10 Missed Opportunities In Steve Austin's WWE Career

2. Hogan

When it comes to dream matches, they don't get any bigger than Stone Cold Steve Austin versus Hulk Hogan. Arguably the two biggest stars in the history of the business, a clash with between The Hulkster and The Bionic Redneck would have no doubt set box-office records. WWE knew how lucrative the match was and when Hogan returned to the company in early 2002, their top priority was getting that match to main event WrestleMania X8. Austin, on the other hand, wasn't so keen on the idea, for a number of reasons. He resented Hogan for refusing to work with him in WCW in 1994, for one thing. More importantly, Austin knew just how canny a politician Hogan was and knew that should he agree to work a match against him that the Immortal One would probably do everything in his power to upstage Austin on the big stage. It turned out that Austin was right to be worried: after ruling out the match, Hogan was programmed with The Rock and proceeded to do everything that Austin thought he would, mainly act like a babyface and steal all of The People's Champion's thunder. Austin ended up working with Scott Hall at 'Mania X8 (Austin won a poor match) but his reluctance didn't stop WWE for approaching Austin to work with Hogan many times over the following years. Every time they asked, the answer was the same: a flat-out 'no'. Mr. 316 was right to be wary of Hogan but he must wonder what would have happened had the two actually clashed in 2002. The opportunity is well gone now, although the two did have a verbal showdown in the opening of WrestleMania XXX (which Austin won - Hogan couldn't politic his way out of that 'job').