"Icon Vs Icon" was the tagline, and WWE hadn't undersold the encounter one iota.
If anything, the build-up threatened to undermine the wonderfully simplistic scene-setting. Hulk Hogan and The Rock went nose-to-nose on the Raw following Hogan's historic WWE return to lay out the match on the 'Grandest Stage' before the New World Order hit 'The Great One' in the head with a hammer, trapped him in an ambulance and ran a truck into the side of it.
None of it mattered on the night. Nothing mattered. The Toronto natives weren't willing to receive Hogan as a heel anyway, but he was fortunate enough to be in there with a man that considered himself the 'Most Electrifying' with good reason. Rock rolled with the spit-punches, turning himself subtle heel for the duration of the contest in order to ensure the loose story made sense.
Hogan chewed the scenery in response, but in doing the job had no choice but to pass a torch that had long been taken in a dramatic climax that resulted in a hurried babyface turn for 'The Hulkster'. Jim Ross may not have coined "WrestleMania Moment" as he soundtracked their staredown, but the image forever defined the very idea.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 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. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, 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
