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How I feel about Hogan is how I feel about the Rock as well. Their wrestling itself was boring and didn't really consist of a whole lot but they went over so well because they were both so charismatic and played to the crowd so well. When I watch the Rock wrestle all I remember really is his slaps and then that ridiculously stupid people's elbow.
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Cena is easily the better overall wrestler, wrestling now is SO much more in depth and technical than it was in Hogan's prime. That isn't to say that there weren't amazing in-ring performers back then, but I think it is safe to say that wrestlers are far more polished now than they were relying more on gimmicky ideas like just being big (Andre the Giant) or being able to fulfill a stereotype (Iron Sheik). I think that has to do with the evolution of the business based on the groundwork laid by the legends of the past. Its like how LBs now are able to run faster than some great WRs from the past. It is just the natural steps taken in a given business.
That being said, I'll always love Hogan for his willingness to do two of the biggest things for the business, something that countless other legends would never do. First, the heel turn to form the nWo. This was so... jaw-droppingly amazing, it is tough to describe. It had a huge impact all around, it changed the business as a whole, and honestly... it took some guts. It is tough to imagine the "Say your prayers and eat your vitamins" idol from our childhood become a heel. Not only was he hated... but you loved to hate him. He was the same character, but when he was on the other side of the line, all of a sudden his "Brother"s and overall attitude worked just as well to make you hate him.
Second, he let the Rock beat him at WrestleMania. Even more importantly, he let him win cleanly. He even got his leg drop (Famously referenced by Lou Thesz that his grandmother could do a better leg drop) and let Rock kick out and then get pinned cleanly. Hogan wasn't great in the match, he didn't do some amazing technical matchup. But he was charismatic, he got the crowd behind him even though he was a heel and Rock was overwhelmingly popular at the time, but even with the crowd cheering for him, he sold the younger guy and passed the torch. I think that says a lot about Hogan as a worker and a person. Bret Hart didn't want to sell Shawn Michaels because he didn't want to lose infront of his fans. We hear about people all the time who won't sell out for the younger guy. Hulk did what was asked. Ya, he stuck around for too long afterwards, but I think the symbolism was clearly there.Comment
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Question to Warner2BruceTD...
Best match Hogan carried?
Best match Cena carried?Comment
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Can you really say Hogan carried anyone besides maybe Andre post-86? Even a match like Wrestlemania 7 with Slaughter (I liked it), it was Sarge taking all the funky bumps and getting the heat.
With Cena, maybe the Batista matches?
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I had to put some thought into this.
Hogan: Andre once he was old and immobile. But at the same time, fans reacted to those matches because of the personalities. But I have to give Hogan credit, because he did stuff in those matches that he never did before or after. For example, "The Main Event" match (Hebner twin screwjob), Hogan took a bump off the top rope.
Cena: Khali. The man had passable matches against Khali. It obviously wasn't because of Khali.
Also, Cena vs The Rock. I thought that was a great match, one of the best of the year, and Cena was the better performer that day.Comment
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This is why I ask...
I think Cena is obviously more carriable than Hogan...but so is Lex Luger. Luger, like Cena, was carried to many good matches...many more than Hogan. But that's because Hogan would never let anyone carry him...for better or for worse...nearly every time, worse.
But, I don't necessarily think asking "who is a better worker?" comes down simply to, "who was carried to more better matches?"...
So, who was able to carry performers to a better matches...this is where it becomes dicey because I don't think either performers catalog in this regard is very good. But, for Hogan, I think he has one trump card, while Cena...not so much.
Cena was able to carry the likes of Umaga and Batista to very good matches and even The Rock most recently.
I think Hogan's trump card is the Ultimate Warrior match at WrestleMania VI. I think that was Hogan at his best to make the business better by carrying an incredibly inferior worker to great work.
That is why I say...at their very best, I think Hogan is the better worker, he was so savvy and there is more than just workrate to pull off the epic main events that Hogan had to do that involves work...but obviously, overall, Cena is the better worker with more success with in-ring product over a longer period against an array of opponents...but I think Hogan is being a bit underrated by ya'll when Hogan was at his best.Comment
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You are really reaching when you disparage Hogan by claiming he never produced a classic match against Harley Race. Race was already in his mid-40's. That would be like claiming Randy Savage was overrated because he never produced an all-time match against George Steele.
As for the question at hand...Hogan. Why?
-His promos were incredible
-He was so charismatic that he didn't really have to put together a match
-He was the face of wrestling for a long timeComment
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A year and a half before Hogan was facing Race, Race was having great matches against Flair.
I will give you this in regards to the Race point - Race clearly took off his working shoes when he came to the WWF, because he knew he could get away with it. I haven't seen the matches in years, but I seem to recall the 1986 King of the Ring matches from Providence being pretty good, but once he assumed the "King" gimmick, he toned his work down.Comment
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Not really on point, but does anyone remember an NBC Saturday Night Main Event match from the mid-80's between Hulk Hogan and Don "The Magnificent" Muraco? The whole match consisted of Hogan and Muraco "Backraking" each other. One of the dumber things I've seen on TV. If anyone can remember this and/or produce a youtube video of this match, it would be appreciated and rewarded with Level 1 Thanks.Comment
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Hogan is the most manipulaive, conniving, backstabbing con man in a world full of manipulative, connivng, backstabbing con men.
In his two most obvious examples of putting a guy over to pass the torch, he technically put both men over (Warrior & Rock), bit totally took the rub off both men by the way he played to the crowd. Especially the Warrior match, which he harbored resentment for to begin with, and made himself a sympathetic figure in the way he handled the post match. In that sense, NOBODY was a better worker than Hogan, but thats a totally different definition of "worker".
We talked about this on the podcast, but Hogan also convinced the powers that be that he should work a dark match main event against Goldberg when WCW drew that monster house and sold out the Georgia Dome for Nitro, becuse he saw the writing on the wall and knew it would be the all time record gate for the company. Of course, all of the tickets were sold before that match was even put together, but that doesnt stop Hogan from telling people in interviews "I main evented the Georgia Dome when we drew 70,000 and broke the record, brother!"Comment
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