I think the general consensus is Andre was going to the ring no matter what. Potentially even as a final match worst case scenerio.
- It appears the rumor is talked about in the early 2000s on message boards, but the evidence suggests Paul was off due to injury more than being the back up plan.
- He works just a few dates in Jan and those are nothing matches with George Steele, Tito and Koko.
- His TV matches in Jan/Feb is with Steele to push Macho Man's angle and a run in to aid Hercules w/ Billy Jerk Haynes.
- He DOES do an angle w/ Hogan and Kamala in Philly.
- He works Pedro in a match shown on the April 3 Prime Time. That would be a thing to check out and see what Heenan and Monsoon have to say about any sort of storyline.
- He is on the SNME battle royal and Hogan chucks him.
- Dates are light in Feb overall.
- He and Hogan work a six man in Boston at the start of March. The Apters were pumped over the WWF having Hogan and Piper team a bunch heading into WM 3 given their history. This was one of the various six man mix and match line ups that WWF did with the upper card at this moment.
- Dark match job in Dayton, Ohio to Hogan in March.
- The blow off to the Philly angle w/ Hogan and Piper vs Orndorff and Kamala
- He and Bundy take part in a tag team tourney in Toronto that aired on Prime Time a day or 3 after WM 3.
- Chicago later March: The Crusher (sub. for the Junkyard Dog), George Steele, & Jake Roberts fought Paul Orndorff, King Harley Race, & the Honkytonk Man to a double disqualification
WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan (w/ Billy Jack Haynes) pinned Paul Orndorff (sub. for Hercules) (w/ Bobby Heenan & Andre the Giant) in a non-title match
Another 6 man in Omaha and Paul vanishes until early June.
I'm going with lost in the shuffle and hurt more so than any kind of back up plan.
