10 Best WWE PPV Matches In Toronto

by John Bills

1. The Rock Vs. 'Hollywood' Hulk Hogan (WrestleMania X8)

The Rock Hulk Hogan WrestleMania X8
WWE.com

Going back to what was said in the Jericho/Triple H entry, if this match was rated purely on what happened in the ring and nothing else there's no way in hell it would rank so highly. If you watched this match on mute you'd be a little bored in truth, as Hogan couldn't really do much by 2002. Heck, he wasn't exactly Dynamite Kid back in 1992.

But professional wrestling isn't watched on mute, and the power of a live audience was felt immensely in this iconic showdown. Hogan was the heel going into the match, a part of the revamped nWo that failed miserably in WWE, but the crowd were having none of that. This was his first WrestleMania in nine years, and he was treated like a returning hero.

The Toronto crowd went absolutely apesh*t for anything and everything Hogan did throughout this match. It was as electric an atmosphere as you'll get in pro wrestling, and any Hogan detractors must hold their hands up and give it to the man here. He worked with a cracked rib that was obviously causing him immense pain, but the revamped power of the Hulkamaniacs dragged him through.

It wasn't enough however, as Rocky picked up the win after 16 minutes of emotional action. This was pro wrestling as theatre, pro wrestling as drama as opposed to pro wrestling as art. Will anything come close to it this Sunday? It'll certainly take something special.

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Contributor

Born in the middle of Wales in the middle of the 1980's, John can't quite remember when he started watching wrestling but he has a terrible feeling that Dino Bravo was involved. Now living in Prague, John spends most of his time trying to work out how Tomohiro Ishii still stands upright. His favourite wrestler of all time is Dean Malenko, but really it is Repo Man. He is the author of 'An Illustrated History of Slavic Misery', the best book about the Slavic people that you haven't yet read. You can get that and others from www.poshlostbooks.com.