Jim Ross Shoots On Talent Not Wanting Hulk Hogan Back In The WWE In 2003

On this episode of Grilling JR, the voice of wrestling, Jim Ross and host Conrad Thompson discuss the backstage happening and developments leading to No Way Out 2003. JR shares the inner working of bring back major stars like Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin back into the company. He also reveals why we never saw the two icons face off in the squared circle.
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[@SRPC21]

Hogan vs Vince at Wrestlemania X9 was the perfect match up. Fans were still so hot for Hogan so it was right to include him, and beating Vince didn’t take anything away from the younger stars.

[@marcbasil]

@assclown5608…😳 lol calm down. W tf lol

[@Ttkoize]

It was actually a good match probably Vince’s best match

[@spms52]

@@Ttkoize Vince's psychology alone should have given him and hogan match of the year (Yes I know HBK and Y2J slayed) but Vince and Hogan killed it at WM 19.

[@BigJonahJ]

I was at 19, I enjoyed that match.

[@rudymenchacaa9970]

​@@spms52true its a underrated match I really wanted to see hulk and Shane that summerslam

[@michaelmercury1297]

Hulk's last run in WWE was pretty good.

[@cumexolaf3276]

but the ending was crap: just firing him after he took off that mask off screen ... no final big match-up for his career or something.

[@huh8662]

The Locker Room..."We don't want Hogan back" Management..."He doesn't have the creative control clause" The Locker Room..."Welcome back, Brother!"

[@CamberRockerCamber]

Except for the match against HBK. 😂

[@huh8662]

@Str8RightHand lmao too true....Shawn did the job, he just "improvised" during it

[@curthennig9448]

@@CamberRockerCamber Very true. Hogan screwed Michaels on the day of Summerslam 05.

[@curthennig9448]

@@huh8662 Pin ball machine was Shawn's way of letting Hogan know that he had enough of his backstage BS.

[@wingedhussar1453]

​@yangvp85 well he didn't really have obligation to do it by then he was out of contract

[@creoleDJ]

Hogan, the locker room is comin’ for YOU, n166a!

[@kingrobthegreat7446]

I read in Jericho's 2nd book that the locker room liked Hulk. He said he was fun and other guys sold for Hulk like crazy.

[@xziggy_stardustx6786]

Dude is a legend and he was putting money in everybody's pocket (even during the nostalgia run). On a professional level, he deserved all of that respect and recognition. Notwithstanding his comical habit of lying, ruthless approach to backstage politics and propensity to slip up from time to time, nobody has contributed more to pro wrestling as a facet of pop culture than Hulk Hogan aside from Vince McMahon himself.

[@anthonypowell168]

@@xziggy_stardustx6786also a racist but we’ll skip over that

[@anthonypowell168]

Jericho the most honest man in the world 😂😂😂😂

[@raymondvalasquez3992]

@@anthonypowell168 'they' don't care about him being racist

[@RT-bt5ql]

​@@anthonypowell168we don't care

[@kid--presentable]

Jr you made my childhood awesome , greetings from Dublin Ireland 🇮🇪. You are looking well by the way.

[@TheFailedmessiah]

I wanted to hear NAMES of who didn't want Hogan back, instead of saying oh some of the younger talent

[@bstdenis]

Taker always been vocals of his opinions on Hogan. JR speaks of paranoia, I hear HHH there.

[@JOHNN01.82]

Austin

[@Scarred_Kat]

J.r. a coward

[@ChadPlainview_]

Nash said it best. Hulk is Hulk.

[@thealchemist69666]

Nash doesn't have much room to talk

[@tylerlynn3617]

Take it easy Divas, take it easy lol

[@DValedof]

There was a comedian once who said : “If you start a new job and you want to find out who the biggest asshole is, ask your coworkers and the person that is described only by their name is guaranteed the biggest asshole… For example: “George is a good guy, Carol is fun, and David is David”

[@ChadPlainview_]

It DOESN’T MATTER what your name is!!!

[@vcvortex6356]

Yea... anyone named Larry is Larry too. How profound of Kevin Nash...

[@davidbreen6335]

Regardless of what one may think of Terry Bollea, he certainly delivered as Hulk Hogan. Personally, I consider this to be one of his best runs. I appreciate how he combined elements of Hollywood, Hogan, and Hulkamania, and his portrayal was utilized effectively. His match against Vince McMahon is, in my opinion, one of his finest performances as he stepped out of his comfort zone for it.

[@tdkirkland]

I hope you're doing well Mr. JR, I think you are looking pretty good sir

[@countquackula8539]

JR is full of it. It's not about how physically capable or better wrestler you are over Hogan. Hogan will still steal the spotlight from other performers looking for an opportunity.

[@curthennig9448]

That's correct. Hogan would knife anybody to look good. Austin wanted no part of his shit!

[@joshuasteward6097]

Who did Hogan v Vince bury?

[@stevienightheat1]

Hogan is wrestling. He makes more money for the business in one day than 99% make in a year for the industry.

[@jrkruse3632]

I love the "Beat Nebraska" hat in the background. Im a proud Husker and Sooner fan from Nebraska. I enjoy Jim's point of view.

[@donovanbradford8231]

This is one of those times where I don't necessarily disagree with JR so much as I see the talents standpoint. If you go back to late 02 you have Shawns Michaels in the ring fulltime, the Scott Steiner comes in and is on the main roster fulltime by January, The Rock and Steve Austin are coming back in February, then Kevin Nash and Goldberg coming in right after Wrestlemania. So you add Hulk Hogan to that mix and yes you probably are going to some people flat out go I'm gonna get lost in the shuffle or I'm gonna get put with one of these guys to get destroyed or when the match is bad I'm gonna get blamed for it. So I get some people not happy Hogan is coming back because it was going to effect them in one way or another. Because from 2001 to early 2004 the WWE was loaded with talent.

[@marcbasil]

derp

[@brianconnelly1238]

The only people in WWE that didn't want Hulk back in 2003, were the one's that weren't good enough or over enough to work with him, it's as simple as that

[@SRPC21]

I’m a huge Hogan fan but I understand now why most wrestlers didn’t find desirable. When he left WCW a lot of younger talent started to get a shot, but I guess the brand extension helped during the ruthless aggression period.

[@xziggy_stardustx6786]

Agreed 100%. Even those who disliked him at the time (E.G. SCSA) would've recognised his star power and what he could do for everybody as a draw.

[@Misterkennedy04]

Or maybe it’s the fact that Hogan constantly played politics and held people down in both wcw and wwf.

[@Misterkennedy04]

This is a guy who faked a neck injury because he didn’t want to lose to the undertaker. A guy who politiced his way into the mania 9 main event. A guy who quit because Vince would not let him beat Brock for the title I can go on and on

[@curthennig9448]

@@Misterkennedy04 Continue on Ken! The uninformed need to know because they have a habit of letting this slide. Bret and Shawn have a few things to say and have said them over the years.

[@rondoughhowell6442]

Well guys like Austin, Rock, and Lesnar didn't really have to worry about Hogan coming in and taking their spot

[@marcbasil]

Hulk drew more than all three of those guys combined

[@rondoughhowell6442]

@@marcbasil bullsh*t besides it was a different era and there was no Raw and Smackdown show in the 80s

[@marcbasil]

@@rondoughhowell6442 Wwf peaked 1986-89 with Hulk & Motch at the top. That was when it had its biggest pop culture stranglehold. Hulk Hogan is one of the most famous & recognizable entities in contemporary history, right alongside the Bulls/Jordan. People who lived in the middle of nowhere & who knew absolutely nothing about pro rasslin or basketball, would be able to identify Hulk Hogan & the Bulls logo.

[@rondoughhowell6442]

@@marcbasil well that worked in the 80s however Austin and Rock made wrestling great again in WWF at that time and don't ever forget it Marc

[@guardianofthebeast1014]

@@rondoughhowell6442 wrong again. Hogan was the hottest persona in the 90s , not Austin. That nwo storyline changed wrestling

[@williambrown5934]

Thought this vid was going to mention people who didn’t want Hogan back.. But didn’t 😅

[@tdkirkland]

Hay,Al Wilson was the Tennessee Vols heart and soul in 1998

[@jasonbowser5754]

Of course not. He overshadowed almost everyone when he came back. He was HUGE with his return.

[@kyleday5026]

i heard a journalist say when hogan returned he was no longer the guy because there were others above him.but he was getting monster pops etc.

[@joshuaschmidinger3993]

JR has experience and good advice(a level head)smart man 😎👌

[@jjbjjb273]

Does anyone have a link to the observer for the full year in 2003

[@aleiterful]

People put too much trust in that bozo

[@leostenson4476]

I gotta hear this because in 03 he was coming off a huge babyface turn at the previous year's Wrestlemania

[@dylanryan8241]

Social media didn't start until later

[@pablocuneo4611]

Ross is a politician too, defending Hogan has a history of holding people back. Old or not, Hogan screwed Shawn when Shawn’s was supposed to get his win back.

[@insightsman196]

Shawn wants to talk , what did he do to Bret Hart, if anything it's poetic justice

[@insightsman196]

Shawn wants to talk , what did he do to Bret Hart, if anything it's poetic justice

[@1980Triumph]

Who has Hogan held back? Also are you aware of Shawn antics in the business, Hogan is nowhere near that

[@tonyl1933]

Sounds like Triple H

[@TheSteel101]

You mean Steve austin

[@johneaston918]

Nah HHH was already with Stephanie he actually stood to make money from Hulk being there hence why it was HHH's idea to lose the belt to Hulk in 02

[@aleiterful]

I’d love to know who he had that conversation with because it sounds like a top tier guy who had the issue

[@chad3452]

id say austin, rock, or michaels

[@garrymclaughlan6433]

​@@chad3452possibly all 3.

[@cutekanjii]

Austin or michaels i assume michaels if he said about the physical side of it

[@shadowangel2235]

Probably Austin, who was still pissed off he lost to Hogan's good buddy Jim Duggan in a couple seconds at the Havoc 1994.

[@The_Texorcist]

Was never a fan of hogans. His wrestling always felt limited. His matches always felt like the same. Cheating heel vs face, heel gets advantage through cheating, hogan hulks up, big knee, done. Also the politicking. Now I get it, everyone wants to be number one and that’s fine but it should also be what’s best for the company. Can anyone say the end of wrestlemania 9 was what was best for business? Him using his clout to change the Michael’s feud when hogan came back, was that what was best for business? His feud with sting and the slowest fast count in history… was that what was best for business? Hogan always seemed like he didn’t care what was best for the business but only what was best for Hogan. So yeah I could see where people on the company who resented all that plus remembered how he left the company and/or worked previously in WCW with him felt like he wasn’t good for not only morale but the business.

[@Zebojr2kool]

No… and yes. But that wasn’t Hogans fault. This is one of those times when everyone missed the knock of opportunity. Yoko needed to beat Hogan for the belt. Hogan was default the top guy in WWF. Even if he left for a year and came back he’s back in the title picture the minute he comes back. Hart beating Hogan wouldn’t have made Hart, but Hart beating the guy that even Hogan couldn’t beat… that’s money. But Vince went with Luger instead. And Hart wasn’t smart enough of a story teller (I mean not in the ring but angle wise) to see the pitch he should have made.v

[@bb-gc2tx]

@@Zebojr2kool you cant judge hogan like any other wrestler.he was the biggest star in wrestling history and there would be no wrestlemania for those guys who were complaining to wrestle at if it wasnt for hogan

[@bartsullivan4866]

Exactly I couldn't agree more

[@jahjr92aka187]

When Hogan was in Japan he could actually wrestle

[@deebo1103]

Him beating yoko sent fans homes happy, which is what they did back in the 80s and 90s. Yoko crushing hogan and that giving bret and then lex a monster to chase did more for business than having bret beat yoko, which was never the plan anyway. Plus back then nobody would believe bret beating hogan. Warrior, Undertaker, Andre, Yoko, are believable title victors. He used his clout, HBK used his. HBK got played by Hogan. Serves shawn right too, all the asshole shit he did to other talent and using his clout with vince in the 90s, he finally had to pay the piper. Then he goes out and looks like a jackass, which only internet fans find excuses for. The ref screwed that count up and they made the best of what they could. At the time, most were happy to see sting win, I know I was. One of their best stories they ever did. Couldve been even bigger too. Hogan has always been about making money. Look at most of his contracts, he made money above his contract when there was more buys and tickets sold, company sells a shit load of tickets they make money, he cut the best deal for himself so he would make money too. Bret Hart was fine being what the $300,000 man as champ? Hogan was the man in the 80s and 90s. You may not like his wrestling style/presentation. But the dude sold tickets for 30 years. Others who didnt want to work with him, either couldnt lace his boots up and do their part to draw or couldnt face the fact that they would get booed.

[@jpbart1390]

Isn't it funny how things had changed since the golden era? Back then, wrestlers couldn't wait to get in the ring with the Hulkster because it gave them exposure. Come the new generation era (or forgotten era as Madusa Miceli calls it) The entitled Bret Hart starts bitching about not having that title match against him where he wanted to beat Hogan to satisfy his ego. Sounds like many of those ruthless aggression wrestlers seemed to have had the same entitled attitude Hart has. Go figure.

[@isaacshaver6218]

Jim Ross company man!

[@six6thdisciple]

SMH

[@Timmichanga361]

Im not a HH fan...but that run was fun to watch

[@donjuanseville3039]

NWO 4 LIFE

[@mojennith6427]

Hogan lost just about every match he had when he came back....why does he still get crap?

[@lawv804]

My favorite match of Hogan's late WWE career was the Summerslam match where HBK ridiculously oversold for Hogan. HBK was the best in ring showman of all time, even when making a mockery of the match.

[@EGarrett01]

A great showman wouldn't make a mockery of matches just because he was bitter about losing.

[@lawv804]

@@EGarrett01 A great showman entertains the crowd, which is what HBK did.

[@EGarrett01]

@@lawv804If you screw up the match, you're cheating the crowd. Michaels did that, and in the 90's he often wouldn't wrestle at all if he was supposed to lose.

[@BenziBoy]

I'm sure all these wrestling podcasts are repeating things they've talked about before

[@marcbasil]

It’s just fanservice to smarks

[@konlee4456]

They need hits to make money

[@turloughmcconnell8897]

Any chance someone can fix those pop ups on JR's laptop? That machine must be sicker than a Russo storyline.

[@user-qx3eb2jx1p]

Despite all the backstory and why it ''made sense'' to have Piper interfere in the match and then go into the next PPV with Piper and Hogan as a feud .... no wonder business went down around this time . I mean they literally were booking Triple H vs Nash on raw and Hogan vs Piper on Smackdown ...in 2003 .

[@kckc6578]

Austin was definitely one of them. He was always jealous of Hogan and didn’t want him coming back and stealing the spotlight.

[@FuzzyWuzzy75]

Arguing with Vince McMahon on who he can and who he can't bring back... I wonder how that would go? My guess is it would go about like arguing with your shadow and demanding your shadow stop following you around.

[@darthsebio1726]

Actually that is just his image..he always asked the opinion of the top talent..and a few main eventer gave him more than that..the way some (examp Michaels,Warrior,...) where treating him..most changed in the 2000 years...

[@konlee4456]

@@darthsebio1726 Agree with you.

[@TheSteel101]

Jr talking about austin

[@AmericanCombatAssoc]

Hulk Hogan fan but when I saw him live at Hartford Civic Center at this time he butchered the shit out of a long prono.

[@m8x425]

I totally see this from the wrestlers' perspective because there are only so many spots on a card and TV time is limited. Hogan makes the quality of the pie better but it still feed the same number of people.......and someone is getting pushed out of the line to make way for wacky hogan.

[@RG-lr4pk]

Hogan really showed you how ordinary WWF's "stars" were when they had to be on the same show/roster as him.

[@cutekanjii]

I think we know it was Shawn Michaels who was one of the main ones not wanting him back

[@kennethgriffin7921]

shawn hated hogan. he hated austin. he hated rock and he hated undertaker. WONDER WHY

[@kennethgriffin7921]

not to mention bret hart. shawn didn't get along with anyone that took his spotlight

[@johneaston918]

​@@kennethgriffin7921All those guys drew money. As good as Shawn was in the ring he never drew a dime.

[@bigheadedm]

actually the REAL reason HBK hates Hulk Hogan as originally they meant to have 3 matches whcih Hulk Hogan agreed THEN he changed his mind in the last minute and that why he was pissed AT him, so i get his point but then again what happened to him there was like KARMA. Its totally different than with Bret, the Rock or Stone cold.

[@wingedhussar1453]

​@@bigheadedmbro tht was 2005 were talking 2002

[@josephgana5746]

HOGAN vs VINCE SHOULD OF BEEN THE MAIN EVENT, THE 2 MEN RESPONSIBLE FOR WRESTLEMANIA, IT SHOULD OF WENT LAST, CAUSE HOGAN MUST POSE!!!

[@keithallison4586]

Only thing Hogan was able to do in the ring was talking

[@Remle4]

I see a lot of y'all in the comments section still warring those rose colored glasses. 😊

[@rolliemosley]

Marks and even some wrestlers don't understand the true greatness of Hogan. 5-star matches are for your Danielson, Harts, and HBK. Because they were small and couldn't get over their "look" and had to learn to speak on the mic. Hogan's power is in being a draw.

[@konlee4456]

I agree about being a draw. I grew up with Hogan but his post WWF stuff is lost on me. By star matches, are you referring to Meltzer stars? I hope not.

[@andrewft31]

@@konlee4456 his nWo era stuff was gold as well

[@jobangles3677]

Im sure some of the top guys didnt want Hogan back. Because he took their spots, not because Hogan was selfish, but because we the fans are. You dont give just any wrestler an ovation that lasts through an entire commercial break. I remember watching it live with tears in my eyes. Arguably had his best match against the Rock with his body in the condition JR described. Yeah what a selfish guy

[@rosspearman2808]

McMahon fears ratings

[@insupportofjunhado]

The WCW talent who were buried by Hulk Hogan but ended up making money after jumping ship to WWF weren't to thrilled about Hogan returning to WWF? Shocking! Granted, the only one who would really have the pull to stop Hogan, I reckon, would have been Austin, and he was out of the ring at that point.

[@mattbones-nz3pw]

WCW would gone under a lot sooner then it did had hogan not come by

[@UCKABAH]

The trouble with Hogan/Vince was that by 2003, Vince had already lost his mind and gotten the idea that people wanted to see him in competitive matches. Back in the Attitude Era, Austin used to beat the living shit out of Vince. When he mixed it up with Rock or Taker, same story; Vince would get stomped. By 2002, Vince somehow was having 20-plus minute battles with Ric Flair. But who wanted to see the perennial, legendary 16X World Champion barely be able to contain a clumsy announcer? No one wanted that. And they didn't want to see Vince beating up the larger-than-life Hogan either, the character that slayed all these giants and won all those titles and bested all these villains...Who the hell wanted to see him selling for the embarrassingly uncoordinated Vince, then nearing 60, who'd had his ass handed to him in every real fight he'd ever had? (Harley, Nailz, Bret, etc.) Wasn't the right presentation at all.

[@darthkahn45]

Going by his well known reputation, I think this is BS It was only going to go one way, Terry comes in and naturally everything revolves around him again whether he can sell it or not. And everyone there felt they were past that by now

[@robertreams1231]

Terry? You know him personally?

[@darthkahn45]

@@robertreams1231 Nah I just like disrespecting him by calling him by his regular name 😋

[@temperedglass1130]

Hogan is the greatest

[@Trev794]

I know right imagine the biggest draw in wrestling history is coming in and you know your not moving up the card to work him. It can't be bad can it. I mean it's not like he headlined mania after this is it.

[@spms52]

And why would it matter if Hogan's is back if you're making 6 figures? I wouldn't care what Vince did as long as I got paid a decent livable amount of money.

[@mikejejenich7116]

Jealousy 💯

[@Sky_Blaze]

People fear and hate competition so that they can do the bare minimum...that's what's wrong with everything in 2023 ..nobody wants to push themselves when it comes to anything entertainment wise. Movies, music, video games, wrestling, and etc. This is the world's mind set we live in now, and it's disgusting.

[@rafaellima8996]

I wouldn’t want him either. He’d try to bury you.

[@TheLuminousOne]

Can you blame them lol!

[@jamesmuller1481]

All JR cares about is money & himself.

[@wingedhussar1453]

U just explained every wrestler

[@sukerAndre]

HHH didn’t wanted Hogan and Savage

[@pauldavis5665]

No one cares what HHH didn't wanted.

[@bryanmack4054]

@@pauldavis5665according to Prichard, HHH was a big Hogan fan and it was his idea to lose the title to him in 2002

[@tomh1593]

They knew he screwed over Sting in WCW

[@andrewft31]

Hogan didn’t screw Sting, Nick Patrick messed up, it was suppose to be a fast count but Nick did a normal three count. Bret was suppose to come out as he was a special referee that evening and restart the match and Sting would win. It is what is known as a Dusty finish and is WCWs favorite way of finishing high profile title matches to add drama. It is basically a false finish and was of course created by Dusty Rhodes.

[@tomh1593]

@@andrewft31 nick Patrick recently said Hogan told him to do a normal count.

[@Violent_Wolfen]

@@tomh1593 Wasn't that the same match where Sting wasn't all there because he had some issues going on and was going through a bad divorce?

[@curthennig9448]

@@tomh1593 Hogan screwed Nick Patrick too. The guy has no shame!

[@davescire3004]

For all you marks that blindly hate on Hogan just remember politics work both ways there were people politicking to not bring Hogan back for fear of losing their spots the same things you all accused Hogan of doing the difference here is like Ross said Hogan was old and his body was beaten up why were they so worried about an aging Hogan who was well past his prime just go out and do your thing

[@979williams9]

Nwo Hollywood Hogan was the only acceptable form

[@abdulrahamshabazz4903]

Hogan was still draw. (He should have done: radio frequency treatment on his back. To burn his nerve in spine. Back area. Instead of surgery.) I personally get this treatment. Without the treatment. I cannot move. I will be 42 in 2023. I was hit ran over and dragged by an automobile at age 13. I almost died as I was in a coma for 6 weeks.

[@carlosvelarde9235]

@abdulrahamshabazz4903 he was still a draw because v8nce gave hogan to much privilege even when it wa spass his prime their are a couple.things I might agree with Jim ross this is one I don't just look what he's saying everybody want3d to see him not everybody their is prove now out their that after sid eliminated hogan at the royal rumble 92 higan was booed after yet when they had the hogan vs sid justice rivalry at wrestlemania 8 after they booed hogan yet they made sid a heel turn if aby body was supsot to turn heel is fair to say hogan hogan already lost popularity their infact I think ever seen hogan an dwarrior rivalry two baby faces both with high popularity as equals especialy during with warrior finally beat hogan forth ww world tittle them when warrior lost it to sgts slaughter well not really lost it he lost it because of macho king an dwueen Sheri outside interfereince causing distraction and hitting warrior in the head with that medal captor that cause warrior to lost the tittle them salughtw race hogan an dhogan won againbut aagin slaughter theirs also prove their were less attendance in wrestlemania 7 them wrestlemania 6 an Deven doe Vince mchamon bruce prichard and jim ross WI never admit is because warrior was getting more popular and probably more popular after he beat hogan especialy after wrestlemania them hogan was at wrestle mania 7 so when warrior was screw machoman wa screw alots of wrestler s were screw hogan had something todo with it thats why I don't blame who eevne mad e abig deal about wanted to see hogan not everyone wante dto see hogan but again just like politicians hogan ea s acorporate guy and Vince favorite him that's why he gave hogan to much privilege at goes way back and even after hogan got eliminated at the royal rumble 92 especialy by sid and got booed when he try to pull sid from the outside sid an dtbey end up with that rivalry they jadthe nerve to made sid the heel when they should of made hogan the heel if you really wanted to now where else so I don't blame this guys saying those any one want to see hogan and Jim ross havi g the outdocedy to say why worried because no body want3d to see him that's why Jim ross Is delusional here or just buying g I to the hogan corporation here

[@merleshand2442]

I was shocked that people were so excited to see Hogan the wwf audience was always different

[@bryanmack4054]

That’s the thing….To many, Hogan is the face of WWF and they grew up watching them…while some followed him to WCW, the old school NWA fans couldn’t accept him. When Hogan came back, it was like returning “home “….it didn’t hurt that Wrestlemania 18 was in the same place where Hogan had his match with Warrior

[@nicolekestner185]

Jim ross and brent musbuger two of the goats of sprots Announcing

[@nathanwanner..44]

Being an asshole doesn't give you the right to run rough shod over everyone

[@alexmelendez6732]

Hogan was still a huge draw at the time. His ovations were out of this world. If hogan is getting those ovations for 5-10 mins long like that go me he has a right to look out for himself. The fans crapped on the rock & bad it would have been the very same for austin. Hogan did the favors for the rock it back fired so yeah i can see why he wasn't going to job to austin either. Those fan reactions were way too out of this world and we did not see nothing like thatvagain til daniel bryan then sammi zayn in canada. I never cared for wrestlers playing politics austin did it with ease people give him a pass sorry but i'm with hogan on this one.

[@mosthatedandroidtunernolim9800]

He doesn't deserve a pass

[@mosthatedandroidtunernolim9800]

Austin and then really had nothing to worry about him taking there spots because Austin was the giant reason and the Rick and triple h why wcw lost Monday night wars mainly austin

[@marcbasil]

@@mosthatedandroidtunernolim9800LOL “rock and triple nose” uhhh, no. Hahahaha

[@marcbasil]

Hulk is the only thing that matters in pro rasslin, period. The whole show

[@fmthebaron]

​@@mosthatedandroidtunernolim9800 He was definitely paranoid about Hogan and didn't want to lose to him. Ever since the WCW/ECW Alliance angle ended at the end of 2001, Austin's character went downhill. Triple H's huge return in January 2002 took away steam from Austin. You got Triple H winning the World Title, Hulk Hogan then winning it, then The Undertaker as the World Champ in 2002 putting Austin in mid card feuds with guys like Big Show and X-Pac. Then you got HBK's huge return taking over the nWo as the main focus. Immediately after that, Austin walked out of the company when he was supposed to lose to Brock Lesnar on Raw. Add on top of that all Austin's domestic issues he had with Debra so it's easy to see how Austin became so stressed out.

[@williammitchell4417]

Hulk would have needed to eat some serious crow to go back

[@christhornycroft3686]

Sure, Hogan could still get a pop, but in 2002, I don’t think he could draw like The Rock or Austin.

[@bb-gc2tx]

austin was not over as much as he used to be in 02-03 as he was in 98

[@PatFussy069]

By that time it was the start of nostalgia in wrestling where the young people were out of their teens and early 20s & wanted to see the guys they saw as kids get a shot again. Hogan was getting huge pops because he was Hulk Hogan back in the WWE, & WCW didn't travel that to some of the regular cities WWE did, so they hadn't seen Hogan in like 10 years or so. Everyone knew he wasn't going to hog the title anymore though so like Jim said there's no need to worry.

[@marcbasil]

Lolwut. Pro rasslin died in 2003, and it was permanently put to rest with Benoit, obviously. No one drew any money after 2002. Rocky maivia outdraw Hulk freaking Hogan…!?!?😳😆😂😆. LOL. Steve Austin sold more merch because manufacturing moved to china under the Clinton admin, no other reason. Hulk is the biggest draw of all time

[@fmthebaron]

@@bb-gc2tx exactly. After the WCW/ECW Alliance ended at the end of 2001, Austin's character was stale in 2002. He lost to Jericho. Triple H's huge return in January 2002 took steam away from Austin. Hogan winning the World Title, then Undertaker winning the World Title, then HBK's huge return taking over the nWo all put Austin in mid card feuds in 2002 then when it came time for Austin to lose to Lesnar on a Raw, Austin quit the company. Plus all of Austin's domestic issues he had with Debra, the dude was done.

[@bb-gc2tx]

@@fmthebaron go watch the segments with him the rock and the nwo. you could see his desperation trying to keep up hall nash rock and especially hogan. he was the least over out of all of them hogan left austin in his wake

[@chriscrocker6783]

Its obvious. The reason the biggest draw Steve Austin didn't work with him. Hulk is all for hulk. He will backstab lie and weasel his way to the top. Watching the 1980s leg drop and same crippled leg kick impersonation were so worn out old and lame compared to "talent" . Hey lampooned Randy Orton. The Rock vs Hulk put everyone in physical pain to watch because it was so terrible.

[@THE_CDN]

Two geriatrics fumbling through a bad match. Hard pass. I hope it never happens again.

[@ChilliPalmers]

Hulk was a legend but horrible wrestler 😂 he made it too obvious that it was fake in the ring

[@rockinyouallnight]

Newsflash: LOTS of talent at AEW & WWE don't want Old JR to come back. Many have stated that they are tired of him catching paychecks for babbling incoherently into the vapors like a senile old coot.

[@WiseQuacker]

Generous use of the word "Talent"....

[@aaronrey6642]

Wtf is that annoying noise

[@hobbesthegoblin]

Ikr? Is JR just clicking his mouse the whole time?

[@thatboybear]

JR didn’t have to get in the ring with that “limited mobility” and then watch his mobility on the card suffer because Hogan exercised his creative control. He should know better than anybody else that money doesn’t just magically manifest itself into your pocket, especially after you’ve slid down the card because your push got pulled by the childish whims of a 65-year-old manchild. Hogan doesn’t do what’s best for business; he does what’s best for Hogan. And if what’s best for Hogan is effing you out of a spot, oh well.

[@TheEverydayFan]

I'm assuming you are born after 2000. What you hear about the guy doing that it's from WCW, it's not when he came back to WWF in 2002 and WWE in 2003. Hogan lost to a lot of guys in WWE in that era. He was actually pretty cool to watch when he was fueding with Vince McMahon. He didn't do what he did in WcW. Don't hate on the guy that helped build wrestling. He's a legend. Fuck all the marks that love guys that weigh 120 pounds and flip around the ring. That shit sucks. Don't be one of these internet dorks that think Lance Storm and fuckin Fin Balor are great wrestlers. Please don't think like that.

[@kckc6578]

I bet a lot of those top guys didn’t want Hogan coming in lol But guess what…… it didn’t matter. Hogan built that company. But even at 49-50 he over shadowed them.

[@shaunkunz9649]

No one ever wanted vince vs hogan. No fan ever asked for that.

[@weatheredtome]

These clips are so uninformative

[@brianloveless2717]

Hogan saved wrestling and the losers need to understand that they wouldn’t be where they are without him. Grow up.