Is Austin equal to Hogan?

[Guest bigm350]

I've been debating this with a few Hogan marks on another board. They say Austin is below Hogan and not an icon in the business like Hogan is. I've brought up points in how Austin resurrected the WWF and kicked off the Attitude era, how he was possibly the biggest drawing wrestler in WWF history but no go. Am I delusional to think Austin is on Hogan's level, or are these guys on Hogan's sack a little too much? I also mentioned how Austin was behind a boom period in wrestling, much like Hogan was. To me, common sense and being unbiased would put both these guys in the same class. What do you think?

[Dobbs 3K 0]

I would say he's on Hogan's level, if not even a little bigger. I'm pretty sure a lot of people in the mainstream have some idea who Steve Austin is. Plus, I could be wrong, but I think Austin actually drew more money than Hogan.

[Guest bigm350]

I would say he's on Hogan's level, if not even a little bigger. I'm pretty sure a lot of people in the mainstream have some idea who Steve Austin is. Plus, I could be wrong, but I think Austin actually drew more money than Hogan.

That's what I said, and these aforementioned guys said Hogan is more mainstream than Austin. I think they're equal. The general public probably knows both names well.

[redbaron29 0]

Both can draw, both connected with the fans in a way that others couldn't. If you want to go to the workrate aspect there was a time Austin could wrestle a good match, (pre-neck injuiry) so if you take that into consideration, Austin is above Hogan. If not they are still the same.

[Si82 0]

I would say that Austin is above Hogan as far as being an icon in the business is concerned. He brought the WWF back to providence back in the later 90's. He connected with the fans in the way that Hogan had done a decade earlier and took the WWF to huge business. Hogan may be slightly better known as far as the mainstream is concerned but I would say Austin is one a step behind if he is at all. Also, Austin is the far better worker of the two and actually had a run of classic matches with guys like Bret Hart, Mick Foley, The Rock and Kurt Angle. It could be argued that Austin had better matches with superior workers but I doubt Hogan could have come close with those same guys. For anyone to say Austin on the same level as Hogan is nuts.

[MillenniumMan831 0]

IMO, Hogan will always be perceived as a bit higher up the food chain than Austin as far as mainstream attention goes. Hogan was always about being the good that defeated the evil, visiting hospitals, posing for photo ops . . . basically he was to wrestling what Jordan was to basketball. Even as a heel, it was obvious that Hogan was just acting a part and didn't really come across as a scumbag to the general public.

 

Meanwhile, Austin was an extrordinarily popular rebel in his era. He was certainly the benchmark for his era much the same Hogan was for his time. Being the 1st mainstream wrestler that beat up the boss regularly, flipped the bird, drank beer in the ring, ect. certainly gave him a leg up on everybody else. On the flip side, one could argue, giving free reign to squashing all the heels gave Hogan an advantage in the 1980s.

 

From a wrestling fan's point of view, I believe they are equals.

 

From a general public point of view, I think Hogan will always be #1 just for the fact that he was the original colorful superhero in wrestling. He comes across as much more approchable to the media than Austin, his scowl, and the "wreckless" style of wrestling he helped usher in.

[TheOriginalOrangeGoblin 0]

Until Austin draws huge in AWA, Japan and WCW(along with WWF/E) and leads a second company to the top of the wrestling world(even if only for 2 years), then Austin can happily sit in second which is where he is at now.

[Toshiaki Koala 0]

As a mainstream star, I'm tempted to say that Hogan was bigger. In terms of wrestling ability, it's not even close - Austin's matches with Hart, Rock, and Benoit top anything I've seen from the Hulkster.

[Guest Professor X]

HOGAN DIDNT NEED VULGARITY TO GET OVER SO HE'S A SUPERIOR TALENT.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

HOGAN DIDNT NEED VULGARITY TO GET OVER SO HE'S A SUPERIOR TALENT.

He needed it at the end of his run in WCW and he was trying anything and everything in a desperate attempt to stay in the spotlight that had long since passed him over as far as being a regular draw was concerned.

 

And don't type in all caps.

[tbondrage99 0]

Its hard to say. They are #1 & #2 respectivly, no doubt about it its just who is #1 & who is #2. Hogan brought wrestling into the mainstream and basically made it what it is today. Austin on the other hand took what Hogan made and revolutionized it. Question is if the tables were turned would they be able to pull it off? I think Hogan would be able to revolunize wrestling because he did it for WCW with the nWo thing. So would Austin of been able to bring wrestling into the mainstream and make it what it is if he were around in the early 80s. I'd like to think that he could but who knows. Either way there on the same level. Personally I love both guys.....but Hogan is alot higher on my list then Austin but still.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

If we're just talking about WWF/E, then it's Austin. If we're talking about everything as a whole, then it's Hogan.

[Guest LooneyTune]

Everything as a whole, Hogan. Hogan has been a main event draw since the early 80's and everywhere he went, while Austin was only on top from 1997-2001.

 

Hogan built up the WWE from a Regional promotion to a World wide company, then was part of the reason WCW became the top company in 1996-1997. Austin (along with McMahon) made WWE #1 again in 1998, but you also have to give credit to DX, who IMO, were far more popular to the teenage audience than Austin.

[Guest Rrrsh]

Hogan was known by EVERYONE in his prime. Austin was not.

 

So, if the question is who is a bigger star, it Hogan easy.

 

But Austin drew more and was more important to the rise of the WWF in his era. Hogan's type of charicter could have been played by, I believe, more poeple than just him. No one could have played Austin role but Austin.

 

Workrate has no bearing on this, because there are lots of wrestlers who kill both these guys in that category.

[Guest LooneyTune]

Neither man was that bad in the ring in their primes. Hogans character didn't need to do much in the ring, and Austin could go with most people until he had to resort to the "Main Event Brawling" post-neck injury.

[Guest Rrrsh]

Austin became a big star post neck injury...so his workrate went down when he went big.

[Guest Hass of Pain]

Even though Austin sold more merchandise than Hogan ever did, Hogan was at his peak the far bigger star in my opinion. He had more of a universal appeal than Austin and peaked at a time when there were far fewer options in terms of television programming, live events and entertainment in general. While Austin was *a* cultural phenomonon , Hogan was *THE* Cultural Phenomon in America for a while and was attractive to kids as well as women as well as men which you couldn't say as definitively about Austin. The numbers on NBC Hogan did can never be touched, and even though the market was much smaller back then you can't even begin to say that anything Austin did could ever touch Hogan/Andre, which drew buys from FIFTY PERCENT of the homes wired for pay-per-view. That's insane. That is the definitive American wrestling match since things went national and I doubt anything anyone can ever do in the states can top it. Hogan was the bigger star in my opinion.

[Nighthawk 0]

Nah, Austin's not equal to Hogan. Nobody is and never will be, because the era to create somebody like that has passed. Hogan transcended wrestling and was a pop culture star. It's like comparing Ty Cobb to Babe Ruth.

[Jericholic82 0]

Austin in 98 IMO was more over than Hogan ever was in any single year. what I mean is he was able to sustain a reaction for whole matches and not just for the finish. Most of hogans matches the middle part was hogan getting beat up and most of the time the crowd was quiet, but popped hwne he made a comeback. (exceptions include wm3 and wm 6 the crowd was on for the whole match(

 

just watching the foley dvd and the dude love vs austin match. the crowd is so into austin. they are literally screaming lets go stone cold for most of the match.

 

 

 

Hogan will always be #1 and rightfully so, but austin is a major icon in wrestling and always will be considered a legend

 

 

and I think that DX appealed mostly to 12 and 13 year olds though they were a major part of the wwfs resurgence. but without stone cold vs mcmahon catchin on in 98 the wrestling scene as we know it might be quite different

[Nighthawk 0]

Method Man also liked DX, apparently. One of my favorite moments in wrestling is when they show him at wrestlemania in his DX gear waving his foam X like a chump and JR says "The Method Man from Wu Tang clan!" Watch it. Seriously, his delivery is hilarious.

[Jericholic82 0]

Method Man also liked DX, apparently. One of my favorite moments in wrestling is when they show him at wrestlemania in his DX gear waving his foam X like a chump and JR says "The Method Man from Wu Tang clan!" Watch it. Seriously, his delivery is hilarious.

oh yea that was summerslam 98 actually it was funny to hear JR try to sound cool lol

 

Well ok you got me there oh well lol

[Jericholic82 0]

I would say that Austin is above Hogan as far as being an icon in the business is concerned. He brought the WWF back to providence back in the later 90's.

Austin took the WWF to Rhode Island?

[Guest LooneyTune]

Compare Dude Love/Austin after watching Rock/Hogan, or Hogan/Warrior, or Hogan/Andre, then get back to us with that comment.

[Twisted Intestine 0]

Popularity wise, Hogan.

 

If you ask anyone in America who Hogan is, almost everyone will know. Only the people who were wrestling fans will probably know who Austin is.

[Guest Hass of Pain]

Compare Dude Love/Austin after watching Rock/Hogan, or Hogan/Warrior, or Hogan/Andre, then get back to us with that comment.

Exactly.

 

Ask 1000 people how many remember Hogan/Warrior and then ask 1000 people how many remember Dude Love/Steve Austin. It wouldn't even be close. THAT'S the difference between Hogan and Austin.

[Guest LooneyTune]

I would call Austin/Foley "Austin/McMahon" since the whole match is based around that angle where Foley is just the pawn and meant nothing in it, which explains the extra heat.

 

This is how it looks...

Steve Austin v. Dude Love

SPECIAL REFEREE: VINCE MCMAHON!!!

[Jericholic82 0]

I guess I overstated myself. I was just using that match as an example. and hogan/rock was full of heat mostly because of nostaliga-loving canadian fans.

 

 

i digress.

 

I already said that Hogan will always be #1 and is the most well known name to non-wrestling fans

geez

 

 

I agree that Foley had nothing to do with the heat in those matches I was trying to saythat austin-mcmahon was the feud that changed wrestling in the 90s

[Guest LooneyTune]

That was the point... AUSTIN/MCMAHON. Half the credit goes to McMahon, which can also be credited to the Montreal Screwjob, which is how the Evil McMahon character was born.

[Jericholic82 0]

That was the point... AUSTIN/MCMAHON. Half the credit goes to McMahon, which can also be credited to the Montreal Screwjob, which is how the Evil McMahon character was born.

AHA someone gets it.

 

Austin needed Mcmahon to be his foil. If bret had stayed austin may have fizzled out without a great heel to play off of, and the evil owner thing was the perfect fit for him

[Jericholic82 0]

interesting...... however hogan just needed generic foreign or big fat heels to beat.

 

 

I guess we have a winner Hogan in a landslide

 

although wrestling in the 80s was different, all they needed to do was put a guy vs hogan and the fans would have their reason to hate that guy

 

 

however i think roddy piper doesnt get enough credit with the success of the first wrestlemania sure most of hogans 80s feud were against generic heels, but his feuds with piper,orndorff, and savage made him in the 80s