10 Bizarre Wrestling Epics That Didn’t Live Up To The Hype

9. The Rock Vs Hulk Hogan (WWE No Way Out 2003)

Minoru Suzuki Kazuchika Okada
WWE.com

Almost impossible to provide a sequel that came close to the original, The Rock learned one of Hollywood's harshest lessons before he'd even made the permanent move West away from the New York territory during his second Great White North clash with Hulk Hogan.

Few men have beaten 'The Hulkster' once, let alone twice, but The Rock's second victory was exactly as hollow as his first one was vast. A vehicle to help move forward Hogan's impending WrestleMania rivalry with Vince McMahon rather than the iconic rematch as-sold, the battle exposed the advancing age of 'Hulkamania' - it was alive but hardly well in front of a Montreal audience unable to carry the clash as dramatically as the Torontonians had a year earlier.

The Rock's incredible new heel entrance package was the highlight of the entire spectacle. It was fitting that the contest (and the pay-per-view) closed to the strains of McMahon's music after his post-match bludgeoning of Hulk. Rock/Hogan II had no chance in hell of being match for the ages when the finest three minutes had occurred before the bell even rang.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett