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00:00WWE is known for its action, its excitement, and
00:04the sheer athleticism of the WWE superstars.
00:08But what's most compelling about tuning in each and
00:13every week is that you never know what can happen.
00:18Today we look back at some of the most shocking WWE moments of the 1980s.
00:26This is WWE's Greatest Moments.
00:32Welcome everyone to WWE's Greatest Moments.
00:54I'm Michael Cole.
00:55And in this edition, we're looking back at some of the most shocking moments of the
00:59decade that defined what sports entertainment is, the 1980s.
01:04Our first moment takes us back to one of the greatest sagas ever told.
01:08In late 1987, the immortal Hulk Hogan and macho man Randy Savage formed a bond that seemed
01:15inseparable.
01:16The mega powers, we feel the same pain and the glory.
01:20The two would dominate the squared circle for the better part of a year as the mega powers.
01:24But along the way, Savage grew suspicious of his partner's motives with their manager,
01:30Miss Elizabeth.
01:33One of the great main events tonight, the mega powers against the twin towers.
01:39He cross-bodied her through the ropes and she caught him, her head hit the floor.
01:49And I was worried about her, carrying her back.
01:52Hulk Hogan with Elizabeth.
01:55Randy's like, what are you doing?
01:56We've got work here.
01:58And look what this has done to the macho man.
02:03It's left the macho man in the ring all by himself.
02:07And so the match continues.
02:09Hogan returns to the ring.
02:11He definitely made some serious contact.
02:15What was that for?
02:17I don't know, but Savage struck Hogan.
02:20And then that scene in the medical room was insane.
02:24Randy.
02:25Those eyes right there.
02:27Those eyes.
02:28Lost Elizabeth.
02:29You understand that?
02:30You got my face.
02:31You got lost for Elizabeth right there.
02:38Cameras followed him all the way in.
02:39I hadn't really seen that before.
02:41If you want to talk about me being shocked as a kid, watching WWE, that was the moment.
02:46Randy!
02:47Get out of my way.
02:51The early 1980s saw the rise of pop culture by both MTV and WWE.
02:57And at the forefront was pop icon, Cindy Lauper.
03:00The antagonist of it all was none other than Rowdy Roddy Piper.
03:04You're gonna get yourself hurt.
03:05You're gonna get yourself hurt, I'm telling you.
03:08The Hot Rod detested this entire movement and wanted no part of Lauper or her good friend,
03:13legendary WWE manager, Captain Lou Albano.
03:17Our next moment takes us to December 1984 at Madison Square Garden, where Lauper invited
03:22the captain to take part in an awards ceremony.
03:28Brothers and sisters, I don't know what to say.
03:31I'm so grateful to receive this award.
03:34Cindy Lauper presents Captain Lou Albano with a gold record for helping to bring rock and
03:40roll and professional wrestling together.
03:43Something special.
03:45It's really beautiful, Cindy.
03:47Maybe they have some kind of presentation to make.
03:50And it was me that started it.
03:52I want to present you with this.
03:54Oh, let go!
03:57And he smashes the gold record over Captain Lou Albano's head.
04:01Look at Rowdy Piper.
04:02David Wong trying to come to the rescue.
04:04I was like, whoa, what are you kidding me?
04:06And then he just picked me up.
04:07Oh, he foul drives it right down into the canvas.
04:11People ask me what's the biggest moment in my career.
04:15I might be it.
04:17What a despicable, disgraceful display.
04:24The eighth wonder of the world, Andre the Giant, was unlike anyone audiences had ever seen.
04:29For decades, Andre went undefeated in the squared circle and commanded respect from all who opposed him.
04:35I'm not afraid of you.
04:38And really, you can ask some other guys the way I put them down.
04:42It seemed like the Giant had nothing to fear, or so he thought.
04:50What two tremendous athletes we have here in this matchup.
04:54Oh, look at that!
04:56DVT.
04:56Okay, he's the 18.
04:59Rude has to be out like a lion.
05:01Heaton was waiting for Andre the Giant to come down in ringside.
05:05Bobby Heaton's going to be in trouble here.
05:08Andre coming in.
05:10The man's officially over, and Andre's going to have a win.
05:12That's not fair.
05:13Andre is 500 pounds.
05:15He's seven feet and four inches tall.
05:18People just don't get how big that man was.
05:21Bigger than life.
05:22Wait a minute.
05:23Jake back up on his feet.
05:24He's coming back to the ring.
05:26And look what he had.
05:27Oh, this ought to be.
05:28He didn't step to the outside.
05:31Look at this.
05:32What's going on here?
05:33Andre is not moving in.
05:35So, Andre was terrified of snakes.
05:38The only thing I think that brought any fear to that man.
05:40I think he's afraid.
05:41Yes, he's terrified.
05:43To watch the job that he did when he was afraid of the snake.
05:46Incredible.
05:48Incredible job.
05:49He believed it.
05:50Moving.
05:51Oh, no.
05:52Oh, no.
05:52Cavana on the giant.
05:54Look at this.
05:56Damien the snake.
05:57Touching.
05:58It's choking Andre the giant.
06:00Andre going down.
06:02Hey, man.
06:03Look, I'm a big guy.
06:04You throw a snake at me.
06:06I'm going to have a similar situation.
06:10Nobody had seen him that vulnerable.
06:12I had no idea that the giant was afraid of anything.
06:15But we certainly know what his Achilles heel is now.
06:21Hulkamania was running wild like never before in 1986.
06:25Though when he tried, nothing could derail the momentum of the WWE Champion Hulk Hogan.
06:30Well, you don't mean, Gene.
06:32When you're the champion, you have to expect anything and everything, brother.
06:36But as Hogan took on Don Morocco on an episode of Saturday night's main event, a literal walking condominium came crashing down on the Hulkster in a moment that left fans absolutely speechless.
06:49What's happening here?
06:53Well, what's happening here?
06:54It's a Hulkster.
06:55It's Bobby the Man.
06:56Open the air.
06:58A foot behind there's Bundy.
06:59Where did he come from?
07:00Wham!
07:01King Kong Bundy jumped into the ring to save his manager, Bobby Heenan.
07:06But he also saw the opportunity to inflict some damage on an American hero, Hulk Hogan.
07:14I got squashed by King Kong Bundy and broke a couple ribs.
07:17Right at the Hulkster for another avalanche.
07:21That made me vulnerable.
07:23Jesse, I've never seen a Hulkster in this state before.
07:25He looks unconscious.
07:27Smashing Hogan, it wasn't about the win and the lose.
07:30It was about, I want you to suffer.
07:31Oh, oh no.
07:35Oh my gosh, the Hulkster's hurt.
07:37He's really hurt.
07:38Oh no.
07:39He's not even moving, Justin.
07:45The night that happened, I remember they had to get the ambulance of Paramex to come and get Hogan.
07:48It's Hulk Hogan.
07:49He's entering the ambulance.
07:51What hospital, what hospital are we going to?
07:54Well, Hulk has sustained injuries to his low back, to his ribs, and to his neck.
07:59I thank you very much, Doctor.
08:00I remember the people were really tore up about that, too.
08:02That was the talk of the whole country for a while.
08:09When you talk about the most legendary WWE champions of all time, you have to mention
08:14Bob Backlund.
08:15The former NCAA champion represented the All-American athlete.
08:18Every time I defend it, a little piece of it belongs to you people out there.
08:22By 1983, Bob Backlund was in his unbelievable sixth year as WWE champion.
08:28And his manager, the legendary Arnold Skullin by his side, Backlund was certainly not one to
08:34back down to any challenge.
08:35Enter the Iron Sheik.
08:37The Sheik was every bit as skilled as Backlund.
08:40The Sheik held a tremendous disdain for America and all it stood for.
08:43USA!
08:49This is the main event of the evening.
08:52It is scheduled for the World Heavyweight Championship.
08:55I was in the audience December 1983.
08:59And Bob at that point had been champion for over five years.
09:02Backlund will not back up from anyone.
09:04This match is underway.
09:07Using everything and anything with the kitchen sink here on champ Bob Backlund.
09:12Everything Backlund is doing is hurting him.
09:14Backlund is not really himself.
09:16He's favoring and left on.
09:18Backlund wants to see the bell change.
09:21Time was ready to beat Bob Backlund and get the bell.
09:25He hooked Backlund back.
09:26He's right in the center of the ring.
09:28Backlund's got a bad neck.
09:29Pull on it.
09:30Pull on it.
09:30Pull on it.
09:31Pull on it.
09:32Backlund did not submit.
09:33Arnold Skullin threw something into the ring.
09:36We have a new champion.
09:37Back then, a manager could end a match simply by throwing in a towel.
09:41I can't believe it.
09:43Any time a title reigns ends, and especially when it's that long, it's pretty shocking.
09:47Remember, I'm not American.
09:49I'm from Tehran, Iran.
09:51I was so angry when the Iron Sheik beat Bob Backlund.
09:56The new heavyweight champion, the Iron Sheik.
10:07We've seen many dastardly acts so far, but perhaps none of them was as vicious as our next moment.
10:13Macho Man Randy Savage was riding high as Intercontinental Champion for the better part of 1986.
10:18Savage took on all challengers and racked up wins however he could.
10:27One opponent who vowed to take down the madness was Ricky Steamboat.
10:30These two squared off in November of that year, but the question remained.
10:34What tactics would the Macho Man do to retain his coveted title?
10:41I'm prepped up for this match.
10:43I am too.
10:44Rick Steamboat challenged Randy for the title, and it led to a very disturbing incident.
10:52Randy came off the top rope.
11:08He has this crazy look about him.
11:10Steve Boat can't breathe.
11:15That was not the level of real-world violence that anyone was expecting.
11:20People are wondering if my career was over.
11:22Steve Boat still clutching his throat.
11:27Look up the word unpredictable in the dictionary,
11:30and you'll probably find a picture of one rowdy Roddy Piper.
11:33The hot ride made a Hall of Fame career out of doing whatever he wanted,
11:37and saying whatever he wanted as well.
11:39I say that you stink, you stink, and the whole damn wedding stinks!
11:47Which is why his weekly talk show, aptly named Piper's Pit,
11:50was the perfect forum for the rowdy one to take charge of the mic.
11:54One superstar who learned this lesson was superfly Jimmy Snuka,
11:58who was a guest on The Pit, and had no idea what was about to hit him.
12:02One of the most infamous interview segments in WWE history,
12:12was when Rowdy Roddy Piper had Jimmy Superfly Snuka come onto Piper's Pit,
12:17under the guise of an interview, but of course, it all goes awry.
12:21Everybody wants to be like Roddy Piper.
12:23You want a chance? You want a chance to say something about him?
12:26Well, the key is, Roddy was always in the moment, and he loved to be despised.
12:32You want to really think, oh, you're killing him, cut yourself a pineapple,
12:35watch a meal at home, you want bananas, and yourself a banana.
12:39There you go.
12:42With Rowdy Roddy Piper, you never knew what he was going to do.
12:45This time, Rowdy Roddy Piper created a moment that only Rowdy Roddy Piper can create.
12:51You want a banana? Have a banana. What do you want, man?
12:56Am I making fun of you? Whoa. No, sir. No, sir. No, sir.
13:04To smash a coconut over anyone's head is insane.
13:07Here, you sucker. Here, have a banana. Have a banana, man.
13:13It just looks so crazy, so vicious, and it just, it stays in people's heads.
13:18That's like one of the first shocking moments you can think about in WWE history.
13:30During the 1980s, Hulk Hogan was loved and respected not only by the fans, but his peers as well.
13:36And one of his biggest allies was Andre the Giant.
13:38Ow! Ow!
13:41I'm very proud of you, and you are a good wizard for now.
13:44The Eighth Wonder of the World was by Hulk's side time and time again.
13:48But by 1987, the Giant felt he had earned the right to challenge for the WWE Championship.
13:54It just took a little guidance from the weasel.
13:57The unlikable Bobby Heenan.
13:58The Eighth Wonder of the World. Seven foot four. 500 pounds. Andre. Whoa. The Giant.
14:10The fact he walked out with Heenan, that was like, well, what's going, what's going on here?
14:15Wait, what's going on here? Hold on, man. What are you doing with him?
14:19Heenan hated Hulk. And just the fact that Andre aligned himself with Bobby the Brain.
14:25Heenan, people are going to hate Andre. He's sick and tired of you and what you stand for.
14:32Andre was beloved by everyone around the world. Most people don't understand
14:37before there was Hogan and all that. Andre was the face of wrestling.
14:42You're the reason I got into professional wrestling. You were like a god to me, a role model.
14:47You can't be here with him, man. Even though you came out here with him,
14:51you don't have to leave with him. It's not happening. Take your answer back to shoulders.
14:58We're in the pit. I can see what's going on. You can feel it once you get in there.
15:03You can't believe it? Maybe you'll believe this, Hogan.
15:08You never thought that Andre would stoop to the levels that he did.
15:13You know, here I am, an adult, and I still feel like my hero failed me.
15:22As he grabbed my shirt and ripped my shirt, I guess his fingernail popped my skin and made my chest bleed.
15:28My cross, the shirt. What's wrong with him, man? You can't leave like this.
15:33The giant just attacked our Wheaties boy. What's going on?
15:39You're bleeding. He's what's coming.
15:44In 1987, the Honky Tonk Man shocked the wrestling world when he defeated Ricky Steamboat for the
15:49Intercontinental Championship. The boastful menace from Memphis went on a tear, successfully
15:55defending his title for the next 453 days. When the Elvis wannabe got to SummerSlam 1988,
16:02he was left without an opponent. But in all the confidence in the world, they wish you an open
16:06challenge. Who would answer the call?
16:12Get me somebody out here to wrestle. I don't care who it is.
16:15We're all waiting here with anticipation.
16:27All of a sudden, here comes the Warrior. I went, you got to be kidding me. It was crazy.
16:32Ultimate Warrior exploding here on the Hockey Tonk Man.
16:36Oh, we can get a new champion right now, Gorilla Monsoon.
16:46History has been made here.
16:48Warrior comes out and beats him in like three seconds.
16:52So his entire reign just went.
16:54It had to be record time, Gorilla Monsoon. It had to be record time, brother.
17:00You watched him get in there, destroy this guy immediately in the way that this kind of superhero
17:06character would.
17:07And he does it for all of us that were in the audience and that were at home, losing our
17:14mind. We got a new champion, my man.
17:20And now we have reached our number one shocking moment of the 1980s. And it's a moment that still
17:25leaves me in awe. We've already discussed the impact that Hulk Hogan had on the decade.
17:29Winning the WWE Championship in 1984, the Hulkster knocked down opponent after opponent,
17:36including former friend Andre the Giant, who is famously body slammed in front of 93,000 strong
17:43at WrestleMania III.
17:50Andre got himself back into the number one contender slot and a rematch was set
17:54for the biggest event in primetime history, live across the nation at the first ever
18:00main event television special. An event that saw a record-breaking 33 million viewers.
18:07Hulk Hogan defended the WWE Championship against Andre the Giant.
18:12The WWE Championship against Andre the Giant one more time.
18:17Welcome to the run to the main event.
18:19Welcome to the largest television audience in world wrestling federation history.
18:2333 million people tune in. Even today, if a network gets 10 million people to watch a show,
18:30they're ecstatic. Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant, they were this phenomenon.
18:35The referee counts to three. Even though Hulk Hogan's shoulder is up,
18:40Hogan has lost the title. How has this happened? And why did the referee do this?
18:47He can't believe it. He's saying it was only two. He can't be getting the title to Andre. He can't be.
18:53He's gonna present it. He presents it to Andre. Raises his hand. We have a new world champion.
18:58A second referee comes out.
18:59What is going on in the ring? Wait a minute.
19:03Is that Dave Hebner? Is that Dave Hebner? Or is that Dave Hebner?
19:08A second referee comes out.
19:10What is going on in the ring? Wait a minute. Is that Dave Hebner?
19:16Or is that Dave Hebner?
19:18Oh my God. Twin referees. The Hebner brothers.
19:37Twin referees. I mean, I thought I was seeing double. And I'm sure Hulk Hogan was too.
19:42The Hulk is trying to find out who the real Dave Hebner is.
19:48What is going on here? I think it's the one on the left.
19:50It's great for me to look at one referee and the other. And then I let him go. Oh my God.
19:55Who's the right referee? Turned around. I saw the bad referee kick the other one. I went,
19:59you, you know, you are the bad one. Look out. Oh, there has to be some cicatery going on around here.
20:10The most watched professional wrestling event in history with the most controversial ending of all time.
20:15Sports entertainment as a whole has looked audiences in suspense for decades.
20:19It's part of the fabric of what we do. While nothing can prepare you for the unpredictable,
20:24there are moments that stick with you for a lifetime. That'll do it for this edition of WWE's
20:30Greatest Moments. I hope you've enjoyed this look back at some of the shocking moments of a decade
20:35not long forgotten. The 1980s.
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