10 Times WWE Put Its Talent In Impossible Positions

3. Trying To Top Rock Vs. Hogan

Edge Randy Orton Backlash
WWE.com

So often over the decades, WWE's annual Showcase of the Immortals spectacular has been filled with iconic moments and matches - and one of the most iconic of these moments was when the Rock and Hulk Hogan stood face-to-face in Toronto's SkyDome at WrestleMania X8.

Even thinking about that moment is enough to induce goosebumps for many a wrestling fan, with the Great One and the Hulkster masterfully absorbing the truly electrifying atmosphere the 68,000+ crowd generated on that March 2002 night.

Everybody was hoping for something special from Rock vs. Hogan, yet it was underestimated just how passionately the Toronto fans would get behind the villainous Hollywood. And it was those fans that set the table for how amazing this bout would become, with the foundations carved by the audience leading to the two combatants flipping the script and playing off that genuine emotion.

Unfortunately for Undisputed Champion Chris Jericho and Triple H - and Women's Champion Jazz, Trish Stratus and Lita - they had the unenviable task of somehow following Rock vs. Hogan.

In the years since, Jericho himself has commented on how he was one of several campaigning for the Rock and Hulk Hogan to headline 'Mania X8, for it would be impossible to top that. Unfortunately for Y2J, Triple H was one of those adamant that he and Jericho should close out the show - which spectacularly backfired, as the main event Undisputed Title match played out in front of a dead, drained crowd.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.