14 Wrestlers With Winning Records Over Hulk Hogan

7. Antonio Inoki

The Mountie Hulk Hogan
NJPW

André only had Hogan's number as the winningest US-based wrestler in the '80s because Hogan made it as the biggest draw almost at the exact same time as Andrés body gave out.

Then again, André might not have been too keen on doing the honour were he healthy.

It was a different story in the east. While the origins of Hulkamania can be traced to his time in NJPW - and the AWA, and through Rocky III, rendering the premise of the WrestleMania XIX match against Vince McMahon a little less credible than WWE had intended - in New Japan, Inoki was king. God. Literally, the creator.

He was the founder and the top star, enjoying a level of protection unlike anybody else. Inoki - and he was probably right to do it, owing to his extravagant popularity - made Triple H look like Bryan Danielson.

Inoki was so protected that one of his losses to Hogan, in the 1983 IWGP League, occurred by accident. Hogan struck Inoki with his NJPW finish, the Ax Bomber, and Inoki knocked himself out cold bumping to the outside. The ref was forced with no choice but to end it via stoppage.

Overall, though, Inoki's record over Hogan reads 6-1-3.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!