10 Times Hell Froze Over In Wrestling

5. Hulk Hogan Turns Heel

Jeff Jarrett Hall Of Fame
WWE.com

In 1996, Hulk Hogan was still hawking the same red and yellow act that had earned him millions in the WWF of the 1980s. The formula had long-since grown stale, and Hogan needed something to help make him relevant again. Eric Bischoff had just the ticket: he wanted to turn 'The Hulkster' heel.

This must have caused Hulk a few sleepless nights. He had been wrestling's premier good guy for over a decade, but he did need something drastic to recapture his status and prolong his career. At WCW's Bash At The Beach 1996 pay-per-view, Hogan went through with the plan.

When Hulk dropped a leg on Randy Savage and stood tall with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, the wrestling world was in awe. Putting things into modern perspective, this was like John Cena turning full-blown heel in 2016; it just didn't seem feasible.

Forming the New World Order, Hogan was installed as the pack leader. It was a calculated risk that paid off, but it could so easily have backfired had fans turned their backs on the idea.

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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.