How Vince McMahon Really Felt About Iconic Hulk Hogan WWE Match
Vince McMahon has recalled a Hulk Hogan match that was a “defining moment” in The Hulkster’s legendary career.
The legendary two-time WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan passed away at the age of 71 on July 24th. Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, died of a cardiac arrest while also suffering from leukemia, CLL, a type of cancer that affects white blood cells.
At his funeral, one of the speakers was Hogan’s good friend and former WWE boss, Vince McMahon, who put on a “performance” as he urged those in attendance to give The Hulkster one more standing ovation.
There’s no denying that Hogan and McMahon are both controversial figures for different reasons. Still, they are also icons in the wrestling business who will forever be remembered as two of the biggest names in WWE history. Vince was the boss while Hogan was his biggest star during the 1980s wrestling boom.
Hulk Hogan left WWE in 1994 to join WCW, and his presence there led to WCW beating WWE in the Monday Night Wars for nearly two years. Eventually, WCW died in March 2001, Vince McMahon bought it, and Hogan returned to WWE in early 2002 after almost a decade away.
Vince McMahon Loved Hulk Hogan’s WrestleMania 18 Match With The Rock
The most anticipated match at WrestleMania 18 in Toronto’s Skydome saw Hulk Hogan face off against The Rock in a matchup between two wrestling icons. Even though The Rock was only about six years into his WWE career, he had reached iconic status at that point, while Hogan was the aging veteran wanting to prove he was still the man.
Even though Hogan was the heel going into the match, the Toronto crowd cheered The Hulkster heavily. While they still liked Rock, they loved Hogan that night, and it created an unforgettable atmosphere.
The Rock beat Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 18, but the two men would go on to fight side by side after Hogan was turned on by his NWO allies, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. Hogan got to leave as a hero, just like he did many times in his legendary career.
Vince McMahon appeared on TMZ’s “The Real Hulk Hogan” documentary on FOX, where he talked about the memorable Rock/Hogan match.
“You always want to do what the fans want. These two iconic figures, to see them clash, just the anticipation of it alone was like, ‘Wow, what is going to happen?’
They were cheering for Hogan, but in a way that was different. When they got in the ring and stood face-to-face, they both felt it. It was like, ‘Wow, this is unbelievable, and it’s very different. What are we going to do?’
When you see something like that happening, it’s like, ‘Wow, this is so unique.’ It was a defining moment in both of their careers. It was something extraordinary to watch. You came right out of your seat. It was so magical. He was a pioneer. There was no one like him.”
In the Hulk Hogan documentary, Vince McMahon expressed his upset with WWE’s presentation of The Hulkster during his final televised appearance, which was met with booing from the Los Angeles crowd during the Raw on Netflix premiere in January.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross saw Vince McMahon in the Hulk Hogan documentary and said his former boss, McMahon, “looked horrible” while adding that whoever did Vince’s makeup should be fired.