6. Icon Vs. Icon
Wrestlemania 18 was the setting for one of the most electrifying (no pun intended) matches of all time. After the nWo arrived in the WWF in early 2002, The Rock would end up challenging Hulk Hogan to a match at that years Wrestlemania. Rock entered the match as a babyface, whilst Hogan was supposedly a dastardly heel. What happened was the match got completely spun on its head when the crowd in Torontos SkyDome made it abundantly clear that they were there to support The Hulkster in his first Wrestlemania appearance since defeating Yokozuna for the WWF Championship at Wrestlemania 9. Such was the intensity of the crowd reaction during this particular match, its a genuine struggle to think of a Wrestlemania match which elicited such a loud crowd response. And that was just for the stare down before the action got underway. Thinking on their feet, the planned structure of the match went out of the window early on as Hogan and Rock decided to go along with the fans, leading to The Rock taking on a slightly heelish role in the match. Many fans have often pointed out over the years how Hogan and The Rock arent the greatest of wrestlers. Sure, theyre not a Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels or Kurt Angle, but the two put on one of the most memorable of Wrestlemania matches here, with the crowd eating it up.
Andrew Pollard
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 and Presenter, 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 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 and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.
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