100 Greatest WWE Matches Of All Time (Ranked)
6. Hulk Hogan vs. The Ultimate Warrior (WrestleMania VI)
The Ultimate Warrior was never the kind of personality who'd dedicate time to learning the nuances of pro wrestling. He was a carefully crafted WWF Superstar of the 1980s, one who shouted loudly during promos and hit a couple of power moves. That was about it. Some might claim that Hulk Hogan was always the same, but that'd be unfair - at his best, Hulk loved the biz and worked plenty of fun matches.
WrestleMania VI was one of Hogan's finest hours, and he wasn't even the main focal point. Vince McMahon's "Ultimate Challenge" intro lives long in the memory. There was so much hype going into this babyface vs. babyface confrontation that it could've tanked, but Hogan and Warrior put together an at-times simple affair that played to the strengths of both.
This one had everything: Star power, marquee value, an expected passing of the torch moment, stalemates and a crowd so lively they practically needed 'Mania payoffs themselves. Don't let anybody tell you that Hogan vs. Warrior flopped. It didn't pull as high a buyrate as the prior year's event, but it's become one of the most talked about matches ever for a reason.
McMahon’s vision for what the WWF could be was distilled into cartoonish perfection on that night in Toronto. There was something magical about it back then, and there still is when reliving the 'Mania VI headliner today. A clever sub-plot involving Hogan tweaking his knee added to the occasion too. That was masterful, because it sold the idea that he was a beaten up old warhorse about to be supplanted by a young stallion who could carry the promotion forwards.
Some matches are immortal. This is one of them.