WWE: 10 Most Shocking Moments In Wrestling

4. Hulk Hogan Turns Heel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6aRr9zhyM8 By 1996, Hulk Hogan had been the clean living, patriotic hero of the wrestling world for 12 years. He had won the World title in both WWF and WCW. The red and yellow outfit was iconic. But the routine was wearing a little thin. Wrestling was changing and many fans were turning their backs on the clean living babyfaces to turn their support to the edgier heels. Hogan, ever the brilliant business mind, realised this, and decided that it was time for a change, even if that change was unthinkable to many. It was the height of the war between WWF and WCW. Scott Hall and Kevin Nash had arrived in WCW to great fanfare with a controversial storyline which blended fantasy and reality (something which had evolved since the Montreal Screwjob). Inspired by a similar storyline that Eric Bischoff had personally witnessed in New Japan Pro Wrestling, Hall and Nash were portrayed as outside invaders, trying to destroy the foundation of WCW. At Bash at the Beach 1996, €˜The Outsiders€™ of Hall & Nash, promising that a mystery third partner would make his appearance, challenged the WCW trio of Randy Savage, Lex Luger, and that bastion of WCW himself, Sting. As the match started, Hall & Nash were on their own. It seemed like their bragging of a third man had been an empty promise. Lex Luger was knocked out and taken to the back, making the main event a regular tag match. 15 minutes into the match, all four remaining men were down on the canvas, and Hogan, clad in his familiar red and yellow, walked down the aisle, entered the ring and tore off his shirt. Hall & Nash fled to the outside, leaving just Hogan€™s long time friend and foe, Savage, lying prone in the ring. And then it happened. Hogan dropped his famous legdrop on Savage. And then he did it again. The crowd were outraged. They weren€™t silent, they were loud. Referee Randy Anderson held his heads in his hands in disbelief. Hall & Nash re-entered the ring and high-fived with Hogan. There was a third man in their war against WCW, and it was Hogan. Hogan threw referee Anderson outside and the match was declared a no-contest. The fans started pelting the ring with rubbish, something never seen before on a PPV show. One fan foolishly ran into the ring and was soon dealt with by both wrestlers and security. Gene Okerlund then entered the ring and Hogan cut his famous promo, announcing the arrival of The New World Order of wrestling. Hollywood Hogan and the NWO was born. I remember non-wrestling fans seeing WCW tapes on my TV at home being truly shocked when I told them that €œHulk Hogan has turned bad€. It was like Santa sticking a finger up to all the children in the world. The NWO storyline became the centre point of WCW for the next three years, leading to the evolution of Sting into a darker character based around The Crow. The NWO even reformed in WWE after they bought out WCW. And it all started with Hulk Hogan reinventing himself and shocking the wrestling world.