10 Lies About Famous Wrestling Matches That You Probably Believe

5. "Vince McMahon Should Have Went With Ric Flair Vs. Hulk Hogan At WrestleMania VIII"

Ric Flair Hulk Hogan
WWE.com

Vince McMahon was wrong not to book Ric Flair Vs. Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania VIII because, if nothing else, it would have spared us from the Hogan Vs. Sid Justice calamity. Then again, Papa Shango not knowing how to get to the ring was very funny.

Even Braun Strowman knows how to do that.

That's the prevailing take, but it's wrong: Vince trialled the match on the house show circuit, and it generated a staggering lack of interest. The WWF fans, raised on giants, were more interested in Sid.

The eventual Hogan/Flair match did very respectable business for WCW in 1994, which perhaps casts doubt over Vince's unwillingness to book it two years prior - but then, when the match finally made it to WWE, on the May 13, 2002 Monday Night RAW, the rating was a disaster. The show fell to the lowest non-holiday number since March 30, 1998. Business was spiralling at the time, it should be noted - but still, you'd have expected a far stronger return given their level of star power involved. WWE fans have simply never really considered Hulk Hogan Vs. Ric Flair a major attraction.

It's weird, but calculably true.

 
Posted On: 
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!