The Complete History of the WWE Championship - Part 2

Andre The Giant (February 5, 1988 - February 13, 1988)

Andre the Giant: Won then sold the WWE Championship in 1988

Andre the Giant was one of the three highest earners and biggest names in wrestling during the 1970s and early 1980s.

However, by the time he "won" the WWE Championship in February 1988, he was long past his prime.

Andre was barely mobile at this point but he was still an attraction and a box office draw. The Hulk Hogan/Andre WWE Championship rematch screened on NBC's prime time special, The Main Event, and pulled in an astonishing 33 million viewers. That was the largest audience ever to watch a wrestling match. It still is.

A lackluster bout had a truly bonkers ending. Andre had pinned Hogan to the mat. Despite Hogan raising his shoulder from the mat on the count of one; the referee continued to count to three.

You see, the scheduled referee for the bout was Dave Hebner, but his evil twin, Earl, had secretly switched places with him and was the one to count the pin. Dave Hebner later stormed the ring and engaged in a war of words with his twin brother.

Hogan was incensed, as was the crowd. The craziness didn't stop there. Andre then cut a promo in which he immediately relinquished the WWE Championship to Ted DiBiase, who had purchased the belt.

Andre's only WWE Championship reign lasted mere minutes. However, despite it's brevity it is still well remembered three decades on.