The other night I was babysitting my nephews. My oldest nephew Dylan is starting to love wrestling. He really enjoys watching older stuff. So we watched the Hulk Hogan:Real American Tape AVI on the portable DVDOLA.
The tape generally kicked some ass and put me in the mood to talk about Hulk Hogan. I'll start with matches on Real American and go from there.
Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant 07.31... by swantom-bomb
This match is from the Wrestlefest 88 card in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is the first and only cage match between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant.
Me and my contributor Matt D often talk about what an amazing wrestler Andre was at the end of his career. Andre could not do much here, but he was so smart everything had maximum impact. Elbow drops and headbutts seemed like huge bombs.
I think this match really illustrates why Andre was great and Hulk too. Hogan runs into the cage and tears into the Giant, which as always proves to be a bad idea. Andre chokes Hogan out with his own shirt and beats the tar out of him.
Not being for a title, there is not the problem typical of escape rules cage matches. Neither man is anxious to leave as they want to hurt each other. They do a really good job of using the cage. He gets above Andre and steps on his throat, holding on to the cage. Being pulled down, he starts hitting Andre with elbows and punches.
They keep using the shirt as a weapon to choke one another. They do a lot to give the illusion of movement.
One cool moment is when Andre ties Hogan's throat to the cage with the shirt. He lays into Hogan with stiff chops and punches. Andre isn't escaping since it is not for a title. He just wants him to suffer. By the time he has decided Hogan has had enough, Hogan frees himself and bolts across the ring to stop Andre from winning.
One great thing about Andre is even on his back, once he lands even a glancing blow he can take control. Hogan was laying into him, and Andre landed a punch and locked on a bear hug from his knees. Hogan fights out and attempts to escape, and Andre moves surprisingly fast to stop him.
Andre drops an elbow on Hogan that seems like a small nuke. I think if he ever attempted a top rope one like Big Show did at Survivor Series, it would shatter the walls of reality.
Now they are wearing down and vengeance has given way to wanting to end things.
Hogan is stopping Andre from getting out thru the door. Andre is trying to rip the turnbuckle pad off. He slams Hogan's head into the exposed turnbuckle. After being bitten and headbutted, Hulk is bleeding and is fading.
Andre goes for the door but Hogan has his leg. One thing I will say in favor of escape rules cage matches. There is something about a beaten and bloodied good guy desperately holding on to a heels foot that looks heroic. It would be so easy to lay there and let the guy leave. Its not like he pinned you or made you submit. He simply walked thru a door. But no the good guy refuses to stay down. He fights and pulls back in the man who hurt him.
Hogan dodges Andre's big boot and nails him with the Ax Bomber clothesline. Andre does not go down, instead doing this awesome wobbly selling. Hogan seeing he has the advantage, starts hitting Andre with chops. Andre bounces off the ropes into more chops and punches. Finally Hulk runs and hits a second Ax Bomber, finally putting the Giant down. Hogan hits the Leg Drop, but before he can escape, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Andre's Manager) comes in. Bobby wrestled on this card against the Ultimate Warrior. So he has his wrestling gear on, complete with sequin jacket.
He attacks Hogan, only to be flattened by a Hogan punch. Andre is now trying to climb (!!) out of the cage. Hogan takes a pair of brass knuckles out of Heenan's pocket and punches Andre in the kidney. Andre falls down and is tangled in the ropes. Hulk gives Heenan more payback and throws him into the cage.
Hogan decides to climb out of the cage, saluting his fallen foes on the way.
No comments:
Post a Comment