The Rock's 10 Biggest WWE "What Ifs"
6. Hogan And The Double Turn
The Icon Vs. Icon match at WrestleMania X8 is no technical masterclass, but as far as spectacles go, it’s one of the greatest. That's down to The Rock, Hulk Hogan, and most important of all, a red hot crowd who actually dictated the performances of the two wrestlers.
Hogan was still in his nWo persona and playing the heel, but when The Rock realised the sheer adulation coming from the WWE universe, he made a quick switch, and gave Hulk the chance to shine in the WrestleMania spotlight he still commanded like no other.
This was a smart call, breathing new life into a character the latter days of WCW had left worse than stale. While Hogan’s best days were long over, his early ‘00s WWE run provided some genuinely good matches, not least another bout with The Rock, a decent clash with Kurt Angle, and a ludicrously fun, startlingly bloody brawl with Vince McMahon.
The Rock thought on his feet here (though Hogan later tried to take the credit, naturally) and made Hulk, his hero, look like the superman of old. Hogan’s career would go on to fizzle out in TNA, but The Rock gave him the chance for a swansong.