Would a Piper title reign have helped Hulkamania?

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

Let me reiterate that this is NOT about whether or not Roddy Piper deserved a world title run. This is about whether or not Hogan briefly chasing Piper could have made him an even bigger star.

I imagine this happening between Wrestlemanias 1 and 2. Some time in late spring of 1985, Piper becomes WWF world champion through a shenanigans-riddled match (you can book the match in your head anyway you see fit), and Hogan hunts him down, regaining it at the beginning of 1986 or close to it. Would it have helped both guys, or would it have made Hulkamania look too weak?

[Hiroshi Hase]

It probably would've, but with Piper he didn't want to get pinned, so it'd be difficult to work with him on that.

[ddt]

I think it would have helped (assuming both Piper and Hogan agreed to take the fall for one another).

Interesting question. Well done.

[strykerdarksilence]

Most definately.

[hollywood]

I don't think it would've mattered, really.

Hogan was insanely popular, and I don't think chasing Piper for the title would've made much difference. That's not to say it wouldn't have been interesting; it would've. And it might even put Hogan over a little more than he already was, but he was so incredibly over that it was like adding another foot to the Empire State Building.

It's kind of like speculating on whether or not throwing in a third villain in the Dark Knight would've helped the movie make more money. Maybe it would've, but as much money as they made, who really cares?

[Single H]

I don't think itwould have matterd really Hulkamania was well over by this point and think Vince would have saw Piper as to small (size wise) to put the title on back then.
Hulk was fueding with Ordnorff, Bundy and just after Andre. Piper was very small compared to them.
During the new generation days Piper if he stuck about may have got the championship for a bit though.

[strykerdarksilence]

Aug 13, 2008 13:15:39 GMT -5 Single H said:

I don't think itwould have matterd really Hulkamania was well over by this point and think Vince would have saw Piper as to small (size wise) to put the title on back then.
Hulk was fueding with Ordnorff, Bundy and just after Andre. Piper was very small compared to them.
During the new generation days Piper if he stuck about may have got the championship for a bit though.

Search on Dailymotion for the singles match between Orndorff and Piper. They are of similar build.

[Single H]

[/quote]

Search on Dailymotion for the singles match between Orndorff and Piper. They are of similar build.[/quote]

Orndorff is bigger and looks more impressive than Piper. Piper ha more fat and doesn't Look as impressive. They are around the same size but due to fat to muscle ratio Piper doesn't look as good or as impressive as Orndorff.

[boomhauer20055]

Wouldn't have made a difference. They didn't change titles much back then anyway.

[NOwave]

I've long thought that Hogan was one of the very few face champions who didn't look better when he was chasing the title than when he was holding it.

The regular rules just didn't seem to apply to him and to the WWE at the time. The only truly serious contender for Hogan's title was Andre, and he had to be turned from face to heel. They simply didn't have a heel who could come close to matching Hogan in the degree to which they were "over," and therefore made a good opponent. Andre was one of the few wrestlers ever who was close.

[Trip Fisk a.k.a. Foley is Good]

I think it would've. The fans would've paid great money to see Hulk get back his title.

[Arthur Digby Stamp]

I don't know. They were establishing Hogan as an unstoppable force, and the epic showdown vs Andre might not have carried as much weight if Hogan dropped the belt to Piper.

Plus, Piper was refusing to lose clean. I understand his motivations for doing so, and maybe in retrospect it was even the right thing to do, but I doubt that Piper would've gone for the title run if he knew he was going to drop it right back at Wrestlemania 2.

[Cap'n Crud]

At that point Hulk Hogan was so immensely popular that I don't think anything could have been added to it.

[Supersmark is a Troll]

Yes, but instead of the Iron Sheik, Hogan should have wrestled Sheik in a non-title match.