10 Times WWE Fans Were Elated At WrestleMania
9. Finally, Hulk Hogan Has Come Back
The great irony of WrestleMania X8's Icon Vs. Icon clash is that the Rock, for years, had electrified fans with his booming, region-specific catchphrase: "Finally, the Rock has come back."
This haunted him in Toronto, for finally, Hulk Hogan had come back to the WWF. He was playing Hollywood Hulk Hogan - a cartoonish version - but the fans absolutely refused to receive him as the leader of the nWo. They projected the old red and yellow onto him, and the expression that swept over his face, when they roared his python flex, was pure elation. The fans, worked into a state of pure euphoria, effectively turned Hogan babyface, and Hogan was in cahoots with them. The Rock's eye twitched momentarily - the coolest operator in the game was shook - but, as the most selfless main event act in modern U.S. wrestling history, he rode, further manipulated and revelled in that reaction, putting over his key spots with a malicious, tweener swagger.
This basic, old-fashioned vintage WWF blockbuster felt more real than a worked shoot grapplef*ck. The atmosphere was so gloriously palpable.
Never ahead of the curve, at WrestleMania X8, WWE nonetheless tapped into and perfected the incoming tidal wave of rebooted nostalgia culture.