10 Times Wrestlers Got Standing Ovations In Defeat

7. Hulk Hogan (WWE WrestleMania X8)

Shinsuke Nakamura Sami Zayn
WWE.com

A double-header featuring The Rock here, starting with a WrestleMania X8 win over Hulk Hogan that probably proved to be a sterner acting lesson than half of his early filmography.

'Hollywood' had attempted to make a jabronie mark without a life that don't know it a work when you work a work and work yourself into a shoot mark out of 'The Great One' within seconds of their clash kicking off.

Dropping his entire heel facade after hearing Toronto's thunderous post-lockup pop, Hogan became the guy the partisan WWE crowd had missed all those years. The flexing turned his black and white gear red and yellow, forcing 'The Most Electrifying Man In Sports Entertainment' to rewire and rethink.

He did so with remarkable gusto. Small scowls and spits denoted a frustration with the old favourite and the audience showering their love upon him, but the win he eventually picked up brought the two back together after the fact.

The Rock was unlike every topliner in wrestling history, not least because he knew in his gut that none of this was forever. Having won the match and done everything to stop Hogan stealing his moment, he warmly gave it to him instead.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett