10 Wrestlers Who Stopped Trying (But WWE Pushed Anyway)

10. Hulk Hogan - 1993

“Stopped trying,” in the case of the ’93 Bond Villain Hogan vintage, is actually understating things. The man actively buried the WWF, and its flagship title, on Japanese television. The WWF Title was a “trinket”, Hogan said, not like the coveted IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

And this guy burned the Observer on live TV?

He didn’t really covet that, either. Hogan was in full thespian mode by 1993, and if WrestleMania IX is any indication, he fancied himself for a Franklin Roosevelt biopic. At ‘Mania itself, Hogan watched his mate Brutus Beefcake suffer a pasting before making the big save—mirroring his nepotistic-tastic career—in a match in which he did deviate from his usual routine…with an eye-poke to IRS.

Infamously, he also put one in the eye of Bret Hart in the night’s main event. After Mr. Fuji threw salt in Bret Hart’s face, leading to Yokozuna’s WWF Title win, an upset Hogan stormed the ring. Burying the Hitman was his spot, brother. He didn’t much care for the spot as WWF Champion, and neglected to appear on the incipient RAW, at all, before dropping the trinket to Yoko at King Of The Ring.

At least Brock Lesnar threw the odd suplex and bounced up and down a bit.