March 29, 1987. The air in the Pontiac Silverdome was thick, almost heavy. You’ve probably seen the grainy footage a thousand times. Hulk Hogan, yellow trunks glowing under the arena lights, stands across from a man who looked less like a human and more like a mountain with a perm. Then it happens. Hogan scoops up 520 pounds of French timber and drives it into the mat.
The "slam heard 'round the world."
It’s the most iconic image in the history of professional wrestling. But honestly? Most of what we "know" about hulk hogan picking up andre the giant is a mix of brilliant marketing, hazy memories, and a few flat-out tall tales told by the Hulkster himself. If you want to understand why this single moment still defines an entire industry forty years later, you have to look past the 93,000 screaming fans and see the real, much more painful story happening behind the curtain.
The 700-Pound Myth and the Reality of the Scale
Let’s start with the weight. If you listen to Hogan’s interviews today, Andre was a 700-pound behemoth who grew six inches every time they retell the story. In reality? Andre was massive, don’t get me wrong. But at WrestleMania 3, he was likely weighing in somewhere between 520 and 540 pounds.
That’s still an absurd amount of weight for one man to lift.
To put it in perspective, imagine trying to lift a grand piano—except the piano is sweating, moving, and actively trying to crush your ribcage. When hulk hogan picking up andre the giant finally happened in the center of that ring, it wasn't just a feat of strength. It was a physical miracle of leverage and timing.
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People often forget that Hogan actually tried to slam Andre in the first minute of the match. He failed. Andre fell on top of him, and for a split second, the crowd thought the dream was over. Hogan has claimed in several interviews, including his sit-downs with A&E, that he felt his back "explode" during that first failed attempt. He wasn't lying about the pain. He ended up tearing both his biceps and straining his back muscles just to get the job done later in the match.
Was This Actually the First Time?
Here’s where the "knowledgeable fan" truth comes out. WWE (then the WWF) spent months telling us that Andre had never been slammed and was undefeated for 15 years.
Both were total lies.
Basically, it was great TV, but it wasn't history. Hogan had actually slammed Andre several times before. They had a famous match at Shea Stadium in 1980 where Hogan pulled off the feat. Other wrestlers like Harley Race, Stan Hansen, and Kamala had also managed to get the Giant off his feet in various territories around the world.
But WrestleMania 3 was different.
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The reason hulk hogan picking up andre the giant mattered so much in 1987 wasn't because it was a "first." It was because of the stakes. Andre was the unbeatable force of the old-school wrestling world, and Hogan was the face of the new, global "Rock 'n' Wrestling" era. This was a passing of the torch.
Andre’s Secret Agony
What the cameras didn't show was how much Andre the Giant was suffering. By 1987, his acromegaly (gigantism) was ravaging his body. His back was in such bad shape that he had recently undergone surgery and had to wear a massive back brace under his black singlet.
He could barely walk.
If you watch the match back today, you’ll notice Andre spends a lot of time leaning against the ropes or holding Hogan in bearhugs. He wasn't being "lazy." He was literally trying to keep himself upright.
There’s a famous story that Hogan didn’t even know if Andre would let him win. In the world of wrestling, the "Giant" decided who stayed down. Hogan reportedly didn't know the finish until the day of the show. When he finally went for that last slam, and Andre stepped into him—effectively helping Hogan get the leverage needed—it was Andre’s way of saying, "The business is yours now."
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Why the Numbers Still Cause Arguments
The WWE claims 93,173 people were in the Silverdome that night. Most historians and attendance experts, like Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, put the number closer to 78,000.
Does it really matter? Not really.
Whether it was 78k or 93k, the "roar" when Hogan hit that slam was something never heard before. Hogan described it as a freight train coming through the room. It was the peak of the 80s wrestling boom. It proved that wrestling could be more than just a smoke-filled arena sport; it could be a stadium-filling cultural phenomenon.
Key Takeaways from the "Slam Heard 'Round the World"
- Physical Cost: Hogan reportedly tore both biceps and suffered lasting back issues from the lift.
- The Finish: The decision to have Hogan win was kept secret from almost everyone until the very last minute to prevent leaks.
- The Legacy: While not the first time Andre was slammed, it remains the most culturally significant moment in wrestling history.
What You Should Do Now
If you’re a fan of the era, don't just settle for the highlight reel. Go back and watch the full match on the WWE Network or Peacock. Watch how Hogan "sells" for Andre for ten minutes, making the Giant look like an immovable object. It makes the eventual slam feel ten times more earned.
Also, check out the 2018 HBO documentary André the Giant. It gives a heartbreaking look at the physical state Andre was in during that WrestleMania 3 match. Understanding the pain he was in makes you respect the man—and the "slam"—on a whole different level.
The moment hulk hogan picking up andre the giant happened, the industry changed. It moved away from the "sport" of wrestling and fully embraced "Sports Entertainment." We’re still living in the world that slam built.