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It’s the Wednesday DragonKingKarl Show and the May edition of the mailback.
Karl Stern answers some great classic pro wrestling questions on Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, the psychological understanding of working matches, pro wrestling title histories, and much more.
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Ellerbe, a tiny town in North Carolina, is honoring a pro wrestling giant.
On Thursday (April 23), Ellerbe is unveiling a roadside marker celebrating the fact that Andre once called the town home. He owned a ranch just outside of Ellerbe town limits, and Andre’s ashes were spread there after passing away on a trip to France in 1993.
The marker will be located at the intersection of NC Highway 73 and Old NC Highway 220. It reads: “Andre The Giant. 1946-1993. Actor and professional wrestler. Was born Andre Roussimoff. Known for role in The Princess Bride in 1987. Lived nearby.”
Ellerber has a population of fewer than 1000 people, listed at 864 as of the 2020 census.
North Carolina’s Department of Natural & Cultural Resources wrote:
WWE also celebrated Andre last week by inducting his match against Hulk Hogan from WrestleMania III into the Hall of Fame as the 2026 Immortal Moment Award winner. Andre’s daughter Robin and Hogan’s son Nick were there to receive the award.
Enshrined forever. 🙌
— WWE (@WWE) April 18, 2026
Your 2026 #WWEHOF Immortal Moment! pic.twitter.com/V7smPBOa38
Andre was the WWE Hall of Fame’s first-ever inductee, having been posthumously honored in 1993.
In celebration of WrestleMania 42, WWE has put together a ranking of the 42 greatest moments in WrestleMania history.
The countdown concluded on WWE’s YouTube channel today with Hulk Hogan slamming Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III taking the top spot. That match is also set to be honored with the Immortal Moment Award at the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony this Friday, giving WWE a chance to recognize Hogan after he passed away in July 2025.
Here is the complete list:
Last year, WWE ranked the 50 greatest matches in WrestleMania history with Hogan vs. Andre coming in eighth. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels from WrestleMania 25 topped that list.
We are now just three days away from the start of WrestleMania 42, which is taking place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas this Saturday and Sunday. The event will stream live on the ESPN app in the United States and Netflix internationally with a start time of 6 p.m. Eastern for each night.
Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant from WrestleMania III is the second match to ever earn a WWE Hall of Fame induction.
It was announced today that the WrestleMania III main event — where Hogan defeated Andre to retain the WWF Championship — will receive the WWE Immortal Moment Award at the April 17 Hall of Fame ceremony in Las Vegas. The award, established in 2025, exists to recognize the most important matches in WWE history. Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart from WrestleMania 13 was the first match to be inducted.
WrestleMania III took place at Michigan’s Pontiac Silverdome in 1987 and still stands as one of the biggest shows in WWE history, with the company forever replaying the moment where Hogan slammed Andre.
Inducting this match gives WWE the opportunity to honor Hogan after his death in July 2025. He first joined the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 and later was inducted again as a member of the nWo.
Following Andre’s passing in 1993, he was recognized as the first-ever inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Dolby Live at Park MGM in Vegas is hosting the Hall of Fame ceremony on the Friday of WrestleMania 42 week. Here is the updated list of honorees:
The slam heard around the world.
— WWE (@WWE) March 31, 2026
The ICONIC showdown between Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant at #WrestleMania 3 will be honored with the WWE Immortal Moment Award at the 2026 #WWEHOF Ceremony! pic.twitter.com/B5oUaz3Y0j
On a new DragonKingKarl Show, it’s time for Karl Stern’s monthly question and answer podcast.
He explores an interesting quirk that happened the night Hulk Hogan lost the WWF Championship to Andre the Giant on The Main Event in 1988.
Also, where does the old Global Wrestling Federation (GWF) rank historically?
He also looks at three different eras of pro wrestling — 1980s, 1990s and today — to see what second and third tier wrestling promotions did and how they are viewed in a historical context including the AWA and ECW.
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John Cena wishes an alternate universe existed where he and Andre the Giant could have faced each other.
Along with his WWE retirement tour, Cena has been appearing at Fan Expo conventions this year and taking part in Q&A sessions with fans. One of those events took place in Chicago this summer with the video being uploaded to YouTube this week. A fan asked Cena who he would choose to face in the main event of WrestleMania if he could go back in time and pick anyone from wrestling history.
“Just selfishly, Andre, because he was like the measuring stick,” Cena responded. “The folklore behind Andre the Giant is mythical, in both physical as his presence but also in like the folklore of the fraternity of the brotherhood of wrestling, especially the WWF territory. I’m sure it’s across the world, because Andre was a global phenomenon. But, selfishly, yes, that would be the one: Andre the Giant.”
Cena competed in his last-ever WrestleMania earlier this year, defeating Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41. Cena later dropped the title back to Rhodes at SummerSlam.
There are only five WWE appearances remaining before Cena retires. Next up is a trip to Australia for Crown Jewel: Perth this Saturday, where Cena will face off against an old rival in AJ Styles.
Cena’s last match will be held in Washington, D.C. on December 13 on WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event. It’s expected that Gunther will be his final opponent.
The annual Andre the Giant memorial battle royal will take place on the April 18 WWE SmackDown, the promotion has revealed.
Introduced in 2014 as an annual WrestleMania tradition, the Andre battle royal will be held on the SmackDown before Mania for the fifth consecutive year next Friday, April 18. The battle royal has been held annually since its inception with the exception of 2020 when the match was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A John Cena appearance, plus two more matches are also set for next Friday’s show, branded WrestleMania SmackDown.
Before he challenges Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship on night two of WrestleMania 41, Cena will appear on the April 18 SmackDown.
The WWE Tag Team Championship will also be on the line on WrestleMania SmackDown, with The Street Profits (Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins) defending against top contenders Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin).
A women’s division trios bout is also set for next week’s episode, with Chelsea Green, Piper Niven, and Alba Fyre facing Zelina Vega, Katana Chance, and Kayden Carter.
Everything announced for next week’s SmackDown is listed below.
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Monday Update
The Bryan & Vinny & Granny & Craig & Shawn Show is back with tons to talk about including our weekly fireside chat with Granny, her weekly wrestling and soap opera report, the trivia contest, and more. Then the boys review the final episode of WWF Challenge available on the Peacock, the legendary Andre the Giant turn on Hulk Hogan. A fun show as always so check it out~!
The Pacific Rim Pro Wrestling Podcast is back.
I get Fumi Saito’s thoughts on Kazuchika Okada leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling and he offered his insight on the dynamics and relationships behind the scenes in the company and speculates on the future of “The Rainmaker.”
Also, who can step up and fill the void left by his absence?
We then remember Fumi’s friend Killer Khan. We go from Khan’s start in sumo, how he got his name, breaking Andre The Giant’s leg, his relationships with Hulk Hogan and Riki Choshu, and much more.
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There’s a new book out — The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestling from the House of Action — and on this episode of the Portland Wrestlecast, I talk to both author Mike Rodgers and “Moondog” Ed Moretti, former wrestler and the grandfather of current AEW star Nick Wayne.
We talk about Ed’s family, seeing them on AEW TV, his career, ribs like the time Andre the Giant farted on Buddy Rose, fun road stories, and, of course, the book.
From wrestlers you knew came through Portland like Roddy Piper to wrestlers you didn’t know came through the territory like Jake Roberts, the book is over 500 pages of information and history.
This show has a lot of fun and wrestling history. Check it out.
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One of the biggest possible matches — both literally and figuratively — takes place on this installment of the DragonKingKarl Greatest Kayfabe Tournament.
What would happen if prime Brock Lesnar wrestled prime Andre the Giant?
Two of the most amazing special attraction wrestlers meet in this round with the winner advancing to meet Mitsuharu Misawa. I go into the history of both men and a look at what makes special attractions so great in pro wrestling.
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On this week’s DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show, let’s take a look back at a retro Apter mag: the April 1988 issue of Inside Wrestling.
This issue features a look at the storyline run-up to the Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant feud where Ted DiBiase tried to buy the WWF World title from Andre.
Also in this issue are features on Lex Luger vs. Ric Flair, Sgt. Slaughter, Jimmy Jack Funk, some great VHS ads, Michael Hayes, King Kong Bundy, and the Von Erichs. This fun issue also includes the Roll Call of Champions.
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Dave Meltzer and I are back for a brand new Wrestling Observer Radio. Author Pat Laprade joined us on the show.
We went through a cornucopia of topics, including the following:
The full video is available for video subscribers at https://video.f4wonline.com/.
Wrestling Observer Radio returns for an early Sunday edition featuring with Dave Meltzer and myself, guest co-host Garrett Gonzales.
We start by talking about WWE’s first COVID-19 positive test, their reason for doing live shows, thoughts on empty arena wrestling after a month, Ronda Rousey starting controversy in the wrestling world via Twitter, and the NXT interim cruiserweight championship tournament.
Pat Laprade then joins us to talk about his new book, ‘The Eighth Wonder of the World: The True Story of AndrĂ© the Giant‘ which comes out on April 14th.
Timestamps:
Start: First WWE COVID-19 positive test
9:34: Can WWE continue running these type of shows?
26:12: Ronda Rousey
29:41: Cruiserweight tournament
33:30: Pat Laprade on upcoming Andre the Giant book
