10 Most Shocking Things That Happened On WWE SmackDown Post-WrestleMania

4. The NWO Brands Hulk Hogan (2002)

Hulk Hogan NWo
WWE Network

Considering the fact that WCW once compressed approximately three months of storytelling into one episode of Nitro, it's a bit of a surprise that they never thought to do this. On the 21 March 2002 SmackDown, less than a week after his massive dream match opposite The Rock, one Hulk Hogan was branded by his former nWo cohorts.

N...N...N...N...New Writing, OK?

That's what WWE's creative were seeking: a memorably fresh slant on the group's lore. They got it when Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and X-Pac used their trusty spray paint to garnish Hulk's back with their gang graffiti and signal that the nWo had finally moved on from its co-founder. This, to longtime WCW fans, was something that should've happened in 1999.

Michael Cole and Tazz were outraged by what they were seeing. Post-WrestleMania X8, the 'Hulkster' was once again on the road to red and yellow, making this his New World Order funeral. Sorry to harp on, but WCW missed a trick big time with this one.

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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.