🔥 Before the Break: Hogan vs. Orndorff, April ’85 [Videos]

🔥 A Hidden Chapter in a Legendary Rivalry

Before the betrayal, before the crutches, and before the steel cage showdown on Saturday Night’s Main Event, there was a handshake in Philadelphia.

On April 27, 1985, just weeks removed from the main event of WrestleMania, WWF Champion Hulk Hogan defended his title against his former WrestleMania tag team opponent, “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff. This bout, taped at the Spectrum and broadcast on PRISM, has remained largely buried in the archives—until the Pro Wrestling Resouce showcase.

What makes this match special isn't just the action. It's the moment that followed it.

🎯 Match Breakdown

Orndorff wrestled the entire match in full heel mode—arrogant, frustrated, and clearly out to prove a point. Hogan, fresh off cementing Hulkamania on the grandest stage, was still riding the wave of mainstream stardom.

The match itself was intense and competitive, a throwback to when even WWF’s biggest stars laid it in.

And then, the unexpected.

After taking the loss, Orndorff slowly stood… and offered his hand.

Hogan, after a pause, accepted.

No low blow. No cheap shot. Just a handshake.

📚 Context & Legacy

This match marked the start of Orndorff’s slow-burn face turn—a direction that would evolve over the next several weeks. By mid-1985, Orndorff would fully align with Hogan in a united front against heels like Piper, "Ace" Bob Orton, and Heenan.

But fans who only remember the famous heel turn in 1986 may not realize that Orndorff’s arc was built on earned trust. This handshake? It mattered. It laid the groundwork for a story that would explode the following year.

🔥 Hot Tag Notes

The match was taped at the Philadelphia Spectrum and aired on PRISM, a local pay TV service—an early example of WWF’s expanding national strategy.
Commentary during this era was handled by WWF's Gorilla Monsoon and PRISM's Dick Graham—though other versions of the bout exist with different dubbing.
This bout is a perfect snapshot of WWF storytelling before weekly RAWs, before social media angles—when a handshake in one city could echo for a year.
This handshake subtly begins Orndorff’s shift to babyface status, which would build for months before his famous heel turn in ’86.
This match is rarely referenced in retrospectives, yet it plants the seeds for one of the most iconic feuds of the decade.
Orndorff’s ability to walk the line between face and heel made him one of the most believable threats to Hogan’s reign.