Ex-WWE Ref Earl Hebner Looks Back On Hulk Hogan Slamming Andre At WrestleMania 3

Following the recent death of WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan, fans and figures of the professional wrestling business have begun looking back on a number of his memorable career moments. On "Off The Ropes" hosted by Jonathan Coachman, former WWE referee Earl Hebner specifically recalled Hogan's "slam heard 'round the world" from WrestleMania 3.

On this occasion, Hogan defended his WWE World Heavyweight Championship against the seven-foot-four Andre The Giant in the main event. Along the way to retaining his title, Hogan famously body-slammed the man dubbed "The Eighth Wonder of the World" before finishing him off with a leg drop. According to Hebner, that moment was "unreal because nobody thought that Hogan could beat Andre."

Heading into the title match, Hogan previously revealed his uncertainty as to whether Andre would actually allow him to perform the slam. Eventually, Andre signaled for Hogan to do as such toward the end of their match, leading to a moment remembered even to this day.

When asked if Hogan was genuinely uncertain before their title clash, Hebner indicated he was, while adding that: "Andre was a great guy, and he worked the program, most of the programs with everybody that he worked with, so it was kind of done that way for entertainment."

Regarding Hogan, Hebner says that he was monumentally popular at the time, so much so that fans saw him as almost a god-like figure. "Once the music hit [for Hogan], the fans went crazy," Hebner said. "He was over like no tomorrow. He could entertain him. He could wrestle, and he just brought light to the earth. I mean, he was like God almost, not quite as God, but he was the next thing to it. He was like the Pope of Rome. When they saw him, they went crazy."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Off The Ropes" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.