10 Times The Past Screwed WWE's Present
6. Hulk Hogan Vs. Triple H (Backlash 2002)
WWE have committed some terrible crimes in the name of nostalgia, and Hulk Hogan’s Undisputed Title run in 2002 sits near the top of the pile. Having just wrestled The Rock at WrestleMania X8, Hogan’s goodwill was high at the time, and he ditched the nWo’s black and white for his classic red and yellow shortly after. Vince McMahon named him Triple H’s number one contender and the feud progressed over the coming weeks, eventually leading to this match.
The match itself was horrendous, and one of WWE’s worst PPV main events of the past few decades. It took interferences from Chris Jericho and The Undertaker, two separate referee bumps, and a steel chair to put Triple H away. He became Undisputed Champion at the age of 49, and his reign lasted just 28 days, rendering this decision even more questionable.
In fairness, Triple H’s babyface run was rapidly losing favour with the crowd, but in what universe is giving the title to a man 17 years his senior an acceptable solution to such a problem? WWE crowned Hogan at a time when he could barely run the ropes convincingly, let alone headline a PPV, and they did it at the expense of one of their biggest stars.