“A Lot of It Had to Do With…”: Hulk Hogan Reveals Why He Wasn’t Andre the Giant’s Favorite Person During the Initial Part of Their Iconic Rivalry

The wrestling world is full of iconic rivalries. Some of them are so intriguing that it lives in the fond memories of the fans forever. One of those immortal feuds took place between legendary performers, Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. The late 70s and almost all of the 80s are full of encounters between the two. The Hulkster has recently revealed that the giant wasn’t exactly his fan in the initial days of the rivalry.

Hogan is one of the most successful wrestlers to ever come out of sports entertainment. But there was a time when he was just beginning his illustrious career. ‘The Giant Machine’ was an established star back then. The amazing bond between the two is well documented. However, Hogan has opened up about the Giant disliking him while their feud was still in the early days.

Hulk Hogan reminisces about the early part of his iconic feud with Andre the Giant

The six-time WWE champion talked about the incident in the recently released episode of WWE Rivals. He said, “Shea Stadium was the biggest of the big. Over the time when I was at the Shea Stadium, I really wasn’t Andre’s favorite person. {Laughs}, I think a lot of it had to do with me being young. And I don’t think I was arrogant I was almost kind of like a smaller dog nipping at his heels, driving him crazy”. 

Read More: “Andre Wanted Me to Sit Next to Him” – Hulk Hogan Recalls His Backstage Conversation With Andre the Giant Before Their Iconic WrestleMania III Bout

The two clashed multiple times during Hogan’s first run with the WWE. He left the Stamford-based promotion in 1981 for a considerable period. During his time away, the legend also pursued a career in Hollywood. He appeared in the 1982 movie Rocky III as Thunderclips. Hogan joined the rival promotion American Wrestling Association where The Giant also competed occasionally. 

A friendship that made the feud more intriguing

The two finally got back to WWE, and this was the time around which a friendship started blooming between the two. They had an iconic clash at WrestleMania III. The historic match is still remembered for the herculean body slam by Hogan onto the Giant. He later revealed the backstage chatter leading up to this unforgettable moment.

The Hulskter admittedly owes a huge debt to the ‘8th Wonder Of The World’ for the heights his career achieved. He has had many other significant rivalries in his career, notably with The Iron Sheikh. But Hogan stepping into the ring against Giant was truly something special.

Thus, it may come as a surprise for many to learn that Andre the Giant did not quite like Hulk Hogan initially. Especially after the fact that they put on an absolute clinic every time they competed against each other. Such was the high levels of professionalism displayed by both wrestlers.

What is your favorite moment from the Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant rivalry?

Let us know in the comments.

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