Greatest Rival #2

[Tech N9ne]

Most of the time when a thread is made about someone, especially in a way that focuses on looking back at someone's career. The questions that are asked usually revolve around "What Was Their Best Match" or "What Was Their Best Moment" or something similar.

But in this thread I ask the question, Who is a person's greatest rival? Maybe you base that on a series of matches they had together. Or the amount of matches they had in their careers. Or maybe when these 2 get together, they bring the best out of each other. Or maybe you think 2 guys are rivals because their careers ran parallel to each other or revolved around one another.

This time, I pose the question... Who was/is the Greatest Rival in the career of "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan?

There are probably MANY different opinions on this and I would LOVE to hear why each one of you feel the way you do. Instead of pointing out accomplishments and accolades of Hogan, I will just right into it...

Something wants me to vote for "The Macho Man" Randy Savage. I must admit, I have a soft spot for the guy. In my opinion, I think he was held back and will forever be in the shadow of Hulk Hogan. No matter where Savage was, WWF, WCW, he was always 2nd Fiddle at best, behind Hulk Hogan.

They feuded for years, and Hogan had some of his best matches with Savage. Their chemistry was great, even in ring. I don't think Hogan can say he had great chemistry with a lot of guys. But, Savage was definitely one of them.

But, the more I think about this. The more I decide there can only be ONE true rival in Hogan's career and my vote goes to "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair. Hulk Hogan was the top guy in WWF and Ric Flair was the same over in the NWA and then WCW.

None of their matches together stood out as All Time Classics. But, in this case, I would say it doesn't matter. Both are considered by different masses, to be the BEST EVER. Most people would consider Flair to be the best ever in ring and Hogan to be the biggest name and biggest draw ever.

In part 1 of this series, Greatest Rival. I voted Chris Benoit's Greatest Rival to be Kurt Angle. I thought their feuds and matches were so intense and their styles were so similar, that Angle could be the only choice for Benoit's Greatest Rival.

In part 2 though. I feel like I have to look at it differently. Both of these guys, Flair and Hogan, probably couldn't go one day without hearing the other's name mentioned. That might even still be the case to this day. Surprisingly, they haven't had as many matches versus one another that you would think. Until the early 90's when Flair ended up in WWF for a short time, they were never in the same company while their names were as big as they were.

Flair left WWF before he and Hogan had that all time classic match. So, rumors and opinions still flew around about who would win this match between the 2. A couple more years went by and Hogan ended up in WCW, with Flair. Hogan defeated Flair in their first REAL match together and continued to have matches and feuds together over the next few years.

To me though, I think their feuds and matches are not what makes them the Greatest Rivals of one another. I think it is simply their names, and also their timing of being on top, in their respective companies, simultaneously.

In some ways, it is hard to think of the one, without thinking of the other.

In ring, on mic, backstage, and every where else. They were completely different. Opinions differ around the world from fans, as well as Co-Workers, on both of them. But, I think one thing is pretty much agreed on. They are 2 of the biggest names that Pro Wrestling has ever seen.

As I said before, something wants me to pick Savage. I think it is just because I like Savage more then I like Flair. But, the point of this is to be objective.

Hulk Hogan might be the Greatest Rival of Randy Savage. But, the GREATEST Rival of Hulk Hogan, is Ric Flair.



EDIT: Dammit! I guess nothing can ever be PERFECT! I forgot to add Sting on the Poll. Before I get hounded or "attacked" for not adding him, just know that I didn't leave him out on purpose. I think Sting was/is a viable option for being Hogan's Greatest Rival. Simple mistake, good thing I put "Other" on there huh? My bad...

 

[Disturbed]

I completely agree with Crooks on this one. Without a doubt in my mind, it is Ric Flair. How could it be anyone else? Hogan was the top guy in WWF. Flair was the top guy in NWA. They were the faces of the two biggest promotions in the United States. Every wrestling fan was anticipating the day they had a match. There first match was at Bash at the Beach 94. This is one of my favorite matches of all time and I think WWE should have done it at Wrestlemania 8 instead of Flair vs Savage. Hogan came to WCW in 94 and everyone knew they would face off. At Bash at the Beach Hogan came out victorious and walked out with the WCW Heavyweight Championship. There rivalry goes behond the ring as they have had some heat backstage when WCW was still around. I was actually suprised Flair signed with TNA to work for Hogan and Bischoff as they never got along before.

 

[PinkFloydFixation]

I voted Roddy Piper. A man who has always been striven to beat Hulk Hogan. I don't remember if he ever has or not, but man, he spent most of his career in WCW yearning to beat Hulk Hogan. The rivalry even continued again in the WWE when Hogan was under the Mr. America persona, which resulted in Zach Gowen debuting (shudders). But my vote goes to Roddy Piper.

 

[RickRockwell]

A strong argument can be made for Flair and Andre... However, you forget the common factor in both Flair and Andre and that was Bobby Heenan... Without a doubt Bobby Heenan is Hogan's greatest rival...

 

[Ghost 99]

When I first saw this question, the person that instantly popped in my head was Roddy Piper. The reason was because the two made wrestling in the 80s and they were the main rivals in the first Wrestlemania, which set the tone and trend for the ultimate rivalries on the biggest stage. As an even bigger statement, they were rivals on a cartoon. They were rivals on MTV. Their rivalry not only made wrestling what it is today, it also traveled outside of the wrestling box into those aforementioned avenues to reach non-wrestling fans. Add to it the fact that Hogan never pinned Piper during this rival and visa versa ALMOST clinched the Hogan/Piper rivalry for me.

I couldn't say Ric Flair because although they were the two representatives of their respective promotions, the promotions themselves weren't rivals. Plus there weren't any comparisons that were debatable. Hogan was the popular one that entertained in the ring, Flair was the hated guy that "wrestled" more. As far as I remember, neither even hinted the other's name in any interviews during the 80s and 90s. Flair's aura never challenged Hogan's ratings. Hogan's star power never challenged Flair's legacy as the pure wrestler. Everything was set in stone and the fans had alternate options to choose from: entertainment or skill. So with that I have to say no to Flair.

My vote leaned towards Randy Savage, but Piper was a bigger villain and in ring threat in my opinion. Hogan could never pin Piper but he pinned Savage in their first encounter I believe, erasing most doubt. Piper left doubt. So that crossed him out.

The more I thought about it, I thought of the only man who was Hogan's rival at the birth of Hulkamania and at it's peak. He's the one man who gets overlooked because he never fought Hogan in a match, but he was the biggest thorn in Hogan's side for years and for that reason I think he was Hogan's biggest rival: Bobby The Brain Heenan.

In the AWA, Heenan was managing Nick Bockwinkle when Hogan was on the verge of becoming that promotion's icon. It was just a setup of what was to come in the WWF. Had the two stayed in the AWA, we would've seen the same thing Heenan did in the WWF with the Heenan Family.

When they arrived in the WWF and eventually crossed paths, Heenan threw wrestler after wrestler at Hogan to get his title. He managed Hogan's two opponents in WM II and III, with the threat to Hogan's title getting bigger and bigger literally. Although Heenan's men failed to get the titles from Hogan, the threats were new and fresh and you always wondered how Hogan was going to get out of this one. With Piper and Savage you saw it before, so the possibility of Hogan escaping defeat again were based on previous experiences and familiarity. With the Heenan Family, you didn't know what was coming. Moracco, Bundy, Orndorff, Hercules, Orndorff again, Andre The Giant and others. I think even Harley Race at one point.

I gave this a long thought and chose Heenan. I know it won't be a popular choice, but Heenan reminded me of Lex Luther compared to Hogan's Superman. He just kept coming with new adventures.

 

[SouthsideSam]

You guys made a valid point with Flair but the only reason I do not agree is NWA/WCW fans usually hated WWF back then and vice versa. So most of us never even thought of this match much because we figured it would never happen. When it finally did happen in WCW it was way to late in both mens careers that it didn't carry that much meaning anymore.

With this said Roddy Piper was basically Hogan's arch enemy when he was first coming to fame and I really think piper sold Wrestlemania more than Hogan did.
We all wanted to see the dress wearing freak(who is one of my all time favorites) get destroyed by the all American hero. Still though I wouldn't call Piper his greatest rival either because none of us believed Piper had a shot in the world at dethroning Hogan.

So I am going to have to go with Andre. I am pretty sure this was the longest running feud of Hogan's career. It started a few months before WM3 and carried all the way past WM4. It was one of the best angles WWF had ever done back then and Andre was the first guy I really belived would put an end to Hulkamania. To this day if you say the name Flair I think of Sting. If you say the name Andre Hogan and WM3 immediately pop into my mind. Heenan is definitely up their as the above poster stated but that would be like saying Micheal Jordan's biggest rival was another teams coach so that doesn't work for me.

 

[Lucha-Libre is wrestling]

Hulk Hogans greatest rival had to be Bobby The Brain Heenan. They never wrestle but from 1981-1993 The Brain always was a manager or adviser to a wrestler that was trying to kill or expose Hulk-a-mania . On July 7th 1996 the feud finally ended with the start of The NWO, The Brain screamed "I told you so", "No one ever believed me that he is a big fraud." No matter what was the promotion (AWA,WWF,WCW)they always appose each other.

A strong argument can be made for Flair and Andre... However, you forget the common factor in both Flair and Andre and that was Bobby Heenan... Without a doubt Bobby Heenan is Hogan's greatest rival...

I agree with you 100%, The Brain was always trying to expose or destroy Hulk-a-mania since the AWA. Most people don't realize that he finally proved his case on July 7, 1996, the birth of the NWO was the end of the Heenan & Hogan feud that lasted over 10yrs.

 

[The Crock]

When I see Hulk Hogan there is one man I instantly associate with him, Andre The Giant. I have no doubt in my mind that Hogan's greatest rival is the man he made history with. Andre vs Hogan at WrestleMania III was one of the biggest moments in wrestling history, and will never be forgotten. That match was the pinnacle of the 80s, wrestling-wise, and it helped set an indoor attendance record for a sporting even that remained untouched until 2010. For 23 years, WrestleMania III stood alone, only because of this match. Regardless of how many matches Hogan had with Piper, Sting, Flair, whoever... nobody shall ever surpass Andre as his greatest rival. The WrestleMania III match was fittingly billed as the "biggest main event in sports entertainment," it was a spectacle unlike anything fans had ever seen before. It was the "irresistible force" vs the "immovable object," neither man could lose. The WWF Champion, widely considered the best ever, Hulk Hogan was facing the man who had gone undefeated in the WWF for 15 years, Andre The Giant. It had all the makings of a classic, and it didn't disappoint. The match catapulted their feud into a level of "god-like" reverence. The "slam heard around the world" opened the door for future generations, and took wrestling itself onto a whole other level. Not only is Andre The Giant the only man who could ever be considered Hulk Hogan's greatest rival, but their rivalry may be the best of all time.

 

[RickRockwell]

WWF would not have existed in the 1980's if it weren't for the Heenan Family and their constant feud with Hulk Hogan.. Andre, Big John Studd, King Kong Bundy, Paul Orndorff, etc.. Heenan carried the feud on for over a decade and in multiple promotions..

 

[The Brain]

It’s hard not to vote for Ric Flair here. Hogan and Flair were undoubtedly the two biggest names of the 80s. They represented the ultimate good guy and the ultimate bad guy. They were by far the biggest names in their respective promotions. That last sentence is actually why I can’t vote Flair. Even though they went on to have a great rivalry in WCW in the 90s Hogan and Flair never competed against each other in a big match during their true primes. It was always the big dream match but the rivalry with Flair came too late in their careers for me to consider it Hogan’s best.

My vote goes to Randy Savage. Savage came into the WWF in 1985 during the peak of Hulkamania. Even though he was the new kid on the block it didn’t take him long to go after the Hulkster. A lot of people forget that Hogan and Savage had already developed a nice rivalry before The Mega Powers were ever formed. Even while he was IC champion Savage was going after Hogan. He was viewed as a more serious threat to the title than larger opponents like King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd. There came a point when people expected Hogan to topple the giants, but they feared Savage may be able to wrestle the title away from Hulk.

In late 1987 the rivals became partners and ruled the WWF together for a little over a year. Savage actually became as popular as Hogan. We all know what happened early in 1989. A very bitter and ugly breakup occurred which led to a WrestleMania main event title match between the two. Aside from Hogan vs. Andre and maybe Austin vs. Rock, Hogan vs. Savage was WrestleMania’s greatest main event when it came to star power. The two would continue to feud throughout 1989 and on and off in 1990 as well.

In 1995 they renewed their partnership in WCW but these two could never remain on the same page for long. In 1996 it was Savage who received Hogan’s leg drop on that infamous night the nwo was formed. I didn’t follow WCW like I did the WWF but I know even after Savage joined the nwo he and Hogan would renew their feud a few more times.

The WWF was on top of the wrestling world while Hogan and Savage were there. WCW became number one when they took their rivalry South. Their mania main event was the second or third biggest ever in terms of star power. They had several partnerships and breakups. They both played the role of hero and villain. All these reasons led me to vote for Randy Savage as Hulk Hogan’s greatest rival.