Remembering Hulk Hogan’s Most Memorable Fights – The wrestling world lost one of its most famous characters in late July, as the news broke that Hulk Hogan had died of a cardiac arrest. Hogan was the larger than life character that made the WWE what it is today, with his flamboyant character and bright yellow bandanas thrusting professional wrestling into the limelight.
His emergence coincided with a major shift in the sport, with the product gaining a worldwide audience soon after his arrival in the main event.
Nowadays, wrestling fans can bet on the action in the ring with YouBet, but that wasn’t previously the case during Hogan’s dominant period in the ring, which saw him hold the WWF Championship for a four-year stretch.
Nonetheless, what fights will go down as Hogan’s best and most memorable in the ring?
Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior (WrestleMania VI)
One of Hogan’s most famous moments in the ring came at WrestleMania VI as he collided with long-time rival, the Ultimate Warrior. The event was staged at the SkyDome in Toronto in April 1990, with Hogan holding the WWE Championship and the Warrior being the Intercontinental champion.
In truth, expectations were low ahead of their showdown, with the good guy vs. good guy matches very rarely going down well in front of a live crowd.
However, Hogan’s ability to control the match captured the audiences’ attention, leaving fans on the edge of their seats. There was disbelief in the arena when Hogan put Warrior over for the win on the grandest stage.
Birth of NWO
While not a match, the moment that shook the wrestling world to its core arrived in the mid-90s, as Hogan made the unthinkable move to WCW. The relations between WWF and its former star had reached breaking point, leading to his departure from the company.
During the Monday Night Wars, Eric Bischoff saw an opportunity and seized it. Hogan’s move not only caught fans off guard, but the fact that he aligned with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall to form the NWO and turn heel in the process is something that changed the business forever.
While Hogan would later return to the WWE, his return to wrestling with WCW sent shockwaves across the world and created one of the most memorable wrestling moments in the 90s.
Hogan vs. Iron Sheik (1984)
Wrestling changed forever at the start of 1984, as the Rise of Hulkamania got underway at Madison Square Garden.
Hogan’s face turn was announced after he saved Bob Backlund from the Wild Samoans, and his career would reach new heights later in January when winning the WWF World Heavyweight Championship for the first time after pinning The Iron Shiek. The victory put Hogan’s name on the map, and his reception from the fans ensured that he was the number one guy on WWE programming.
Hogan vs. The Rock (WrestleMania X8)
One of the most famous matches of the modern WWE era came back in 2002, as an Icon vs. Icon match saw Hogan square off with The Rock at WrestleMania X-8. Hogan’s return to the company was met with mixed responses, but Vince McMahon believed that there were still money matches that could be made with the former superstar.
That decision was vindicated on the Grandest Stage, as Rock and Hogan had the crowd in the palms of their hands at Toronto’s SkyDome. Despite playing the heel, Hogan was given a heroes welcome back to the company, and fans favoured the former star over the current biggest name in WWE.
While The Rock would eventually get the win, there was a clear indication that Hogan’s return was a major success, and fans still had a desire to see him in the ring against modern superstars, which fans would later see as he would collide with names such as Randy Orton and Shawn Michaels.
Hogan vs. Andre the Giant (WrestleMania III)
Hogan’s popularity was already at massive levels ahead of WrestleMania III, meaning that a showdown between the fan favourite and Andre the Giant was the most logical main event. Andre’s popularity was also massive, as he had made mainstream appearances in films such as The Princess Bride.
Hogan would go into the main event as the defending WWF Champion, having held the gold for three years, and a passionate audience of over 90,000 packed into Pontiac Silverdome to see one of the great David vs Goliath showdowns.
The match would create one of the longest lasting images in wrestling history, as Hogan would pick up the giant and body slam him to the mat, before delivering a leg drop to successfully defend his gold. Hogan’s win ensured his spot as the biggest star in the sport, while it also delivered a moment that is still replayed on video packages ahead of the biggest show on the calendar every year.
