StrapFinlay

Contrived, perhaps, but wasn't that the highest-rated segment of Monday night wrestling ever?

Can't believe quite how average this PPV has been.

He we go

See how many injuries the sloppy bastard can dish out during his cameo...

When did Hogan's billing switch from Venice Beach, Ca, to Tampa, Fl?

They were apparently having financial problems for a while...

The more I listen to it, the more it sounds like Vince. The early "I know I'm sexy" just sound Vince through and through.

Is this version of Shawn Michaels' music (it's not him or Sherri) sung by Vince McMahon? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEqbRgt6Rts

edit: Double post

Hogan with the tag belt...

While wrestling-wise, Rock is not on the level of Hogan, his movies have blown away anything Hogan has ever made. Neither are any good. The Rock has not got the global crossover into film yet - and I don't think he has the ability to achieve it. But it depends what group we are considering - if 100 people on the street were asked to "name a wrestler," Hogan would surely be mentioned more than any other name.

The answer is Hulk Hogan. But Hulk Hogan is the face of not just WWF/E, but pro wrestling in general. And the crowd reaction at WM18 showed the Rock is still several rungs away from Hogan's level - and unless he surprises the world and makes a watchable film, he'll never reach it.

Did Vince McMahon really once ask Goldust to consider getting breast implants?

Hogan jobs cleanly for The Mountie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nnrysy6i-2o

Crush would have been an even more logical winner of the challenge. Somebody supposedly from Hawaii slamming someone supposedly Japanese on the deck of a US Navy aircraft carrier that served during WWII? It writes itself!

That's not even a slam. Hogan's genuine slam of Andre at WMIII is probably the most impressive I've seen - moreso than when the Warrior slammed Andre (even though the Giant was bigger then) because of where it took place.

You'd also get plenty of mentions of the likes of Big Daddy, Giant Haystacks and maybe even Kendo Nagasaki in the UK, I reckon, due to how big the wrestling on World of Sport was back in the 70s/early 80s. Obviously more from folk in their thirties/forties, of course. Yeah, I was thinking that as I typed it - probably get a few mentions of Les Kellett, too. Though, even if this is off on a bit of a tangent, I'd go as far to say the name "Hulk Hogan" is more recognised here than any American footballer, ice hockey player, baseball player, etc.

What's the story about that?

We could argue for hours about what makes a legend, but I would add that Hogan remains on a level of his own. Walk up to a non-wrestling fan in the UK and ask them to name a wrestler and I'd suggest the majority would name Hogan. In terms of being known among the general public, I have to say that Flair is a long, long way behind Rock and Austin here, too.

He has been badly used for 90 per cent (if not more) of his career since then. In hindsight, 1995 was terrible but at the time it didn't seem too bad, not to me anyway. Though I should stress the only time I really "enjoyed" WWE was from King of the Ring '98 until WrestleMania XI. In 1995, we didn't know what heights could be reached. We didn't expect gratuitous blade-jobs and daredevil dives from idiotic heights. Of course, it will never get to that stage again as they went too far. Of course, until a few years ago all WWE PPVs were thrown-in for no extra cost to UK customers, so that may be my reasoning As for individual events, we all have our own views. I genuinely preferred WM9 to Sunday's offering. Too many PPVs, not enough pushing of the envelope now. Matches are looking like standard television affairs with a bit of extra time.

Unless this main event is spectacular, I believe I have just found the answer to the question "Can any WrestleMania be worse than IX?"

With the way this event has gone, very fitting indeed Aside, of course, for the Flair-Michaels match that everyone expected to be good. That alone will save it from eclipsing Wrestlemania 9 Yeah, that and the unreal Money in the Bank match. I'm really hoping Orton retains. To quote Meltzer "...the weakest of these Mania ladder matches in history..."

Extra pre-WrestleMania gas for Trips by the looks of it

How did it actually end?

Agreed - I guess Punk's getting owned by Taker later. Edit: As Jerry Lawler just hinted