Wm X-8: Would You Rather Have Had Austin?

[Big Papa Santo]

Wrestlemania X-8 had one of the greatest main-events of all time, Hogan Vs. The Rock, "Icon Vs. Icon" But even though it was a great match and a great Wrestlemania moment, would you of rather had Austin do it? I know that the idea was already thrown around and that Austin said no, but if it were to happen, do you think that they would of put on as good of a match that Rocky and Hogan put on? I personally thought that the Rock idea was better just because of the charisma that he brings to the ring combined with Hogans nostalgic moves which made a great match.

 

[The Suplexer Perfecter]

If I recall correctly it was supposed to be Austin/Hogan but they argued over the finish.

And yes Austin/Hogan would have been the biggest match of all time. And I am not exaggerating that.

You had the two guys who made WWE what it is. The biggest star of the 80s vs the biggest of the 90s and are still two of the biggest EVER.

 

[Brahma Bull]

Lol at the people above. Please show me some proof it was suppose to be austin. Or are you guys just pulling that out of your ass? And Austin didnt like the finish because he was suppose to job????? hahahaha, did the rock loose? i dont think so. At that time, the rock was bigger than Austin, so Hogan was going to job to the face of the company, which was the Rock at that time.

 

[dRAIL2K3]

It was never on the books to happen. Austin said so himself in an interview with former WWE Official Jim Korderas.

 

[Paralyzer Z]

Lol at the people above. Please show me some proof it was suppose to be austin. Or are you guys just pulling that out of your ass? And Austin didnt like the finish because he was suppose to job????? hahahaha, did the rock loose? i dont think so. At that time, the rock was bigger than Austin, so Hogan was going to job to the face of the company, which was the Rock at that time.

How dare you defy the reliability of Wikipedia!

Anyway regardless if this was the original plan or not this would have been an legendary match. However that is exactly what we got as an alternative. The Rock has slightly better ring skills than Austin so I believe it turned out better in the end. I will say that since Austin was the man that defined the AE (passing torch) he should have been the one in there, but Rock had better ring abilities and we got one of the best matches of the year here.

I am indifferent as to who I would have preferred since we would have gotten almost the same thing anyway, nothing less, nothing more.

 

[Peoples_Champ]

why the hell does a yes or no question have 5 options? idiot.

Rock v. Hogan was the best match at the time. Rock was more over than Austin, so it made more sense. Plus Rock sold the fact that he was a childhood Hogan fan, Austin wouldn't have been able to sell that.

 

[poppycock]

I was/am a huge Stone Cold fan and always liked him way more than The Rock. I also was a huge Hulk Hogan fan but for some reason seeing those two go at it never interested me. I think The Rock and Hogan was the better choice and I personally wouldn't want to see that match change...I disagree about Rock being better than Austin in the ring though.

 

[The Brain]

If you would have asked me in February 2002 who I wanted Hogan’s mania opponent to be I would have said Steve Austin. Sometimes not getting what you want works out for the best. Hogan vs. Rock was epic and not to say Hogan vs. Austin would not have been epic too but I don’t think it would have been the same.

Obviously the crowd is what made the match so special. I think most people expected Hogan to get some support but the overwhelming amount of support the crowd gave him was remarkable. I get chills watching that match. Hogan hulking up after kicking out of the rock bottom is an all time great mania moment. I’m not sure Hogan would have gotten the same support from the crowd had he gone against Austin. Austin always was more popular than Rock in the arena and I have a feeling the crowd would have been a lot more split with Austin possibly receiving more support. It still could have been great but the unexpected crowd support to welcome Hogan back to mania made the match more special than Hogan vs. Austin could have been.

Now if your question was Austin vs. Triple H at WM18 my answer would be Hell Yeah, but I suppose that’s a story for a different thread.

 

[S.J. Maximus]

Honestly, in 2002, having Rock face Hogan over Austin was the best idea. Maybe in 1998 or 1999 it would've been the greatest match of all-time but in 2002 Rock had already completely surpassed Austin as the top face in the company. Everything that Hogan had in the 80's (the catchphrases, the merchandise, the top pops, the ridiculous theatrical finishers, etc.) the Rock was dominating in 2002, so it was the perfect past vs. present match. IMO, no other past vs. present could ever eclipse this one, just because these 2 guys were so similar and so different all at the same time.

 

[King of the Words]

I remember wanting it to be Austin and Hogan so bad. I didn't like Rock that much and I remember how he use to get a lot of boos too but not as much as Cena does. Remember the, ROCKY SUCKS, chant. Wish they could have got these two together for Mania 18. Having Austin against Scott Hall was a waste of time. I would have even settled for Austin and the Rock vs. Hogan, Hall and Nash. That match at Mania would have been awesome with some historic moments. I am still holding out some hope for Austin and Hogan to have a match down the road. Even 10 minute street fight would be great. Maybe at Mania 29.

 

[ns530]

The reason Rock Hogan worked so well is because of style. They both cater to the fans and pose a lot. Austin is more of a worker. Rock oversells and acts, as much as Hogan did in his prime. That chemistry made the match great. Also, the environment and the nostalgia of doing it in Canada (where Hogan lost at WM6) played a huge part as well.

Now, if the question was, which match would've been rougher and elicited more brute force, then Austin Hogan, by far. Austin wrestled with passion and put out that tough guy image. In general, it seems like the 2 don't care for each other's style so one would assume that is why they didn't do the match. In the end the best "company" match took place and they sold some shirts. Isn't that all that matters to Vince, either way?

 

[marklouis]

Hogan v Rock is one of if not my favorite WM match. Not the best match, but my favorite. I think that Hogan & Rock had better chemistry, & Rock was able to sell the build up to the match better than Austin would have. I don't think Austin & Hogan would have meshed in the ring. Their styles were far different. Austin would have been a better match for a Flair or Savage in his prime. Rock himself had a limited move set, as did Hogan. So they worked well together. And I think Rock was able to handle the crowd reaction better than Austin would have. So, I would not want to change it.

As for the person who said Rock was better in the ring than Austin-are you crazy? Austin was a very talented wrestler, capable of putting on great matches with great workers. He was a much better wrestler than Rock ever was. Rock was probably a better entertainer, but Austin was a better pure wrestler.

 

[lowandmighty]

No the match wouldn't have been as good. Austin isn't physically large enough compared with Hogan to go toe to toe with him in an epic sense but the rock is. Only the rock deserved to beat Hogan.

 

[Junkfood34]

austin vs hogan wouldve worked either a few years prior to wm x8 OR if it was their final match for a wreslting company...and i aint talkin about quitting wwe and "RETIRING" then showing up to TNA, i mean legit retiring from in ring performance but still making spariodic appearances

 

[dansaun77]

Hulk Hogan vs Steve Austin at Wrestlemania 18, this is FACT. Austin point blank refused to work with Hogan, and had no intention of putting him over. Austin wanted to work Nash, but with his injury, Hall was the logical and only choice.
Austin vs Hogan, if both guys were professional, would have blown the roof off the Skydome and would have gone on last.
As it stands, the right thing happened. Rock went over, Hulk did his job, and Austin had a shit match and weeks later ran out on the company twice because he did not want to do business. He hand picked a feud with Eddie Guerrerro as he felt he deserved the push and Guerrerro was fresh aga9n after being in the indys and drug rehab for months beforehand. Then he didnt want to put Lesnar over on Raw. All in the end, the way things panned out, the ruight thing happened, except Hogan vs Rock should have went on last

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

Good God! IWC is so delusional at times it makes my head spin.

Austin/Hogan would've been the biggest, most anticipated match ever, EVER! You have two folks who by that time (2002) were iconic beyond wrestling. Larger than life, was the mother of all dream matches and people are coming here talking about Austin's fandom and atheltic ability?! Christ's sake, pass me what you're smoking!

 

[rokuma]

I think Rock vs Hogan was fine, but I'll tell you who I wish had been Austin's opponent: Macho Man Randy Savage. Could you imagine? Both guys are tough brawlers (Savage was moreso in his later years), two guys who were almost mirror images of each other: HUGE to the wrestling audience, somewhat known outside of wrestling, but not quite up to the standard set by Hogan/Rock. Also, Savage was an NWO member way back when and could've been worked in as a fourth guy for the WWE's NWO with the original 3. I wish Savage had that last Wrestlemania moment and against Stone Cold. It would've been one of the best matches of all-time in my opinion.

 

[Davi323]

If you would have asked me in February 2002 who I wanted Hogan’s mania opponent to be I would have said Steve Austin. Sometimes not getting what you want works out for the best. Hogan vs. Rock was epic and not to say Hogan vs. Austin would not have been epic too but I don’t think it would have been the same.

Obviously the crowd is what made the match so special. I think most people expected Hogan to get some support but the overwhelming amount of support the crowd gave him was remarkable. I get chills watching that match. Hogan hulking up after kicking out of the rock bottom is an all time great mania moment. I’m not sure Hogan would have gotten the same support from the crowd had he gone against Austin. Austin always was more popular than Rock in the arena and I have a feeling the crowd would have been a lot more split with Austin possibly receiving more support. It still could have been great but the unexpected crowd support to welcome Hogan back to mania made the match more special than Hogan vs. Austin could have been.

Now if your question was Austin vs. Triple H at WM18 my answer would be Hell Yeah, but I suppose that’s a story for a different thread.

Gotta love Canadian fans, lol

It was the Canadian crowd that actually made me choose WMX8 as my favorite post 17 WM in the other thread. I look back at that match, and I honestly don't think that Hogan/Austin would have been any different. Hulk Hogan + Wrestlemania is a combination that is simply unbeatable. I love Stone Cold Steve Austin, and while I agree that Austin may have possibly received more support than Rock did, it's the difference between 90/10 Hogan and 85/15 Hogan. In the long run though, it really wouldn't have mattered who his opponent was, Hulk Hogan was going to be the overwhelming crowd favorite in his Wrestlemania return match.

Essentially, people can debate the merits of Stone Cold vs. the Rock as Hogan's opponent, but in the end, I don't think it really would have mattered.

 

[Dagger Dias]

It's a maybe for me. I would have loved to have seen Austin VS Hogan and it truly saddens me that this match will never happen. I would never change a dream match like Rock VS Hogan, even though I would have preferred to have seen Stone Cold in the match at the time. Yet at the same time, it's a match I would have given nearly anything to see back in the day. Therefore I have to say maybe rather than a simple yes or no answer. A good route could have been for Austin to have faced Hogan the following year rather than the match against Vince. Rock finally defeating Austin at Wrestlemania in his last match was a better moment than Stone Cold facing Hogan could have been though. Like I said.... very tough choice and I am forced to leave it with a maybe because while I would have preferred to see Austin face Hogan, I would never erase a dream match like Rock/Hogan from Wrestlemania history.

 

[Headman]

Something tells me that if it were Austin vs Hogan at WM X8 there would now be threads asking "Should it have been Rock vs Hogan?". I'm in agreement with a previous poster. The only mistake was that Rock vs Hogan didn't close the show.

 

[Davi323]

Something tells me that if it were Austin vs Hogan at WM X8 there would now be threads asking "Should it have been Rock vs Hogan?". I'm in agreement with a previous poster. The only mistake was that Rock vs Hogan didn't close the show.

I do kind of wonder if that is just hindsight being 20/20. I doubt that even Vince McMahon had any idea that the fans would mark out that huge for Hogan. I think the emotional aspect of that match really took everyone by surprise. Both Hogan and Rock looked genuinely shocked at the energy coming from the crowd. I think that if he could do it over again, Vince would make it the last match, but at the time, I can't fault him for not putting it last. He simply could not have anticipated that. That was just beyond amazing.

 

[dimice76]

Ok, lets look back at 2002. the rumored original Hogan plan was going to be pure nWo dominance leading into SummerSlam. Again, the rumored original plan was Hogan to go over Rocky at Wm, beat HHH at Backlash, beat 'Taker at Judgement Day, Angle at KOTR, and face and lose to Austin at SummerSlam. Things changed with the reaction Hogan was getting going into WM. Hogan even says in his book Hulk Still Rules, that the went back and forth for a while on the direction of WM.

 

[floresr1986]

I truly believe that The Rock was (at the time) and is now the most popular superstar of all time! He's the most well rounded and putting him against Hogan was epic. I agree that no other Generation vs. Generation match will ever match this unless you can bring Andre the Giant back from the dead to face the Big Show. Austin was losing steam because of all his whining. Rock/Cena won't touch this because Cena will drag the quality down.

 

[GameOver]

I'm gonna say no. Would loved to have seen Hogan vs Austin when Hogan was still able but it would've just been a punch and kick contest at that point with Austin being physically burnt out and Hogan on his last legs.

Least having Rock there added some mobility.

Rock vs Hogan was the perfect combination of 2 guys that were both always the People's Champion.

same as Rock vs Cena "could" be seen the same, Rock is the old school people's champ and Cena is the younger people's champ. wont be as epic but the idea is still the same

Austin was the adult's champ

 

[Why Always Me]

Lol at the people above. Please show me some proof it was suppose to be austin. Or are you guys just pulling that out of your ass? And Austin didnt like the finish because he was suppose to job????? hahahaha, did the rock loose? i dont think so. At that time, the rock was bigger than Austin, so Hogan was going to job to the face of the company, which was the Rock at that time.

Totally agree 100% with the above.

It was never on the books to happen. Austin said so himself in an interview with former WWE Official Jim Korderas.

I'm sure when Hogan came back to the WWF both Austin and Rock were passed about to face him. I have heard rumours it was initially supposed to be Austin, Austin and Hogan couldn't decide on the finish, Rock only filled in because Austin v Hogan could not happen etc etc. I believe both seeds were planted at No Way Out when the NWO had backstage segments with both Austin and The Rock.

Either way, Rock v Hogan was EPIC, Austin v Hogan would of probably been just as epic too and a match in the future I would of loved to see but for WM18 Rock v Hogan was the match to see.