Text By Jed Shaffer

What if...Paul Orndorff Landed First?

Part I

Our story begins on Saturday Night's Main Event, in the closing seconds of the main event steel cage WWF Title match between WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff. Bitterness and jealousy over Hogan's success led to Orndorff to stab his friend in the back, and with Bobby Heenan's managerial guidance, Orndorff has maneuvered himself into this showdown for the WWF Title. In the match's final moments, both men climbed the cage and dropped to the arena floor at almost the same time, but referees on the outside disagreed on the winner. The world waits with baited breath as SNME comes back from commercial, with officials viewing videotape to determine the result ...

Saturday Night's Main Event--Dec. 14, 1986:

A capacity crowd, along with the home audience, hold their collective breath as ring announcer Howard Finkel is given instructions from the throng of officials and Federation executives. From their respective corners, WWF Champion Hulk Hogan, the challenger Paul Orndorff and his manager Bobby Heenan watch as Finkel nods, trying to draw clues from his expression. He nods, then finally steps away, drawing a deep breath in preparation.

"Ladies and gentlemen; after reviewing the footage, WWF officials have reviewed the videotape and have determined that ... 'Mr. Wonderful' Paul Orndorff landed first."

The official pronouncement of Orndorff as the new WWF Champion is drowned out by the unanimous disdain exhibited by the audience. Hogan protests and demands to see the footage, which is airing on screens in the arena, as well as for the viewers at home; when he does, his expression collapses into despair. With the time signatures synchronized and brought into super-slow motion, the evidence is indisputable; Orndorff's feet touch the mat with just barely a second's lead over Hogan's. Hulkamania's reign on top of the mountain in the WWF is over, and it is a point that, in a backstage interview, Orndorff and Heenan are none too hesitant to rub in.

"All you humanoids out there," says Heenan, "you little Hulkamorons--even you, Okerlund--better learn to accept it: Hulkamania is dead. Hulkamania is dead, and the world is a better place for it!"

"How can you say that?" replies Okerlund. "Hulk Hogan is a role model! Hulk Hogan is a wonderful human be--"

"That's where you're wrong, little man. This man is a wonderful human being! Hulk Hogan is a self-centered egomaniac. He's a spotlight-hogging fraud, and we exposed him for the joke he is tonight. He couldn't care less about the Hulkamorons; he's only in this for himself. You act like you lost your teddy bear, Okerlund, open your eyes; I just did you and the world a favor. I finally cured the world of the disease called Hulkamania! I flushed it down the toilet, fair and square. I sent that ham-and-egger packing back to the flea markets, and have given this world a real champion. A champion with class, with dignity, a man you can look up to. I have brought you a ..." Heenan grins, complimenting the devilish twinkle in his eye. "Wonderful champion. Take it ... champ."

Orndorff smiles, holding the belt up to the camera and pointing at it. "See this, Hogan? It's mine now. You're done. You're through. I proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am as wonderful as I say I am, and you ..." Orndorff shrugs. "Aren't. I proved tonight that I am everything I say I am, that I am the superior athlete that's been stuck in your shadow ... and I extinguished your spotlight, Hulkster. This was your chance to prove to the world that I was wrong, and you blew it. I walked all over you, and more important, I walked out of that cage the winner. You let your Hulkamaniacs down, and now they, just like you, are gonna have to accept the fact that Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff is the man on top of the mountain now!"

Dec. 1986-Feb. 1987:

While Orndorff's victory etches his name amongst rare men who reached the pinnacle of the business, the photo-finish nature of his victory turns the spotlight into a harsh mistress; crowds taunt him with chants of "you got lucky" and "fluke". A cover article in WWF Magazine entitled "He May Have The Belt ... But Is He Really A Champion?" questions whether his split-second lead in falling off the cage is enough to say he is the superior wrestler over Hogan, and suggests that, were it to come to pinfalls, Orndorff might not fare so fortunate. The article goes on to suggest that the way Orndorff maneuvered his way into a title shot--turning on a friend and baiting him with the opportunity for revenge--points to Orndorff needing to use short-cuts to cover up a lack of ability. Even the commentators of the WWF speculate that perhaps, the WWF is led by a champion who isn't the personification of excellence (or "wonderful", as the case may be), but of luck, and that the issue between Orndorff and Hogan is not really settled.

Orndorff and Heenan fire back on WWF programming, vowing to prove each and every time that Orndorff steps into the ring, that he doesn't need luck or connections but only his superior skills and his lethal piledriver to put opponents on their backs counting the ceiling lights. When, in one notable interview in an early January episode of Wrestling Challenge, Gene Okerlund makes a wisecrack about reaching the bottom step in time as Orndorff leaves the interview dais, Orndorff manhandles Okerlund until Hogan bursts out of the back drives Orndorff back. Hogan issues a challenge for a rematch right then and there, but he is only the latest in a line of challengers. In fact, more then Orndorff's victory over Hogan, his manner of victory opens the door for everyone, from Roddy Piper to The Dynamite Kid and everyone in between, to throw down the gauntlet.

But on an episode of WWF Superstars in late January, Orndorff himself fast-tracks one man to the top of the list. Orndorff and Heenan appear as guests on Rowdy Roddy Piper's interview segment, Piper's Pit. Orndorff and Heenan launch into the now usual tirade, blasting the detractors and telling the ever-growing line of challengers that they aren't fit to lace Orndorff's boots. Piper questions Orndorff's qualifications to be a champion, reminding Orndorff of how he got pinned by Hogan at the first WrestleMania, and caps it off by hopping up on a stepstool, jumping back down to the ground and asking if this meant he was qualified to wear the gold too. Orndorff responds by blasting Piper in the head with the WWF Title. By the following week, the announcement is made that, at Saturday Night's Main Event on February 21st, Orndorff will defend the WWF Title against Piper, and the official announcement of Orndorff's WrestleMania opponent (should he make it past Piper) will be made that night.

Over the next few weeks, Orndorff promises to once again prove to the world his superiority, even as he dodges every challenge made his way. Piper, meanwhile, tunes up in the ring, putting people down with lethal abandon as a message directed at the champ, to whom he promises to finish the job he started a year ago when their partnership ended. And when he sending opponents into dream-land with his tight-as-a-vice sleeper hold, Piper taunts his former partner in crime, telling Orndorff he's never been able to get the job done when it counts, and that on February 21st, it won't be a fluke when Orndorff goes down for the count.

Hogan, meanwhile, spends the months in between his loss and Saturday Night's Main Event also tuning up, and campaigning whenever a mic gets in front of him for a rematch. In the ring, Hogan tears through opponents with a meanstreak never really seen before, putting people down in less than a minute most times. The tear that Hogan goes on actually almost breeds a sort of sympathy for Orndorff among the announcers should Hogan get his hands on the champ.

On a Piper's Pit just week away from Saturday Night's Main Event, Hogan appears as Piper's guest. The tension between the two is palpable, but they both grudgingly give each other a respectable handshake, never taking their eyes off one another. After the introductions, Piper asks Hogan what he thinks of the upcoming match.

"Piper, let's cut to the chase," growls Hogan. "I'm out here for one reason, and one reason only. I was WWF Champ for two years, I carried this company and all the Hulkamaniacs to the promised land. And because that backstabber Paul Orndorff hits you in the head, suddenly, you get in front of me in the line for a shot at him."

Piper backs up a step and holds up a hand. "Hey, Hulk, I don't make the matches, pal. You got a beef, call the guys who wear the suits."

"No, Piper, I got something to talk to you about, brother. See, I know that the champion, he don't make the matches, but, dude, he's got enough jack with the guys who do that he can make magic happen. So what me and the millions of Hulkamaniacs all around the world wanna know from you is this, dude; if you take that ratfink Orndorff, and you squeeze the life right out of him, and you put him down for the one-two-three and win the World Wrestling Federation Championship ... are you gonna do the right thing and give me the first shot?"

The crowd erupts; Piper, however, chuckles nervously and scratches his head. "You know, maybe it's all the fistfights I got into as a boy. Or maybe it's all the times I got knocked in the head, but I could swear ..." Piper chuckles again, only this time, there's a bit of attitude threaded in it. "I could swear I have the great Hulk Hogan, here on Piper's Pit, asking me for help."

Hogan's face sours, his eyes going wide. "Don't be like that, dude. I'm here, as a man, asking you to be a man and do the right thing by giving me a shot at what's mine."

Piper's eyes bore holes through Hogan's, his expression unreadable. Finally, he brings the microphone up to his mouth. "You said we should cut to the chase, Hogan, so let's just do that, huh?" Piper gets right just inches away from Hogan, keeping his eyes locked on Hogan's. "I don't like you. I never have. I never will. And I think you feel the same way about me. So that makes doing you a favor probably the last thing I ever wanna do." For a few tense moments, punctuated by the crowd raising their voices in protest of Piper's words, they glare at one another. Just when it looks like the two will part ways, Piper extends a hand. Hogan looks from the hand to Piper's face, to the crowd, and back to Piper's face; finally, he takes the hand. Piper shakes, then clamps down and pulls Hogan nose-to-nose. "Let's get one thing straight, Hogan. I ain't doing this for your Hulkamaniacs. I ain't doing this for you, and I sure ain't doing this to 'be a man'. You and me, we had a war ... and we never settled the score. If it takes putting that belt on the line to get a piece of you and prove who the better man is, then I can pay that price."

Before Hogan can respond, Paul Orndorff comes storming out of the back, blasting Hogan in the back of the head with the title belt. Before Piper can defend himself, Adrian Adonis is behind him, clubbing Piper in the back. Orndorff joins in, stomping Piper as the crowd rains down upon with their disgust. It takes a team of officials, agents and the towering presence of Andre The Giant to send Orndorff and Adonis scurrying for cover, but the damage is done, and the message is sent.

Saturday Night's Main Event--Feb. 21, 1987, and The Road To WrestleMania 3:

Anticipation is at a fever pitch for the double main event, and for the announcement about who would be getting the spot in the main event of WrestleMania 3, challenging the WWF Champion. A variety of WWF Superstars campaign for it through promos, from Intercontinental Champion Randy Savage, to Jake "The Snake" Roberts, to Andre The Giant, to Honky Tonk Man. Every one of them makes a great push for their cause (and several of them get shots in on "Mr. Accidental" Paul Orndorff), but the crowd wants none of anyone save one man.

As the show opens, Jimmy Hart leads the WWF Tag Champions The Hart Foundation to the ring. Hart boasts about organizing the partnership between himself and Heenan to take out Piper and Hogan at the same time, then goes on to proclaim the Hart Foundation to be the greatest tag champions in the history of the world and lays out an open challenge. All eyes and cameras swing to the curtain to see who will answer the challenge. When the music of Hulk Hogan hits the PA, the crowd explodes; Jimmy Hart almost jumps out of his shoes in a panic as the former WWF Champion steps into the aisle, hands on his hips. Hogan smiles, and turns to look toward the curtain at his emerging partner. Jaws that were left hanging hit the floor as seven feet of Andre The Giant takes his spot aside Hogan; they walk to the ring calmly, confidently, a victory all but assured.

The Foundation try to get in some cheap shots, but the sheer size advantage of Hogan and Andre pounds down the champs. It only takes a couple minutes of Hogan and Andre making the champs into their personal punching bags before Jimmy Hart calls in the troops; Adrian Adonis and the Heenan Family rush the ring, drawing the disqualification for Hogan and Andre. Hogan and Orndorff spill out into the aisle until they are separated by officials, leaving Andre to take on the rest of the massed crew. The ref calls for a disqualification as Andre starts throwing bodies aside like paper airplanes, while Orndorff and Hogan yell at each other in the aisleway, separated by a sea of suits and referees.

With the main event set to begin, WWF legend and announcer Gorilla Monsoon has the competitors come to the ring for their introductions, and to stand witness for the announcement. "It is my honor," Monsoon says, "to announce that, after careful deliberation, President Tunney has decided that the man who has the most valid claim to a World Wrestling Federation Championship match at WrestleMania 3 in Detroit, Michigan is ... Hulk Hogan. Therefore, Hulk Hogan will face the winner of tonight's contest, for the WWF Title, live on pay-per-view at WrestleMania 3!"

Those watching on TV are privy to three responses; from the crowd, jubilation. From Roddy Piper, a simple nod and an unreadable expression. From Heenan and Orndorff, livid panic. Both bark and yell, protesting to Tunney's back as he steps through the ropes, ignoring Orndorff and Heenan as if they weren't even there. So focused is he on his anger that he doesn't even notice the bell being rung, until Piper is on him like a rabid dog on a rabbit. Orndorff has to bail out to get away from the human tornado that is Piper, but Piper gives chase anyway. Even when Orndorff trys to buy some time by a rake in the eyes or stomping on the feet, Piper shrugs it off and goes right back on the offense. As Orndorff is peppered with precision punches, suplexes and slams, the crowd starts to get electric; there is a sense of change blowing, a sense that Orndorff's lightning won't be striking tonight.

But Adrian Adonis extinguishes the hopes of the crowd by running down and clobbering Piper with a steel chair. The ref calls for the DQ ending, souring the mood of the audience. But before Orndorff, Heenan, Adonis and his manager Jimmy Hart can get too much of an upper hand, Hogan runs down for the save. Adonis eats a big boot, while Jimmy Hart gets his lights put out by Piper. Orndorff and Heenan make tracks, yelling back at Hogan and Piper from the safety of being far, far away, while Hogan and Piper stand side by side in the ring. Once Orndorff and Heenan have disappeared behind the curtain, Hogan and Piper realize who they're sharing the ring with; for a long moment, fisticuffs seem assured. But it is Piper who diffuses the tension, turning a fist into an hand open for a shake. Cautiously, Hogan accepts the hand. The crowd celebrates as the two heroes solidify their truce, with Piper adding a small parting message that viewers at home can read on his lips:

Get him for me.

In the weeks that follow, the shape of WrestleMania quickly becomes clear: it is a dogfight for the WWF against the allied forces of the Heenan/Hart camps. In no less than seven matches are Hart- and Heenan-managed wrestlers present; in the undercard, "King" Harley Race is slated to face Junkyard Dog in a "loser must bow" match, Honky Tonk Man will fight Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Billy Jack Haynes trades blows with Hercules, and The Hart Foundation are set to defend the WWF Tag Titles against The British Bulldogs. On the top end of the card, Andre The Giant is pitted against The Heenan Family's resident monster, Andre The Giant; Adrian Adonis puts his hair on the line against Roddy Piper's (which Adonis prepares for by attacking and cutting the hair of Brutus Beefcake), and in the main event, Paul Orndorff puts his WWF Championship up against Hulk Hogan.

To build excitement, a house show features a massive six-man tag, putting Hogan, Piper and Andre on one side, and Orndorff, Bundy and Adonis on the other. Footage of the wild brawl, in which Hogan's team absolutely overwhelms the opposition, is shown on WWF TV ... but the most compelling moment occurs after the match ends, as the ref raises the hands of Piper and Hogan after Hogan pins Adonis, only to find Andre has left the ring. Hogan calls after his friend, confused, but Andre doesn't even look back on his walk to the locker room.

WrestleMania III--Mar 29, 1987:

With the Heenan/Hart alliance 4-0 coming into the three marquee matches, the mood of the audience is one of hope tinged with fear, while Heenan and Hart are positively over the moon. Coming to the ring with King Kong Bundy, Heenan and his charge look less ready for a fight and more ready for a celebration. In the back, before he leaves for the ring, Andre is caught by "Mean" Gene Okerlund, who asks him his thoughts on the upcoming match. Andre's eerie smile is made all the more haunting by his wild, malicious eyes. "Gene Okerlund ... when I wrap my hands around King Kong Bundy's throat and squeeze ... I'm going to enjoy every minute of it! I am the one, true giant in the World Wrestling Federation, and I will crush King Kong Bundy like a bug!"

Andre starts to leave, but Okerlund puts a hand on his massive tree-trunk of an arm. "Andre! Wait! What about the situation between you and Hulk Hogan? What's going on there?"

Andre glares at Okerlund, his breath coming out in loud gusts that sound like a wind tunnel. "I will deal with Hulk Hogan when the time is right. Tonight is not the time." With that, Andre leaves and gets on the cart to shuttle him to the ring. And while not a classic in terms of workrate, the drama as the two behemoths clash is thrilling nonetheless. When Bundy manages to land his Bundy Splash on Andre, the audience holds their collective breaths ... until Andre kicks out with authority, shoving Bundy off like he were a wrestler half the weight. Bundy unloads as best he can, but Andre, now enraged and on a mission, will not be denied. When Andre hoists Bundy up in the air, the Pontiac Silverdome becomes a sea of flashbulbs. When Andre covers Bundy for the three count, the crowd, and Heenan, explode. Andre reboards the cart and heads back to the locker room, leaving Bundy behind to taste the wrath of Heenan's tongue. Microphones pick up Heenan telling Bundy how fat and worthless he is, and that he never should've picked up Bundy's contract. Bundy looks contrite and downright depressed until Heenan reaches out and slaps Bundy across the chest. Heenan's hand is barely back at his side before he realizes the scope of the mistake he has just made; Bundy's eyes go wide with anger, his hands reached out like eagle's claws toward a mouse. Quickly, Heenan scurries out of the ring, falling through the ropes and stumbling down the long aisle as fast as his feet will carry him, as Bundy slowly, patiently, stalks Heenan to the crowd's delight, seething with rage.

Jimmy Hart accompanies "Adorable" Adrian Adonis to the ring for his hair vs. hair match against Roddy Piper, barking in his megaphone the whole time. Piper, by contrast, is not only carried to the ring by the cart, but preceded by a full Scottish bagpipe group. As soon Piper gets to the ring, he pounds on Adonis, throwing lefts and rights in a hailstorm. It takes a lot of cheating, and the assistance of Jimmy Hart (with a distraction while Adonis uses the megaphone as a weapon), for Adonis to get the upper hand. But the rowdy Scot won't stay subdued for long, and Adonis begins to get desperate to polish off his opponent and keep his luxurious blonde mane. Finally, Adonis makes the crucial mistake of going to the top rope, allowing Piper to slam him down to the mat and mount a comeback. After peppering the prissy Adonis with stinging jabs and roundhouses, Piper renders his cherub-like opponent unconscious with a sleeper. From the back comes Brutus Beefcake, who assists with the head-shaving as revenge for his scalping a few weeks earlier. The portly Adonis, now bald, is helped to the back while Piper basks in the glow of his victory, a fitting way to retire.

The ovation in the Silverdome as Hulk Hogan is ushered to the ring is deafening, but instead of playing up to it with grand gestures, Hogan's face is one of steel and determination. Likewise, Paul Orndorff's reception is deafening, but in the opposite direction of Hogan's, and Orndorff refusing to accept the crowd's disapproval only eggs on the massed audience. When the match officially begins, Hogan overpowers Orndorff with his size and strength, but more surprisingly, Hogan busts out sound technical wrestling on par or better then Orndorff's, giving the champ a nasty surprise. Everything Orndorff tries to dish out, Hogan gives right back with interest; in fact, the match looks to be a totally one-sided obliteration of Orndorff, which would suit the crowd just fine. But Heenan distracts the ref, which allows for Orndorff to pull brass knuckles out of his tights and clock Hogan, opening up the challenger's head and dropping him like a rock in a lake, but he only stays down for two. Orndorff takes control, making sure to taunt the crowd by using Hogan's mannerisms as he lays a beating on the challenger. Hogan backdrops out of an attempt at a piledriver, but collapses from the exertion, and that gives Orndorff enough opportunity to try again, sticking Hogan like an exclamation point. But Hogan pops  back up on his feet, eyes alert even amidst the curtain of blood on his face, shaking his head. Orndorff, knowing what's coming, goes sheet white and shakes his head, but he cannot stop the inevitable comeback. Hogan rocks Orndorff back with right hands and then puts him on the mat with the big boot, but as he comes off the ropes, Heenan reaches in and grabs his ankles. Hogan reaches over, pulls Heenan up and over the top rope and into the ring, where he begs for mercy. Hogan doesn't even consider it, hoisting Heenan high up in the air and slamming him down next to Orndorff. The second attempt at the legdrop connects, this time on two victims ... but instead of going for the pin, Hogan delivers a second legdrop, covers and gets the three count to the loudest pop in wrestling history. Bloodied, battered and tired, Hogan stands in the ring triumphant, holding the belt aloft with his former best friend beaten and unconscious at his feet. It is a sweet vindication, proving once and for all that Orndorff's victory was merely a fluke. And by the tears coming down his face, it is obviously the sweetest, most cherished victory.

April 1987:

The following week's Wrestling Challenge has a special segment, a celebration of Hulk Hogan's reclaiming of the WWF Championship. Announcer Vince McMahon is on hand to present the title belt to Hogan, who accepts it with grace and pride as the capacity crowd gives him a standing ovation. But before Hogan can speak, he is interrupted by Andre The Giant, who wrenches the microphone from McMahon's hand and gets chest to chest with Hogan.

"Fifteen years I have been undefeated," says Andre. "Fifteen years, and I have no championships of my own. And when I get the chance to win the Tag Team Championship belts, you leave me high and dry. I should crush you, Hulk Hogan. But I'm gonna give you this one chance. April 28th. Saturday Night's Main Event. Give me the title shot you know I deserve." When Hogan doesn't answer fast enough, Andre reaches out and piefaces the champ; Hogan stares up from the mat for a moment before jumping back up.

"I don't fight my friends," says Hogan, his voice trembling just a little.

Andre fingers the gold chain around Hogan's neck. "Then maybe I need to do what Mr. Wonderful did." With that, Andre yanks and rips the breaks the necklace, then drops the remains at Hogan's feet. Hogan looks down at the chain and cross, then back up to Andre's face, which is adnorned with an expression so blank and matter of fact, he might be carved of stone.

Before Hogan can answer, Paul Orndorff hits the ring and clobbers Hogan from behind. Andre steps back as Orndorff assaults Hogan with clubbing blows and punches, then manages to get Hogan in place for a piledriver. Andre watches it all without changing expression, until Orndorff yells at Andre while he has Hogan in place for the move. Andre puts his hands on Hogan's feet and helps spike the champ into the mat like a javelin ... but the horror is only begun, as Orndorff grabs the title belt, positions it on the mat, and gets Hogan up for another piledriver. With McMahon and numerous officials on the outside, begging Orndorff to stop, Orndorff drops down, spiking Hogan's head into the belt. Orndorff mocks the crowd by doing Hogan's taunts, while Andre keeps the officials from getting in the ring. Then, as Orndorff is mimicking Hogan, Andre grabs him, holds up one lone finger, then points down to the arena floor. Orndorff smiles and nods, and directs Andre to clear the area while he drags the more-or-less unconscious Hogan to the floor. Andre scares away all the officials and pulls up the floor mats, exposing the concrete. Ignoring the protests of the crowd and the officials, Orndorff picks up Hogan and drills him into the concrete with a third piledriver. Bobby Heenan meets Orndorff and Andre in the aisle, shaking hands and celebrating as they leave Hogan broken and unconscious while officials scream for the paramedics.

With the next Saturday Night's Main Event looming close, WWF President Jack Tunney wastes no time in resolving the issue, appearing by way of a taped statement on all WWF programming the following week. With a heavy heart, he reads a prepared statement: "It is my unfortunate responsibility to inform the WWF fans that, due to the heinous and unprovoked assault on WWF Champion Hulk Hogan by 'Mr. Wonderful' Paul Orndorff and Andre The Giant, Hulk Hogan will not be medically cleared to defend the World Wrestling Federation Championship at Saturday Night's Main Event. As this is a violation of rules calling for timely title defenses, we have no choice but to strip Hulk Hogan of the WWF Title. A 20-man battle royale will be held on April 28th, on Saturday Night's Main Event, to determine the new WWF Champion. I have no doubt that the attack on Hulk Hogan was orchestrated and manipulated by Paul Orndorff, Andre The Giant and Bobby Heenan. Regrettably, due to the automatic rematch clause for prior champions, I am obligated to include Mr. Orndorff in the battle royale. However, I am under no such obligations concerning Andre The Giant, and I will not reward his actions with an opportunity to win the vacant WWF Championship." Tunney takes a deep breath, a sullen look casting over his face. "Unfortunately, due to the extent of his injuries, it is unlikely that Hulk Hogan will be able to appear on Saturday Night's Main Event in person to relinquish the title belt. We will, however, have an update on his condition courtesy of a live via satellite interview. It is our sincere hope that Hulk Hogan will be able to make a full and speedy recovery."

Almost immediately, wrestlers trip over each other trying to throw their hat into the ring; some, like Tito Santana and Junkyard Dog, enter for the chance of a lifetime. Some, like Harley Race and One Man Gang, enter, driven by greed and a lust for the spotlight. And for some, like Hillbilly Jim, or King Kong Bundy, vengeance is the prize, be it for a friend or against a former ally. One thing, though, that almost everyone can agree on, is that Paul Orndorff is Public Enemy #1.

Saturday Night's Main Event--April 28th, 1987:

Gene Okerlund appears, live via satellite, bedside in the hospital with Hulk Hogan and his wife, Linda. Hulkamaniacs are left in a state of shock when they see their hero, who has always seemed superhuman, on his back, his head and neck locked in place by a large brace.

"Hulk Hogan," says Gene, "tonight, because of injuries inflicted upon you by Paul Orndorff, you have to forfeit the WWF Championship. What are your thoughts?"

"Well, Gene, I understand why I'm being stripped of the title," says Hogan somberly. "I'm not happy about it, but I understand it. What bothers me is that, for the second time in a few months, a guy who said he was a friend of mine ... a guy who I invited into my home, sat around a dinner table with ... for the second time, this man has found a way to take the WWF Championship away from me on a technicality. He can't beat me in the ring legit, so he has to find some back door, like a coward."

"If you could say something to Paul Orndorff, what would it be?"

"Look at my wife, dude. Look at the suffering, the pain she's going through. You took this way beyond the ring. You took this past the point of no return, past titles and pinfalls. You took this past wrestling. You're a sick excuse for a human being."

"What is your prognosis, Hulk? When can we expect a return?"

Hogan holds Okerlund's gaze for a moment before answering; the haunted look in Hulk's eyes answers the question before Hulk can. "The doctors say my neck is jacked up. They say getting in the ring would be a big risk. One wrong move, one bad fall, one piledriver ... they say I could end up being pushed around in a wheelchair for the rest of my life, if I'm lucky. I tell 'em, 'You don't know the Hulkster', but they say I could be Zeus himself, and the situation would be the same." Hogan pauses and sniffles. A tear looks to be forming at the corner of his eye. "That's awful hard for me to hear. I tackled beasts like King Kong Bundy ... I brawled with Roddy Piper ... I broke the Camel Clutch. I'm supposed to be a superhero and a role model." The tear tumbles down Hogan's cheek. "Now ... I gotta be one for my family.

Okerlund's voice trembles nervously. "So ... what does this mean for Hulk Hogan?"

"It means, Gene, that I'm done. I'm takin' the doctors' advice. I gotta do right by my wife, and if that means hanging up the boots ... then that's what I gotta do. I hope the fans, all my Hulkamaniacs out there, I hope you understand. I hope you keep takin' your vitamins, and sayin' your prayers, and keep trainin' ... but I hope you also know when the fight's too big that you gotta walk away. There ain't no shame in knowing when to quit."

The retirement hits both the audience and the wrestlers like a shockwave. In backstage interviews, friends of Hogan renew vows of revenge against Paul Orndorff, whether he ends the evening WWF Champion or not (an outcome they unanimously promise not to occur). Orndorff, Heenan and Andre, meanwhile, are jubilant; Lord Alfred Hayes catches the trio celebrating with champagne. Upon seeing the group in celebration, Hayes turns to the camera, says, "If my superiors wish to punish me for this insubordination, so be it, but I will not interview such contemptible people," and walks away.

One by one, twenty men approach the ring for the shot of a lifetime. Hillbilly Jim, Randy Savage, Ricky Steamboat, Honky Tonk Man, Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, Tito Santana, King Kong Bundy, Rick Martel, Tom Zenk, One Man Gang, Harley Race, Junkyard Dog, Hercules, Nikolai Volkoff, Jake Roberts, Davey Boy Smith, The Dynamite Kid, Brutus Beefcake and Paul Orndorff. Even with fellow Heenan Family members, and friends in Jimmy Hart's stable, in the ring, Orndorff approaches with severe caution; there are no friends in a battle royal, not with stakes like this. All eyes are on him.

And no sooner does the bell ring then Orndorff dives under the bottom rope and runs for cover. Many try to snag him before he gets out, but with the match, and the WWF Title on the line, chasing Orndorff is second to survival, and attentions refocus on keeping from being eliminated. Once Orndorff sees the opportunity for a safer re-entry, he slides in and helps toss out Hulk Hogan partisan Hillbilly Jim. King Kong Bundy manages to do away with the Can-Am Connection by himself, and Junkyard Dog gets a measure of revenge against Harley Race by dumping him.

Just as they entered, the participants are eliminated one by one, although none without putting up the fight of a lifetime. When the show enters its last commercial break, there are only four men left standing, all exhausted and slumped in opposite corners, eyeing the remaining competition: King Kong Bundy, Randy Savage, Brutus Beefcake, and Paul Orndorff. Anybody watching can see that, while nobody in the ring exactly considers each other friends, the eyes of Bundy, Savage and Beefcake are all trained on Orndorff. The crowd explodes when all three charge Orndorff; they don't care who does him in, just so long as someone does.

The threesome of Bundy, Savage and Beefcake only last so long, as the opportunity to win overrides teamwork, and Orndorff is able to duck out as the three fight amongst each other. Bundy is the first of the final four to fall, when Beefcake and Savage put aside differences for a moment to get rid of the human mountain together. On the arena floor, Heenan makes the mistake of taunting Bundy, who chases the obnoxious manager back to the locker room.

Beefcake is the next to be eliminated, suckered into charging Orndorff, who taunts Beefcake with Hogan mannerisms; when Beefcake runs, Orndorff drops down and pulls down the top rope, sending Beefcake sailing over it and to the floor. Even as he is led away by officials, Beefcake vows the fight isn't over.

With Bundy and Beefcake gone, the final two are Orndorff--the man responsible for ending Hulk Hogan's career--and Randy Savage, the arrogant and sadistic high-flyer who crushed Ricky Steamboat's throat. It seems like a recipe for audience apathy, but the crowd suddenly rallies behind Savage, cheering him on as he peppers Orndorff with jabs, suplexes and slams. When Savage ascends the turnbuckles, the crowd is on their feet, ready to accept Savage as their savior if he can stick the dagger in Orndorff's heart. But Andre lumbers down and distracts Savage. With Savage's attention elsewhere, Orndorff gets to his feet, stumbles to the corner and pushes Savage, who falls to the arena floor. And just like that ... through conniving, cheating and help from the outside, Orndorff once again secures the WWF Championship. Orndorff ignores the deafening chorus of hatred coming from the audience as the referee presents the WWF Championship belt to the now-two-time champ, who celebrates in spite of (or, possibly, to spite) the reception his victory gets.

To be continued ...