/PPV/extravaganza as momentous and grand in scale as WrestleMania III, and not just because of the incomparable venue and indoor attendance record-and there never will be again. Unless you were alive and old enough to understand and appreciate how big and exciting professional wrestling was in the Golden Era of the 1980s (the best) and 1990s (second best), you simply cannot understand-period. (And watching old videos does NOT count. You truly "had to be there" to know what I mean.)
@@sg-zd8ebWrestlemanias VI and VIII were also dome events. Then there was SS 92 which had a strong Mania feel to it.
It’s really nice to hear Bret’s kind words for William “The Refrigerator” Perry. WrestleMania 2 was my first live wrestling experience (watching in a local auditorium on closed circuit TV with 2000 or so other fans) and I’ve always felt he showed a deftness in the ring that stood out to me. It’s validating to hear that the best there is, best there was and the best there ever will be felt that way too!
Wasn't this interview about 4 years ago? How many clips you sitting on bro
Russ Francis was an all time great TE for both the Patriots and 49ers
Damn right
And went on to be a medical doctor
I could listen to Brett Harts stories all day everyday.
Bret
@@TL2354 no it's brett
Same here dude 😎
Thought he would say 4/10 😂 5/5 is a surprise
🤡🤡
@CarbiesChronicles Why do we need to see how you look?
@@chyaboi11because he’s right.
Truth 😂. If Bret isn’t in it , it ain’t ish according to him. Nobody put Bret over like Bret
For Hogan vs Andre? No way. 5/5 is dead on accurate. It's not just the moves inside the ring during the match that's important. It's also the drama leading up to the match. It wasn't just two guys fighting over the belt because one of them happened to win a battle royal or was cashing in a MITB contract. This was two former best friends, one of whom joined forces with their mutual mortal enemy, turning his back on the other and breaking his heart in the process. Add to that how well Hulk and Andre managed to hide just how much pain The Giant was in during the match? And despite his lack of mobility, Andre was still able to come off as a truly dangerous monster heel. They might not have been bumping their asses off, but they were taking the audience to school about how to tell a great story in the ring. And THAT is how you determine a truly great wrestling match.
Everyone expecting him to say 1 star haha, Bret and all the guys back in the day had huge respect for Andre.
If it wasn't Hogan vs Andre at wrestlemania 3, there might have been 20,000 people in a 90,000 seat stadium. Back then it was that much of a difference between a Hogan card and one without.
People don't give hogan enough credit. He was the only wrestler bigger than the brand. Wwe rewrites history to try to make cena, undertaker or stone cold as the babe Ruth or goat. They are all great but when the timing when hogan was out he was mythical and superhero like. For a time Along with tyson, Arnold and stallone he was the most recognizable star in the world
True that!
Although Hogan was huge in the 80's, he wasn't the be all and end all.
WWE could have built around Savage instead or give Andre one last hoorah run
@@only1icon1801 Hogan is truly greatest brand WWF ever had. All others are great, and maybe even more popular among hardcore fans. But in general, Hogan was reason why wrestling was made huge
@@only1icon1801I love how people today throw their 2 cents in "what would have worked" ... WWE went from a $1 million dollar company to now a $7 billion+ dollar company... I think they knew what they were doing and if Savage would have drawn just as good or better than Hogan - they would have went for it... They gave Savage the gold - he didn't draw like Hulk could, it's the facts.
Bret is such a good story teller,he made me feel as I was there,watching the battle royal,seeing Andrè and the Anvil.
Matches like Andre Hogan & Rock Hogan break the star rating scale. They are without question 5 stars because they are so historic most famous matches ever.
Historic doesn‘t make it good
@@Rasender87 most famous iconic celebrated & beloved match does
@@CeemPlay Nah, if it's a bad match, it still sucks. If they did Rock/Roman Reigns right now, you'd see how crappy it'd be, regardless of who was working. Roman would be fine, but I have my doubts about Rock's ability to work anymore, we'll have to see.
Andre v Hogan wasn’t a good match. Andre was well past his prime and in a lot of pain. He was wearing a back brace under his tights.
It was monumental because Andre was passing the torch to Hogan. But the match itself was two lumbering giants. It was pretty sloppy.
@@Rasender87 They don't have to be great. They just have to be passable. Hogan vs. Rock was only 16 minutes and Hogan's body was broken. He did good enough just enough to not screw it up and the match will live forever even as a 3 star match at best.
As a kid in the 80’s I remember the grown ups talking about Holmes vs Cooney. The first time outside of baseball I ever remember us kids talking about was Hogan vs Andre. You can say wrestling’s not a sport, say it’s fake. When Hogan slammed The Giant at WrestleMania III, to me it was one of the greatest sports moments of the 20th Century.
It was a vey good match. Considering Andre's condition and pain he was in he did great. Hogan has always been an underrated worker. Now from a significance standpoint, it's the most iconic and important match in pro wrestling history.
I think Hogan vs Andre was more about the story than any technical wrestling. The slam at the end though is iconic. Steamboat vs Savage was so far ahead of its time.
Technical wrestling never drew a dime anywhere, good storytelling draws. 99% of the wrestling audience doesn't give a shit about technical skills and usually gets bored with long matches (hence why Wrestlemania 12 bombed so badly, the premise of watching 2 guys roll around the mat for 1 hour drove people away) but they sure enough tune in if there's a compelling storyline/rivalry/feud like Andre vs. Hogan was. There's a reason the re-match drew 33 million viewers.
@@ShadowAngel606Savage vs Steamboat was a better storyline and Savage and Steamboat weren't technical wrestlers. They were main eventers put out early to build anticipation for big match. Hogan vs Andre was a big deal in 1987 but looking back it's God awful. Savage vs Steamboat is easily the highlight of the show in hindsight.
@@thegoughandbordenfamily8234 If you're a workrate mark, then yes, that match with little real buildup was "amazing" because they did 30 moves.
Hogan vs. Andre worked because the storyline was in the work for years and years with a betrayal of friendship, jealousy. Savage vs. Steamboat didn't have that, it was mostly a throwaway match in a generic "I just don't like you" feud.
Or in other words: People who like Steamboat vs. Savage are people who like movies like Transformers or Marvel movies: Flashy stuff without any substance. People who like Andre vs. Hogan are like people who like Kurosawa or Hitchcock: More substance, more meaning and a actual plot.
After all, there's a reason why even in 1997 the WCW crowd sat on their hands during a meaningless Ultimo Dragon vs. Dean Malenko match, despite a billion moves and a billion flips, but going apeshit during Hogan vs. Luger.
@@ShadowAngel606speak for yourself. I like to watch good performers in the ring like Shawn, angle, Eddy. I can give 2 sh*ts if they drew or not. All I cared about watching their amazing matches
@@MR.__GIt's both. That's why guys like Eddie were so great. They could do both at the highest level.
Wow. Steamboat vs Bret would have been epic
thats why they didn't do it that night !
“Smart marks” get surprised by things like this because they don’t understand professional wrestling. It’s not about moves, it’s about telling a story. Hogan and Andre told a brilliant story and worked the crowd beautifully. Don’t get me wrong of course there’s a place for match quality, but modern fans especially like Meltzer for example put too much emphasis on moves.
Well said! Cholton
Forreal
Yup.
It's like a soap now. To much bs talking about bs story lines. They all know who is winning the match anyways.
Savage/Steamboat was the better WRESTLING match, but Andre/Hogan was THE match that everyone wanted to see. If you take Andre/Hogan off the card, the event flops.
I dont like when people write that. A better Wrestling match? The technical part is just 1/20 of the game. Hogan vs Andre was the better WRESTLING match. Example: Dean Malenko is a better TECHNICAL wrestler than the Undertaker. But Undertaker is still the better WRESTLER than Dean Malenko.
@@Krillep Exactly, workrate is the smallest part of being over as a professional wrestler.
Of course a Canadian says this 😂
@@KrillepSavage wasn't Dean Malenko. He was Shawn Michaels. He was the complete package and a massive draw. You take Takers gimmick from him and entrance and Malenko is by far the wrestler you wanna
watch. Malenko was probably the greatest technical wrestler of all.
@@Krillep Eh. I've never seen Malenko use a real finisher and the Hell's Gate will knock you out.
I enjoyed Steamboat vs Savage more but Andre vs Hogan was better. Hogan/Andre is what drew the house and made the money.
Steamboat & Savage was one of the best matches ever
Hogan Vs Andre has gone down as legendary in the history of the business
Bigger not better. The better match by far was savage steamboat. The bigger match by far was hogan Andre.
No
Steamboat and Savage brought the house down. Hogan and Andre was great for spectacle but doesn't stand the test of time. Half the match are rest holds. Savage and Steamboat had as much heat as Hogan and Andre and had a timeless match for the ages.
best bret iv seen in a long time, nobody wants to talk about owen anymore, why would you, too sad. bret was a lot better than flair imo.
3am watching Bret Hart tell legendary stories. Gold
Of all the interviews I’ve seen: these guys really revered Andre The Giant 💣 I have never heard anyone talk shit about him like they have about each other
Bret is one of the most real wrestlers i've ever listened to. Other notable mentions are King Kong Bundy, Kevin Nash, Jim Cornette.
I don't know how. But, in some way, Bill Goldberg is responsible for Bret's eye, during his month off.
Ha.
Jimbo Covert who was in the battle royal played for the 1985 Bears. He was a 2 sport star at Pittsburgh U, played with Dan Marino.
I love how direct and blunt he is with his thoughts and opinions...
Love hearing Bret talk about the old days
Russ Francis did play with NE before SF. He was a big star as a tight end,
Al Snow said it best. Hulk Hogan vs Andre was the best match at wrestle mania 3 because that was that match that sold tickets not macho man vs ricky the dragon steamboat
I love Al snow but that’s some pretty terrible logic. 😂
@@jumpingbombangels2856 it's not from a business point of view
@jumpingbombangels2856 Tony Kahn uses the same logic and look at how AEW is doing i.e. struggling...
@@kentldubz I understand what he’s trying to say but by that same logic, the finger poke of doom could be considered a great match bc 40,000 people paid to see Nash vs hogan. The tickets are already sold by the time the match happens.
Al's logic applied to the wrestlers of that era but not today. Today you can't measure how good a match is purely based on ticket sales.
Never cease to find the idea hilarious, of the image of them actually audibly yelling to each other ‘Noo what are ya doin! Get off a mee, ah ain’t supose to be dumped out yet ya idiot!’ 😂
Hogan vs. Andre is a five star match because this is the match that filled the stadium
It was rubbish
@Rasender87 please bro... don't hate. I am from the india, the reason we all watch the wwe was because of hogan, not bitter bret
@@wwemasta I watched for Piper and Jake the Snake but Hogan is much better than Hart.
Im going tomsay this once: Im not Canadian or from USA, but the BEST in ring PERFORMANCE that I’ve seen (and I DO NOT CARE ABOUT DRAWING MONEY etc etc) is NOT hogan, flair, shawn, stone cold etc, but was BRET!!!!!!!!!!
As a fan you should definitely not care about drawing money. Idky anyone does. If you aren’t making a dime from it then it’s completely irrelevant to you
That Bret-Steamboat match in Boston Garden is such a gem of a match. Anyone training to be a Wrestler should watch a nice crisp, well worked match that ages beautifully where both guys look fantastic.
Back in 1987 someone gave me a VHS copy of the PPV version of Wrestlemania 3. The reason I wanted that tape so badly was to watch the Hogan vs Andre match, but I kept rewatching the Macho vs Steamboat and the Honky vs Jake match. IDK, but the pace of the Hogan/Andre match was kinda slow, Hogan got his butt kicked in most of that match, but overall it was a decent match.
One funny thing I observed is, a lot of the camera angles in the PPV version are different than the Coliseum Video version.
Hogan vs Andre in WM2 is so iconic it even gets mentioned in videogames like Street Fighter 3 3rd strike (Alex vs Hugo intro)
I nearly stopped reading Power Slam / Inside the Ropes because Finlay Martin said Andre Vs Hogan "was the pits" ...... he's subsequently re-evaluated his opinion so we're friends again
Brett hart has always been a pro in my eyes.❤
A real jam up guy
I want a Bret Hitman Hart and Geddy Lee face to face. Just the nicest Canadian hero guys talking shop.
He might not like Hogan, but he knows deep down, the dude paved a way for these guys
I could listen to Bret tell stories for days, he does it so well.
Great stories, told in a way that I could fall asleep just listening to them.
Bret mentions no one pays attention to a Battle Royal..normally true but in Wrestlemania 2 Bret lasting to the end and the issue with John Studd and Refrigerator Perry was talked about at that time..when they gotinto a fight over being eliminated
Where's the timestamp in this video where Bret talked about Goldberg kicking him in the head as hard as he could and ending his career.
Hart v Steamboat would have been a clinic
Of course Andre was limited in what he could physically do because of his back but the match itself was not what made it so amazing. It's almost impossible to explain the hype and the lead up to the match. It was a match with the two biggest wrestling stars ever and no one could imagine either one of them losing a match. The anticipation leading up to the match was something never seen in professional wrestling before or after and will never be seen again. It was the biggest wrestling match in history and always will be.
I’ve never seen somebody so beloved and so popular this deep into his career that is so bitter and resentful at the same time.
I loved Ricky,he was so incredibly good,he would ve made a great champion,he could fly and brawl,he had it all,mic skills,the look...there really is only one like him.
Bret vs Ricky would have been amazing, steamboat always put on a great show.
I was at a bar and all he talked about is how bill ruined his career.
That wasn't Bret. That was Virgil. Limit yourself to twelve drinks and put the glass down.
One of the greatest matches ever
I saw the Boston Garden match on youtube between Bret Hart vs. Ricky Steamboat and damn that's technical wrestling, it had wrestling psychology etc. It it's non-stop movement in motion, like ballet similar to Bret's matches with Dynamite Kid.
I felt like a little kid when The Anvil came into a bar I was at in Calgary.
Haven't watched the video yet but I just wanted to say I love the hit hitman. Thank you so much for everything Bret.
My favorite 2 wrestlers growing up were Bret Hart and Ricky Steamboat, Would have loved to seen that at Wrestlemania!!
Who else was waiting for a Bret Hart story time 😊
He’s right. That match paid the house. Everyone was there for that match. It’s a business and that’s the match that put everyone in their seats. It also delivered. People were so into it at the time. That hasn’t happened in over 20 years now.
Bret seems to be a in a much better place nowadays. Seems happy and chill. After everything it is good to see.
Russ Francis was the 49er and former Patriot whose dad promoted wrestling in Hawaii.
Bret will always be a legend, absolutely one of my all time favorites.
Hart/Steamboat would’ve been great! Wish that had happened
He’s just becoming another Nash. They told him in the locker room day of, that he wasn’t fighting Steamboat. But they told him a few weeks before that Andre loved the finish.
Nope. He said they told him in the locker room after his match with Steamboat in Boston.
He's old, he's had a concussion, he's had a stroke, he wrestled practically every day for 20 plus years. Give him some slack.
I thought they killed it. Its not like a work rate clinic - but all the major spots slapped; Andre's so fucking underrated it makes me nuts. He makes Hogan look like something off the top of the mountain of Zeus and there's nothing - and I mean NOTHING from Hogan that is spotlight hogging or anything. If I had a criticism - it'd be that both were a little too giving in that match. But it ruled for what it was.
''I was really crushed about it'' dude your whole entire life has been an emotional train wreck lol
well no he gave credit to andre only, never mentions how giving hogan was to andre
10:45 is when Bret gives the rating
The best there is. The best there was. The best there ever will be. Plus he's a thoughtful guy.
It was as good as it could've been given Andre's condition by that point. As a kid, it was epic.
How old are these
Wow, didn't think hed say that, im glad he didn't let his personal feelings for Hogan get in his way for that.
I agree. WM 3 was a pinnacle of sports entertainment. Hogan vs Andre was the top of the mountain. No question about it. They drew the most money. Steamboat vs Savage not so much. The business was and always will be about drawing money.
Steamboat vs Dynamite in that era would've been rad too. -Dustin
"Over the years, Hulk Hogan has stated that, although Andre the Giant was billed at 450 pounds, he was closer to 600 pounds at the time of the match. For the reason alone, Hogan claims that in the infamous body slam, he tore every single muscle in his back, yet never missed a day of work. Although many have said that Andre was indeed around 450 pounds at the time, that hasn't stopped Hogan from continuing to lie."
(Hulk Hogan lies)
There's definitely not much precedent for downplaying a monster heel's weight by 150 pounds. Unless you're trying to fool the athletic commissions so they don't block the match, it wouldn't make sense.
How in the universe do you know just exactly how big Andre was. Hogan was there and exactly WHO said Andre was 450lbs, he wasn't billed that since 1983/84 when he was much thinner. I am amazed that you pathetic Hogan haters are acting like you know the truth/facts/details like you were there. Hogan also NEVER said that he tore every muscle in his back. All you haters do is lie and speak on what you believe vs what you actually know.
Oh and never mind that Bret here says Andre was 7'3 or 7'4 when he was 6'10 at that time. Funny how if Hogan keeps kayfabe he is a liar, yet when any other wrestler does it you dweebs don't even register it.
@@1980Triumphlmao you will learn my man, just fact check anything hogan has said.
You cant tear every muscle in your back and continue to wrestle, he would have had massive black and blue all over his back. People would have noticed that.
Yeah. The Steamboat vs Savage match was epic. Except for its ending, its 1 of the best matches you'll ever see. Its as good as Steamboat vs Flair in WCW or the 1st world championship match between Flair and Ronnie Garvin. 2 Best tag matches were AA and Tully vs Midnight Express ( for the WCW tag belts ) and Flair & Garvin vs The Russians ( Ivan & Nikita Kolloff) and Hart Foundation vs Demolition
Yeah the ending sucked bcuz Steamboat won the belt... ON A SMALL PACKAGE roll up no less
That was worth the wait. Figured he would rate it highly not necessarily 5 stars but Bret gets it. It certainly was one of Andre's best matches & that's what the people paid for. To 10 yr old me in the moment Hogan vs Andre was the best match. As I reached adulthood I gained more of an appreciation for the Savage Steamboat match but I think that match gets overrated by too many people. I much prefer Hogan v Rock & pretty much all of the Undertaker HBK/Triple H matches over Savage Steamboat as far as just WrestleMania matches & honestly still think Andre Hogan was still the best match on the WMIII card
You can't overrate the greatest match of all time. Take your Hulkamaniac blinders off youre grown up now. And Shawn vs Taker matches are so overrated.
@@thegoughandbordenfamily8234 Thanks for letting me know you disagree with my opinions. I sure would've thought everyone would agree with what I think. Shocker. Have a nice life
Lol listening to the first 2 minutes, in what story does Bret hart not get screwed??? He was supposed to fight Ricky the steamboat? Fuck I would have been crying about that too
There is no story where he gets screwed except for Goldberg kicking him in the head.
Fun fact: Bret and the Fridge were both inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006.
Very gracious of Bret
He always respected Andre but Hogan not so much which is hardly a surprise with Hogan's track record.
Back in the early days Bret respected Hogan. It's only in the latter days that Hogan showed his true colors that Bret began to lose respect to him. It was made more prominent when Hogan refused to work with Bret in a potential championship match.
To paraphrase Al Snow: 93K fans paid to see Andre & Hogan, therefore the had the best match. Couldn't agree more, one of the biggest matches in history, the hell with the Star rating
Good rating. I'd give it about 4 overall because the story telling was so great. 1 for the match and 5 for the story, so 4 overall. I'll have to check for that Bret eye injury next time I watch Wrestlemania 3.
*10:37* Dave Meltzer rated Savage vs Steamboat 4.5 stars not five
Meanwhile Kenny Omega vs blowup doll gets 6 stars.
Metzler wrongly underrated that match because he had an issue with the finish. Was the finish as epic as the rest of the match itself ? No, BUT overall, it's still easily 1 of the best matches ever in professional wrestling
always wondered what ticket prices were for wm2. i mean how much were they charging fans to watch 4 matches live and then watch the rest on small TV monitors placed at ringside?
at least the hart foundation got to finish the battle royal with andre. i mean the battle royal is not the place you want to be on a ppv cause you don't get a lot of space to show off. but if you're gonna have to do one, finishing with the 8th wonder of the world makes it easier to stomach
what makes a match can vary. it can be story, it can be a finish, it can be about the work rate. Andre v Hogan was probably one of the best moments of story telling in history. it was amplified by the setting because it all seemed bigger than life
Do they interview these guys like every few months or something, or do they just cut up a long interview and post the clips over like 5 years lol
Was prepared for a bad rating, because... Hogan. But this rating was shocking for real coming from Bret "Hogan and Golberg are worst wrestlers ever" Hart.
If you want a good wrestling match you dont want Andre Hogan, but Andre and Hogan was straight theatre and sometimes thats better than the in ring stuff. Austin wasnt putting on 5 star matches. But you couldnt find a better story.
David vs Goliath wasn't a trampoline match with glass and barbed wire
I don't remember the steamboat/savage match at all..i watched it a few months back on RUclips and I didn't get the hype over it
Andre wasn’t 7ft 4in or 7ft 3in tall, there’s a famous picture of Andre with a basketball star of the time Wilt Chamberlain (don’t ask me when as I’m English and know little about basketball but still loads more than the NFL). Now Wilt Chamberlain was 7ft 4in legit 7ft 4in and Andre stood next to him is several inches shorter and this photo was taken sometime in the 70’s while Andre was still relatively healthy. Also Andre was measured during his autopsy and his height was measured at 6ft 10in, so Andre was shorter than the Big Show, the Great Khali and was a lot shorter than Giant Gonzales who was either 7ft 7.5in or 7ft 9.5in (.5=half) and was the same height as Kevin Nash. Only difference between Nash and Andre was that Andre’s hands, head and internal organs were larger than Nash also he was around 170lbs heavier than Nash (Andre always looked like he had more teeth than a normal person when you see his teeth when he smiled).
I thought George "The Animal" Steele being involved in Savage v Steamboat makes it bad presentation. Execution of what they did was good.
I appreciate Bret being able to say for what they were trying to accomplish and for the time, Hogan v Andre was 5/5.
Hogan vs andre was a 5 star match for hype- more of a confrontation than a wrestling match. They definitely did their jobs though. The excitement for it was heavy all through it.
Steamboat vs Savage at Wrestlemania 3 is one of the best matches ever. Comparing these two matches is like comparing apples and oranges. Hulk vs Andre is a more iconic match but Savage vs Steamboat was a much better match.
Steamboat vs Bret Hart would have stole the show at Wrestlemania 2.
Most people here think Hogan VS Bundy would have stolen the show because apparently an all American roider slamming a non athletic fat guy is what everyone went to see.
Let’s be honest the Hogan Andre match couldn’t have gone any other way than how it did.
Wrestling match should be rated with three categories
1- wrestlers performance
2- crowd reaction and atmosphere
3- build up and story telling
For me i give it 4.5 star as of below result
1- wrestlers performance : 2
2- crowd reaction and atmosphere : 5
3- build up and story telling : 5
So it is gonna be 12 outta 15
Still a historical match
I think Hogan vs. Andre was slow and at times dragged a little but at the same time the best match you could script between these two at that time. It complemented both wrestler's strengths and kept the crowd going.
andre the giant vs the bigshow would be a dream match RIP BOSS