WCW Tampa: Round 1, Match 1: #1 Hulk Hogan vs. #64 Pat O'Connor

[Shocky]

The following match takes place in the WCW Region under WCW Rules in Tampa, Fl. The ring entrance and ramp are equal height.

#1. "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan

vs.

#64. Pat O'Connor

​

 

[NSL]

No way Hulk doesn't win this. Sorry Shadow, but there's nothing you can say to convince me otherwise.

Hulk will end this with a boot and a leg drop, and then shake O' Connor's hand on the way out.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Wow, this is a 1 vs 64 match-up? Holy shit.

Pat O'Connor is a legend. During JBL's rant last night on Raw about men who wish they could be at Wrestlemania, O'Connor was one of the five men named. And JBL knows his wrestling history, so there's a damn good reason his name came up.

O'Connor's match in 1961 against Buddy Rodgers in which he dropped the NWA World Heavyweight Title WAS the highest attended match in pro wrestling history. It was at Comisky Park.

When I say WAS, that is because it was broken by Wrestlemania 3. Headlined by Hulk Hogan.

O'Connor was also the first AWA Champion in history, and one of, if not the only, man to hold the AWA and NWA World Titles simultaneously.

And that's awesome. O'Connor is a legend.

But Hulk Hogan is a bigger legend.

Hogan is bigger and stronger. He had three separate primes. He is the measuring stick against which many are still measured to this day.

O'Connor helped build the business back in the days of the von Erichs and Sammartino, but he's not going to go over Hogan here.

Just as long as he gets the respect due to him. It makes we want to puke that the legend Pat O'Connor shares a seeding number with Mikey Whipwreck. Absolutely sickening.

 

[CCS]

Hogan wins. Simply because people dont know who O'Connor is. But even if they really did wrestle Hogan would probably win. He'd just Hulk up on Pat, give him a boot, then hit the leg drop. Pat O'Connor is no match for the Hulkamaniacs.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

I have high respect for O'Connor for the great matches he put in and how he was a foundation for AWA. I think the matchup will be great and I wouldn't doubt O'Connor but this being in WCW favors Hogan even though it wasn't his prime. I'm going to go with Hogan but the margin is slim than when I first saw this matchup.

 

[klunderbunker]

O'Connor belongs in any HOF he wants to be in. He truly is a legend and should be counted among the best of all time.

But come on now.

IT'S HULK FREAKING HOGAN. This guy is the biggest star of all time, it's in his home town, in a promotion that he dominated for almost 6 years. how in the hell would he lose here? Simply put, he wouldn't.

 

[SavageTaker]

i think hogan takes the win here with a good effort from pat.Hogan is bigger and stronger,so he wins but gives pat the respect he deserves.

 

[Tastycles]

Pat O'Connor was Kurt Angle 50 years earlier, in terms of how he got into the business. Silver medalist at the British Empire Games (modern day Commonwealth Games) and then went on to have a long and succesful career in professional wrestling. He hung out with the greats, and belonged there, and is the best antipodean wrestler I can think of off the top of my head.

O'Connor did hold both the AWA and NWA titles, but he never defended the AWA one. He is a real legend of the business, but there's no way I can see him winning here. Hulk Hogan against Pat O'Connor is a match that we should see in a later round. As it stands, this match would go to Hogan, but it'd be a good one, and not a typical Hogan overcomes the odds kind of match. Hogan wins here.

 

[Fizzy]

I have watched many O'Connor matches, and the man is simply put amazing. He is a true legend in the wrestling world, and should be regarded as one of the best ever, but look at his opponent.

Hulk Hogan. The biggest legend to ever enter wrestling, i'm sorry O'Connor, you had a shitty booking, and you will lose. I have the utmost respect for Connor, but he will lose to Hulk.

 

[The Todd]

I wasn't going to bother looking up Hulj's opponent, cos even if it was Jesus, Hulk would still win, but I did it out of courtesy. O' Conner sounds impressive, and may have given other seeds a tough match, but this is Hulk Hogan. He could be shot thirty times in the chest, and he would still Hulk up and win the match.

 

[Shocky]

Put it this way, as great as O'Connor was, you could take everything he accomplished, multiply it by a million, and it still wouldn't begin to scratch at Hulk Hogan, that's how great Hogan was. Hogan wins in a squash and a half, and this match will send a message for the rest of the tournament.

 

[Theo Mays]

O'Connor, who is a legend in his own right is going against arguably the greatest legend in wrestling history. Hogan will go over in this one. It is a shame O'Connor got such a low seed and got placed with Hogan. A good match which ends with Hogan hitting his trademark leg drop, cue Real American and the Hulkster celebrates his way into round two and shows his respect to O'Connor on his way out.

 

[Shadowmancer]

Click here to see who voted for whom

God Defend New Zealand here. O'Connor is a forgotten Legend, even in our own country, when Robert Bruce died a few Weeks ago the Herald did a thing about New Zealands favourite Wrestlers, Rick Martel was in there but there was no Pat O'Connor. Pat comes from the days of the Hookers, guess what, Hogan wouldn't stack up in a straight up match against a hooker, Thesz would destroy Hogan, and there is no denying that. O'Connor didn't have the same rep as Thesz in the hooker department but you can certainly guarantee that he could go into business for himself and Hogan wouldn't have an answer to it. Everyone that voted and didn't even try to find an O'Connor Match automatically fails beyond all reasonable doubt. I can appreciate people going with Hogan because of all of the reasons that sum up to Greatest Legend ever without actually going into the stuff that is looked at in this tournament. So everyone that doesn't look up an O'Connor match and blindly votes fails.

 

[BooCocky]

Don't spew out that bull shit, Hogan is the greatest performer of all time. He had classic matches and moments and this takes place in a WCW ring. Hogan has the advantage and a vote against him is unjustified. Don't vote for a man based on where he is from or what he did when Hogan wasn't around, vote Hogan because he simply is better. Don't get me wrong, O'Connor is good, but he isn't on Hogan's level. Actually no one is on Hogans level.

 

[Shadowmancer]

Again people ignore one of the key fundamentals of this tournament, treating it as a kayfabe real tournament, So to bring up Hogan as the best ever, thats fine but it shouldn't be the defining factor in why you vote for him, take into account his opponent, the strengths and weaknesses that he has and match them up against Hogan's strengths and weaknesses in the ring. I did and I cam out in favour of O'Connor because of his real amateur wrestling background and the way that the business operated during the late 50's early 60's. So it is a valid choice to vote for O'Connor based on those reasons.

 

[Tastycles]

Again people ignore one of the key fundamentals of this tournament, treating it as a kayfabe real tournament, So to bring up Hogan as the best ever, thats fine but it shouldn't be the defining factor in why you vote for him, take into account his opponent, the strengths and weaknesses that he has and match them up against Hogan's strengths and weaknesses in the ring. I did and I cam out in favour of O'Connor because of his real amateur wrestling background and the way that the business operated during the late 50's early 60's. So it is a valid choice to vote for O'Connor based on those reasons.

You're post actually brings up a interesting point. It is obviously posters discretion as to when the matches take place. If it was now, with those wrestlers in their primes, Hogn style would be what the fans want. If it was when Hogan was in his prime, ditto. But when O'Connor was in his prime, somebody like Hogan would be seen as a bit of a joke.

I think I'll be assuming, in a fudge way, that it takes place infont of anaudience that transcends gerenrations and can appreciate all styles. In which case, Hogan, who was capable of beating just about every style of wrestler, and has a track record doing so, would win here.

 

[Rusty]

Pat O Connor may have a good wrestler, but Hulk Hogan is the most influential wrestler in professional wrestling history. He was in his prime for over 2 decades. He defeated basically everyone there was to defeat. He is fairly big, and no matter how many times he was knocked down, he almost always got back up and won the match. If Hulk Hogan can beat large guy like Andre the Giant, then I'm pretty sure he could win this match.

Plus, it's in WCW where Hogan ran wild, literally. It will be a squash match and I can't possibly see how Hogan can't win this match.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

Given that this is kayfabe, and not a shoot, I am going to have to go with Hogan. It doesn't matter in which WCW this match takes place in either. The WCW of the 80s, as a territory of the NWA, always favored those from the American South. And, the WCW of the 90s was essentially Hogan's company, where he hardly lost to anyone. So, I'm going to go with Hogan, although I think O'Connor would put up a hell of a fight.

 

[CENAtion]

Hulk Hogan wins this match easily on name value alone. I grew up a hulk fan but as i've gotten older i continue to like him less and less, but i aint crazy enough to vote against Hulk Hogan here.

 

[SuperSteve16]

This would be a squash match with no chance of o conner winning. Hulk Hogan would easily win this fight

 

[Shadowmancer]

SuperSteve16 do you even know who Pat O'Connor is. This is far and away not a squash match that you are suggesting. Anyone that suggests that is a fucking moron. Someone that held a legit world title back when the NWA title meant almost everything in Pro Wrestling, he was awarded the AWA title when that was set up because of how good he was at the time.