What If Hulk Hogan Had Never Existed?

#1 No Silverdome

Without Hulk Hogan vs. Andre, could WWE have ever filled the Silverdome?

There’s a very real argument that WWE’s pre-Attitude Era peak came in 1987 with WrestleMania 3.

The show had Aretha Franklin singing to kick things off, an all-time classic match between Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat, and the iconic showdown between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant in the main event.

Without Hogan vs. Andre, WrestleMania 3 still may have been great. However, it’s less likely it could have drawn a suitable audience to fill the 90,000-plus seats available at the Pontiac Silverdome. Furthermore, without a star the caliber of Hogan, it’s entirely possible Andre would have retired from the ring before making the heel turn that facilitated such a big show.

WWE may well have been OK without having put on a show with the live scale of the Silverdome, but without that particular moment of wrestling lore, the company’s lore would have been affected—one of its signature nights gone forever.