10 Biggest Challenges WrestleMania Has Ever Faced

3. Stepping Out Of Hulk Hogan's Shadow - WrestleMania IX

While WrestleMania is the WWE's signature PPV and an event which is synonymous with some of the company's biggest moments, the Showcase of the Immortals was for so long likewise tethered to the career of Hulk Hogan.

The Hulkster would be involved in the main event of the first nine WrestleManias. Even when he wasn't technically meant to be in the main event, Hogan would forever find a way to be there.

WrestleMania IV being headlined by Randy Savage vs. Ted DiBiase? Fear not, Hulk would be there to help Savage out and take his shine. WrestleMania VIII to see Savage challenging Ric Flair for the WWF Championship? Fear not, Hulk will make sure that he and Sid Justice get the main event spot on that card. WrestleMania IX closing out with Bret Hart defending the gold against Yokozuna? Fear not, for Hulkster will storm the ring and make an impromptu challenge for Yoko's freshly-won WWF Title.

By hook or by crook, Hulk Hogan and WrestleMania's biggest moments were tied together for the longest of times. Back in the '80s and into the '90s, if you thought of WrestleMania then you thought of Hulk Hogan's famed red 'n' yellow running wild, brother.

For WWE, it was a huge deal to have to fill the skullet-shaped void left by Hogan when he departed the company in 1993 - as highlighted by Vince McMahon's desperate push to market Lex Luger as a younger, better, less balding version of The Hulkster.

Authored by Andrew Pollard

Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.

Posted On: 20th Mar 2020

In this post:

Vince McMahon WrestleMania