The WORST Wrestling Story Every Year (1989-2025)
1989 - Hulk Hogan Vs. Zeus
1989 was one of the best wrestling years ever, so this entry was a challenge.
The legendary animosity between Ric Flair and Terry Funk. Flair casually working a second all-time great programme in the same year, opposite Ricky Steamboat. The Great Muta blowing everyone’s mind in his series with Sting. The Mega Powers Exploding. The Strike Force break-up. The Midnight Express heel turn. Rick Rude making the Ultimate Warrior look like he was worth a damn.
It was all good stuff - with the very notable exception of Hulk Hogan’s feud with Zeus.
Zeus was a non-wrestler portrayed by actor Tiny Lister, and this was an attempt by Vince McMahon to generate interest in Hulk Hogan vehicle No Holds Barred: his catastrophic failure of a movie. Zeus played the heel in a film so bad that even Hogan never lied about being rumoured for an Oscar nomination. Even his mind, an impenetrable fortress against an unflattering reality, never let himself believe it was good.
Zeus arrived in the Fed and adapted their silver screen feud to the small by claiming he should have received top billing over Hogan. This resulted in a match at SummerSlam between Hogan and Brutus Beefcake and Zeus and Randy Savage. It was actually quite the over-delivery, given that a non-wrestler was in it. Zeus did well too.
Still, the feud was naff, and the stench of No Holds Barred was “dookie” enough to begin the creative downfall of the promotion, which had peaked creatively at WrestleMania V.
What’s that smell?