On this day, February 5, 1988, one of the most controversial moments in professional wrestling history took place on Saturday Night’s Main Event when Andre the Giant defeated Hulk Hogan to win the WWF Heavyweight Championship.
The match was filled with controversy, as "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase bribed referee Dave Hebner to call a false pinfall against Hogan. To add to the chaos, a second referee (later revealed to be Dave’s twin brother, Earl Hebner) appeared, exposing the scheme. With the confusion in the ring, Andre was declared the new champion, and immediately after winning, he handed the belt over to DiBiase, making it the first time a WWF title was “sold.”
This moment led to the vacant title and set up the legendary WWF Championship tournament at WrestleMania IV, where Randy Savage would eventually claim the championship.
Fun fact: The February 5, 1988, broadcast of Saturday Night’s Main Event set a WWF record at the time with over 33 million viewers, making it one of the most-watched wrestling matches in history.
Trivia question: Who did Randy Savage defeat in the finals of WrestleMania IV to win the vacant WWF Heavyweight Championship?
The match was filled with controversy, as "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase bribed referee Dave Hebner to call a false pinfall against Hogan. To add to the chaos, a second referee (later revealed to be Dave’s twin brother, Earl Hebner) appeared, exposing the scheme. With the confusion in the ring, Andre was declared the new champion, and immediately after winning, he handed the belt over to DiBiase, making it the first time a WWF title was “sold.”
This moment led to the vacant title and set up the legendary WWF Championship tournament at WrestleMania IV, where Randy Savage would eventually claim the championship.
Fun fact: The February 5, 1988, broadcast of Saturday Night’s Main Event set a WWF record at the time with over 33 million viewers, making it one of the most-watched wrestling matches in history.
Trivia question: Who did Randy Savage defeat in the finals of WrestleMania IV to win the vacant WWF Heavyweight Championship?
