10 Great Matches That Inadvertently Ruined Wrestling

8. Hulk Hogan Vs. The Ultimate Warrior - WWF WrestleMania VI

The Rock Hulk Hogan2
WWE.com

"Inadvertent" is something of a stretch.

Hogan didn't so much pass the torch to the Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VI as clobber his headliner credentials with it. Hogan kipped up a nanosecond after the referee struck the canvas for a third time following Warrior's match-winning splash. The only thing Hogan sold was complete shock that he had let himself down. He fell to his knees and pointed at the skies, incredibly cross at himself and God, presumably, for this unfathomable turn of events. He portrayed his loss as a total fluke - that it just wasn't his night. It was; Hogan was so hysterically magnanimous that the story was of how graceful the former Champion was.

Hogan, in one night, made himself bigger than the WWF. Not only had he carried Warrior - his supposed successor - to a match far better than it had any right to be, his politicking made fans mourn his absence more than they anticipated Warrior's reign. It was a complete failure. Hogan made sure of that.

Hogan would return to Toron-. To Toron-. To run roughshod over another less popular babyface opponent.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!