100 Greatest WWE Matches Of All Time (Ranked)
15. The Rock vs. Hollywood Hogan (WrestleMania X8)
Several workers have called Hulk Hogan vs. The Rock from WrestleMania X8 the best wrestling match of all time over the years. Their argument hinges not on spots, moves or technical brilliance, but more on the intoxicating fusion of star power, the beauty of a glorious comeback (this was Hulk's first WWF PPV bout since 1993), atmosphere and execution.
People around the globe were turned on by the thought of 'Icon vs. Icon' long before the company rolled into Toronto for 'Mania. A stand off on Raw had been electric; it was so powerful that they could've left the build there. Fans wanted to see this match badly, and it'd end up surpassing expectations. Sure, Hogan was physically spent even in 2002, but he still held up his end of the bargain.
Canada outright rejected Rock's babyface positioning in favour of cheering for 'homecoming hero' Hulk. No, the Hulkster hadn't relocated up north - "home" was the World Wrestling Federation. It didn't even matter to people in the SkyDome that Hogan was wearing nWo colours or effectively repping a WCW faction. He was back where he belonged, and they were delighted to see it.
Not even the most po-faced anti-WWF/WWE main event style fan could deny the impact of this match. It didn't need to be big bump heavy or have some impressive chain wrestling to kick off with. These were larger than life characters colliding on the biggest possible stage, and the live crowd carried 50% of the thing by themselves anyway.
'Icon vs. Icon' and 'The Absolute Best Ever' were fab slogans for 'Mania X8 too.