This day in wrestling history is a personal favorite as it not only involved one of my favorite wrestlers in Paul Orndorff, but also a great match that proved to be an amazing rivalry during the mid 1980s.
This storyline followed Hulk Hogan and Pau Orndorff becoming friends and brothers as they faced any and all competition, but eventually things soured.
Orndorff eventually grew tired of sharing the spotlight with Hogan and he turned on the WWF World Heavyweight Champion in his quest for the title.
In doing so, it started one of the best feuds on the 80s, but also one of the most overlooked as they never faced each other on a pay-per-view during this time.
Instead, they mainly stuck to Saturday Night’s Main Event or other televised shows, and this one was probably the best of their matches.
Perfect timing
On December 14, 1986, the WWE taped the ninth episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event with the main event having Hulk Hogan facing Paul Orndorff in a steel cage.
What made this match stand out aside from the storytelling, is that both participants climbed over the top and touched the floor at the same time on opposite sides of the ring.
And both referees declared each other them the winners, and it led to the match having to be restarted. At the time, the only way to win a steel cage in the WWE was to escape, and Hogan did to retain.
The cages were also thick blue bars on the show and not the aluminum chain link fence they currently use. It looked real when they hit it and blood was fully expected. Plus, you could see what was happening a lot easier.
But this is where things got heated for some of us.
My dad and I argued over who won and I still say Orndorff touched the floor first out of principle. But it was a great chapter in a fun feud that had us tuning in every time to find out what would happen.
Add the fact it was a great card, and it’s nostalgia at it’s best, and these were some of the best shows around at the time.
We all have something we remember and love, and this day in wrestling history allows us to peel back the years to relive one of our favorite moments.
What’s your favorite Hulk Hogan and Paul Orndorff match?
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