Who should end Flairs career?

[HBK-aholic]

Credit: Wrestlezone.com
Just days after claiming that he is on the verge of starting his own wrestling promotion with Eric Bischoff, Hulk Hogan now says that he wants to fight Ric Flair at WrestleMania.

Hogan told MTV.com, "they need a main event real bad, brother" and said WWE still has a lot of tickets to sell. Hogan said that with Flair's career on the line, it's the perfect match to have - and he even has an idea for who could be the special guest referee. “Either he’ll put me out for good or I’ll put him out for good. One or the other. That would be the match of the new millennium. Hogan vs. Flair. Maybe get Vince McMahon as a special guest referee. Me and Flair both hate Vince.”

I personally don't think this would be the best way out for Flair. It's just the sort of thing that Vince may go for, and obviously Hgan would get a huge pop as he always does, I just don't think it's the most interesting way to end his career. I think that honour should go to someone who either Flair is close to, or who could benefit from it a lot.

It's hard to choose someone really. We've all heard the rumours about Shawn Michaels ending it, which I think would be a good ending, someone with as much talent as Shawn ending a legends career. Also Shawn and Flair are friends, and Shawn has often said when growing up one of his favourites was Flair. Therefore it would be slightly ironic that he would be the one to end Flairs career. The only thing I see people arguing against this is, Shawn has nothing to gain from it, which in a way is true. He is already a legend, and definate Hall of Fame material. He will always be remembered as the legend he is and doesn't need the ending of Flairs career to solidify that in any way.

The other option they could go with, is having an up and coming star doing it. I know recently they've had the likes of Kennedy and MVP wrestle him, and if I could have chosen beforehand I'd have said Kennedy should have been the one to do it if this was the way WWE was going for. What a huge push for someone to have the career of Flair on their hands. They would have officially made them go down in history even if they didn't do much else. However there is also a problem with this. Firstly, who would they choose? And secondly, is it believable.respectful to have some new inexperienced wrestler to do this?

What are everyones thoughts? Who do you think should end his career, and why?

[michaelj817]

I seriously doubt at this point they are going to bring Hogan in to retire Flair, and truly hope they don't. Due to his countless injuries, Hulk looked like a walking cardboard standup last time he worked a WWE match, Flair's workrate has been substandard as of late, and there is no way that they could carry a Main Event level Wrestlemania match at this point of their careers. Plus, if Vince put Hogan over Flair, it would seriously come off as one last shot at the dead in the ground WCW, and Vince putting one of his guys over the man who was synonymous with WCW itself.

Which in turn leads us to the fact that regardless of who Flair's opponent is, it will not be a Main Event level match b/c WWE dropped the ball from a booking standpoint. They are going to induct Flair into the HOF this year, and with HBK getting teary eyed on RAW last night are nice touches, but way too late, and oh so predictable. It has been downplayed as an afterthought for so long now, that the spoils of the victor won't mean anything in the eyes of the fans. Had Flair been built up better over the course of the angle, it might be a different story and a make or break match for either MVP or Kennedy. I'm aware that it might upset some to see old man Flair going over younger healthier superstars, but it was a money angle that fell apart for reasons I don't know. For WWE this has been just another filler mid-card angle, and to try to make something big out of it now might be too little too late.

A few months back, I was truly hoping that they would do an angle with HHH, and in the back of my head was thinking "Iron Man" match. I thought it really had some potential for a Wrestlemania moment, seeing Flair defeated by his protege(yeah I know we've seen it before), on the biggest stage of them all in a match that we haven't seen in ages. Flair, who wrestled in countless hour long marathons over the course of his career, beat and retired by his protege HHH, the only man to wrestle in more that one sanctioned "Iron Man" matches. Anyway that was my idea, and whether or not Flair could still go for an hour is up in the air, but I think Hunter could carry him.

Instead we are looking at HBK doing the honors of retiring Flair, and that might be just as good. Although the segment didn't go off completely smoothly last night, I think we might be in store for a confrontation between Flair and HBK next week in which an angered Flair goes off on Shawn for treating him as a relic and inducting him into the HOF. At least that's what I am hoping for at this point, because if they do go with MVP or Kennedy, it won't mean a thing for either one of them due to the fact that there is no hot air left in the balloon that is the "Ric Flair Retirement Angle".

[mattitude2007]

As a big Kennedy/MVP fan I'd love for either to do it.

But lets be real, Flair's retirement should be one that should go down in a memorable fashion. It should go down in a surefire way so there is little
chance of its memory being tainted later.

I mean...what if the up and comer that retires Flair ends up screwing up his career somehow later? It would then go down that a forever midcard wrestler retired the greatest in-ring performer of them all.

So, I think Flair's retirement match should be one without the side motive of pushing a new talent and should focus soley on Ric getting a proper send off with an opponent he can enjoy working with and who can take him to a great final match. HBK and HHH are the only names that come to mind.

I wouldn't want Hogan to do it because I would feel very sad for Ric. I love Hogan and Flair, but I just feel that Hogan would take the focus off of it being Ric's special night. Besides that I believe that Hogan has beaten Flair everytime they've had a match....I don't want that to include Flair's last too.

[Slyfox696]

If it's not going to be used to put over a new superstar (and maybe even if it is), then Ric Flair AND Hulk Hogan's last match should be with each other, at Wrestlemania. I mean, the two biggest rivals to never even be in the same promotion for a decade, to end it all in one night, with one man going over clean. Obviously, Hogan would go over, because it's what he does, and Flair would lose because it's what he does, but even at their advanced age, with proper billing, this match could be big.

Ric Flair vs. Hulk Hogan. For all the marbles. One last time.


Wow, that's giving me goosebumps.

[xfearbefore]

If it's not going to be used to put over a new superstar (and maybe even if it is), then Ric Flair AND Hulk Hogan's last match should be with each other, at Wrestlemania. I mean, the two biggest rivals to never even be in the same promotion for a decade, to end it all in one night, with one man going over clean. Obviously, Hogan would go over, because it's what he does, and Flair would lose because it's what he does, but even at their advanced age, with proper billing, this match could be big.

Ric Flair vs. Hulk Hogan. For all the marbles. One last time.


Wow, that's giving me goosebumps.

Agreed. As much as I like to hate on Hogan, even I would mark out like I was 10 years old again if this match were to happen. Even though both are way too old to still be wrestling, and the match itself probably wouldn't be stellar, I'd still shell out the 50 bucks (or whatever new outrageous price they're charging for Wrestlemania this year) to see this match alone, live.

I doubt it'll happen though.

[bigbear84]

I too would pay to see this match. I've always been a huge hogan fan , but have lost a lot of respect for him due to the way he won't lose anymore. The way he treated the Shawn Michaels situation was awful. I would gain a great deal of respect for Hogan if he did something crazy and tapped out to the figure four. I know Flair says he will never retire, but going out a winner would be the perfect send off.

[blackhart07]

Why does everyone say Hogan i cant see how this would be good. Ya it will probally draw. Since Kennedy and MVP are pretty much out the window for the WM match as much as i hate him there is only one person in the WWE that could carry Flair to a good match and thats HBK. Thats not fair to all the boys in the locker room to have Hogan come in for one night and in a huge match fight Flair. All Hogan does is bash the WWE. When is the last time he has had a good match. This match will put everyone to sleep. Hogan cant work that good even when he was in his prime, now 15 years later he wants to work a match at WM with a guy his same age. Flair should have done what have been good for the WWE and help a young guy on the map. I highly doubt Flair would even wanna fight Hogan in his last match, he loves Shawn anyway go read his book. Plus they would have nothing for Shawn to do at WM. I cant see this happening.

[mattitude2007]

This is Flair's final send-off angle. Not Hogan's.

It would be a huge match even with little build up, but please lets be fair to Flair for a minute here. Because quite frankly Hogan would take away almost all the attention from Flair.

Unless Hogan somehow plays the heel in this angle...which won't happen ever, because Hogan shouldn't be booed at this stage of his life, I can't say I'd like it.

But if Flair OKs the idea....then I can't complain.


edit: Good looking out Slyfox. Post edited. :icon_smile:

[Slyfox696]

When is the last time he has had a good match. The last two times he had a match?

This match will put everyone to sleep. Maybe to anyone whose testicles haven't descended yet. But to people who actually lived before Bill Clinton was U.S. President, this match would still be epic.
Hogan cant work that good even when he was in his prime,Hogan was the greatest worker in history. Never forget that.

It would be a huge match even with little build up, but please lets be fair to Ric for a minute here. You totally screwed that up.

The line is "Be fair to Flair"...not Ric.

[blackhart07]

Hogan cant work that good even when he was in his prime,

Hogan was the greatest worker in history. Never forget that


You have to be kidding me right? How is Hogan the greatest worker ever? I will be the first to admit he was the biggest draw ever. But you gotta be kidding me when you say he is a great worker. He is no where up to par with guys like Benoit, Angle, Y2J, both Harts, HBK, Guerrero, Undertaker. You really think Hogan could pull somewhat of a decent match out of Flair?


Originally Posted by blackhart07
When is the last time he has had a good match.

The last two times he had a match?


If you are implying his last two matches were good. Look who he was working with Kennedy and MVP. How old are both those guys? And how old is Hogan? You dont think in those matches MVP and Kennedy might have carried Flair a little bit.

[a7xoff]

Ok before this gets turned into a Hogan thread... I like the idea of him vs Flair, both fighting for they're carrer. The more I think about it, the more I'm starting to see the reason they don't want a young talent to shelf Flair. Whoever does it from that pointon will have that on they're record yes, and that would be impressive, but what if things do not work out for that person. giving it to someone who's more established does make more sense. Hogan, HBK, or anyone else who's been their... Hell I'd even go with Y2J. Really anyone who has a foothold on where they are, and will remain as a WWE employee for pretty much the rest of they're carrer

[IrishEnglishman24]

i think the only person who can really end flair's career should be the man himself. i know he said he'd never retire, but i'd love to see him go out on his own terms, maybe with a title in his hands and retire on top...on the condition there was no battle royal the next night

[Esteban Ochocinco]

You have to be kidding me right? How is Hogan the greatest worker ever? I will be the first to admit he was the biggest draw ever. But you gotta be kidding me when you say he is a great worker. He is no where up to par with guys like Benoit, Angle, Y2J, both Harts, HBK, Guerrero, Undertaker. You really think Hogan could pull somewhat of a decent match out of Flair?

You can't win this argument. There are too many guys over the age of 20 on these boards that are going to tear Hogan bashers to shreds. The guy wasn't a great technical wrestler, but the last time I checked, Techincal wrestling doesn't mean great worker. Hogan was an excellent worker at what he did and what he was asked to do, in fact, the best ever.

Hogan has delivered in almost every match he has been asked to wrestle in since his 2002 return. He got good matches with Triple H, Rock, Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, HBK, and an average match with Orton.





If you are implying his last two matches were good. Look who he was working with Kennedy and MVP. How old are both those guys? And how old is Hogan? You dont think in those matches MVP and Kennedy might have carried Flair a little bit.


I think he was talking about Hogan. Hogan vs. HBK was a good match and was worthy of a Summerslam main event. The Randy Orton match was average, but that was due mostly to Orton in one of his, I don't give a shit modes.

[Mighty NorCal]

Hogan also had a torn ACL in the match with Orton, shocky.

Hell yes, Hogan is an AMAZING worker, one of the best ever. So dont go there lol. I think it would be awesome for him to do the honors, but I highly doubt Ric is gonna sighn off on that. I cant remeber exactly, but I think there isnt warm fuzzies between the two guys. And it really depends on how good of shape hulk is in, as flair can barely move these days, and Hulk would have to carry him. But it would be a massive draw, and great drama.

I think another very good option would be Shawn. Shawn ALWAYS delivers come wrestlemania, and could carry flair to a fairly respectable match. I can see this being how they go, in Vince "forcing" Micheals to go against him, and try hard. Shawn will take great care of ric, and add another huge moment to his WM legacy.

[Davi323]

As a twenty plus year fan of BOTH Hogan and Flair, I am okay with Hogan retiring Flair...While it wouldn't be a great wrestling match, it would feature the most important wrestler ever, Hogan, against the best wrestler ever in Flair...Sure, we have seen it in WCW...but that was WCW. It shouldn't count. Not really. Not only that, but it should be the closing match of the PPV. This match does not need to help anyone else out, so without that consideration, there are only a few men in the world that have earned the right to retire Flair, and I can count them on one hand. Hogan, Taker, HBK, and HHH, and two of them are going to be otherwise occupied that evening.

[NYSandman]

Why does Hogan need to smear his feces over anything huge in the wrestling business? It always has to be about him, even when speaking of one of the greatest of all time retiring.

That's a bad idea, and Flair will not be given the proper respect. People will be cheering Hogan and totally forget about Flair. That part of it is not Hogan's fault, but attemping or even suggesting this is in poor taste for him.

I think Ric deserves to choose how he wants to go out and to whom. Yes, Vince is the boss, and, yes, if the business decisiong Flair makes doesn't fit into Wrestlemania, then the match can take place at another time. But, it should be Flair's decision.

It also would have made sense, PPV buyrate-wise, to just ANNOUNCE that WM WILL be Flair's last match. Why did Vince start this whole bullshit storyline to begin with, unless it was Flair's idea.

I think more people would buy-in if they knew for sure WM was Flair's last match.

WWE has screwed up this whole damn thing, as usual.

[Slyfox696]

Why does Hogan need to smear his feces over anything huge in the wrestling business? It always has to be about him, even when speaking of one of the greatest of all time retiring.He just said he thought he should be Flair's opponent. What are you talking about?

That's a bad idea, and Flair will not be given the proper respect. People will be cheering Hogan and totally forget about Flair. That part of it is not Hogan's fault, but attemping or even suggesting this is in poor taste for him.If people are too busy cheering Hogan and forget that Flair exists, what does that REALLY say about Flair?

It also would have made sense, PPV buyrate-wise, to just ANNOUNCE that WM WILL be Flair's last match. Why did Vince start this whole bullshit storyline to begin with, unless it was Flair's idea.

I think more people would buy-in if they knew for sure WM was Flair's last match.

WWE has screwed up this whole damn thing, as usual.But, they would have lost buys from the last two PPVs, as well as ratings for when Flair was on, and finally, having the build to WM is so much more important that just announcing a card.

When you say the WWE screwed up, what I think you really mean is that, unlike you, the WWE uses the concept of long-term planning.

[HBK-aholic]

If people are too busy cheering Hogan and forget that Flair exists, what does that REALLY say about Flair?

I think what is meant here is that, who have we seen wrestling for the past few years? Flair. And whos returns are always huge and higly anticipated? Hogans. I don't think it's anything against these 2 men, but I think Hogan has a lot more fans due to what his gimmick was and how almost everyone says he is the greatest. Also due to the fact Flair has been on our TV screens for many years now, whereas Hogan hasn't. I think it'd be stupid to think Flair wouldn't get overlooked in this match due to it being Hogans 'return' match.

I think that's one of the main reasons I think there are better options than Hogan, and also I aren't sure if the 2 could have a good match now. They're both legends in the world of wrestling, that much is obvious, but they're both old, and way past there primes. This wouldn't necessarily stop them having a great match but it increases the odds that it wouldn't be.

[TheOneBigWill]

I mean, the two biggest rivals to never even be in the same promotion for a decade, to end it all in one night, with one man going over clean. Obviously, Hogan would go over, because it's what he does, and Flair would lose because it's what he does, but even at their advanced age, with proper billing, this match could be big.

Ric Flair vs. Hulk Hogan. For all the marbles. One last time.

Wow, that's giving me goosebumps.

I can not even believe I'm going to say this, but I fully agree. Hulk Hogan, I have absolutely nothing but dislike for the guy, because I'll never think he wasn't always out for himself and that he didn't constantly want the spotlight. HOWEVER, the one thing I'll never argue, or try to, is how much of an icon Hulk Hogan has been to the sport of Professional Wrestling.

Growing up, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage.. those were the guys to me. They were the top names, the icons to look up to as the top of the heap. And now, you come full circle with the possibility of Hulk Hogan v. Ric Flair at Wrestlemania.. it truly is aw-inspiring. Its honestly the "perfect" Hall of Fame match-up, if there ever could be one. You're talking about the guy who was everything to the Professional Wrestling business, the guy that was fucking "Wrestlemania" for at least 7 years. Love him, or Hate him.. you MUST, if you have any love for this business, respect him. And believe me, I almost wanna get sick saying it. But I do respect him.

I was disgusted with this whole Ric Flair going over young talent month after month crap. It wouldn't of been nearly as bad, or even remotely bad if he cheated to do it, because hey.. thats the "Dirtiest Player in the Game" baby, thats Ric Flair to a f'n T! But he didn't, he won cleanly.. and thats not Flair, thats a storyline.

Now, what are you faced with at Wrestlemania? Shawn Michaels v. Ric Flair? Batista v. Ric Flair? *Insert Younger Wrestler* v. Ric Flair?! What would any of it give you? Lets run it down.

Batista: Ric Flair basically managed the man into stardom. Although you obviously can't discount Evolution being the main reason Batista became known, yet Flair was a big part of who Batista has become. So for Batista to be the guy to end the "career" of Ric Flair, its kinda a passing of the torch thing, from trainer to trainee.

Younger Wrestler: Another version of torch passing, but ask yourself this. In a day and age when you damn well know, Flair, whenever he loses, will somehow find a way to return to the ring at least once, twice, or more. What does it ultimately do? So what, say a C.M. Punk, ro a Shelton Benjamin, or a Mr. Kennedy actually could pin Ric Flair to be the ending to the storyline.. whats it say? It says you, a young up-and-coming talent, beat a guy thats been beyond his "prime" for over a decade. Wow, you really accomplished something.. especially when you're suppose to be the next face of the industry, why on earth WOULDN'T, or more importantly, SHOULDN'T you of beaten him? Ultimately.. a young kid beating Ric Flair says nothing.. because its something each younger "future" talent, should be fully capable of doing on any day, especially if they're anything considering the "future."

Shawn Michaels: The final version of torch passing. To the person it truly should've been handed to, to begin with. However, once again it goes to ask.. what would it do, for Ric Flair to lose to Shawn Michaels? What would it do, for Shawn Michaels to defeat Ric Flair? Nothing. It'd be a great match, because Shawn Michaels has the athletic talent to carry it. And the only thing it'd be, is remembered for being a damn great match, to "end" Flair's career.

Now.. step back.. and picture this.. Hulk Hogan!

The Negatives: Why on earth has Hulk Hogan suddenly come up and said he wants to be the guy to face Ric Flair at Wrestlemania? Because (in my opinion) he wants the spotlight, when its not his to have. He wants the glory, when its no longer his to take. This entire storyline is suppose to be about Ric Flair.. not the guy who beats him, and definately not Hulk fucking Hogan.

However...

The Positives: Both men are the definition of the late 80's and early 90's. You want a Hall of Fame performance, well I can promise you a match between these two won't be anything special via ring talent, or moves and holds. But what it will be, is every single person on that field, having goosebumps run up and down their arms, because each one of them who knows both names. Each one of them, who knows the business.. they know, they're seeing the greatest part of the past.. going at it one last time, in the present. And thats basically what EVERYONE wants. Everyone compares the present to the past, everyone loves to live in the past wrestling era.. well, here's everyone's chance.. because this match is a gold-mine for Wrestlemania, this match IS Wrestlemania.

I know people may not like my opinion on this, and I'm sorry for that. But this is me speaking as a little kid again, who misses the business that he grew up watching. This is me wanting one more chance, to see the absolute worst match possible between two guys that aren't in the greatest shape anymore, that are beyond their prime and should've quit years ago. This is me wanting this, just to shake, just to get those chills, just to feel that emotion again.. because today's business sucks, and this is a great opportunity to see what once was the best thing going, ever at that time.

[carbondioxide830]

hulk hogan vs. ric flair @ wrestlemania would be one of those matches that would be talked about for ever. i'd definately like to see it happen, however, i'd also like to see shawn michaels vs. ric flair too as i feel they could put on the match of the decade on the grandest stage of them all.

[Slyfox696]

Batista: Ric Flair basically managed the man into stardom. Although you obviously can't discount Evolution being the main reason Batista became known, yet Flair was a big part of who Batista has become. So for Batista to be the guy to end the "career" of Ric Flair, its kinda a passing of the torch thing, from trainer to trainee.

Shawn Michaels: The final version of torch passing. To the person it truly should've been handed to, to begin with. However, once again it goes to ask.. what would it do, for Ric Flair to lose to Shawn Michaels? What would it do, for Shawn Michaels to defeat Ric Flair? Nothing. It'd be a great match, because Shawn Michaels has the athletic talent to carry it. And the only thing it'd be, is remembered for being a damn great match, to "end" Flair's career.The problem with passing the torch to these two is that their both in their early to mid 40s already, and don't really have all that long left in the business. A much better passing would be someone like Orton or Cena or Edge, someone who can take that torch for a while. Although, Flair "passing the torch" to any one of those three is kind of silly considering all three of them are bigger than Flair at this point.

Now.. step back.. and picture this.. Hulk Hogan!

The Negatives: Why on earth has Hulk Hogan suddenly come up and said he wants to be the guy to face Ric Flair at Wrestlemania? Because (in my opinion) he wants the spotlight, when its not his to have. He wants the glory, when its no longer his to take. This entire storyline is suppose to be about Ric Flair.. not the guy who beats him, and definately not Hulk fucking Hogan.I don't think it's about taking glory. I think you are letting biases override your common sense.

This is about money. This is about one hell of a paycheck, not just for Hogan but for Flair too. Finally, this is about giving fans what they'd want to see. I mean, even people who admit their dislike of Hogan are saying it's a good idea. Hogan vs. Flair would be a match people want to see. Hogan is just trying to give fans a memorable night. People complain all the time about how wrestling doesn't give fans what they want (which is crap in my opinion), but here's a case of Hogan offering to do that, and now people are complaining about him wanting to take the spotlight (while simultaneously wanting to see the match). This is, a dream match, even if we've seen it before and it's 15 years too late.

The Positives: Both men are the definition of the late 80's and early 90's. You want a Hall of Fame performance, well I can promise you a match between these two won't be anything special via ring talent, or moves and holds. But what it will be, is every single person on that field, having goosebumps run up and down their arms, because each one of them who knows both names. Each one of them, who knows the business.. they know, they're seeing the greatest part of the past.. going at it one last time, in the present. And thats basically what EVERYONE wants. Everyone compares the present to the past, everyone loves to live in the past wrestling era.. well, here's everyone's chance.. because this match is a gold-mine for Wrestlemania, this match IS Wrestlemania.Oh, but it WILL be a Hall of Fame performance. Hall of Fame performance isn't about the number of fake moves you can do on a willing partner. A Hall of Fame performance is about that last stuff you said. It's about the feeling you get when you actually watch a match caring about the characters, not the moves. A Hall of Fame performance is about the chills you get, that giddy anticipation for the opening bell, that emotion that rips through you when one false finish occurs after another. It's that moment where you find yourself on your feet, yelling or cheering at the TV screen. It's that moment when the two characters you care about finally end the match and leave you emotionally drained. THAT is what a Hall of Fame performance is. That is what professional wrestling is all about. And that is MOST DEFINITELY something that Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair could pull off at Wrestlemania if given the proper time.

[sirveaux]

Sly, you may have hit the nail right on the head, even though you just mentioned him in passing. I think Edge would have been a great route to go. He's old enough to be a respectable opponent, but young enough to take the torch and have it mean something to retire Flair. Unfortunately, this won't happen the way things are set up now.

Edge wouldn't have been my first choice, and in fact he didn't occur to me until I read SlyFox's post, but I think that Edge pretty well meets the requirements set forth so far in this thread.

[mattitude2007]

Now if Sting wasn't under contract with TNA I would definately want to see him take on Flair at Wrestlemania. Hell it would be the biggest star that Flair ever created (who at one point I believe was stalemating Austin, as a money drawer) ending it for Flair. And its something Flair supposedly wants. For Sting to be the final man he faces.

This match, imo, would be even bigger than Hogan vs Flair since Sting has never, ever seen the ring through WWE's guidance, so I think the potential build up and delivery would be absolutely phenomenal.

[John87]

I think that a Hogan vs Flair for the main event of WM24 would be rather amazing. Seriously, this match after the WWE Championship match since its probably going to be a triple threat tween cena, orton and hhh cause that is about as shitty as wwe tv is going to get. i really dont want to see cena and hhh again because, well...WM main events should be different every year.

i think that Hogan and Flair at mania 24 as the main event would definately draw tickets cause its WM and a hell of a lot more PPV buys seeing as how much more popular hogan and flair are compared to orton and hhh as far as names with the traditional fans who are the main attenders of the WM shows every year anyways.

seriously, SD! had orton in the right position to main event WM for the WHC but Raw screwed him up horribly. On Raw, he just doesnt seem right for the job. I think that orton should somehow drop the title to Hogan or Flair and have Flair come out on top and the next night on Raw, Flair lose the title to HHH and no one else because Triple H is his successor and all of you posters know this man.

[wicked]

Lex Luger that would be the shit!




Anywho, being serious. I wouldn't mind seeing Hogan v Flair at mania, but not with Hogan ending it. I would much rather see Flair win the match and continue with this angle. They have already severly drug their feet on this angle, so why not prolong it a little bit. Make it and Ric the focal point of a PPV and have him retired by a champion.

[blackhart07]

Originally Posted by blackhart07
You have to be kidding me right? How is Hogan the greatest worker ever? I will be the first to admit he was the biggest draw ever. But you gotta be kidding me when you say he is a great worker. He is no where up to par with guys like Benoit, Angle, Y2J, both Harts, HBK, Guerrero, Undertaker. You really think Hogan could pull somewhat of a decent match out of Flair?

You can't win this argument. There are too many guys over the age of 20 on these boards that are going to tear Hogan bashers to shreds. The guy wasn't a great technical wrestler, but the last time I checked, Techincal wrestling doesn't mean great worker. Hogan was an excellent worker at what he did and what he was asked to do, in fact, the best ever.

Hogan has delivered in almost every match he has been asked to wrestle in since his 2002 return. He got good matches with Triple H, Rock, Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, HBK, and an average match with Orton.


Im 19 and grew up watching Hogan. Look at the people you just mentioned. All good workers. Dont you mean they got a good match out of Hogan. Cmon do you really think that Hogan at this age is a great worker. And why would the WWE give this spot to him. He has bashed the hell out of him the past 2 years. Now this huge angle is finally coming to an end and Hogan is the first one to jump all over it. We all know Hogan has the biggest ego in wrestling.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Why does Hogan need to smear his feces over anything huge in the wrestling business? It always has to be about him, even when speaking of one of the greatest of all time retiring.

Exactly Hogan hasnt wrestled in the WWE in 3 years. Now he wants to come in and end Flairs career thats BS. Flair dosnt even like Hogan judging by his book. He sings the praises of HBK. And HBK desrves to be it.


I think he was talking about Hogan. Hogan vs. HBK was a good match and was worthy of a Summerslam main event. The Randy Orton match was average, but that was due mostly to Orton in one of his, I don't give a shit modes.

Ya the Hogan HBK was one of Hogans best matches not Shawns. And look who he was working with HBK. One of the top 5 greatest in ring performers ever. He seems to be getting better with age. Again HBK carried the match

[figure4]

Hogan vs. Flair would be cool. Just because the majority of the IWC hates Hogan doesn't mean that the fans wouldn't go wild for that match. For whatever Hogan lacks in actual technical ability, Hogan IS the greatest worker in history, just as Slyfox said. In terms of getting the crowd into every minute of the match, there's nobody like Hogan, even at the age he is at now.

But, I truly can't see that happening. I don't think Flair would go for that. With Flair being inducted into the Hall of Fame and stuff, this is suppose to be his big send off. Not Hogans. Hogan's appearance will take the shine away from Flair, which is unfair, since Hogan hasn't wrestled in WWE since 2006.

My candidates to end Flair's career are;

HBK-Mr. WrestleMania will bring the best out of Flair

Batista-he's still a big star so they have to get him on the card somehow, plus he and Flair have history

Sting- yea, wishful thinking, but Sting is arguably Flair's greatest rival and think about how much that would draw.

Or, they should just let Flair win and send him off at SummerSlam or something like that. He's the greatest of all time and I'm really not ready to see him go, even though he is painful to watch in the ring nowadays.

[tarp]

IF Hogan is the one then I will never watch wrestling again. Hogan bashes WWE then wants to be the one to end Flair's career. This shows how sorry the man is. I guess he thinks then he can claim to be the best ever but other than one announcer( his name has slipped my mind it's the one who inducted him to the HOF) who has ever said so. It is known that WM will be Flairs last match and only four people deserve the honor of wrestling Flair in his last match and two of them can't. The first Arn Anderson, Ricky Steamboat, HBK, or HHH. Ask three of these whos the greates ever and they all say Flair and deep down I'm sure Ricky would say so also. Also as has been stated this has to be the last match so Flair truly has his send off. I just hope he comes to RAW the next night for a goodbye.

[Slyfox696]

Im 19 and grew up watching Hogan. Look at the people you just mentioned. All good workers. Dont you mean they got a good match out of Hogan. No. Hogan got a good match out of them. Or, in the case of HBK, they worked together to put on a good match.

Cmon do you really think that Hogan at this age is a great worker. Yes. Why? Because he knows how to make fans care.

Now this huge angle is finally coming to an end and Hogan is the first one to jump all over it. We all know Hogan has the biggest ego in wrestling.Hogan has the biggest ego in wrestling? How do you figure? How can you possibly say that the man who has accomplished more in wrestling than anyone ever has the biggest ego? You have nothing to compare it to, as there is no one who is on his level to compare.

Exactly Hogan hasnt wrestled in the WWE in 3 years.Summerslam 2006 was 3 years ago? Wow.

And HBK desrves to be it. How? How does HBK deserve it? What has HBK ever done to deserve it? Is he an upcoming wrestler? Has he ever had a feud with Flair? Has he ever been a major draw? Is he the biggest draw now?

In what way does HBK deserve it?

Ya the Hogan HBK was one of Hogans best matches not Shawns. :rolleyes:

Please. Have you even watched Hogan before?

Again HBK carried the matchNo, he didn't. Not even close. There's another thread about that though, so find it.IF Hogan is the one then I will never watch wrestling again.I doubt the WWE will miss your business.

Hogan bashes WWE then wants to be the one to end Flair's career.What does one have to do with the other?

I guess he thinks then he can claim to be the best ever but other than one announcer( his name has slipped my mind it's the one who inducted him to the HOF) who has ever said so.EVERYONE has said Hogan was the greatest. Including Flair.

It is known that WM will be Flairs last match and only four people deserve the honor of wrestling Flair in his last match and two of them can't. The first Arn Anderson, Ricky Steamboat, HBK, or HHH. Ask three of these whos the greates ever and they all say Flair and deep down I'm sure Ricky would say so also.Wait..did you really just say that three of Flair's closest friends would say he's the best? Wow, what a profound claim. :rolleyes:

[relik]

The idea and for draw power for Hogan vs. Flair sounds great on paper, and yes the fans will cheer but I don't think it'll be good once it starts. They both are slow and way past their prime, and who knows how Hogan's body will be since a week before his match with Orton he hurt his good knee by getting off of his couch, so that's an X factor that I think WWE can't ignore. Besides what would be the point of this match? Have it be a retirement vs. retirement match? If they go that route it makes no sense at all since Hogan only wrestle's once every year or so. Will they have Hogan come out and say that since the younger stars can't retire you, then I will and try having him be heel when that won't work anymore because the anticipation of Hogan alone is enough to make most anyone outside the IWC cheer like a 10 year old girl at a Backstreet Boys concert at the mere sight of Hogan.

That's why I think HBK should be the one to do it. Think of it, he just introduced Flair as a HoF inductee and they friends in real life. Since Vince's character doesn't like Flair, what would be better than making his last possible match be one that would be this personal? Vince can order the match be Flair vs. HBK, and HBK doesn't want to do it because they're friends, but then Vince stipulates that if HBK doesn't wrestle then he's fired. I think that'd be a great storyline that could be built up to Wrestlemania.

[michaelj817]

That's why I think HBK should be the one to do it. Think of it, he just introduced Flair as a HoF inductee and they friends in real life. Since Vince's character doesn't like Flair, what would be better than making his last possible match be one that would be this personal? Vince can order the match be Flair vs. HBK, and HBK doesn't want to do it because they're friends, but then Vince stipulates that if HBK doesn't wrestle then he's fired. I think that'd be a great storyline that could be built up to Wrestlemania.

Regardless of whether or not Hogan v. Flair would be a great draw or not, it truly looks like this is the way they are going, and HBK will be the one.

One of my major issues with WWE storylines is that aside from the build to WM itself, it doesn't seem like there is much thought put into long term storylines. Vince makes his big money on Mania every year for the simple fact that it is Wrestlemania. People are going to buy tix and the ppv itself, so a good card is just a bonus. However, if WWE put in half the effort that goes into the build towards WM to the rest of the years storylines, they wouldn't be in the position of just filling spots on the WM card.

Aside from the top two Main Event title matches, that is exactly what they are doing. Example...Flair needs retired so who do we have that isn't in a match already? Batista? Shawn? Kennedy? Ok so let's play rock, paper, scissors, and whoever is left over, throw in the $ in the bank ladder match. While it can be entertaining, MITB is quickly becoming my least favorite storyline aspect of WM, for the simple fact that anybody with who is either mid-top level talent, or has some experience in ladder matches without a match on the card gets thrown in just for the sake of having a ladder match. And even though ladder matches aren't the most cutting edge gimmick matches anymore, MITB detracts from the specialness of one b/c when used sparingly, with the right guys, and within the confines of a story in which they makes sense, they are still a hell of a promotional tool.

Will it be Hogan to retire Flair? I doubt it, but it could make for one hell of a build. In all honesty that match could have been done better last year with the last Rocky film coming out, and the storyline could have mirrored it. It also should have happened at Wrestlemania 8, but due to a stip in Sid's contract, he faced Hogan that year. However, if they are going go with Hogan, it should have started a while ago with Hogan at least being featured in some role on WWE TV. To have Hulk Hogan show up out of nowhere now so close to WM just isn't cutting it for me. Or who knows, maybe the surprise factor of coming out of nowhere would make the build that much greater. But regardless of who Flair's opponent at WM is, I wouldn't be surprised if Flair wins just to throw in a surprise as opposed to the oh so predictable loss.

[blackhart07]

Ya the Hogan HBK was one of Hogans best matches not Shawns.



Please. Have you even watched Hogan before?



Ya name 5 better matches that Hogan has had other than that one. And dont use the WM 6 one because thats BS. Im talking matches where he clearly carried the match and the match was 4 star quality.


Originally Posted by blackhart07
Im 19 and grew up watching Hogan. Look at the people you just mentioned. All good workers. Dont you mean they got a good match out of Hogan.

No. Hogan got a good match out of them. Or, in the case of HBK, they worked together to put on a good match.

Do you really think Hogan brought out the best in Kurt Angle? If so please give me a valid anwser. Not he got alot of people to cheer and watch. Im talking a a good quality match. Its more like the other way around. Hogan has never been a good worker. Just because you can put people in the seats dosnt mean can work. If you think that then guys like Ande the Giant and The Great Khali are good workers.

[Slyfox696]

Ya name 5 better matches that Hogan has had other than that one. And dont use the WM 6 one because thats BS. Im talking matches where he clearly carried the match and the match was 4 star quality.Wrestlemania 1, 5, 6, 7, 18

Hell, I just named you five Wrestlemania matches that were better than HBK/Hogan. It's a good match. Just not one of Hogan's best.

Keep in mind also, that Hogan worked in a much different time than HBK. Whereas HBK was working every Monday night and every month on PPV, Hogan's prime was working the occasional big show and loads of house shows. So, your argument is not only wrong, it's invalid as well.

Do you really think Hogan brought out the best in Kurt Angle? If so please give me a valid anwser. Not he got alot of people to cheer and watch. Im talking a a good quality match. Its more like the other way around.Why do people not understand that getting people to cheer and watch is PRECISELY what makes a good match? Not some artificial number of fake moves done at varying speeds.


Which is precisely why a Hogan/Flair match could be so good.

[Total Impact]

I think the WWE should let flair go on his on or just fire the guy. I think this whole retirement angle has just made guys like MVP and Kennedy look bad only for a guy like HBK to end his career. What will HBK benefit from ending Ric's career. Plus retirement angles in wrestling never works as Kevin Nash has always said, there is no retiring in wrestling. I mean what, Ric loses at Mania only to be back for SummerSlam. The angle is stupid and I think the WWE should of just never even went with the plan nad had Ric do as Piper said and that is start in wrestling as a nobody and leave as a nobody. Ric should just take a agent job without all the fanfare. People say Ric still has it, his matches are just a bunch of chops and bumps. Ric should just leave instead of holding guys back.

[BIG EVIL83]

even though flair and hogan are the two biggest names ever in wrestling i don,t think they could pull it off at wrestlemania. i mean it would be great to see them back in the ring against each other again. But i honestly believe the only reason hogan wants this match is so he can put another feather in his cap and be able to say that he beat the man and retired him. In my opinion hogan is just being selfish and trying to take advantage of the situation. Ric Flair is the greatest of ALL time and should be able to retire as world champion one more time

[Davi323]

If Kennedy or MVP's career never amounts to anything, you cannot pin it on losing to Ric Flair. Something else major would have to go down than one job to Naitch. Ultimately, their losing to Flair on RAW and Smackdown won't even be remembered. If they go on to better things, and indeed, I think Kennedy has at least one World Championship in his future, if not multiple, the matches against Flair won't matter, and if they never do anything, it will be because of a whole lot more than jobbing to Flair.

I have already posted on my thoughts about Hogan v. Flair, but, I think HBK v. Flair also has strong merit. HBK has nothing to gain. However, where is it written that a wrestler has to gain something? Why can't HBK retire Flair, simply because he and Flair are close friends in real life, and wants to be a part of Flair's historical career? Should HBK get the honors, and it is an honor, after the match, he is already in the ring to celebrate Flair's career. Lets be honest, as soon as the match is over, and Flair is retired, HBK, HHH, Batista, and all of Flair's friends will storm the ring to honor him. Its why I think the match should be the main event, the last match on the card. Flair's career is more important than the WWE or World Heavyweight title matches, in terms of meaning to the business. Ric Flair deserves the spotlight one last time before he goes. That means, he closes Wrestlemania. Cena, HHH, Orton, Taker, Edge...they will all get more chances at Wrestlemania glory...this is Flair's last chance to soak up the adoration of the fans. I have a feeling that the cheers and applause for Flair will take a good twenty minutes, so it needs to be last.

[mfer]

it wont happen , but , i would love for the wwe to somehow pull it off, sting.
flair is was and always will be an nwa/wcw guy and how cool would it be to see his greatest opponent debut at wrestlemania and retire him. i honestly dont want to see flair go but i cant think of a better way to do it.

[nyr1135]

it wont happen , but , i would love for the wwe to somehow pull it off, sting.
flair is was and always will be an nwa/wcw guy and how cool would it be to see his greatest opponent debut at wrestlemania and retire him. i honestly dont want to see flair go but i cant think of a better way to do it.

i completely agree with you. ric flairs greatest opponent in his career was sting. just like they had the last match ever on nitro it would only be fitting for sting to come in and end flairs career. sadly this wont happen becuase i heard sting is going to be returning to tna in the near future. since he is out of the picture my next in line would have been hhh. but since he is a main event hungry person he is out as well. the next obvious choice is hbk which is what we will most likely see. they are good friends and shawn is one of the elder statesmen in the wwe right now. shawn will retire flair and then if wm 25 is in san antonio hhh will retire shawn there next year.

[HBK-aholic]

shawn will retire flair and then if wm 25 is in san antonio hhh will retire shawn there next year.

What makes you say this? I don't think Shawn will retire in just over a year. I think he still has a lot more in him, and he'll only retire when he really has to. For some reason I can't see it being just a year.

Both his knees and backs are causing him pain, but at the same time, what he cares about is his ring work, which is still as good as ever.

Back on topic; I hadn't thought of Sting up until now, but it wuould be a good option, and better than Hogan. They had the last match on WCW as well, so why not be the one to end Flair's career? They both work so well together and I think few people would object to this.

However, with Sting going to TNA apparently, he won't do this. TNA won't allow it, and WWE won't want it to see as if a TNA star put out one the best in the business, because that shows something about the TNA stars compared to WWE.

[Exodus8184]

if flair was to retire, then i think the best match for flair shouldve been the match between him and cactus jack a while ago. other then that, its kinda late, march around the corner and they can't put together an good story line for it, but hogan, naw, rather see someone like terry funk instead.

[mike2307]

No. Hogan got a good match out of them. Or, in the case of HBK, they worked together to put on a good match.


EVERYONE has said Hogan was the greatest. Including Flair.

Wait..did you really just say that three of Flair's closest friends would say he's the best? Wow, what a profound claim. :rolleyes:


Wow, you're obviously so biased of hulk Hogan it's ridiculous. Hulk Hogan is not one of the best wrestlers of all time, not even close. One of the best performers of all time yes, but best wrestlers? get out of here...ask brett hart if hogan's one of the best ever, hell ask shawn michaels, he'll tell you no as well. Ask Vince Russo if hogans an ego maniac as well, hogans unwillingness to put anybody over is what caused russo to go off at Bash of the Beach, and don't give me any of that he didnt do it cause it wasnt good for business line, cause that's bullshit. Hogan isn't even the biggest money maker in WWE history, Steve Austin is as stated by Vince Mcmahon. I don't have a problem with hogan, he did more for this business than any one else, he put it on the map, he made it a phenomenon, and sold more action figures then mickey mouse. But hogan is not the greatest wrestler/worker of all time and I highly doubt Flair ever said it, he may have said hogan was the biggest or best thing to hit wrestling, but definitely not the best wrestler. I would have not minded a Hogan/Flair match for all the marbles, but I would have liked more then 5 weeks build up for it, so... I think you should give the honors to a young guy...

[tap-out]

ME! Honestly i don't really care, i mean this guy has seriously had one awesome career but by god he is terrible now and just needs to go. But i would have someone from yesteryear to end his career. That is when he was FLAIR, THE NATURE BOY. It would only be fitting to have one of the great feuds of past. If Flair has one more in him so does Hogan.....what the heck it would be nice to see these two in the ring one last time.

[michaelj817]

Wow, you're obviously so biased of hulk Hogan it's ridiculous. Hulk Hogan is not one of the best wrestlers of all time, not even close. One of the best performers of all time yes, but best wrestlers? get out of here...ask brett hart if hogan's one of the best ever, hell ask shawn michaels, he'll tell you no as well. Ask Vince Russo if hogans an ego maniac as well, hogans unwillingness to put anybody over is what caused russo to go off at Bash of the Beach, and don't give me any of that he didnt do it cause it wasnt good for business line, cause that's bullshit. Hogan isn't even the biggest money maker in WWE history, Steve Austin is as stated by Vince Mcmahon. I don't have a problem with hogan, he did more for this business than any one else, he put it on the map, he made it a phenomenon, and sold more action figures then mickey mouse. But hogan is not the greatest wrestler/worker of all time and I highly doubt Flair ever said it, he may have said hogan was the biggest or best thing to hit wrestling, but definitely not the best wrestler. I would have not minded a Hogan/Flair match for all the marbles, but I would have liked more then 5 weeks build up for it, so... I think you should give the honors to a young guy...

I think you are completely missing Slyfox696's point. Hulk Hogan is by no means the greatest "technical" wrestler of all time, but I believe that the two of you have vastly different interpretations of what "greatest wrestler of all time means". In an industry that is completely fake with no competition whatsoever, the greatest performer is the greatest wrestler of all time. While Austin may be the highest drawing superstar in WWE history, in his almost 20 years as a headline main eventer, Hulk Hogan made more money than anyone in wrestling. It all depends on what aspect of business you want to look at it from, so while wrestling is fake, the best worker is the guy who walks away with the most cash. This doesn't take anything away from guys like Flair, Hart, Michaels, or Benoit, but there are and have been a lot great "technical" wrestlers who couldn't and cannot draw a dime. I am in no way insinuating that those men didn't draw, but when it comes to money made, Hulk is the undisputed king.

[Slyfox696]

Wow, you're obviously so biased of hulk Hogan it's ridiculous. Hulk Hogan is not one of the best wrestlers of all time, not even close. Yes, he is.

One of the best performers of all time yes, but best wrestlers?The fact he was the best performer, makes him the best wrestler. That's what wrestling is all about.

get out of here...ask brett hart if hogan's one of the best ever, hell ask shawn michaels, he'll tell you no as well. Bret Hart already called Hogan the best.
Ask Vince Russo if hogans an ego maniac as wellWhat does ego have to do with ability?
hogans unwillingness to put anybody over is what caused russo to go off at Bash of the BeachThat was a work. It was planned like that.

and don't give me any of that he didnt do it cause it wasnt good for business line, cause that's bullshit. Hogan isn't even the biggest money maker in WWE history, Steve Austin is as stated by Vince Mcmahon.Austin did it for 4 years and got stale. Hogan did it for over 20 years, both as the biggest face and biggest heel.

I like Austin a lot, but he's clearly number 2 to Hulk Hogan.

I don't have a problem with hogan, he did more for this business than any one else, he put it on the map, he made it a phenomenon, and sold more action figures then mickey mouse.Precisely.

But hogan is not the greatest wrestler/worker of all timeYes, he is.
and I highly doubt Flair ever said it, he may have said hogan was the biggest or best thing to hit wrestling, but definitely not the best wrestler. Flair said that Hogan was the best. He said it was hard for him to admit, but he is the best.
I would have not minded a Hogan/Flair match for all the marbles, but I would have liked more then 5 weeks build up for it, so... I think you should give the honors to a young guy...It's a moot point now and it's HBK vs. Flair.

Which, out of all the possibilities out there, is probably the one match that makes the LEAST amount of sense. Why would you have an over the hill worker, with bad knees and a bad back, who doesn't want to be the face of the company, get the rub that comes from ending the legendary Ric Flair's career.

It's silly, in my opinion.
I think you are completely missing Slyfox696's point. Hulk Hogan is by no means the greatest "technical" wrestler of all time, but I believe that the two of you have vastly different interpretations of what "greatest wrestler of all time means". In an industry that is completely fake with no competition whatsoever, the greatest performer is the greatest wrestler of all time. While Austin may be the highest drawing superstar in WWE history, in his almost 20 years as a headline main eventer, Hulk Hogan made more money than anyone in wrestling. It all depends on what aspect of business you want to look at it from, so while wrestling is fake, the best worker is the guy who walks away with the most cash. This doesn't take anything away from guys like Flair, Hart, Michaels, or Benoit, but there are and have been a lot great "technical" wrestlers who couldn't and cannot draw a dime. I am in no way insinuating that those men didn't draw, but when it comes to money made, Hulk is the undisputed king.Except for Austin being the biggest draw, everything else is 100% correct.

[i76hitman]

Instead of putting 20 million dollars into Mayweather, I think their money would've been better spent if they threw away that much, putting it into signing Sting to a 1 or 2 year contract so Flair could have one more Flair vs. Sting moment, and we could have Sting Vs. HBK, and Sting Vs. Undertaker one time down the line. Something to have the dream matches we all wanted to watch before Sting really does hang up the boots for good.

[Canadian Knight]

Here is a novel idea, no one! I think he should be the one to retire even if i don't like him. Although I do not like him i do respect his long career. A person to go that long should decide when she should retire. However I would not put it past HBK to have HBK do it since this would be another notch in his career.

[blackhart07]

Originally Posted by mike2307
Wow, you're obviously so biased of hulk Hogan it's ridiculous. Hulk Hogan is not one of the best wrestlers of all time, not even close.

Yes, he is.

Quote:
But hogan is not the greatest wrestler/worker of all time

Yes, he is.

Quote:

Thats your view on wrestling it isnt right or wrong people are gonnea agree and disagree with you. Some people like different styles. Just because you can have the crowd cheer dosnt mean your a good worker the ultimate warrior got people to cheer him and his matches went on for a good 2 minutes. Same with Khali he can draw a house, make people cheer at him. Yet he can barely move around the ring. That makes him a good wreslter?I guess you can say Floyd Mayweather, Eric Bischoff, Batista, Stephanie Mcmahon, and David Arquette are good workers. All of them drew money and got people to cheer at them.


Quote:
I would have not minded a Hogan/Flair match for all the marbles, but I would have liked more then 5 weeks build up for it, so... I think you should give the honors to a young guy...

It's a moot point now and it's HBK vs. Flair.

Which, out of all the possibilities out there, is probably the one match that makes the LEAST amount of sense. Why would you have an over the hill worker, with bad knees and a bad back, who doesn't want to be the face of the company, get the rub that comes from ending the legendary Ric Flair's career.

It's silly, in my opinion.

The say exact thing could be said for Hogan whats the difference between Shawn and Hogan? You dont think Hogan is over the hill. If there is one thing to be said about Shawn is he turns it up at WM. Hogan hasnt been in the WWE in how many years? Look at how much Shawn has done for the WWE from 1993 up to now. I cant stand the guy and he carried the company and was one reason why it is still running. Flair sings Shawns praises in his book, and dosnt do the same for Hogan.

[mike2307]

[QUOTE=Slyfox696;373713]
It's a moot point now and it's HBK vs. Flair.

Which, out of all the possibilities out there, is probably the one match that makes the LEAST amount of sense. Why would you have an over the hill worker, with bad knees and a bad back, who doesn't want to be the face of the company, get the rub that comes from ending the legendary Ric Flair's career.

[QUOTE]


Yea, and hogan's constant bashing of the company, and the fact that he only appears occasionally makes him a much better candidate then shawn michaels...At least shawn michaels still performs daily in the WWE. And to respond to your other comments. Brett Hart never said hogan was the best, gauranteed. Bash of the Beach was never proven to be a work, thats why it's such a big controversey. Austin did draw more for the WWE then hogan, as stated plainly by vince mcmahon, and im pretty sure he would know. Hogan did get stale, thats why they turned him heel in 96. I guess I was missing your point, and you proved it by consistently still singing hogans praises? Hogan was the biggest draw in wrestling history when you combine wwe/wcw. He was great, but saying he's the best cause he made the most money is ridiculous. An example, David Beckham is the highest paid soccer player in the world, and he's far from the best anyone who knows soccer knows this. But he's marketable and he makes money, which is great for the sport, but he isnt the best athlete and doesn't play soccer the best. Hogan is very marketable and great for wrestling, but he doesn't perform the best in the ring.

[Derf]

After last night, I honestly don't think HBK will end Flairs career. We're all expecting it, but I can see them adding the "Only active Hall of Famer" to his list of achievements. In other words, I can't see him actually retiring after Mania. The stipulation will somehow be lifted, and he will go on for a few more years. We've not seen the end yet, IMO.

[slimmshady]

Yep! it has to be the stinger for me. If it wasn't for a new contract with tna, I would be very sure that it definitely would have been sting. No doubt about that. I think Sting would have definitely signed up for contract just for maybe wrestlemania to face his old rival once more. But its a damn shame that tna had to give the stinger a new contract or else it would have been, for me personally, the greatest wrestlemania of all time.

[LuvMyEdge]

Lex Luger that would be the shit!




Anywho, being serious. I wouldn't mind seeing Hogan v Flair at mania, but not with Hogan ending it. I would much rather see Flair win the match and continue with this angle. They have already severly drug their feet on this angle, so why not prolong it a little bit. Make it and Ric the focal point of a PPV and have him retired by a champion.

It would be rather hard for Lex Luger to retire Flair from his wheelchair.

I really don't want to see Flair retire yet, even though it's clear he's way past his prime. I hope HBK is the one to wrestle Flair at WM, but I hope HBK ends up losing. Maybe write it so he's just about to deliver a sweet chin music, then we see him conflicted. Then Flair, the dirtiest player in the game, figure fours HBK ... and HBK taps out. That's what I'd like to see, but I'm not going to hold my breath. I think Hulk Hogan should wait until he's got his own wrestling federation together before he wrestles again. This is all just my opinion, of course.

[IrishEnglishman24]

sting doesn't need wwe. why do you think he's never signed for them before now and chose to stick with TNA? the guy has made his name without ever having been part of wwf/e and i don't see him throwing that away.

to be honest, the only reason i think they gave michaels the match with the potential for being flair's last match is because he's older. it's not going to be something that people will say 'why him? he ruined that moment', because he'll be gone soon and wont have to live up to the rep.

and if he loses the match and flair retires on his own terms, he's a big enough name that people will remember who he lost against.

as far as hogan flair goes, i know people want it to happen, but i dont think a retirement match is the way to go about this.

[michaelj817]

Shawn is in, and no matter who he has wrestled at past Manias, he always kicks it up a notch and gives the fans their moneys worth. It doesn't matter if he beats Flair or not, because he and Flair will be magic when they hit the ring, and he out of anybody currently on the roster will help deliver a memorable Wrestlmania match.

As Shawn is already in, this is kind of irrelevant, but I couldn't see anyone else beating him anyway, as there isn't much of a rub to give to any of the young guys by beating him. As I've said before, WWE turned this into a second class storyline, so without a serious build, there is no real benefit to a Kennedy or MVP beating someone who WWE has recently portrayed as a feeble old man. I am by no means belittling Flair as a performer, or his legacy, but this is just how things have worked out from a storyline POV. While a younger guy could beat him and brag for a while on Raw, it isn't really going to push them over the edge to superstardom at this point. That's why I am glad they are giving Flair and Shawn the chance to really shine and hopefully we will be talking about it positively for years to come.

[vega13mv]

there's actually a bunch of ways to fittingly ending flairs career. H, Micheals, Taker are all worthy candidates. also, if orton wanted to keep rolling on his legend killer monacre, what better way to make that legit by ending flairs carreer? another nice angle would have been taker vs naitch. think about it, carrer vs. winning streak, talk about high stakes! but looks like neither of those things are gonna happen so its interesting to see where WWE takes this. the most likely person now would be shawn michaels, but that kinda seems anti-climatic for me. so i dunno, maybe Hogan vs. Flair would be the best option, but definetely not the most creative.

[Esteban Ochocinco]

Well I don't need to respod to the mindless Hogan bashing, because Slyfox is carrying the torch of Hulkamania proudly for all of us Hulkamaniacs.

As far as Michaels carrying the legacy of ending Flair's career, meh, call me ten years ago when that actually meant something. Face it, retiring Ric Flair is meaningless at this point. the guy is way past his prime. If they did htis back in 2002 or something, then maybe, just maybe it would amount to something, but the guy is so old righ tnow, it's frankly pathetic that a younger guy hasn't beaten him already.

Michaels will end Flairs career, then Jericho will probably retire Michaels in ten years and the chain of 40 year olds retiring near 60 year olds will continue forever onward. This match would honestly be a ton better if they put Michaels career on the line as well.

[Slyfox696]

Thats your view on wrestling it isnt right or wrong people are gonnea agree and disagree with you. Some people like different styles. Just because you can have the crowd cheer dosnt mean your a good workerUmm, that's PRECISELY what it means. If you can make the crowd care about you, then that proves you know how to work the crowd. If you can work the crowd well, then you are a good wrestler. This isn't difficult to understand.

the ultimate warrior got people to cheer him and his matches went on for a good 2 minutes.Only the squash matches. See his match vs. Hogan or Savage at Wrestlemania. Warrior had the best match at Wrestlemania 2 years in a row.

Same with Khali he can draw a house, make people cheer at him. Yet he can barely move around the ring. That makes him a good wreslter?I guess you can say Floyd Mayweather, Eric Bischoff, Batista, Stephanie Mcmahon, and David Arquette are good workers. All of them drew money and got people to cheer at them.Except that Mayweather, Bischoff, Steph, and Arquette DIDN'T draw money for their in-ring work. And I say Batista is a good worker.


The say exact thing could be said for Hogan whats the difference between Shawn and Hogan? Several millions dollars. Millions of fans. A history. The greatest feud that never occurred.

Is that enough?

You dont think Hogan is over the hill. If there is one thing to be said about Shawn is he turns it up at WM. Hogan hasnt been in the WWE in how many years? Look at how much Shawn has done for the WWE from 1993 up to now. I cant stand the guy and he carried the company and was one reason why it is still running. Flair sings Shawns praises in his book, and dosnt do the same for Hogan.Hogan was making big money for the WWE before Shawn Michaels graduated high school. Hulk Hogan was making big money for wrestling before Shawn Michaels even entered high school. Hulk Hogan did his time, and did it much better than HBK has ever done his. What has Shawn ever done for the WWE, other than put it in constant jeopardy with his bitching, and refusal to put others over clean for titles? His reign in 1996 is the second poorest drawing reign ever, he still doesn't draw well for someone of his stature (I imagine he probably ranks 5th of 6th behind Cena, HHH, Rey, Batista, and maybe the Undertaker), and him facing Flair benefits NOBODY.

Hulk Hogan, on the other, is a dream match with Flair, even if we've seen it before. Hulk Hogan vs. Ric Flair could do great business, and make people buy a ticket they hadn't planned on buying. It could make fans from the 80s buy a ticket to see a match they always wanted, this time for all the marbles.

Hogan makes infinite times more sense than HBK ever will.

Yea, and hogan's constant bashing of the company, and the fact that he only appears occasionally makes him a much better candidate then shawn michaelsNo, his ability to still be able to outdraw Shawn Michaels makes him a better candidate.

At least shawn michaels still performs daily in the WWE. No he doesn't. He works one show a week, unless there's a PPV. HBK rarely works house shows.

And to respond to your other comments. Brett Hart never said hogan was the best, gauranteed.

I can say that Hulk Hogan was not only a hero to millions of Hulkamaniacs, but to all the wrestlers too...
It brought back what I remember most about Hulk Hogan, even more than his feats as a great wrestler....
I’ve always tried to follow his example...
Some things in wrestling have always been real and Hulk Hogan is one of them.http://www.brethart.com/bio/columns/tribute-hulk-hogan

Bash of the Beach was never proven to be a work, thats why it's such a big controversey. Except when Hogan and Russo have both come out and said it was a work. :rolleyes:

Austin did draw more for the WWE then hogan, as stated plainly by vince mcmahon, and im pretty sure he would know. No, Austin drew more money in one year than Hogan did...15 years later. Adjust for inflation, add total combined years...Bingo.

Hell, the best year the WWE has ever done was in 2000 when Austin wasn't even around.

Hogan did get stale, thats why they turned him heel in 96. At which point he completely revolutionized the business...again.
I guess I was missing your point, and you proved it by consistently still singing hogans praises? The fact Hogan was the biggest face and biggest heel of all time should end any dispute to Hogan being the best. Hogan was the biggest draw in wrestling history when you combine wwe/wcw. Precisely? That was the whole point.

He was great, but saying he's the best cause he made the most money is ridiculous. No, it isn't. Because the whole purpose of being a wrestler is to make money for your company. And a promotion's biggest goal is to make money. So, a performer who does his job the best makes the most money.

Which is why Hogan is the best.
An example, David Beckham is the highest paid soccer player in the world, and he's far from the best anyone who knows soccer knows this. Last I checked, soccer was real competition and professional wrestling was scripted entertainment. Correct me if I'm wrong.
but he doesn't perform the best in the ring.
How do you figure? What about Hogan's in-ring ability is lacking?

[IrishEnglishman24]

did i read that correctly...khali can draw??? is that guy serious.

sly, i know your a big hogan fan, and while i may not enjoy hogan in the ring, i can't deny how damn good he was at his job. despite this, i dont think hogan/flair right now would be the best way for flair to go out. a few years ago hogan/flair would have made an outstanding addition to a card with a feud attached, but as a one-off match in 2008, i don't think it would do justice to the match people want.

David Beckham...do you have any idea why he's being paid that much? the man is a media goldmine. he's the most recognisable face in football, apologies...soccer, the most marketable face in soccer and has earned more money for his clubs than anyone else. in his day he was an amazing player and still is, but not his best

add to that i've a signed shirt from him...

those are my views, disagree if you will

[FlairFan2003]

Wow, there's a lot of hogan fans here lol...First, Flair NEVER said Hogan was the best wrestler at any time. He has praised Hogan's willingness to visit sick children and his drawing ability, but he's also criticized (along with the rest of the known wrestling world) Hogan's absolute unwillingness to work on an even basis with anyone once he became big, essentially insisting on squashing every opponent or refusing to wrestle at all. Anyone who complains that HHH "holds ppl back", (and I'm not saying that's entirely true) he's got nothing on Hogan. HHH puts more guys over in one year than Hogan has since 1982. Hogan did near as much to destroy the business with his "my way or the highway" attitude as he did to build it.

Second, while Hogan did a lot of business Vince McMahon's promotional prowess more than anything else is what propelled WWF from regional company to national (and eventually international) entity. WWF continued to grow with both Randy Savage and Ultimate Warrior on top while Hogan was nowhere to be found. Hogan certainly benefited from McMahon's uncanny promotional abilities but in his defense he did play his character perfectly and he definately has charisma and interview ability to spare. Also remember that for most of the 1980's Hogan and WWF DID NOT draw well in the core NWA territories like the Carolinas, Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee, at least not in comparison to the business Flair did. But the NWA did draw in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, the WWF backyard during that time. To this day here in Pittsburgh the highest attendance for a wrestling show was the 1987 Bunkhouse Stampede Final in which Flair and Dusty Rhodes had the top two matches (over 17,500 fans). Considering that we have had multiple SummerSlam events here as well as other PPV, RAW, and Smackdown tapings that is pretty impressive, more so when you consider WWF put on shows here constantoy during that time as Pittsburgh was second only to New York among WWF mainstay cities (Bruno Sammartino was from here)..

Third, while I believe that it should be an established main event star who finally ends Flair's winning streak/career, Hogan has already run roughshod over Flair more than once. He vehemently refused to lose the title to Flair in 1992 even with the promise of winning it back at WrestleMania, and it's well documented that no one in WCW wanted to work with Hogan, he would have failed miserably there if not for Flair putting him over time and again. Not only would this be insulting to wrestling fans to have Hogan end Flair's career, Hogan can hardly move in the ring. Flair is past his prime but could still put on a show with someone who can perform (like Michaels), I doubt he could carry Hogan the way he did in 1994. The match would be terrible, the ending (if Hogan won) insulting, it would be a disaster.

[Murfishes Can Use Calculus and Physics]

Let me first say that Shawn had better beat Flair. I'm not saying that he is the best candidate and I'm not saying that he isn't. But Flair, after beating a large amount of top talent, frankly should lose. If Flair wins and retires on his own terms it would seem like the wwe is losing some top competitor. Right now Flair is one so he shouldn't be treated like one.

[chemreb]

If HBK dosen't retire Flair at Mania, then John Cena should do it. 2 reasons: 1) Cena is building a HOF career, he needs a stamp on his legacy. Cena has 3 years on top of WWE and nothing to remember him by. 2) Cena is in much need of a heel turn. The over 18 year old fans hate Cena already. Retiring Ric Flair will give Cena the boost to become a monster heel turn. The WWE marketing must hear all of the boos in the arena. Cena is a great worker, but he doesn't have the "it" factor like Hogan, Andre, Flair, Austin or the Rock had. Make Cena a heel and do it now!

Side note- Why aren't Arn and the Horsemen inducting Flair into the HOF? This is a no-brainer. Flair has had an awesome career, but every Flair fan will remember his days with the Horsemen with the most fondness.

[mark4life]

Shawn is a good choice, would like to see Triple H do it if he wasn't involve in the title match already. A dream match would be awesome to see if he was a still active & that is Ricky Steamboat(haha)! A fan can always dream right?