Hogan's Best Match Not At Wrestlemania

[klunderbunker]

If you ask older fans what Hogan's best match is, the common answer is vs. Warrior in Toronto. The second most common answer is vs. Savage in Atlantic City. Both of those were at Wrestlemania though. The title and premise of this thread is simple: what is Hulk Hogan's best match that didn't happen at Wrestlemania?

 

[X]

I'm going to have to go with Hogan's match against Ric Flair in a steel cage at WCW's Halloween Havoc 1994. They had a few really good matches together in WCW once Hulk jumped ship, and this was easily the best of them and honestly is probably one of Hulk's best singles matches ever in any company, it was a great way to blow-off their feud at the time and even the goofy stuff like Mr. T at ringside didn't detract from things.

A few other matches that came to mind were the series of matches Hogan had with the Big Bossman in '89 at MSG and on SNME, in a cage or out., as well as some of the house show matches he worked with Randy Savage back in 1986 (their encounter in May of that year in particular was a damned good one IIRC). The first Flair-Hogan WCW match was considered, as well as the great match Flair and Hogan had on a house show on New Years Eve 1991. Odd, but fun question KB.

 

[ProudFlairMark]

I think you have to go with Hogan vs. Flair at Bash at the Beach. It was an epic encounter; Vince McMahon squandered the opportunity to turn it into the biggest Wrestlemania main event of all time. For big matches, has there ever really been one that was more anticipated than the first (and I know they had several prior in the WWF at house shows) meeting between the perennial WWF champion and the perennial NWA/WCW champion? The buy rate for BATB proves that the theory of WM8 being "5 years too late" was way off base.

 

[I_got_bant_for_idiocy]

im gonna go with hulk hogan vs earthquake at summerslam 90... the return of hulk hogan after earthquake put him out of action for god knows how long. earthquake is probably one of the most underrated big men EVER watch his promo before the match!!!!

 

[legendkillerbsal]

BEST MATCH IS HOGAN VS THE GREAT MUTA IN JAPAN. HOGAN SHOW THAT HE'S A REAL WRESTLER IN THAT MATCH. WATCH IT AND THEN YOU'LL KNOW.

 

[Hulkamaniac]

Really interesting question, considering a lot of Hogan's best matches WERE at Wrestlemania.

I think xfear's mention of the Bossman-Hogan Cage Match is a great answer. That match was a lot of fun and really well done.

His match with Flair, also mentioned by xfear, was spectacular (the cage match for Flair's first retirement).

Hogan also had a great series of matches with Vader, with his best probably being their Strap Match at...I want to say Uncensored in 1995? Very good stuff.

Finally, Hogan also had a great match at an MSG show with "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig, a personal favorite of mine. This was a good match that really left Hogan's formula behind, with Perfect even derailing the Hulk Up, which was borderline unheard of at the time. Hennig won by DQ. It's on Youtube somewhere. Just a great all around match.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

For me it was his match against Andre when he 1st lost the title at the Main Event.

There's a reason it won match of the year because from a storytelling point of view it was a fantastic match with a great ending to boot. The whole match you were just enthralled because you just knew something was gonna happen.

It certainly wasn't a technical masterpiece by no means but it had great storytelling and was a match that you get emotionally invested in and quick. That's the best part of wrestling and this match nailed it almost flawlessly.

 

[DanTheMan3:16]

his match against undertaker at survivor series 1991 was pretty big, it shows hogan is willing to lose and put someone over with the strap on the line. his match against goldberg from nitro in july of 1998 also shows how hogan., if he thinks hes the next big thing he will put them over and put the strap on the them.

 

[Syd Liberty]

Vs Stan Hansen in Japan. SMS event I think in 1990 or 1991. Hogan works a more japanese style, goes over with his awful lariat, but it was still a really great match. Proves that even though Hogan is without a doubt a washed up, has-been, never will draw money again and should retire soon asshole, the motherfucker could draw anywhere back then.

 

[BigDaddyKewl]

Against Triple H at Backlash, solid match. It would be Hogans last world title run.

 

[boozinjedi]

This is a weird one and weird reason why I picked it.

In his last WWE run,I can't remember if it was a RAW or a PPV..

He lost against Kurt Angle,I remember it for the way he lost.

After the "hulk-up" he went for the leg drop...

Angle caught the leg and turned into the ankle lock,

first time I ever saw anyone block the leg in any way,shape or form..

anybody else that beat him..either pinned him before the hulk-up OR got out of the way of the leg drop.

 

[mrkite619]

Do tag matches count? If so I would have to say Hogan & Piper vs Sid & Flair from M.S.G. just before W.M.8. But singles match I guess I would have to say Vs. Savage @ M.S.G. I'm not to sure when it happened (maybe around '86) but I know Savage won that particular match by countout & started posing with the belt.

 

[mrpops]

His entire last run in the wwe was epic. He was paired up with the best wrestlers of that year and had some of the best matches of his career. That year we got:

Hogan vs rock(yeah yeah i know its a mania match)
Hogan vs HHH
Hogan vs Brock
Hogan Vs Kurt Angle
Hogan/Edge becoming tag champs
Hogan vs shawn micheals

Those were all great matches and hogan deserves tons of credit/respect for giving us those awesome matches regardless if he was being carried in them.

 

[olando76]

I'm going to say the "Saturday Nights Main Event" match with the Big Boss Man in the cage. The superplex off the top of the cage has awesome, I had never seen anything like that before being 8 or 9 years old. I hated Hogan when I was growing up and even I had to say that was a pretty damn good match.

 

[steve6314]

I agree with Mrpops I thought he had a number of his better non pay per view matches during his last run. His selling during this period is some of the best I've ever seen. My personal favourite has to be the smackdown match against Brock Lesnar with a bloody hogan fading out from a brock lesnar bear hug being an example of how Hogan could really make a crowd feel sympathy during that period. I remeber watching waiting for the big hogan comeback and eventually realising it wasn't going to come. He did an outstanding job of putting lesnar over as his sucessor that nite. Just a shame Lesnar never became as bigger star as he could have been

 

[DeathClutch]

I'd have to go with either, Hogan/Angle I @ King of the Ring 2002, simply because it was Kurt Angle and Hulk Hogan on PPV which could of/should have been a headliner, awesome match and hope tapped out (from what i can remember).

OR

WCW CHAMPIONSHIP VS Goldberg, the fact they only ever had one match as well really makes the match stand out as well.

 

[Awesome]

I wanted to post my pick before I look at other posts. I would expect most to agree with my choice Vs HBK at Summerslam. It's a real testament to Shawn's ability that he was able to carry Hogan to an above average match, one of the very few times a Hogan match has been above average. It's a shame though that even the legacy of that match is ruined because of Hogan's backstage shenanigans. That really helped cement Hogans reputation as a grade A piece of human crap.

 

[dd23beatlesfan1]

One match that I haven't seen posted is the cage match he had with Paul Orndorff on Saturday Night's Main event at the very beginning of 1987. That is one of the best steel cage matches of the era, and it pioneered the spot of both guys climbing down the cage at the same time, only for the heel to get his foot caught on the cage. This spot has been used countless times in cage matches since.

Very dramatic and exciting and well done.

 

[czar76]

I'm gonna go way back. Hogan /Lawler in Memphis in the early 80's. Hogan was green as hell at the time but the build was huge and the fans were rabid. Both men played the part perfectly.

 

[Million Dollar Dream]

his match against undertaker at survivor series 1991 was pretty big, it shows hogan is willing to lose and put someone over with the strap on the line. his match against goldberg from nitro in july of 1998 also shows how hogan., if he thinks hes the next big thing he will put them over and put the strap on the them.

What are you talking about... Hogan won the title back shortly after at Tuesday in Texas... Undertaker's first reign was a joke... Sorta like Kane having it for 24 hours... That family has bad luck?

 

[LODemolition]

The first match that popped into my head was Survivor Series 91 vs. The Undertaker. It was a nice match with a surprise ending, Taker tombstoning Hogan onto a chair that Ric Flair slid into the ring while the ref's back was turned to become new champ. Too bad the reign lasted just 2 days, but this was kind of the beginning of the end of Hogan's dominance in WWF.

I also think they really dropped the ball by putting him in a match against Sid at WMVIII instead of Flair. That could've been an epic feud from the Rumble leading up to Mania. The Flair/Savage storyline was pretty good, but could've been held off til SummerSlam.

 

[alistahr]

im gonna go with this one match i saw of him wrestling stan hansen in japan, most of hogan's matches in japan were top notch

 

[Somewhat Large Gonzalez]

Yeah, I'm surprised that his matches in Japan haven't been mentioned more often. I'm going with his match against Antonio Inoki in 1984. Hogan played the badass heel to perfection. The finish was messy, but the rest of the match was ace.

 

[RIPRKO1005]

Without a doubt its the finger poke of doom! That match was nothing but pure wrestling. Its crazy to think the company that shelled out that gem isn't around anymore. . . . . . . . .

OK I"M KIDDING!!!!!!!!


But to be serious i would have to say that alot of his post WCW stuff in WWE was pretty good. His summerslam match with michaels sticks but also i really liked his summerslam match with Randy Orton, except wanted Orton to win.

 

[relentless1]

vs goldberg on nitro- passed the torch, for all those hogan haters....

vs flair at uncensored 1999- not the best match out there but displayed some wrestling skill, some hardcore skills and it makred the return of the "hulk up"