10 Career-Making Wrestling Matches

1. Hulk Hogan Vs. The Iron Sheik (WWF, 1984)

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WWE.com

At the time, WWF fans were told that Hulk Hogan was a last-minute replacement as The Iron Sheik's opponent. Bob Backlund was the holier-than-thou babyface Hogan replaced, but the truth was that Vince McMahon wished to go in a different direction. He wanted to saddle the WWF machine to Hulk's back and ride the money train.

Hogan's movement was dubbed 'Hulkamania', and it was his win over Sheik that launched him into the stratosphere. Admittedly, there's a very good chance Hogan would have become huge even without such a victory, but winning the WWF Heavyweight Title helped him get there more quickly.

In Madison Square Garden, Hulk vanquished the short-tenure of The Iron Sheik as champ. History was made, and the WWF juggernaut never looked back. Hulk Hogan had been a big deal before this win, but it definitely acted as a launchpad for the glory (and money) that followed.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.