Jim Ross shoots on why we never got Hulk Hogan vs Steve Austin

For over forty years Jim Ross has been the Voice of Wrestling. From starting as referee in the regional territories to becoming the Executive Vice President for WWE, nobody has a story quite like Jim Ross. From recruiting and hiring some of the biggest superstars in the industry to providing the soundtrack for the most important moments in wrestling history, “Good Ole JR” was there for it all. Join us every Thursday morning as Conrad Thompson grills JR like you’ve never heard before, uncut and uncensored!
#jimross #hulkhogan #stonecoldsteveaustin
Logos and album art by Dave Silva
All backgrounds licensed by Videoblocks
Videos edited and uploaded by Steve Kaufmann

[@michaelwilson9184]

Hulk hogan : give me the stunner and I'll kick out, Austin : "WHAT?"

[@Aizenborgman]

Whatcha ganna Do

[@danspille1864]

Having a laugh. Even in a loss hogan gonna kick out at 3.000000000001

[@Aizenborgman]

@@danspille1864 so what . Your ganna cry about 4 life or what !!??

[@FingerBreakerWu]

@@danspille1864 Watch the match Stone Cold did with Mr. Perfect when Hennig came back. Hennig BARELY sold the Stunner and popped out of the ring casually walking to the back after he got pinned.

[@ryanpurplenintendoeater9869]

But he lost to the Rock so why couldn't he lose to Austin

[@craigmcguire9853]

NwO vs Rock & Austin on RAW was a good tag match

[@knephsabir3245]

Hell yeah!

[@mojennith6427]

It was but Hogan and Austin barely touched......Rock vs Hogan was great but add in a follow up Wrestlemania with Hogan Austin would have been just as great!!!

[@carlosdangerjr.7935]

@@mojennith6427 I've read this like 6x already, & I still have absolute no idea wtf it's supposed to mean. I'm not trying to be an asshole. It just doesn't make sense. "It was but Hogan and Austin barely touched.....Rock vs. Hogan." They never wrestled each other. Ever. That's the main point of discussion. Literally everything else you said makes even less sense.

[@mojennith6427]

Carlos Danger Jr. I mean Hogan and Austin wrestled each other for a little bit in the NWO vs Rock and Austin match on Raw. I was saying that the following year could have been Hogan vs Austin at mania and it would have been just as big as Hogan vs Rock. I just wish we would have got the 1 on 1 match and feel like it should have only happened at Mania.

[@TroystonB]

ya very memorable.

[@whidoineedthis]

The moving background makes me think im Spiderman

[@loregasmic]

6:25 Hearing Jim Ross say I don't give a FUCK was everything I never knew I needed.

[@mattsharkey8437]

I would liked to have seen a "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" type of situation between Hulk, Rock and Austin. The triple threats of all ages.

[@Bsfnelz20]

Gotta put Cena in for the fatal 4 way cuz i think those 4 are like the most that drew $$$$

[@mattsharkey8437]

@@Bsfnelz20 don't ruin my fatal three way

[@Bsfnelz20]

@@mattsharkey8437 lmfao how did i know i was gonna push a button but yea that dream match should of happened at the wrestle mania when the nwo came back

[@mattsharkey8437]

@@Bsfnelz20 just joking. You can have your fatal four way at Backlash

[@jasonmarshall7547]

Sooo, Hogan would be “The Ugly”?

[@diontaedaughtry974]

Letting Rock and Hogan go before HHH and Jericho at Wrestlemania was like letting James Brown go before the Rolling Stones on the Tami show.

[@matsong5134]

I don’t think they realised how huge that match would end up becoming

[@hattybryanfield4408]

Though Hogan-Austin is still one of the biggest dream matches, at the time The Rock was the best choice. He had his movie career taking off and Austin, though still the man, had lost steam post invasion angle. The what?! chant was over as hell then but once Hogan came back, the nostalgia was overwhelming. Too bad Hogan vs Austin never happened though.

[@djtrankilo231]

I quit watching wrestling in 2000 and came back in 2002. I noticed a huge difference in Austin's presence in both of those years. Austin was no longer THE Spectacle he was in 2000 and before.

[@hattybryanfield4408]

DJ Trankilo For sure. He was big but definitely not as big as the pre-heel turn and 1998-1999.

[@allwightallwong5045]

Austin from 97 to 99 was great. They should've never turned him heel at the time they did when he came back

[@disintegrateallhumans4800]

@ DJ Trankilo- You missed all of 2000? That was one of the best years in wwe history (especially the 2nd half of that year). You missed a lot my friend. As Ron Simmons would say:.....’DAMN!’.

[@djtrankilo231]

@@disintegrateallhumans4800 maybe it was 2001. Because I remember still watching when the 6-man Hell in the Cell match happened

[@chris2423]

It’s because Steve is a baby (albeit a smart one) and knew the crowd would cheer hogan over him just like what happened to the rock and didn’t want proof he’s only the second best WWE champ of all time.

[@romans52345-cy3tq]

9:14 Look at the match that Rock had at Wrestlemania 18 with The Rock

[@disintegrateallhumans4800]

He did mention that he was drinking a screwdriver. I caught that too.

[@gwiz1267]

@@disintegrateallhumans4800 screwdriver is a cocktail 🍸

[@madamefeast4824]

@@gwiz1267 He knows

[@napalmwedding]

I love the idea of Hogan getting denied a match with Austin. How does it feel, brother?

[@D2Kprime]

I'm sure 65,000 people screaming their guts out for him at the Skydome and then giving him a 10-minute standing-ovation the next night on RAW felt pretty damned good.

[@reggaemortis4117]

@John D pretty sure he cared about the pay day

[@spaniardprince]

Fuck hogan.

[@captainjaber5610]

@John D 02-05 says otherwise my friend; I am of those who think Hogan was definitely more successful than Austin and played a bigger role but Hogan without a shadow of a doubt cared about facing the next top star in the history of the business. Hogan tried in 2002 and then tried again in 2005, and apparently, unless it's BS, Austin did not know Hogan wanted to call him out on a match in 2005.

[@gilbert2795]

Hogan vs Austin the match that never happened. The fans are the losers here

[@rjm22nd]

We got really four dream matches during the 2002 Hulkamania Renaissance run. Hogan-Rock, Hogan Triple H, Hogan-Angle & Hogan-Lesnar. So that was good enough for me. Hogan-Austin will always be one of the biggest what-ifs in wrestling history though but maybe those that thought the match wouldn't have come off as good were right. We'll never know.

[@cjvaye99]

one story that always makes me laugh is when the nwo got there one of the first things they did in the locker room hall and nash did was go up to the dudley boys and tell them how much they love their tag finisher and how awesome it was then hall said..."I cant wait to kick out of it" he was obviously joking but apparently that made bubba ray furious 🤣🤣🤣

[@J_Stevens89]

That or Scott telling people to "tuck their chin in during his finisher" was also a good one lol

[@Montega11]

In retrospect seeing how Austin always gushes about his love for mid to late 80’s NWA I believe WM18 should’ve been: Rock vs Hogan, Austin vs Flair, Taker vs hall, and the undercard could still play out the way it did

[@danielrierson6683]

Taker recently turned heel. I think Austin deserved hogan more because stone cold was the guy that kickstarted the attitude era and revived the wwe. This and the heel turn is what led to stone cold walking out. And hogan should have heel longer and gave us the invasion angle we wanted.

[@D2Kprime]

Instead of speculating all you need to do is go listen to Austin's podcast with Hogan where they finally discuss it face-to-face. Both guys admitted that it was a mistake not to do business. More-so Austin because he had the say in the matter and turned it down. I think that if the WWF had not turned Austin heel at Wrestlemania X-7, they had a *PERFECT* opportunity to turn him heel at this juncture.

[@cecilmccoy4890]

hogan would not of lost to Austin in if I was Austin I would not of ever lost to hogan

[@rogerwood9922]

@@cecilmccoy4890 Hogan lost more than he won when he came back to wwe

[@Rodshark75]

@@rogerwood9922 They were almost never "clean" loses though... it was always a schmoze ending.

[@TheKevinNewsom]

Yep. That would have been a monumental heel turn!

[@aswinastro]

It would have been an anticlimax and bad for business and also Legacy. Also, remember this. Austin will be remembered as the "STAR" who was pipped by Hogan and all Nostalgic wrestling fans will be immediate to point out how Hogan was the bigger star and blah blah, forgetting that guys like Austin were the reason why Hogan had to jump ship from WCW (because it went out of business) in the first place, meaning Austin had outsold not just Hogan, but almost the entire WCW roster in terms of ticket and PPV sales. Why ruin Austin;s legacy with ONE single match that totally rewrites History.

[@wadjay1117]

I think rock pulling off that match at least made The Rock equal to Austin. Austin was always seen slightly above but The rock stepped up while Austin dropped the ball.

[@jackwei22]

In 2000 The Rock is number 1 it is most profitable year in WWE history as well as ratings, PPV buyrates and gates records and mainstream wise he surpassed Austin. Why did Austin need that win at WM 17 as it wouldn't of hurt his popularity but the segment interview with Rock and JR showed Austin looked insecure about the success of The Rock up to that point.

[@rehanpatel9797]

@@jackwei22 Austin won because Rock was about to leave to shoot a movie.

[@billybob5337]

Rock and Hogan were the right match-up. They had great chemistry the way that Austin and Hart had. Its all about match-ups. Some guys match up better than others. Say whatever you want about Hulk. But when he came through, he came through BIG. When you look at the Andre, Warrior, and Rock matches. The crowd is just completely engulfed. And he had the same effect as a heel in big-time matches. Such as his Nitro matches with Luger and Goldberg. The crowd effect is just insane. It feels like the literal fate of the world is at stake based on what happens. This is why Hogan is one of the GOATS. He tapped into emotion in a way unrivaled by most.

[@sdo1840]

Corny said it best - there was no reason or way to let hogan ever win the match, no drive for a story. Austin wins hands down

[@wedgeantilles4712]

"Why we never got Hulk Hogan vs. Steve Austin"... Except, they actually have wrestled each other briefly... In a tag team match. But it is what it is.

[@vastyandrews2631]

11:15 goals

[@mexozul]

I'm obliged to agree with JR. They're like oil and water. I think it would have been satisfactory at best

[@Rodshark75]

Maybe... but if they did work together and it was like oil and vinegar, you would have a nice salad dressing *lol*

[@mexozul]

@@Rodshark75 hahaha, a yummy salad indeed. Truth is we'll never know what kind of match they could have had. I would hope stone cold would go over, but you know how politician hogan is

[@gerv55]

It was alluded to a few times with Hogan and Austin at the hall of fame and Hogan cutting a promo in the ring about facing Austin, but it was a match that would have needed to take place several years earlier, not at the point of their careers they were at, so it was quietly dropped.

[@sithvsjedi9696]

In hindsight it was amazing how well this worked out. The Rock Vs Hogan was far bigger than Austin Vs Hogan now time has passed. 🙂✌️

[@dz0740]

Well considering hogan and Austin never even got started let alone become a thing....obv rock and hogan was bigger than something that never happened

[@kckc6578]

Imagine being a guy in the WWF at this time and thinking you could keep Hulk Hogan, the guy that built that company, from coming back if he wanted to lol. I guess they found out

[@danielrivera2365]

Ah, Wrestlemania 18 - the golden goose was flying low but nobody grabbed it.

[@Watchthatleft]

This should have been so good.

[@cobrakaiisback4709]

people forget scott hall vs stone cold was a fun wm 18 match. Give it a rewatch sometime.

[@ravenstrahd5234]

Austin wasn't nearly as over as Hogan. Austin would've gotten booed hard.

[@cecilmccoy4890]

ur craZy dumb

[@Kurios4Life08]

Nope

[@aprylhaagenstad3954]

Austin was the biggest star of all time! Vince McMahon said it himself

[@eggiej25]

@@aprylhaagenstad3954 Vince switches that up. He said that about Hogan, Austin, Cena, etc. Hogan is actually the biggest star of all time. He just gets a bad wrap for his past nonsense. Jim Ross said Hogan is the biggest star of all time. Jim is also close friends with Austin

[@sakibdagoat]

Austin wasn't nearly as over as Hogan? LOL wtf Austin got the biggest pops compared to anyone during the attitude era. Are you on crack? Tf.

[@Dilaudid281]

I think Austin and Hogan would have turned out pretty bad. Austin was at least honest with saying it wouldn't have worked, Hogan would have had too many conditions.

[@shanesahadeo8476]

Why the hell would Austin want to lay down and sell a geriatric leg drop? Gimme a break,

[@MrJjburgess11]

He had no problem selling a friggin Elbow tho.

[@shanesahadeo8476]

Bob Lawango the elbow never beat him, “3 rock bottoms” did.

[@jakelang806]

Every body else did

[@shanesahadeo8476]

Jake Lang and? Point is he still didn’t cause it’s stupid, argue with Austin if u want

[@daherreysso2826]

Shane Sahadeo coz he was insecure even if his health wasn’t 100% so wanted to look strong

[@49ersfirsttakes]

Does jr have his microphone down his throat, what is it with all the crunchy annoying noises

[@iLLBiLLsRoastBeats]

Shitty sound card my guess

[@fictionrumble]

austin knew hogan would buried his popular flame

[@exactinmidget92]

i cant see Austin as Hogan's brother.

[@nickr4837]

StoneCold was too busy getting Roddy Piper fired from his podcast to wrestle the Hulkster

[@davejohnson7583]

I think Austin still held a grudge with hogan because hogan didn’t have a run with him in wcw Steve was us champ and hogan was world champ and they never did a program together I don’t think Steve wanted to go over on hogan but he lost money not working with him

[@RamenReignss]

As much as I love Austin, I don’t think he would’ve had chemistry with Hogan the same way The Rock did.

[@brianthomas3451]

Austin wanted no part of hogan at mania 18. Austin knew hogan would get a bigger pop and didn’t want to look like the number 2 guy in wwf. That’s a fact.

[@sj4632]

True

[@johnsorto6737]

Might as well make this one of the cinematic matches pre-recorded like Undertaker vs Styles..

[@CR-ye6jq]

I think we got the better match tbh. As great as Austin was, he wasn't great at working heel, especially considering he would've been billed as the face. Nobody works a crowd like Rock, and especially since they turned on him for Hogan, Rock worked that match perfectly IMO.

[@travfdy]

6:25 What you say JR? 😄

[@henrikschmidt3964]

The booking of the nWo in WWE was terrible. It made zero sense for Mr. McMahon to be associated with them. To say the storyline was snakebit is an understatement.

[@horrorfiend7694]

Glad we didn't we already know who would win...brother.

[@BillOLDbergSucks]

I don't think anyone wanted to see Hogan drop the leg for the 1,2,3. You know if they wanted Austin to go over he'd pull the "that doesn't work for me brother" creative control card.

[@derekazyan9942]

I heard a recent interview with Hogan and he said his two biggest regrets were not wrestling Austin and Bret Hart... Pretty sure he dodged Hart for 10 years....

[@jakelang806]

Longer than that Bret signed in what 85? plus thier wcw days?

[@Dre0122]

I remember when Hart actually joined the NWO on Hogan’s side..That was so stupid and made no sense..A Hogan Hart feud would have been perfect there..

[@sportsfan5548]

As far as Hart goes, he did an interview with Austin not too long ago where he said he should have worked with Hogan right away when he went to WCW. It never happened.

[@just2slick195]

Hogan has no wrestling skill against bret. Bret would of exposed him

[@gilbert2795]

@@just2slick195 watch Hogan in Japan he can wrestle plus his match with macho man WM5

[@Nextraker]

Seeing Angle make hulk hogan tap out was amazing. Seeing mr McMahon sign a contract with Hogan’s blood even better.

[@himynameisbrandonlee]

Knowing Hogan was a bigger star than both. Priceless

[@cjvaye99]

I always forget Angle made Hogan visibly submit. that's insane. because Hogan has 'submitted' before but that was at starrcade '97 with that bogus finish and he didnt actually tap he just verbally submitted I guess because Bret Hart just called for the bell. again this was after Hogan had already won with a nice slow three count. so it actually looked like Hogan got screwed. but yeah it's crazy he actually tapped out to kurt angle. I think that should be brought up more when talking about Kurt's accomplishments in pro wrestling.

[@dildonius]

@@himynameisbrandonlee Knowing that as big a star as he was, he still wound up becoming a washed-up has-been who spent the 2000s & 2010s slumming it and making an embarrassment of himself and demonstrating, especially in his final WWF/WWE run, that he was always a shitty wrestler who couldn't work for shit and just rode an epic marketing wave in the 80s and 90s and that's it is even more priceless.

[@MR.__G]

@@himynameisbrandonlee knowing angle gave us way more greater matches than hogan, priceless !

[@chriszaa2309]

@@dildonius how exacvtly did hogan make an embarrassment of himself? dumbass

[@jerrywilliams408]

"That just doesn't work for me, brother!"

[@TexasT346]

😂😂😂😂

[@CobraCraig88]

Lol

[@RG-lr4pk]

"I'm scared that the fans will cheer for Hogan and boo me so I will forego the biggest payoff in my life." - Steve Williams

[@travelreview5962]

Out of all the Hogan Stories it's the Undertaker "ouch my neck you got me brother" that bothers me the most.

[@LeBronBoxing4Life]

Undertaker is an ungrateful person before debuting in wwf in 1990 hulk hogan gave him an opportunity for undertaker to be in his movie as villain in a movie in subbarban commando then in 1 year only in 1991 he was fighting for the wwf title with hulk hogan that undertaker is a ungrateful evil and will never be bigger than hulk hogan

[@MrJjburgess11]

I'm huge Taker fan. But he should of just been great full for even being in that spot 1 year into his wwf run. After wcw thought he was a bust. I think when he was telling that story. He forgot a little bit about where he came from. And was looking at himself in his present status.

[@LeBronBoxing4Life]

@@MrJjburgess11 undertaker was never greater than hulk hogan Lets see the facts When hulk hogan left after wrestlemana 8 in 1992 undertaker became the face of wwf ? NO did he became the biggest draw in wwf NO vince have to relate to macho man,ric flair and ultimate warrior and bret hart not undertaker when hulk hogan came back in 1993 he becamd the face of wwf again in wrestlemania 9 when hogan left in 1993 after he did the european tour did undertaker became the face and the Draw in wwf ? NO vince have to relate to bret hart not undertaker When hulk hogan when to wcw wcw start beating wwf in rating what did undertaker do NOTHING did he became the face of wwf? Did he became the biggest draw in wwf when hogan went to wcw ? No lets look when wcw made the NWO in 1996 did undertaker made a difrent to beat wcw ? NO he was nothing compare to the NWO so lets look when undertaker beat sycho sid in wrestlemania 13 and compare undertsker champion run in 1997 that run was a failere he never beat wcw in ratings in 1997 so vince have to put the champion again on bret hart so undertaker from 1990 to 2000 he never was a big draw and he never did nothing huge to be the face or the big draw in wwf so lets go further undertaker did nothing to wwf to beat wcw so vince have to relay in other guys like bret hart shawn michaels rick flair and them when vince was almost out of bussines who saves vince and the wwf ? Undertaker lol what a joke if was stone cold steve austin and the rock and vince yes vince thw hottest thing in wwf in 1998 was austin vs macmahon so stop the crap undertaker never was a big draw never was the face of wwf and vince always hace to relay in sombody else not undertaker and went undertaker have his breat with the title what did he did ? Did he draw did he break records ? NO So how dare people said that this clown of undertaker if even close to hulk hogan Wwf was succesful because hulk hogan hulk hogan put wwf worldwide hulk hogan was the face always in wwf and he was the face in wcw and he almost put wwf to the ground with the NWO Even went hulk hogan came back in 2002 he became the more over talent in wwf went he came back and hogan was more over than taker by that time So stop the crap hulk hogan is bigger than undertaker later undertaker came with the streak But the streak dont mean nothing The guy who made the hard work was hulk hogan who made sport entertaiment and made wrestling worlwide and remenber hulk hogan with mr t was the reason that wrestlemania was suscced

[@MrJjburgess11]

@@LeBronBoxing4Life I was agreeing with you . In my comment. I know Taker was never as big as Hogan. I was replying to the OP.

[@travelreview5962]

@@LeBronBoxing4Life I'm pretty sure he was agreeing with you man. Shit plus that's way too long to read god damn.

[@jrad410]

Honestly I think Rock was a better matchup. Rock had the right energy and showmanship to match Hogan

[@MylesW304]

I'm so glad it never happened. Rocky, being able to sell for Hulk like that, made the match legendary

[@johnsorto6737]

SCSA could have sold a great fight too..

[@jgeorge2693]

John Sorto no he wouldn’t. Look at how meh Austin’s match with Hall was. The rock is not particularly great in the ring but he’s great at making whoever he’s working with look like a credible threat. Particularly an over the hill Hogan

[@johnsorto6737]

@@jgeorge2693 Austin just didn't take the Hall match seriously... Austin would have definitely had to been on that day but he could work a match with regal right?..

[@MylesW304]

@@johnsorto6737 but what if Steve couldn't work a heel match like that if he was the one being booed? That's also another one of the things The Rock could do, too. He, as J.R. himself would put it, "sold like a heel". Austin at that point in his career couldn't.

[@johnsorto6737]

@@MylesW304 it's not that he couldn't.. I believe its Austin wouldn't at that point but I still think he was talented enough to do so..

[@everythingafrica5533]

Without Jim Ross there will be no attitude era

[@christiansoldier77]

Everything Africa the Attitude Era would have still happened with or without Ross but he made a little better

[@iLLBiLLsRoastBeats]

There’s about 1000 components. You can’t just arbitrarily pick one and say it fails without

[@bugg2032]

Ring the damn bell ref

[@bugg2032]

@Zee Dee 😂😂😂

[@horrorfiend7694]

Seriously?

[@sNorENaDo777]

Would have been excellent if Hogan hulked up and Austin just began cursing and flips Hogan off before stomping an adrenaline hole thru the Hulkster lol

[@outtour7518]

Austin hits stunner, 1 2, hogan kicks out and hulks up, Austin flips him off hits another stunner 1 2 3...would of been hilarious

[@Aizenborgman]

Sorry Austin marks ^^ but Hogan team beat Austin Team in a Tag match in 2002 ^^

[@GorditoCrunch343]

@@Aizenborgman So? Hogan tapped like a jobber to Kurt Angle at King of the Ring 2002, it's all scripted my guy.

[@RepublicConstitution]

You sound like an idiot. I bet you drive a noisy truck with a nutsack hanging from the back and have skull tats.

[@Aizenborgman]

@@GorditoCrunch343 i know my guy . I was not talking to you ^^ i was talking to the guy who talks like it was real ^^ get it ^____^ ???

[@adamalberts2]

Rock was/is more of a showman than Steve, which is what made the WM18 match so good. Rock had the patience to play the part up to the cartoonish level that Hulk's old days were at, which is why the nostalgia pop was so appreciated in this match. Hulk and Steve would have been the two icons of the business at that time but they could not have possibly put together something as entertaining as what Rock and Hulk did.

[@ferox965]

I'm willing to bet all those bitching about Austin Vs Hogan would have been first in line to see it. Regardless of how the match would have came out, it's sad it never happened. Just like the first opportunity to have Flair and Hogan at Mania 8.

[@LeBronBoxing4Life]

I think the reason that vince decide to not have that match in mania 8 is becaise hulk hogan was leaving after wrestlemania 8 remeber the steroid trial so i guees vince though how i am going to put hogan vs flair and let hogan win the title is he is leaving So vince went for macho vs flair

[@ferox965]

@@LeBronBoxing4Life I know there were lots of problems...just too bad it didn't happen then...

[@LeBronBoxing4Life]

@@ferox965 agree 100%

[@ferox965]

@@LeBronBoxing4Life Could you imagine the pop Austin vs Hogan would have had? If the pop from Hogan vs Rock says anything...it would probably have been the loudest pop in history.

[@ryanpurplenintendoeater9869]

@@LeBronBoxing4Life but flair left too though

[@jayhood8514]

Austin/Hogan would've been like Breaking Takers Streak.... You think you want to see it until you do. Then you wish you hadn't.

[@3d1k3]

I never wanted to see the streak broken. It would have taken flawless storytelling and a once in a lifetime talent/character to believably end the streak. Brock Lesnar is not a character. He's not a once in a lifetime talent. I like Brock. But he didn't deserve to beat Taker. Austin/Hogan could have worked but WWF didn't have the writing talent to handle the story line and it sounds like Austin and Hogan weren't bought in either.

[@jayhood8514]

@@3d1k3 Hogan wanted to do it. Austin didn't want to do it because he felt Hogan was older and slower snd felt that the styles would clash. It made sense for Austin to win but Hogan wanted to win or he wouldn't do it and Austin said Hell No and that was it. I agree with you about The Streak though. Most people wanted to see it. I was NOT 1 of those people.

[@3d1k3]

@@jayhood8514 yeah, wrestling fans are weird. I have no way to prove this but, it seems like younger newer wrestling fans wanted to see undertaker blues. Maybe not all of them, but I can't see many wrestling fans from The Attitude Era and before wanting to see take her lose especially with the lack of talent in the PG era. If taker was to lose it would have to be at somebody who was on the verge of being over and also who had a character that made sense to beat the undertaker's character. Age is the only person I can think of that was close enough. Maybe Finn Balor or Bray Wyatt if they push them the right way but WWE has ruined both of those characters

[@jayhood8514]

@@3d1k3 John Cena, Randy Orton, Batista, Bray & Brock are the only 5 ive seen since 2002 that could've been big in the attitude era. Maybe Eddie Guerrero, Y2J , Mysterio, Angle and even Benoit too. But Bray Wyatt & The fiend characters are the ONLY characters I've seen that would've THRIVED in the attitude era & ruthless aggression era. And WWE murdered both of the characters.

[@3d1k3]

@@jayhood8514 I agree. I think there are others who would have been great mid carders or big in spots. Big E would've been a better Ahmed. I can see him doing great in the Nation of Domination angle. Maybe even leaving when left and instead of Rocky turning against the whole Nation he and Big E. could bounce and Big E. could be to him what Diesel/Kevin Nash was to Shawn Michaels and then go on to bigger and better. What about Finn Balor/The Demon??? I think with better coaching and better writing that could be a great character. Kind of like how Mick Foley would use Cactus Jack when he needed to, Finn could do a better job of using the Demon when he met darker or more formidable opponents. WWE/F could have it to where Finn was an impressive upper mid to lower high carder with a decent record but, as the Demon he would develop an impressive when streak that wasn't even acknowledged until shortly before the Finn/Taker feud would even happen. As the Demon he would never cut promos. He would have a very different, more aggressive and even dirty move set and finisher. They could even stretch it to where if enough of the paint wore off and Finn noticed it his moves wouldn't connect as much and he'd be in danger of almost losing. And just when Taker figures this out plans to "beat the paint" off of him, The demon emerges with a new Kane like suit/Fiend like mask that stays on and they duke it out until the Demon hits his finisher and ends the streak.

[@Sujjin21]

*Phone rings for a few seconds* "YoU gOnNa Do SoMeThInG wItH tHaT?¿?"

[@joee95]

A bit dom of Conrad

[@countof3everybodyOD]

Boi better watch how he talks to good ol JR

[@Sujjin21]

@@countof3everybodyOD I'm sayin!

[@supermegaguy666]

glad I'm not the only one that noticed that

[@who55f30]

Shoulda left it ring for that jackass comment

[@larrysmith4036]

9:14 “Look at the match Rock had at Wrestlemania 18 with The Rock” 😄

[@ajk]

Apparently JR thought The Rock was facing Don Muraco.....which woulda been interesting in itself even in 2002, but I digress lol.

[@gumdeo]

Rock could have a great match with himself.

[@TitaniumTurbine]

I loved that match. It really gave “wrestling with yourself” a whole new meaning. When The Rock gave The Rock the “Rock Bottom”, it was like pure art. You could truly see the depths of his internal struggle in his face and in his unsuccessful pinfalls.

[@Psychology]

As soon as Vince said he was signing Nash, everyone in the back knew a quad tear was coming. And guess what? They were right.

[@qpeocn]

Lmao wtf 😂

[@lusterthomas2435]

One thing people got to remember is that Steve Austin was one hell of a wrestler,not sports entertainer but wrestler,the dude could put in that work,the reason Austin vs Hart was so good because both were great wrestlers, Hogan and the rock worked because of the entertainment, they was cut from the same cloth.

[@daherreysso2826]

Rock wAs Not A GooD WrEsLeR really ? He could sold better than Austin and Hogan is different from Bret so if Rock faced Bret Hart it would’ve different

[@juicefargo4538]

@@daherreysso2826 I dont think he meant it like that bro,Rock definitely wasnt a technician by any means and quite possibly had one of the worst sharpshooters ever.But The Rock was a great worker as far as psychology.."where,when,and how" to do things ..u cant forget he literally started wrestling in 96.Austin and Bret had full long careers full of experience.The Rock caught on very quickly tho,he learned alot from Austin.

[@daherreysso2826]

Juice Fargo I will say he didn’t learn a lot from Austin as their style wasn’t that much similar maybe before the neck injury but after that Austin was a brawler

[@juicefargo4538]

@@daherreysso2826 let me know if u want the links from austin saying he taught the rock alot,and the the rock saying he learned alot from austin(that's on the rocks Instagram atleast 3 times)

[@captainjaber5610]

Austin not an entertainer? Ok, 97-99 is the reason WCW went of business in 2001, and who was responsible for that? Stone Cold. Rock just sailed off of Austin's foundation of the Attitude Era.

[@alvagoldbook2]

I do sometimes wonder about this, but when I think about it, I think Austin might be right. I really can’t see their styles working very well together, especially as Hogan was turning baby face.

[@theungreatkahli]

I agree. It would have been garbage to me.

[@GameTime-yj6qv]

The match wouldn't have been good as Hogan was too slow for Austin's style. So Austin was right in terms of match quality. But I think if the match was planned in advance like Hogan/Warrior, it could have worked given the spectacle of the two icons facing off

[@allencollins1617]

It's Simple Because The WWE Can Suck At Dream Matches & Invasion Angles.

[@jasonh5547]

It would not have been a dream match because Hogan was too much past his prime. If Hogan was in his prime then kayfabe wise Austin would really have stood no chance because Hogan in his prime was booked as one of the most dominant wrestlers ever.

[@keithberns5]

Really Conrad? “You gonna do something with that”

[@docholliday1112]

Thought the exact same thing

[@Content_to_suffer]

“Yeah I’m gonna hang up the god damn phone if you don’t change your attitude”

[@storieswrittenbyacurrentpr9755]

I know right check that tone son! Yu need him he don’t need you

[@js09js09]

It sounded a little disrespectful and rude.

[@JoshFromCapeCod]

Conrad is a fuckin nasally voiced prick.

[@johnnyfive9815]

Steve stuck it to hogan for all the nonsense he did but that rock and hogan match was priceless

[@johnsorto6737]

Austin actually pulled a punk move by grabbing all his little toys and running home. It's an Ultimate Warrior type move and that's as selfish as you can get..

[@jpayne3616]

@@johnsorto6737 he walked away from a shitload of Hogan cash.

[@Facesofevildead420]

Imagine if it had been a triple threat

[@StrikeTeam0316]

@@johnsorto6737 fast forward and look at what hogan pulled on HBK in ‘05, Austin was smart enough not to give Hogan the opportunity to pull the any BS.

[@johnsorto6737]

@@StrikeTeam0316 If you believe what HBK says but Shawn LIES for days plus I wouldn't put HBK over. He is corny as DX..

[@raymondanguiano4042]

Would've rather seen Austin vs Goldberg

[@raymondanguiano4042]

Dream line up Main Event Austin vs Goldberg Other matches Rock vs Hogan Undertaker vs Sting DX Triple h and Shawn Michaels vs NWO hall and nash Kurt Angle vs Booker T Scott Steiner vs Chris Jericho Vince and Shane vs Bischoff and Flair

[@gwiz1267]

They did brawl a couple times, ending with Goldberg getting the stunner

[@jodystrickland9150]

@@gwiz1267 they never brawled. Goldberg got a stunner after the Lesnar/Goldberg match. It was payback for when Goldberg accidentally speared Austin, but they never brawled.

[@gwiz1267]

@@jodystrickland9150 no they brawled, went toe 2 toe punch for punch at the bottom of the entrance ramp, on a different occasion aswell

[@jodystrickland9150]

@@gwiz1267 that happened on the the episode of SD going in mania. LESNAR stole Austin's ATV and Austin went to SD to take it back. Goldberg wasn't involved

[@pusheadmetal]

I think Hogan///Austin could've worked, but as a hardcore match or Hell in a Cell...something more brutal than a standard match. Get some color, have Austin go over. Make Hogan look tough as hell, but have Austin still be the toughest sob in the end.

[@jfayiii]

Definitely could work, have Hogan drop the cartoony shit while doing so.

[@jd.garcia7555]

I remember back in 1998 I read an article that said Hogan was going back to WWF. It didnt mention about wcw going down just that Hogan wanted to finish his career with WWF

[@imnotafishimaman28]

Hogan kinda comes off as a snake in the world of wrestling so wouldnt surprise me. $$$$

[@iLLBiLLsRoastBeats]

I thought it was right around 97 survivor series but Bruce Prichard said hogan only did it to get more money from Ted turner and everyone knew about it

[@Screwednky]

Hollywood Hogan gimmick vs Stone Cold....Give me a hell yeah brother!!

[@heavyweighthank6074]

Dam Conrad watch how you talk to JR fool

[@seancharlie8476]

I always preferred The Rock over Stone Cold

[@AndrewNewZealand]

So I guess at WM 18 fans picked Hogan over Rock and it makes me wonder who fans would've picked in a Hogan-Austin.

[@bdot187um]

They would have.

[@NEMtvOfficial]

Impossible for fans to turn on Austin...

[@ZEUSDAZ]

Austin's ego didn't want him to be bood over Hogan which most likely would have happened, the pops Hogan got in WM18 was just off the planet.

[@ErikBrantley33]

I 100% agree with you. Austin would not have out popped Hogan that night.

[@jim1631]

IMO Austin would of popped fine. The Rock has serious heat in Canada from doing the Sharpshooter and mocking Montreal.

[@outlawrob316]

I don’t think Austin would have been booed but I think Hogan’s pop would have been louder due to novelty/nostalgia. I think Austin knew Hogan would always be manoeuvring for his own advantage, which didn’t engender any trust

[@jakelang806]

He wouldnt have though

[@AD-ur1fk]

Because it was in Canada. Rock was getting more cheers the week earlier in the US. Austin would of got way more cheers in the US

[@BrianJamesShanley]

That “Our styles would clash” excuse is bullshit. I cannot believe JR is advancing it.

[@conor-_C]

he's saying thats what austin said

[@jalenmarshall553]

Crowd would have been 50/50 for Austin vs Hogan or 51/49 crowd in Hogan favor due to Nostalgia. Canada loves Stone cold and Hogan. Look at Austin pop and Hogan pop at No way out 2003. I would have loved to see Hogan hulk up and wave his finger and then Austin flips him off stunner 123. That pop would have been huge

[@ricosalvaje5802]

That finish would have been amazing. Afterwards hall and nash attack hogan, austin makes the save and the next ppv would be hogan,austin vs hall and nash.

[@eddiemarin2984]

Honestly I highly doubt it..I think against anyone else for hogan than yea but against Austin? No way the crowd will always have more love for Austin

[@eggiej25]

@@eddiemarin2984 not true. Hogan would've gotten the bigger pop at that time in Canada. Pops are generally about timing and location. Both favor Hogan for that moment.

[@jbailey690]

@@eggiej25 Not true everyone knows Austin gets the biggest pops and has the crowd/fanbase the most even as a heel. Vince says Austin is the GOAT, Rock says Austin is the GOAT, the numbers show Austin is the GOAT. You're wrong.

[@eggiej25]

@@jbailey690 Actually Rock said Hogan is. If you ask most in the industry who the Biggest star ever was, they will say Hogan.

[@brianconnelly1238]

For people being butthurt by Vince McMahon bringing Hulk Hogan back in 2002 A: they hate Hulk Hogan or B: they obviously don't know a lick about business or how it works, I'm sorry but in 2002 when Vince brought him back, the guy still had some mileage left, he still had some big matches left in him, so if the opportunity to bring Hulk Hogan back to the promotion he helped build, you do it without hesitation;, I mean he's still HULK HOGAN for goodness sake...

[@jediknightgeo]

9:13 Holy shit I never knew Rock had a match with himself at Wrestlemania 18 😱

[@mighty-badger7977]

It should of been Austin v HHH for the title at WM18, with Hogan v Rock as the main event!

[@434Saibot]

Sheesh! I've never heard Jim Ross drop an F bomb before...I'm 31.

[@troystaunton254]

If it was me in charge. I’d have gone with showman vs showman. Blood and guts vs blood and guts. Hogan vs rock Austin vs flair. I’d have made rock vs hogan what it was. But flair vs Austin because of the substantial age difference it would have been Austin on offence 98% of the time, with flair cheating when the ref isn’t looking getting a couple things in but because of the difference in age Austin finds his way back on top only for flair to cheat again. My finish would have been flair decides that he needs to go big and puts on the brass knuckles he’s hidden from the ref. Throws a massive punch, Austin ducks gut kick, stunner 1,2,3 and out. Austin leaves showing he’s the big dog and he can take anyone. Flair leaves having shown he’s wily and smart and can bridge the gap that there is physically and is still capable of going with the top guys.

[@dandanmarano569]

Come on guys give us a break from these ads 3 ads for a 12 15 mins clip this is why I don’t watch grilling with jr tooooo many ads

[@mrsain19]

there just wasn't much room for it. they made the right choice with rock vs Hogan in 2002. then Austin left. by the time Austin came back, he was already battered up with his neck. sure they maybe could have done it in 2003, but Austin knew he was retiring. chose the rock to retire on. Hogan and vince was a great match at WM 19 too. it just didn't happen.....because it wasn't meant to happen. Hollywood Hogan vs Austin in 98 would have been white hot and made all of the money they could have ever wanted. in fact, 1998 was probably the best time for WCW and WWF to cross promote and do some really big super shows. could have made some really big money in 1998. and only 1998. 97 would have been too soon, and 99 would have been too late.

[@redneck400m3]

Ive always thought Austin VS Cena would of been better then Austin VS Hogan. Face of the attitude era vs face of the PG Era, the promos alone woulda been priceless

[@chriszaa2309]

yea you would like the stupid pg era

[@redneck400m3]

@@chriszaa2309 No hogan was overrated as fuck. Now hes an overrated has been.

[@chriszaa2309]

@@redneck400m3 you must be some 12 year old who likes pc wrestling you are gay

[@redneck400m3]

@@chriszaa2309 Lmao. i grew up with the attitude era. Way older then 12. But im guessing youre around that age. Piss off kid

[@rockstarphantom8112]

Cuz Stone Cold don't wrestle divas!

[@atifqavi2054]

He did wrestle Debra in their home in 2002.

[@rockstarphantom8112]

@@atifqavi2054 What?

[@williamchristopher5653]

In my opinion, at the time when the NWO came in, the Austin character was becoming stale with all the what BS, Steve wasn't in a great frame of mind and Rock was flying.

[@CrooklynKnight]

Fantasy booking aside, Austin probably was right about him and Hogan. Could've been one of those things where it sounded better on paper.

[@R3A11Y69]

9:13 the rock at W.M18 when he vs .....the rock😱😲😨😧

[@rayvaldez462]

Duuuuude! Mind blown lol

[@alexh8613]

Austin was in bitch mode at this point in his career. He hated how Triple H was becoming more powerful in the company. He had a rift with the Rock. And he and Hogan would never agree to put the other one over. Not to mention injuries were really taking a toll on him both physically and emotionally. Him no-showing numerous events just showed the state of mind that he was now in

[@theofficialgreenkane9645]

Nobody wanted to “job” for the other guy.

[@mtrossi4192]

It would have been terrible. Hogan wouldn't have jobbed and who would have believed that a big leg drop would take out Austin.

[@ferox965]

Yet that year Hogan wound up putting over a lot of people...

[@romans52345-cy3tq]

Hogan put over Rock, so why wouldn't he have put over Austin?

[@sakibdagoat]

@@romans52345-cy3tq It's clear Austin is a bigger star in the wrestling world.

[@romans52345-cy3tq]

@@sakibdagoat Bigger than Rock?? Not even close, well you could be right in terms of the Wrestling world but in terms of worldwide mainstream appeal, Austin doesn't hold a candle to The Rock

[@shady_the_one]

@@romans52345-cy3tq in all fairness to Austin, if he didn't have so many problems with his body, he would be just as big of a movie star as The Rock, as that is what he said held him back. Hollywood wanted him in many action movies, and his neck and knee issues prevent him from doing the kind of movies that the Rock does

[@prisonmike3856]

Austin couldn't handle working with a much bigger star than him.

[@jasonh5547]

Thirty plus million people tuned in to watch the SNME match with Hogan vs Andre. That is almost three times as many people watched the most viewed Raw episode ever.

[@TherealHazlett]

Hogan wasn’t known for doing favors so Austin wasn’t doing him any favors. That’s what Austin said.

[@jerrylynch3296]

If egos didn’t exist, pro wrestling would be unbelievable.

[@nwobw]

Not wrestling Hogan was Austin's loss and the Rock's gain. Rock had the best match of his career and arguably the most memorable match of all time. Austin couldn't put his ego and pride away and it cost him..

[@jonbourgoin182]

Why did you guys get rid of the old channel that had almost 100k subs? Just curious

[@GEEKICIDALTENDENCIES]

KZbin channel Algorithms change at 100k subs(not for the betterment of the content creator)....It tends to be in the creators best interests to start over

[@GEEKICIDALTENDENCIES]

@Mother Algorithm Andy over at Popcorn Planet has an interesting video presentation on the issue...like him or not..among other KZbinrs. ..breakdown of YT " insider baseball" strategies, practices ect...as it pertains to getting the best value for advertisers. ..YT is a business first.

[@Dr.8803]

How come Stone Cold and Bill Goldberg never happened, that was the real Stone Cold dream match everyone wanted to see.

[@betunia98]

Hogan Rock was the right call way better than Hogan Austin

[@dlee4236]

Why is JR always holding back in what he truly wants to say? Just speak up!

[@ironman2326]

"You gonna do something with that?" 🤣🤣

[@matsong5134]

😂😂😂 he was annoyed,

[@jammicus2k3]

Yeah, just gonna turn it off

[@michaelvillarreal4202]

Not surprise wwe suck in big matchup no Hogan in flair no undertaker in sting for wrestlemania what a joke Vince is

[@ad206]

Austin was right. I'm glad we never got it. It wouldn't have been a good match to watch.

[@scottshaffer7296]

Austin hits stunner, Hoganholds neck and says oh you got me brother

[@seanculligan9938]

Vince has always "what's good for business" He tries to check his ego the the door and do what's best for the company and fans

[@JordanBritt]

Austin didn't wanna work with Hogan because he knew the crowd would've been more behind Hogan. Just look at what happened to The Rock lol.

[@kevinmorris5495]

Austin was more popular than rock tho. And i guarantee they wouldev had a 50/50 crowd. Half goin for austin and half goin for hogan.

[@mikehill1201]

Fucc no the would've been behind Austin...

[@JordanBritt]

@@kevinmorris5495 Maybe so but Hogan would've definitely out popped Austin.

[@ryanpurplenintendoeater9869]

@@JordanBritt not hollywood Hogan

[@jbailey690]

@@JordanBritt Says no one else ever. No one out pops or out sells Austin. Even Vince & Rock admitted Austin is the GOAT, never comment again,

[@MixManiac120]

Resentment from wcw. Austin vs Hall at Mania wasn't it though. I'm not buying Austin not wanting a match...he didnt like Terry. Just like Rock didnt want to work with Shawn. You do DDP vs Austin at Mania.... you have four of the biggest names of the MNW at Mania.