Why WWE needs to consider Brock Lesnar vs HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN

[The Boss]

Here is a blog explaining why the match should be considered for WrestleMania 31. Now before any of the none believers say, "oh, but his health , his age, his back etc..." just remember that Andre the Giant was in the EXACT same physical condition going into WrestleMania III. I dare say that Andre - who was suffering great heath decline for years, had in fact retired the year before, had major back surgery just months prior to WrestleMania III and was just a few years away from death - was in even worse shape then than HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN is now. And yet their match is still regarded as one of if not THE biggest match of all time. This blog does a great job of setting up the perfect story as well as explaining why WWE has few alternatives:

WWE is currently in a really bad state. All of its top faces either walked out, are injured or the public is just sick of them. They need something or someone that the crowd will get behind temporarily while their top faces heal. That man is Hulk Hogan. Hogan has been very vocal about wanting one last big match and under the circumstances this is the perfect opportunity to do so. Sure everyone knows of his health issues. At least how bad they were. However Hogan has claimed that his health has improved greatly over the past couple of years and that he’s currently training hard to get back into shape for an in ring return.

Building a story where Hulk Hogan wins the title from Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31 and retiring on top is not the same as just putting it on another part timer. For one Hogan won't be a part timer. He won't wrestle at all after winning the title (maybe one token 6 man tag on RAW just so the World can see him come to the ring one last time as champion). It won’t be about another title reign, but rather about the build to a match, the classic underdog story (something that everyone enjoys), the ultimate comeback, and seeing the greatest of all time overcome insurmountable odds to get that one last moment of glory to retire on top. More important, it will be a way to keep the World title scene – and the fans – occupied while the young stars heal.

The buildup should be simple so not to drown out any of the fun, but complex enough so that it also reaches us on a number of emotional levels. WWE should continue to build Brock's dominance as champion through the rest of the year. Meanwhile Hogan and Cena should team together for Survivor Series in a traditional elimination match. This way Hogan gets to spend most of his time on the apron doing what he still does better than anyone which is working the crowd. He'll tag in a few to throw some well sold punches, a clothesline or two and then quickly tag out. He’ll remain on the apron for most of the rest of the match before finally getting the hot tag and the winning pin after him and Cena double team (to avoid Hogan having to drop the leg). This kind of match will protect Hogan, hide his weaknesses and leave the audience with just a taste of Hulkamania so that they are left hungry for more. After this there is no more talk of Hogan wrestling again. Fans assume that was his one last big match. Then at the Royal Rumble when #27 (30 would be too obvious) is revealed, Hulk Hogan comes out, wins the Rumble and is guaranteed the main event title shot at WrestleMania.

Now the real fun begins. As they build to the match it will consist mostly of promos between Hogan and Heyman (I've seen them ad lib a short spot at a comic expo. They work well together) seeing as how Brock is part time and silent. Heyman, as cruel and ruthless as he is shows no intimidation of Hogan's legacy. In fact he goes out of his way to talk about Hogan's shortcomings. His age, his 9 back surgeries, his hip replacements, his knee replacements, maybe even talk about Hogan's family falling apart and at one point pointing a gun to his own head. At first these comments enrage Hogan but, the more Heyman talks the more Hogan begins to question himself until it's clear that Heyman is in full control. Later Heyman tries to convince Hogan to back out of the match before he gets hurt. He even brings a legal document for Hogan to sign thus giving up his right to the match. Hogan considers it but, is understandably hesitant. Paul keeps throwing the insults, calling him "old", "has been", "washed up" etc. Hogan still considers signing but is noticeably becoming annoyed. Losing patience, Haymen turns it up a notch. "What are you waiting for? Sign it! Didn't you hear me? Did you lose your hearing aid? I said SIGN IT!" With that last comment he smacks the Hulkster across the face.

Hogan wakes up from his depressive state and his eyes bulge furiously at Heyman who cowers away realizing what he has done. Hogan tears up the papers then grabs Heyman by the Jacket. Just as Hogan is about to let Paul E. have it Lesnar arrives, tackles Hogan and begins throwing multiple MMA style punches. Security tries to intervene but Lesnar clears the ring of them. He returns his attention to Hogan and applies an MMA style choke/submission. Security tries again to stop the violence but Lesnar won't let go. Wrestlers come down and finally manage to pry the champion off of Hogan. The refs order everyone out of the area. (this will be adequately violent, fit Lesnar's demeanor while minimizing any bumps Hogan has to take). Finally it is just Hogan and Heyman in the ring. Paul has regained his cockiness, stands over the fallen Hulk Hogan and says, "You had your chance to back out old man but, you decided to put your hands on me, now... I can't be held responsible for what happens. At WrestleMania 31 you are in for the beating of your life! Oh, and just to be on the save side, you might want to kiss your daughter Brooke good-bye. Or better yet, I'll kiss her for you!" (Isn't that just what Paul E. would say?)

The WWE Universe begins to talk about the match, the possibilities and the predictions. A lot of them reiterate the things Heyman said about Hogan's age and health and the possibility of permanent injury some even saying that Hogan should have backed out (to keep Hogan the underdog). But others (specifically Cena and Bryan) point out that this is Hulk Hogan and if anyone can pull it off, he can. Finally WrestleMania comes. Despite an incredible offensive onslaught by Lesnar including MMA tactics (so that part of the match is spent on the mat to prevent Hogan from bumping) and a series of German suplexes (which protect the lower back and allows Hogan to bump on his shoulders and neck where he is still strong) Hogan manages to Hulk Up, fight his way back, get a few shots in on Heyman and finally drop the leg (he claims, "I've got one left in me") to win the championship in the biggest upset victory of his career.

After the match Hogan's music stops for a moment as he has something to say. He thanks his wife and kids (who are at ringside) for stinking with him through thick and thin. Then he thanks WWE for giving him the opportunity 30 plus years ago. Finally he thanks the fans for supporting him for all of these years. Especially tonight, for only their support could have carried "this old beat up, broken down, bionic body back to where we belong; the WWE World Heavyweight Championship!" He holds up the belt in a Rocky Balboa esq moment and shouts, "YO, HULKAMANIACS - WE DID IT!" His music resumes and we close out one of the great WrestleMania moments (NOTE: I said moments, not matches for all of you looking to hate on this) of all time.

The next day on RAW new WWE World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan makes his way to the ring for one last interview (as champion) with Mean Gene. He talks about his career. He talks about his accomplishments in all of the areas he had been in, "All of which can be seen and re-lived over and over again on the WWE Network for just $9.99.” (have to get that in there) He says when he returned to WWE his goal was to just return to the ring once more. He never envisioned winning the championship. "At my age and health?” he says, “It was unheard of!" As a result this championship win will always be his favorite of all. But it also made him realize that this is a young man's game and even though the competitive fire still burns deep within him he can no longer compete at the level fans deserve. Although none of us want to admit it, there comes a day when every athlete must call it quits. “When I look back at what happened last night, I’m still in shock.” he says, “Making the biggest comeback of all time, on the biggest stage of all time, to win the greatest title of all time. Hulkamaniacs we’re back on top of the world!” Pause for dramatic effect. “And brothers, I can’t think of a better way for the greatest career of all time to end then to go out on top. So at this moment I want to officially announce my reti…”

Suddenly music interrupts. Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman come out. Heyman grabs a mic. “Did I just hear what I thought I heard?” are you trying to retire… no, retreat, escape, run away and hide like the coward you are without giving my client the rematch he is entitled to?” Heyman continues, “I understand the desire to get out now. Everyone dreams about retiring on top, and let’s face it, despite the outcome, Brock gave you one hell of an ass whooping last night. It might be six, eight months before you heal up. So I don’t blame you for not wanting to face Brock again. But if he can’t have his rematch he’s at least going to have… REVENGE!”

Lesnar attacks Hogan and begins to beat on him, two other heels join in. Things looks bad until John Cena and Daniel Bryan (if he has returned by then) come down and the three fight off the heels. Cena takes the mic and says that he knows that Hogan had a special announcement that he wanted to make but asks if he could save it for the end of the show while Cena make a proposal: a special 6 man tag featuring Hogan, Cena and Bryan against Lesnar and the other two heels. He then proceeds to get the fans to chant for just “one more match”. Hogan agrees and we have our main event for the night. While it would be just a token encore for the fans, (once again Hogan will not do much in the match itself other than work the crowd) just his presence as champion will be enough to make it fun. Long story short the faces win and Hogan makes his official retirement announcement going out as champion, victorious on national TV.

Afterwards a tournament would be held to crown a new champion. Hopefully WWE will have seen some if not all of their top faces return by then. This will help re-establish the main eventers while giving a few spots to some lower mid carders to give them their first taste of the main event scene to prepare them for the future. While some critics are already saying, “Why give it to Hogan if we are worried about the future?” the answer is simple. Hogan is timeless; he has done more for wrestling than anyone else and deserves this. Furthermore the majority of fans would love it. And most important, WWE doesn’t have a lot of options right now. They need to do something until their top babyfaces return. Timing is everything, and for Hogan the timing is perfect!

This scenario has everything. Nostalgia, emotional conflict, the seemingly unbeatable monster, the underdog over coming the odds, the comeback of a beloved legend and a big goodbye on a grand stage. Plus it is very practical in the way it used HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN only minimally in order to hide his weaknesses until the big reveal by Heyman. It also keeps the World title scene occupied until the main eventers return and it sets up a great program for the future with the need for the tournament. What are your thoughts. And just to make sure that you actually read more than the title I want everyone to start their replies with "I read the blog."

 

[George Steele's Barber]

The difference is that 30 years ago we didn't know Andre was such a shell of his former self. We have seen what Hogan can do over the past 15 years and it is not pretty. I would love to see a 61 year old be able to compete with the champion but not at the cost of entertainment and the credibility of the rest of the roster.

Let it go. This is a horrible idea.

 

[The Boss]

The difference is that 30 years ago we didn't know Andre was such a shell of his former self. We have seen what Hogan can do over the past 15 years and it is not pretty. I would love to see a 61 year old be able to compete with the champion but not at the cost of entertainment and the credibility of the rest of the roster.

Let it go. This is a horrible idea.

Clearly you didn't read it. Gotcha! The rest of the roster is injured, hated, or walked off like crybabies. Hardly the standard barer. Further more. NONE of WWE's main event face roster can wrestle right now. That's why this is such a good time to do it. There is nothing else to do. And your comment that "we didn't know that Andre was a shell of his former self" is laughable. He had been lumbering for years, gained a ton of weight, had to become part of a masked tag team "The Machines" so that he could spend most of the time on the apron and even that was too much as he had to be replaced by the Big Machine (Blackjack Mulligan). There was no question that he was not the Andre of old but we were still entertained because he was still Andre the Giant. The same is true for HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN.

 

[Mudlup50]

I love your love for Hulk Hogan it's infectious you know? Personally I wouldn't want it but it would sell itself and probably quite a few tickets too. I could see great promos coming out of it but I'd rather see a young guy do it just because of the level of push involved with it(kinda like how most people wanted to see a young guy end Taker's streak at Wrestlemania but it ended up being Brock Lesnar), but maybe they'll have Hogan do it I think that would be a bigger draw than Lesnar/Rock personally

 

[JPLioneye]

No no no.. a thousand times no. This whole Brock Lesnar title run needs to have purpose and the only purpose it serves is to give an up and coming babyface a push to the moon.

Don't get me wrong, Hulkamania lives forever and deserves to run wild one last time but this is not the place for it at all. If Lesnar wrecks house through all these young stars on his way to Mania and no one can stop him but an over the hill Hulk Hogan then it makes the entire locker room look bad. These kids are in there prime and can't do the job but a 61-year old one bad bump away from a wheel-chair can?

No. It needs to be someone that's gonna be The Next Big Thing. It has to be a new star, otherwise Lesnar's reign of dominance was for nothing more then the one off buyrates.

 

[HeyYo]

Here is a blog explaining why the match should be considered for WrestleMania 31. Now before any of the none believers say, "oh, but his health , his age, his back etc..." just remember that Andre the Giant was in the EXACT same physical condition going into WrestleMania III. I dare say that Andre - who was suffering great heath decline for years, had in fact retired the year before, had major back surgery just months prior to WrestleMania III and was just a few years away from death - was in even worse shape then than HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN is now. And yet their match is still regarded as one of if not THE biggest match of all time. This blog does a great job of setting up the perfect story as well as explaining why WWE has few alternatives:



This scenario has everything. Nostalgia, emotional conflict, the seemingly unbeatable monster, the underdog over coming the odds, the comeback of a beloved legend and a big goodbye on a grand stage. Plus it is very practical in the way it used HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN only minimally in order to hide his weaknesses until the big reveal by Heyman. It also keeps the World title scene occupied until the main eventers return and it sets up a great program for the future with the need for the tournament. What are your thoughts. And just to make sure that you actually read more than the title I want everyone to start their replies with "I read the blog."

WOW! I LOVE IT!! YES! That would be an amazing story! I don't buy PPVs or have the stupid WWE Network but I would buy this one!
Vince should go with your storyline and pay you a million dollars.
Great job!

 

[Aquaman6686]

At this point I'd happily take Hulk Hogan as champion one last time, if it meant getting the belt off Brock Lesnar. People need to stop looking at Lesnar like he's some unbeatable god. Any wrestler on the roster is immediately a credible threat to him. He's not a legend on par with Hogan, Rock, Undertaker, Austin, Hart, or HBK. He's not on the level of Edge, Chris Jericho, Kane, or Big Show. He's just another heel main eventer. I have zero problem with Hulk hogan beating him for the belt.

 

[The Boss]

Don't get me wrong, Hulkamania lives forever and deserves to run wild one last time but this is not the place for it at all. If Lesnar wrecks house through all these young stars on his way to Mania and no one can stop him but an over the hill Hulk Hogan then it makes the entire locker room look bad.

That's just it. Brock ISN'T wrecking havoc on the roster. The only guys he's faced are Undertaker and Cena. Last report is that he won't be wrestling again until the Royal Rumble. If true then there is your fears are unfounded.

These kids are in there prime and can't do the job but a 61-year old one bad bump away from a wheel-chair can?

These kids are also injured and having surgeries. They currently are in no condition to perform at any level. That's why the timing for this is right. No one is being pushed aside but instead we are biding time until the young guys return. And the fact that it is a grand retirement of the greatest of all time makes it all the better. Let's face it, when the time comes for HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN'S last big match it's going to over shadow everything and everyone else. Better to do it now when the rest of the roster is otherwise unavailable.

 

[Trance Metaphor]

This sounds like fantasy booking at best. Seriously, back in 2002 Brock Lesnar already handed Hulk Hogan a tremendous loss when Hogan was still able to move in the ring somewhat. The pure symbolism of the ending of that match has been etched in my brain that it's hard to forget. It was like Lesnar ended Hulkamania in that one moment. Now we fast forward to 2014 where Brock Lesnar attained the WWE World Heavyweight Championship after two dominating performances where not even the top star of the company could throw an equivalent balance of offence and this Hogan idea is being praised? Seriously? Hulk Hogan can't move in the ring. The audience today isn't the audience of the 80's where their expectations were much lower and more easy to impress. This only has nostalgia in it and that's all. It will be like the Brock Lesnar vs Undertaker match except Hulk Hogan will move less like Undertaker with a concussion. It doesn't matter if the build-up is all hyped and Paul Heyman cuts his promos. Hulk Hogan winning the Royal Rumble and then facing Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania is an implausible idea. Hogan's leg drop pinning Lesnar? Maybe back in the day but certainly not right now. Hogan doesn't need a last hurrah either. His in-ring career should have ended with that tour that he did a few years back. The hype surrounding this match is the only thing NOT boring about it. The in-ring action itself? A snooze fest. Hogan surviving Lesnar's MMA moves when a much younger Triple H struggled against them? Laughable. No matter how much WWE tries to make you suspend your beliefs, you just can't deny the age and condition of Hulk Hogan. What if those German Suplexes are vicious enough to further damage Hogan's body? Perhaps those upper neck and shoulders this time? No thanks. Save the reputation.

 

[wwesux]

This must be a hilarious post the fact is these 2 faced off in 2002 when Lesner put grandpa Hogan gave him a torture rack and Hogan was out of it and screaming in pain cause Grandpa Hogan had many surgeries he is broken down worst than underfaker is if we do see this match we might see Grandpa Hogan carrying a Walker to the ring coming out of his entrance , a can or a wheelchair! Take your pick! I can hear Hogan now ``I left the old folks home and I cannot stand the curfews and I escaped to challenge Brock Lesner for thet title I want to wear it one last time and show all my geriatrics what I have accomplished!`` John semen owes me a sponge bath my ankles hurt and my corn on my feet kill . Newsflash! This match will never happen! I don t even recall Hogan having a title match in TNA he must ve fought twice in all his time there and I couldn t care!

 

[toddmb]

Clearly you didn't read it. Gotcha! The rest of the roster is injured, hated, or walked off like crybabies. Hardly the standard barer. Further more. NONE of WWE's main event face roster can wrestle right now. That's why this is such a good time to do it. There is nothing else to do. And your comment that "we didn't know that Andre was a shell of his former self" is laughable. He had been lumbering for years, gained a ton of weight, had to become part of a masked tag team "The Machines" so that he could spend most of the time on the apron and even that was too much as he had to be replaced by the Big Machine (Blackjack Mulligan). There was no question that he was not the Andre of old but we were still entertained because he was still Andre the Giant. The same is true for HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN.

Dude... you know that Hulk has had a legit ten plus back surgeries over the last few years?? He is in worse condition than Andre was. By his own account, Hulk has lost around 4 inches in height because of these surgeries... I was a big Hulk fan, but honestly that old "punch, punch, big boot" schtick isn't going to do it for me... Especially against Brock Lesnar, it's extremely hard for me to suspend disbelief in thinking that Hulk could compete with him. Besides, after all of Hulk's embarrassing press over the last few years I really don't think the majority of fans still see him the same way you do. Sorry dude... Not interested. I'm not saying this as a "smark" trying to book the show but just as a fan... 100% not interested in seeing Hulk lumber around the ring.

 

[Franchize1990]

I read the blog and it's a nice storyline to have going into Mania. Only problem is this idea should not involve the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in any way, shape, or form. One of the main problems concerning the WWE right now is that there is a lack of new faces at he top of the company. The WWE did a fantastic job of launching Daniel Bryan into superstardom at last year's WrestleMania and have a fantastic opportunity to accomplish the same feat with an up and comer in about 5 months at this year's Mania. The hopeful goal with Brock Lesnar's title reign is to give an ultimate rub to a newer guy on he roster. Theoretically, the one who beats the one behind 21-1 > John Cena and the legend of the Undertaker. According to the blog you posted, you not only want to take that opportunity from that unknown superstar but then have Hogan not pass the torch to the next guy. If you want to have Hogan have one last hurrah against Brock Lesnar, then I'm all for it. However, if the match were to happen, it should be a one off match where the WWE World Heavyweight championship is no longer a part of that picture.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Brock Lesnar just dominated and humiliated John Cena, the face of the company, at Summerslam. On top of that, Cena had to throw everything and the kitchen sink at Lesnar during the NOC match to have a chance. Now I'm supposed to believe in a 61 year old man, with a laundry list of health problems having a chance to beat Brock Lesnar, when John Cena struggled to stay alive against Lesnar? Just...no.

 

[roipdh123]

In my opinion they should do Hogan vs Cena at WM 31 or they should go with Rusev vs Hogan.Nothing else should be done with him!
Lesnar should be facing either Bryan or Rock or Batista {preferably Bryan}.
And the title should be defended in a Triple Threat match between all three former shield members.

There is no way in hell I would let Hogan defeat Lesnar as it will give Hogan the momentum that a young guy can get {that in my road to WM 31 booking will go to Ambrose}.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

Time does things to our heroes, and we need to grow up and realize that. Hulk Hogan has accomplished everything there is worth accomplishing in the WWE and would only be jeopardizing his already deteriorating body if he were to participate in this obvious marketing ploy.

A major problem with this blog is that it is under the belief that running an angle about Hogan's health just adds drama and isn't a real risk. It is. No one with any modern business sense would want a senior citizen wrestling in their main event when so much could go wrong.

The Hulkster isn't the same Hulkster 30 odd years ago. One slip on the mat and it could very well be his last. It's harsh reality. Hogan had his time and now it's somebody else's.

 

[A11oftheLights]

I had really hoped this wasnt going to be a serious thread...

Look at what Lesnar did to Undertaker, Hogan would be left in much more pain

However I would not object to this if it meant I didnt have to watch Hogan ****e himself out promoting the network

 

[berlinbrawler]

This simply is some of the worst crap I have ever read. The very notion of Hogan somehow beating Lesnar is beyond ridiculous.
It would be an insult, really. An insult to Lesnar, an insult to the fans's intelligence, an insult to John Cena, who went out of his way to make Lesnar look monstrous, an insult to the Undertaker, who sacrificed his streak to build up Lesnar, an insult to the entire WWE locker room, an insult to the very wrestling world. An insult to everyone except the Hulkster himself and maybe a handful of the most hardcore Hulkamaniacs. I'm sure Hulkie would love it, even though a decent man with love and respect for the business would refuse to be a part of this scenario. Alas, if Hogan has shown anything, it is that he cares about Hulk Hogan and no one else, so I'm sure he would be cool with it.

It would be the match that finally killed wrestling for good.

 

[rge2010]

I would have absolutely no issue with Hogan having his 'proper farewell match' but he should be no where near Brock Lesnar. The Beast vs the 61 year old Grandpa.

If Hogan is to have that 1 last match then it HAS to be John Cena.

 

[Dragonslayer]

Despite it all, I'm still somewhat of a Hogan mark and would definitely love for him to have one last "moment of glory". But I agree with what seems to be the general consensus here, that it's simply not a good idea.

There's a few reasons for that.

1) Obviously the match quality. Personally, I don't mind seeing a "bad" match, if the emotional investment is there. It would certainly be there for that match as it has been outlined here, so I could live with that.

However, it's still the main event of Wrestlemania we're talking about here, and there's still many people paying PPV money for this - and in that case, I'd say that the WWE needs to have a match that can stand on its own, simply to warrant the PPV cost. And even if the emotional investment is there, you'd need at least 15-20 (if not more) minutes of solid main event wrestling time, and obviously Hogan can't go that way in a singles match anymore.

2) The real injury risk: We know Hogan is in very bad shape, and there is a big chance Lesnar would really injure him. Lesnar is an absolute beast; even if he's very, very careful he could still quite easily hurt Hogan really badly, especially given his intense style. The idea of Hogan taking "several" German Suplexes is pretty ridiculous as well; that sort of impact will certainly affect your whole body, especially the spine, even if he's landing mostly on his shoulders.

I don't think it'd be a good idea.

3) The "Brock Lesnar rub" is wasted: With Lesnar being the "seldom-on-TV" champion, that makes him a natural heel. And a big one at that. Since he's almost never there, the impression is created (and it also reflects the truth outside the ring, if the rumors can be believed) that Lesnar just "doesn't care" for wrestling, and both the roster and the WWE "Universe" will see him as someone who is "not one of the boys" and "not one of us". He becomes an outsider, someone who has "stolen" the championship from the wrestling world and is holding it hostage someplace else, instead of just another random heel being champion - albeit still within the confines of the "wrestling microcosm".

Lesnar seems alien as a champion, and that only adds to his "heeldom". Therefore, the guy who ultimately beats him for the title will get a huge (babyface) rub off of this. That should not be wasted one someone who will retire the very next night.

4) Brock Lesnar will be destroyed: WWE is paying Brock Lesnar big time money for rare appearance. But, like it or hate it, in the ring, he still delivers. And there is also still fan interest in his appearances, as he has become a sort of "special attraction". As strange as that may sound now especially in light of his defeating the Undertaker at WM this year - he might indeed become the guy to carry Taker's "special attraction"-torch over the next 5 years or so.

Lesnar is 37 now, so WWE can still get some mileage out of him over the next few years, for a few matches every year if Lesnar wants and WWE wants to pay.

If however you have the 37 year old physical beast Brock Lesnar be beaten by a twice beyond his prime Hulk Hogan at 61 years old, in what will obviously be a lackluster match, then you destroy Brock Lesnar - he will not be taken seriously anymore, and you can't really get anything out of him as a special attraction in years to come.

If Lesnar loses to someone like Cena, Rock, or even an up-and-coming star like Roman Reigns, in a matchup that looks believable, he doesn't lose face or credibility. If he loses to a 60+ years old man just before his retirement, he does.

So all in all, I'd say more things speak against the Hogan/Lesnar matchup.

What would be possible if you want to involve Hogan somehow in this storyline, however, is to have Lesnar utterly DESTROY Hogan at some point on the way to the big Wrestlemania payoff, giving him nuclear heat - Hogan would be the Apollo Creed to Lesnar's Ivan Drago in that cenario, the sacrificial lamb; and whoever ultimately beats Lesnar at WM for the title, will "avenge" Hogan and win the belt.

 

[MERPER]

Hogan vs Rusev I'd be down with.

Hogan vs Lesnar would be horrendous. Why would WWE do that? Lesnar is being billed as a monster, there is zero way Hogan can even look like a formidable foe in that match.

Now, what I'd be down with is if Hogan tried forming a new era nWo with Lesnar as the main guy to be a "face" organization and wreak havoc for the authority

 

[TheJF]

I'd love to see the match, on one condition. That Brock Lesnar absolutely brutalises Hogan. Then, and only then, would this match be remotely believable

 

[Jack-Hammer]

If Hulk Hogan was physically able to compete, I'd have no real issue with Hogan going up against Lesnar. The problem is that he can't and all the fantasy booking, nostalgic love and fan support from die hard fans can't change that.

The notion that Hogan is in the same shape Andre was at WrestleMania III is absolutely absurd. While it's true Andre had back surgery, Hogan's had multiple surgeries to essentially rebuild his back. Both of Hogan's knees have been replaced with artificial implants, as has at least one of his hips and there might be other issues that we simply don't know about. At one time, it's clear that WWE management was considering Hogan wrestling a match when he signed with the company again because they put him through the barrage of medical tests and exams they put all competing wrestlers through. However, Hogan wasn't cleared to wrestle and while we obviously don't know what the tests ultimately revealed, it must not have been very encouraging whatsoever because Hogan hasn't been booked to do anything physical inside the ring.

Hulk Hogan's a 61 year old man that's just simply a pale shadow of his former self, just like the VAST majority of most people who're 61 years old. Sure, Hogan can still lift weights and workout in the gym, there's nothing wrong with his arms so far as I know, but it's time to let this Hogan fantasy booking go. It's long past time because it simply can't realistically happen.

As others have also pointed out, how bad would it make the rest of the roster look when a man in his 60s and WELL past his prime comes along and takes out Lesnar? There are also people who drone on & on about "believability" in pro wrestling, people who clearly have no sense of irony considering that it's a scripted sport. However, as with anything else, there's a limit to suspension of disbelief and that limit is certainly exceeded by the notion of Lesnar being beaten by a man nearly a quarter century older than he is and who can't physically take a bump without risking serious injury.

 

[Wald]

I wouldn't feel comfortable watching a guy that is getting close to having a bus pass get in the ring with someone like Brock Lesnar. Brock legit works very stiff and I don't think he can dial it back, so putting a guy with weak knees, a broken down back and shoddy hips in there with him isn't a good move for anyone.

I personally think the WWE just needs to cut it with bringing back the Rock, Hogan, Taker, Jericho, Triple H and whoever else for Wrestlemania and just concentrate the next two years to building up new stars. It will mean taking a financial hit for those years but they can't keep going the way they are going anyway because those part-timers don't have much mileage left

 

[mcbrainlegend]

One German Suplex would CRIPPLE Hulk Hogan.

 

[GeminiGarlord]

I read it all, and no, no no and no. Hogan is annoying enough when it comes back to do stupid promos from time to time (the damn legend roundtable), if there's a thing that I wouldn't want is having to see him each week promoing against lesnar.