5. Hulkamania Runs Wild Once More (March 18, 2002)
Returning to the WWF as part of the nWo (again falling after the WCW Invasion), Hulk Hogan was someone fans of the company were unbelievably happy to see again. Hogan hadn't been seen on live WWF television since 1993, so it was a hard sell to present him as a nefarious heel battling the likes of Steve Austin and The Rock. People didn't care about that, they badly wanted to cheer Hogan for nostalgia reasons. Ever on the ball, Hulk recognised this and made the switch from heel to babyface following WrestleMania X-8. There, he had been cheered during his loss to The Rock, and that trend continued in thunderous fashion the very next night on Monday Night Raw. Appearing the night after 'Mania to discuss the audience response to him, Hogan officially removed himself from the nWo and embraced the fans. For their part, peolple in attendance made it genuinely difficult for Hulk to start his promo, such was their fervour towards him. The segment seemed to go longer than it was designed, all because fans embraced Hulkamania.
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.
