20 Greatest WWE SmackDown Matches Ever

8. Brock Lesnar Vs Hulk Hogan (August 8, 2002)

Kurt Angle Brock Lesnar
WWE.com

The bloody squash of Hulk Hogan by Brock Lesnar in 2002 was a fitting sendoff to a version of 'The Hulkster' far less selfish with his legacy than he'd ever been before. Having only recently tapped out to Kurt Angle, 'The Next Big Thing' was next on his list as he bled, sweat and paid the price in a way his perennial rival Ric Flair would be proud of.

Rumours abounded that Hogan was promised a Survivor Series role reversal for his emphatic loss here, but Vince McMahon rapidly reneging soured their renewed relationship. That hushed heat would form part of the rivalry that eventually led them to WrestleMania the following year.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett