Post by mcstoklasa on Apr 27, 2012 19:31:45 GMT -5
I know the phrase in wrestling is 'never say never', but can we rest assured that this is the main dream match that will, unfortunately, never take place? Of course Hulk has spent the last decade campaigning for this match. Hell, even last year Hogan said he heard Austin was 'gearing up for something, and he'd like to be apart of it', despite being in TNA. Since 2008 or so he has also been saying he'd happily job to Stone Cold.
Austin also said this in an interview a year or so ago:
Stone Cold: I've heard Hulk Hogan mention my name several times in interviews. It ( a match) could be with Hogan. I have so much respect for him and what he's done in his career. Bottom line, we've both sold a lot of tickets over our careers and I could wrestle Hulk Hogan any day of the week and would really enjoy it. If I have a match in me I could easily see it being with Hulk Hogan.
There was also something else from last year where Austin expressed a little bit of regret at never working with Hulk but I can't find it right now.
--
Of course, despite whatever they say the match will never (?) happen. Hogan is not only in a contract with a different company, but is a near 60 year old man who has had 8 back surgeries and counting in the last couple of years. He has zero business being near a wrestling ring, but I bet if Austin and the 'E magically sorted out the match for next Mania and Hulk could get out of his TNA contract, then he would do the match come hell or highwater.
I wish the Hulk of 2002/2003 could live forever and come back every few years to face the younger generations of wrestlers. He looked tremendous for his age, in fact he looked in better shape (physique wise) then he did in his first run. Sure he was showing his age, but Hulk pulled out all the stops and managed to have a run of 3 or even 4 (Rock) star matches with a bunch of guys, putting a lot of them over in the process.
Sure, Hulk tainted his legacy slightly (in the eyes of the IWC at least) by going over HBK and Orton at Summerslam 05 and 06. However, even then he was able to have decent matches. Both of those matches were at least passable, and so a match with Austin around that time would have been a decent in ring match, carried by the reaction of the fans (ala Hogan Rock at WMX8). And that would have been fine.
Unfortunately Hulk has declined a great deal from even 05/06. That was the last time he and Austin could have faced and had something resembling a match. After that we saw Hulk stagger about the ring on the 09 Hulkamania tour, and blade about 3 minutes in the match to fool the fans into thinking they had seen a long bloody, epic struggle. When in actual fact it had been a Randy the Ram-esque clusterf***. He could also no longer drop the leg. After that Hulk had all his surgeries.
Hulk suprised me (and scared me) last year when his match with Sting was kind of enjoyable. It wasn't good at all, but I enjoyed it for what it was. Hulk even took three back bumps which he really shouldn't have done.
I wish this match had happened in 05/06 when Hulk could still 'go' to a degree and was still healthy to a degree. I wouldn't want to see it now beause it would suck and I would worry about Hulk Hogan not even being able to get through the ropes, let alone wrestle. Do you think it will ever happen?
However, one day when Hulk comes back home to WWE (I will mark, I was a Hulkamaniac) it would be great to just have one in ring segment between the two.
(I have neglected to even mention Austin's health problems because in every interview he has given in the last few years he has said his neck is fine, he feels great and could easily wrestle again if he wanted. But maybe he's just playing with us..)
One other thing to mention is Austin apparently would only want to work with someone who could protect him in the ring. Many wrestlers say Hogan is one of the safest in the biz.
Austin also said this in an interview a year or so ago:
Stone Cold: I've heard Hulk Hogan mention my name several times in interviews. It ( a match) could be with Hogan. I have so much respect for him and what he's done in his career. Bottom line, we've both sold a lot of tickets over our careers and I could wrestle Hulk Hogan any day of the week and would really enjoy it. If I have a match in me I could easily see it being with Hulk Hogan.
There was also something else from last year where Austin expressed a little bit of regret at never working with Hulk but I can't find it right now.
--
Of course, despite whatever they say the match will never (?) happen. Hogan is not only in a contract with a different company, but is a near 60 year old man who has had 8 back surgeries and counting in the last couple of years. He has zero business being near a wrestling ring, but I bet if Austin and the 'E magically sorted out the match for next Mania and Hulk could get out of his TNA contract, then he would do the match come hell or highwater.
I wish the Hulk of 2002/2003 could live forever and come back every few years to face the younger generations of wrestlers. He looked tremendous for his age, in fact he looked in better shape (physique wise) then he did in his first run. Sure he was showing his age, but Hulk pulled out all the stops and managed to have a run of 3 or even 4 (Rock) star matches with a bunch of guys, putting a lot of them over in the process.
Sure, Hulk tainted his legacy slightly (in the eyes of the IWC at least) by going over HBK and Orton at Summerslam 05 and 06. However, even then he was able to have decent matches. Both of those matches were at least passable, and so a match with Austin around that time would have been a decent in ring match, carried by the reaction of the fans (ala Hogan Rock at WMX8). And that would have been fine.
Unfortunately Hulk has declined a great deal from even 05/06. That was the last time he and Austin could have faced and had something resembling a match. After that we saw Hulk stagger about the ring on the 09 Hulkamania tour, and blade about 3 minutes in the match to fool the fans into thinking they had seen a long bloody, epic struggle. When in actual fact it had been a Randy the Ram-esque clusterf***. He could also no longer drop the leg. After that Hulk had all his surgeries.
Hulk suprised me (and scared me) last year when his match with Sting was kind of enjoyable. It wasn't good at all, but I enjoyed it for what it was. Hulk even took three back bumps which he really shouldn't have done.
I wish this match had happened in 05/06 when Hulk could still 'go' to a degree and was still healthy to a degree. I wouldn't want to see it now beause it would suck and I would worry about Hulk Hogan not even being able to get through the ropes, let alone wrestle. Do you think it will ever happen?
However, one day when Hulk comes back home to WWE (I will mark, I was a Hulkamaniac) it would be great to just have one in ring segment between the two.
(I have neglected to even mention Austin's health problems because in every interview he has given in the last few years he has said his neck is fine, he feels great and could easily wrestle again if he wanted. But maybe he's just playing with us..)
One other thing to mention is Austin apparently would only want to work with someone who could protect him in the ring. Many wrestlers say Hogan is one of the safest in the biz.