Report: Updated Plans For Hogan?

[Jack-Hammer]

There's more alleged news regarding Hulk Hogan and his role at WrestleMania XXX. According to PWInsider.com, it does look as though Hogan & WWE are close to signing some sort of deal.

The report goes onto say that the most likely scenario does involve Hogan working with John Cena in some way. There are said to be several ideas floating about, some of which in the report include Hogan being in John Cena's corner for a Cena singles match and Hogan teaming with Cena against The Real Americans. Allegedly, there's also talk of bringing in Rowdy Roddy Piper with several other ideas floating about that include Hogan & Cena against Piper & another heel, Hogan & Piper vs. Swagger & Cesaro or Hogan vs. Piper in a legends' singles match.

If this is accurate, I think the most likely scenarios involve Hogan being in Cena's corner or working some sort of tag match where his partner does 95% of the work. I just don't see Hogan being able to pass all of the various medical tests he'd be put through; not if his knees, hips and back are as bad as Hogan himself have stated they are. I don't know about Piper's physical condition, it's all up in the air and I don't recall reading anything about any particular limitations he might have aside from his age.

Again, if this is all accurate, I'm very surprised that WWE is seriously going to have Cena be in what will amount as basically a nostalgia moment. Considering Hogan's & Piper's ages and Hogan's well documented health issues, it's a safe bet that if they're involved in any sort of wrestling role, it's probably best to accept from the get-go that a match featuring them isn't going to be a masterpiece for the ages.

 

[L@RISANO]

If Cena is to have a nostalgia moment ONLY, which is unbelievable really, I would rather it be a tag match with Stone Cold as his partner.
That being said; This is possibly going to be the biggest WM ever, I refuse to believe that the Biggest Star in the WWE will be relegated to a nostalgia moment in the ring. Maybe, have Hulk Hogan be the host or if not, just come out and cut a promo at the beginning, then have Real Americans interrupt and attack him then Cena makes the save. Seems simple enough to me.

 

[Fabulous Freebirds]

There's more alleged news regarding Hulk Hogan and his role at WrestleMania XXX. According to PWInsider.com, it does look as though Hogan & WWE are close to signing some sort of deal.

The report goes onto say that the most likely scenario does involve Hogan working with John Cena in some way. There are said to be several ideas floating about, some of which in the report include Hogan being in John Cena's corner for a Cena singles match and Hogan teaming with Cena against The Real Americans. Allegedly, there's also talk of bringing in Rowdy Roddy Piper with several other ideas floating about that include Hogan & Cena against Piper & another heel, Hogan & Piper vs. Swagger & Cesaro or Hogan vs. Piper in a legends' singles match.

If this is accurate, I think the most likely scenarios involve Hogan being in Cena's corner or working some sort of tag match where his partner does 95% of the work. I just don't see Hogan being able to pass all of the various medical tests he'd be put through; not if his knees, hips and back are as bad as Hogan himself have stated they are. I don't know about Piper's physical condition, it's all up in the air and I don't recall reading anything about any particular limitations he might have aside from his age.

Again, if this is all accurate, I'm very surprised that WWE is seriously going to have Cena be in what will amount as basically a nostalgia moment. Considering Hogan's & Piper's ages and Hogan's well documented health issues, it's a safe bet that if they're involved in any sort of wrestling role, it's probably best to accept from the get-go that a match featuring them isn't going to be a masterpiece for the ages.

The thought of a Hogan vs Piper match at WM 30

About Hogan's Physical well being, I always think that maybe Hogan might be overstating how banged up he really is just to get the sympathy from fans?


I vote for Hogan being in Cena's corner for a match instead.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Again, if this is all accurate, I'm very surprised that WWE is seriously going to have Cena be in what will amount as basically a nostalgia moment.

Yes, that's very surprising; I believe the #1 man in WWE (Cena) needs to appear in a WM match that impacts what's going on today. Yes, you could say his facing Rock the last two years was a nod to nostalgia, but those matches were for the world title; that's quite different from Hogan appearing with a legend who (hopefully) has no designs on gaining a foothold as an active wrestler. It could be a dilemma; if his partner is a mid-carder, it must be someone capable of carrying his weight......but if Hulk's teammate is a returning legend, he has to be in good enough physical shape to carry the workload for both men.

If Hogan is as big an attraction as he's always seemed to believe he is, he should be able to sell a tag team match with a partner who does most of the ring work, yet possesses far less impact as a performer. Just the notion of Hulk Hogan appearing in a WWE ring as an active participant should be enough to attract PPV views. I'm not talking about giving him Heath Slater as a partner, but surely an active mid-carder with a decent rep can be found. In a match like this, the storyline is the key, anyway: which reads, how can we make Hogan the hero of the contest without taxing his body too much.....while also not wrecking the rep of his partner?

 

[ShawnBronald]

Considering all the other big starts seem to already have a match, this is all that's left for Cena. The main event appears to be Orton vs. Batista. The other big matches look to be Undertaker vs. Lesnar and Punk vs. Triple H.

The fact is, while it makes more sense to have Cena in a huge match, you don't need it to sell the show. Cena could come out and wrestle the entire NXT roster and the PPV would still sell like crazy.

Personally, if they're going to put Cena in a throwaway match, I'd prefer it to be against some up-and-coming star. Cena vs. Sandow would be great, for example. I thought the match they put on when Sandow cashed in MitB was fantastic.

I still think WWE wasted a HUGE opportunity when they had the unification match at TLC rather than WrestleMania. Imagine having almost all of the former WWE and World champions in attendance at 'Mania. Then, when the match was about to start, have Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair walk down the WWE and World titles, respectively, and place them on the hook. This would have been the ideal way to utilize Hogan at 'Mania. Instead, WWE rushed into things and made a historic match into an afterthought. /end_rant

 

[Diet Soda]

Please, no more Hogan.

His return to WWE 12 years ago was cringe-worthy, and it's not like he will have got any better since. Fine if he's appearing in a little breather skit like at WM 21, but to feature him on the card with other returning stars as Batista, Lesnar, and Taker, as well as Cena, Orton, Bryan, HHH, Punk, Shield, Wyatts, et cetera, it's not going to get sufficient build to be remotely exciting unless something more deserving gets overshadowed.

On the plus side, at least a world championship match won't be curtain-jerking this year.

 

[SharpShooter083]

Considering all the other big starts seem to already have a match, this is all that's left for Cena. The main event appears to be Orton vs. Batista. The other big matches look to be Undertaker vs. Lesnar and Punk vs. Triple H.

The fact is, while it makes more sense to have Cena in a huge match, you don't need it to sell the show. Cena could come out and wrestle the entire NXT roster and the PPV would still sell like crazy.

Personally, if they're going to put Cena in a throwaway match, I'd prefer it to be against some up-and-coming star. Cena vs. Sandow would be great, for example. I thought the match they put on when Sandow cashed in MitB was fantastic.

I still think WWE wasted a HUGE opportunity when they had the unification match at TLC rather than WrestleMania. Imagine having almost all of the former WWE and World champions in attendance at 'Mania. Then, when the match was about to start, have Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair walk down the WWE and World titles, respectively, and place them on the hook. This would have been the ideal way to utilize Hogan at 'Mania. Instead, WWE rushed into things and made a historic match into an afterthought. /end_rant

I say that if they're gonna involve Hogan and have him in someone's corner or as a tag team partner then they should do it with Daniel Bryan. The fact that Bryan's as over as he is now would be all the reason Hogan needs to get the rub and vice versa. Of if anything they could do Cena, Bryan and Hogan v. The Wyatts. Cena and Bryan can do all the work and Hogan won't be forced to physically do much.

 

[MINISTRYrising]

Unless Hogan is in good enough Shaper to go One on One with Cena, Then I dont want to see him wrestle at all on the night. The only plausible way that I can see Hogan being used at Wrestlemania is if he appears as the Special Guest Referee in the main Event. This way Hogan will be inserted into the biggest match of the night without having to do any real work and if needed i'm sure Hulk is in good enough shape to be able to land a couple of Punches and to toss from the ring anybody who comes down to interfer in the match and if in fact Lesner ends up in the main event then we may get to see Hayman slammed by the Hulkster and that would be something worht seeing.

 

[No Count Pup]

If there no Stone Cold, Rock, or HBK match on the card, bring on the Hulkster! Come on, this is WrestleMania 30 for crying out loud! WrestleMania will have its share of masterpieces, but it also needs a moment. A Hogan match would be an unforgettable moment!

If WWE wants Hogan to wrestle, they will find a way to bypass the medical requirements and the other red tape. Hogan doesn't need to sell and flop around the ring like Dolph Ziggler. If Bret Hart can win the US Title in 2010 after having a stroke--a neurological attack--Hogan can have a match with bone and tendon issues. Heck, even Mae Young won a brief match on Old School Raw a few years back.

I don't think Cena needs to be involved in a Hogan match. Neither wrestler needs the other. If conservative fans want to see Hogan in a tag team match, there's a plethora of talent who could join him. One wrestler who comes to mind is Big E. Langston. Perhaps a tag team match against the Shield or the Wyatt Family would be fun. Fans would definitely pay to see DX vs. Hogan and some popular figure from the 90s, such as Goldberg, The Giant, Kevin Nash, or a McMahon!

I would be equally intrigued with seeing Hogan in a one on one match. Hogan vs. Bray Wyatt is full of possibilities. If Hogan was to be put in a marquee match, he could face Triple H. The build-up to a Hogan versus CM Punk match would be gold. Imagine Punk on a hot mic with Hogan in the ring. Audiences enjoyed the Rocky Balboa movie in 2006. Why not let Hogan conclude his in ring career in front of a stadium crowd? Are we prepared to say that Hogan wrestled his final matches on the Impact Zone?

 

[Stunner242]

Wrestlemania 30 doesn't need Hogan to wrestle in ANY capacity. Fans old or new would know the second he tries to walk to the ring it would be bad for everyone involved. To have the biggest star ever at Wrestlemania is good enough for old school fans to buy and have that nostaglia moment as a thank you for all his contributions. There is no way John Cena can go from 3 Wrestlemania's with the Rock ending up with the title win all the way to a lackluster lacky with Hogan. Cena should be involved in a huge program and the inclusion of Hogan would take away from it. People pay to see Cena like him or hate him, not Cena with an elder Hogan. I personally would like to see a verbal encounter in the back with 2 huge superman egos to see how Hogan can hang with the top guy verbally. If you're gonna stick him with Piper have them both in Piper's Pit settle their 30 year differences once and for all for all the world to see. You have 2 HUGE nostaglia moments and a memory for the ages!!!!

 

[KingHill]

Please, no more Hogan.

His return to WWE 12 years ago was cringe-worthy

Yeah you absolutly right ...I think everybody think like you Mr.Smark. Errhmm.

[YOUTUBE]-GqSNs93dos[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Ubermensch]

I think we have all had enough Hogan lingering around. Hogan cut great promos, had little wrestling ability, and a great physique. Now he only has one of the two. Hogan and Flair have had their nostalgia moments over the years.

Hogan doesn't need to wrestle at this event. That's how talented midcard guys get buried when dinosaurs come and meander around the ring for one match and take up their slot on the WWE's biggest ppv. I don't care about Piper either. I think despite his contributions, most wouldn't care for seeing Piper either.

Hogan in Cena's corner, I can maybe bite on that. Hogan making a brief stint to save Cena, and let him win the match. They could have an epic pose down at the end which may be entertaining depending on how bad of shape Hogan is these days.

 

[rbv13]

The man was in the spotlight for over a third of the WM events. Him being at # XXX is a big deal. Having Hogan act as the WM Week MC is a good idea as long as they can avoid stupid ass backstage skits during the actual event.

If it ends up with Hogan being involved in some type of match why not a four on four with Team Hogan vs. Team Piper or Team Flair. The legends would be corner men getting involved in a spot or two while while giving eight mid carders a WM spot.

 

[Diet Soda]

Yeah you absolutly right ...I think everybody think like you Mr.Smark. Errhmm.

[YOUTUBE]-GqSNs93dos[/YOUTUBE]

See, in this capacity I'd find Hogan quite tolerable, maybe even welcome - his role ought to be strictly non-physical, and just catering to the crowd to hype them up.

His matches in 2002 were painful to watch he was so slow and stiff; WMX8 made the grade because of The Rock carrying the match and the sheer hype around it. And then they only went and put the bloody undisputed championship on him, having him bloody well go over Triple H.

I'm not entirely abhorred by the prospect of a Hogan return, but he should be used sparingly. Nostalgia only has so much wear.

 

[Cody Trail]

Even if his old age wasn't a factor and he could still move like he did in the 1980s, Hulk Hogan has already ruined himself over the years thanks to his reality shows, his personal life exposed, and what he did down in TNA. A guest appearance here and there? Sure. Wrestling at Mania 30? Nope. I don't want to see it happening.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

Yeah you absolutly right ...I think everybody think like you Mr.Smark. Errhmm.

[YOUTUBE]-GqSNs93dos[/YOUTUBE]

That was the Honeymoon period of Hogan eventually the Honeymoon ends. But in a short return like at the Road to WM, I don't see why it wont work.

I guess the easiest way to book Hogan is have Hogan and Cena vs. The Shield. That way it gives The Shield a rub by work with Cena and Hogan and this team is hot coming off Survivor Series. I can see Hogan and Cena winning which eventually causes the split of the Shield.

 

[Miro_A12004]

Hogan vs Piper?

Really?

The match was bad enough in 1996, there is certainly no need to repeat it again in 2014 when both men are 18 years older than they were in 1996.

For their own health, I hope neither Hogan nor Piper do anything more than a cameo appearance or maybe be in the corner of one of the contestants in a match. Any Physical altercations for them might have some bad consequences which I don't think either of them need at the moment.

 

[rbv13]

Crazy thought, Hogan allows his spot to put someone over. Hogan is out doing his pose down when The Shield surrounds the ring. He fends off Ambrose and Rollins only to be speared to hell by Reigns.

In any Hogan return I hope we do not have any of his family members. I can already see the deal involving Brooke as the musical act or opening with the National Anthem.

 

[Loganity]

If Hogan can do it, I wouldn't mind seeing him team with Cena, or Piper Having in him in a tag match would get around his limited mobility. Say what you want, but he deserves to have a match at WM30. If he physically can't do it, why not have him be the host of Wrestlemainia? For the record I'm holding out hope he's at the Rumble.

 

[Paul Revere]

I love the Hulkster but there is no need to use him for anything other than a 10 minute segment or a hosting job of some sort. What he did at Wrestlemania 21 was perfect and the way to go. He does not need to wrestle at all. No point. He damn sure doesn't need to take John Cena away from a match with The Undertaker or someone else. At the end of the day, I'd welcome him back for whatever as Hulk Hogan at WM 30 just sounds right.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Like a couple of others have said - have him host kind of like The Rock for WM27. That way if he can get physical it is not as obvious as to when or if it is going to happen. Maybe go completely bizarre and have Flair co-host. They could pull a Grumpy Old Men schtick and wave their walking sticks at each other or do the "old people just say and do crazy things since they can get away with it" schtick.

I wouldn't mind seeing Flair screw Cena over for the belt in order to stop him from tying or breaking Flair's record.

But yeah, if Hogan can't work, he shouldn't work. He didn't work for TNA over his last almost two years so it makes me think he can't work. Hosting is perfect for him.

 

[Loganity]

Maybe go completely bizarre and have Flair co-host.

Hogan & Flair as co-host, I'm probably in the minority here, but I wouldn't mind seeing that.

 

[Rocky84]

Hogan will wrestle. I've posted this before, but it seems some people easily forget how much pull he has regardless of the circumstances. He's Hulk Hogan and it's the 30th anniversary of Mania, and he wants ONE MORE MATCH to officially retire the way Flair did, the way HBK did, and the way The Undertaker will do. A tag match is fine considering the anniversary of the event in which he tagged the first time.

Maybe it won't be Cena. Maybe The Rock comes back like he did for Foley and they split the work in a 10 minute showing. What's so hard about that? Give them decent opponents so it's not a circus show (3 man band or some crap like that).

If it's Cena, then maybe Orton+Piper with Roddy being brought in by the Authority in a managerial role or something.

If it's Rock then maybe Orton+Kane

Either scenario can have Vince in Hulks corner and Stephanie in the Authority's corner ala Mania 16.

Hulk can still go one more...we've all seen a lot worse. Give the man some respect and let him have his curtain call.

 

[Rocky84]

It'll never happen but if I'm head of creative I give Hogan a team of Doctors, Sports Medicine physicians, Pain Management physicians, Endocrinologists, and Rehab specialists to get this guy in the best shape possible. Give him Trt, stem cell therapy lol and whatever the hell else will rejuvenate him.

Then if we could get a solid 10-15 minute match out of him, I'd put all the effort into the build up of a match between him and Cena. I'd use the reality of it, let Cena attack Hogans age, and let Hogan attack Cena's fan cred. Hulk steer can make reference to how he's got the fans on his side and they make him capable of anything.

The actual match would be more of a fight, and I'd have Hogan (who will have his Hulkamania shirt on during the match of course) use a pair of brass knuckles for the win on Cena, and then rip his shirt off to reveal an NWO Hollywood Hogan Shirt lol. What a huge pop that would get. Then have Hall and Nash come down and celebrate with him in the ring and powerbomb/outsiders edge Cena and spray his back with Nwo spray paint.

Everyone in the building would flip shit and you guys know it! Lol

 

[BigDaddyKewl]

I like the idea of Hogan and Piper vs The Real Americans if they do have him wrestle at Mania. On old school Raw they could have Zeb Coulter on Piper's Pit and Zeb can take shots at Piper's Scottish heritage and do his usual schtick saying he's not a real American. Swagger and Cesaro then can injure Piper and write him off for a few weeks.
Then they can have Piper have to choose partner to face Real Americans. Then before another beat down from the Real Americans, Hogan makes his return and cleans house. It would be a classic tag team in dissention story line with Hogan and Piper teaming up. The two life long rivals that were on opposite ends of the ring and the first Wrestlemania have to team up 30 years later.