Is Austin equal to Hogan?

[Guest Arnold_OldSchool]

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

I have many tapes of 85/86 era Hogan where the crowd is shrieking his name constantly while Hogan's getting the beat down.

[Guest LooneyTune]

Even a shitty crowd like Columbus, OH was chanting Hogan for the majority of his match against Kurt Angle at the 2002 King of the Ring. Call it Nostalgia, but it takes a LOT to get Columbus crowds to cheer anything.

[Precious Roy 0]

Short answer: yes

[Guest Professor X]

Wasnt Hogan invited to the white house?

[Guest LooneyTune]

Short answer: yes

Short Reply: why?

[CBright7831 0]

Wasnt Hogan invited to the white house?

Probably.

 

But then again, Eazy E got invited to the white house also. (The rapper, not Eric Bischoff)

 

EDIT - I wonder if Hogan is Republican or Democrat.

[Guest LooneyTune]

Wasn't Rasheed Wallace just invited to the White House? (if so.... yeah, like he's such a big man)

[LessonInMachismo 0]

I believe Hogan claimed to be and Independent, but he supported Republican/Libertarian economic methods. He was on Jay Leno in late '98 after he announced that he was going to run for president. I never understood that entire angle. He went on Leno, Imus and all those shows claiming to be running, and then they just dropped it. Was it some kind of work or was it a shoot and he simply realized how absurd the idea was and cut it short? They did turn him face later on in the year ('99) so who knows.

 

...does anybody know?

[Slickster 0]

I believe Hogan claimed to be and Independent, but he supported Republican/Libertarian economic methods. He was on Jay Leno in late '98 after he announced that he was going to run for president. I never understood that entire angle. He went on Leno, Imus and all those shows claiming to be running, and then they just dropped it. Was it some kind of work or was it a shoot and he simply realized how absurd the idea was and cut it short? They did turn him face later on in the year ('99) so who knows.

 

...does anybody know?

It was my understanding that early polls/focus groups indicated there was far less popular support for the decision than would have made it worth Hogan's time and effort; so, he dropped it.

[LessonInMachismo 0]

I believe Hogan claimed to be and Independent, but he supported Republican/Libertarian economic methods.  He was on Jay Leno in late '98 after he announced that he was going to run for president.  I never understood that entire angle.  He went on Leno, Imus and all those shows claiming to be running, and then they just dropped it.  Was it some kind of work or was it a shoot and he simply realized how absurd the idea was and cut it short?  They did turn him face later on in the year ('99) so who knows.

 

...does anybody know?

It was my understanding that early polls/focus groups indicated there was far less popular support for the decision than would have made it worth Hogan's time and effort; so, he dropped it.

That would certainly make sense. I just hope Jesse realizes the same thing early on and doesn't make a run for it in '08. Unless that "wrestler in the White House" thing was just him blowing hot air. For years he said he would not run for president and then he gives us that out of nowhere.

[Copper Feel 0]

is austin equal to hogan? no hes in a leauge of his own. he sold more merchandise. got bigger pay per view buys. better t.v ratings and didnt need opponents with anti american gimmicks to do it. hogans number 2 in my opinion.

[deancoles 0]

Orndorff,Savage,Studd,Bundy,Bossman,Piper,Andre and Dibiase weren't anti american.

[Si82 0]

I believe Hogan claimed to be and Independent, but he supported Republican/Libertarian economic methods.  He was on Jay Leno in late '98 after he announced that he was going to run for president.  I never understood that entire angle.  He went on Leno, Imus and all those shows claiming to be running, and then they just dropped it.  Was it some kind of work or was it a shoot and he simply realized how absurd the idea was and cut it short?  They did turn him face later on in the year ('99) so who knows.

 

...does anybody know?

It was my understanding that early polls/focus groups indicated there was far less popular support for the decision than would have made it worth Hogan's time and effort; so, he dropped it.

I thought the whole thing was just an angle to gain more publicity for Hogan and WCW going into the big Georgia Dome Nitro on the 4th of January.

[Jingus 0]

Austin: drew more money than Hogan, better wrestler than Hogan, what's to debate?

[Nighthawk 0]

Like I said, Hogan's a pop culture icon like nobody in wrestling has been, and I'm willing to bet never will be again. It's not even related to his performance and recognition in wrestling, because Hogan is a part of the 80s itself.

[TheOriginalOrangeGoblin 0]

No wrestler in history(with Rock possibly surpassing this) can touch Hogan for mainstream exposure or for being a 'superstar'. Only wrestler to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated, first wrestler to host Saturday Night Live, appeared on damn near every talk show there was, hell Hogan STILL is more of a superstar than Austin. I don't see Austin getting coverage on MTV for being at P. Diddy's(I think) party. The fact is everybody, wrestling fan or not, knows who Hogan is. While I know a lot of people who have never heard of Steve Austin.

 

Plus say all you want about drawing but the audience for Hogan/Andre on NBC will never be touched and the attendances Hogan brought in(WM3, WM6, Big Event, WMX8 all drawing around 65,000+ - might have been more too but those are off the top of my head) are amazing.

 

Plus you all say it yourself: stick any heel with Hogan and he becomes top heel. Hogan didn't need a great heel to play off of(although he had some great ones), he WAS the draw. Austin needed McMahon to play off of or he would've never gotten to where he was at.

[Guest Hass of Pain]

Austin: drew more money than Hogan, better wrestler than Hogan, what's to debate?

That's really debatable to say that Austin outdrew Hogan. With about 100 times as many homes in the pay-per-view universe it's really not fair to say Austin was a better draw than Hogan as they are on completely different playing fields. I said it earlier but Hogan drew buys in FIFTY PERCENT of homes wired for pay-per-view for Wrestlemania III and that's a figure Austin never even came within the same galaxy of. Austin's run at the top lasted four years, Hogan was on top for eight. Steve Austin doesn't have those classic, high profile matches that casual fans still remember to this day like Hogan/Andre, Hogan/Warrior, Hogan/Rock and even Hogan/Savage. I don't know if you were a fan of wrestling back then or just caught up on the tapes later in life, but for people who witnessed Hogan's run first hand as it was happening I don't even see how it can be that close. Austin was a pop fad, Hogan was a cultural phenonom. The cover of Sports Illustrated, his show drawing bigger numbers than SNL in it's own time slot and his matches being covered in newspapers as legitimate events. Hogan is in a league of his own.

[Precious Roy 0]

Short answer:  yes

Short Reply: why?

[Dark Age 0]

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.

What a stupid comment. You're comparing one of Austin's "lower-level" matches with some of Hogan's most memorable. A better comparison would be Austin/Hart to Hogan/Andre. Austin/Rock to Hogan/Rock. Austin/Shawn to Hogan/Warrior, and so on. I'm not arguing Austin's case; I understand (and agree with) what point you were trying to make; Hogan's matches are more memorable, more well known, to non-wrestling fans than Austin's are. However, to use Austin/Dude Love as an example in why Hogan is more mainstream than Austin is idiotic.

[TheOriginalOrangeGoblin 0]

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.

What a stupid comment. You're comparing one of Austin's "lower-level" matches with some of Hogan's most memorable. A better comparison would be Austin/Hart to Hogan/Andre. Austin/Rock to Hogan/Rock. Austin/Shawn to Hogan/Warrior, and so on. I'm not arguing Austin's case; I understand (and agree with) what point you were trying to make; Hogan's matches are more memorable, more well known, to non-wrestling fans than Austin's are. However, to use Austin/Dude Love as an example in why Hogan is more mainstream than Austin is idiotic.

He used Austin/Foley cause someone else mentioned how much hotter crowd was for Austin during the match than for Hogan during his prime.

 

And, just to be a prick, Hogan/Andre is MUCH more known than Austin/Hart and Hogan/Warrior is MUCH more known than Austin/Shawn. The Rock matches are pretty much a push.

[MikeJordan23 0]

Yes.

[Precious Roy 0]

We're also 20 years removed from Hogan's heyday, and most of us remember it fondly because we were little kids at the time. Austin's impact is more recent, and quite different, but I have a hard time saying it was lesser, as he actually made wrestling cool and mainstream for a time, while targeted towards an older, more fickle audience. Hogan made it popular with kids and their parents, and he made it mainstream, but did he ever make it cool? Different audiences.

 

Steve Austin doesn't have those classic, high profile matches that casual fans still remember to this day like Hogan/Andre, Hogan/Warrior, Hogan/Rock and even Hogan/Savage.

 

That's not true. My friends who were casual fans thanks to Austin but stopped watching in 2000 are definitely more familiar with matches like Austin v. Undertaker at SummerSlam 98 and the Austin/McMahon cage match at St. Valentine's Day Massacre, not to mention all the non-match angles he did on RAW, like kidnapping Vince etc. Most of them have never seen any of those old Hogan matches, nor would they care to.

[Guest fanofcoils]

Once they do Austin vs Hogan, then we can see who the crowd cares more about.

[Guest LooneyTune]

Obviously thats a bias opinion then, isn't it? The only people who can really answer are people who have seen both mens runs when it happend, and not actually hate the other guy.

 

Austin/Undertaker... (Surprisingly) Good match, but memorable? Hell no.

 

Austin/McMahon... Sorry, by this time the angle was pretty damn dead, and Austin had already beat the shit out of McMahon about 40 times in 1998. Why would I waste $30 on a PPV to see what I've been seeing all year for free?

[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.

What a stupid comment. You're comparing one of Austin's "lower-level" matches with some of Hogan's most memorable. A better comparison would be Austin/Hart to Hogan/Andre. Austin/Rock to Hogan/Rock. Austin/Shawn to Hogan/Warrior, and so on. I'm not arguing Austin's case; I understand (and agree with) what point you were trying to make; Hogan's matches are more memorable, more well known, to non-wrestling fans than Austin's are. However, to use Austin/Dude Love as an example in why Hogan is more mainstream than Austin is idiotic.

Read my statement in context to the question I was replying to.

[Guest LooneyTune]

I forgot who it was, but the person said AUSTIN/DUDE had more heat than any Hogan match ever, which is complete B.S. if anyones actually seen a Hogan match from 1984-86 (or his entire career basically).

[Precious Roy 0]

Hahaa, LooneyTune, you're completely full of shit! Talk about biased.....

 

I'm telling you, for a fact, that my friends who were casual fans were HYPED for both of those matches, the PPVS were major events, and they still think to this day that those matches are the peak of pro-wrestling. The only other matches that might compare are the Rock-Mankind series where they swapped the belt. So you can say that they weren't memorable, and maybe they weren't to you, but a shitload of people will tell you otherwise.

 

And I'm 25, I saw both men's runs when they happened, and I'm telling you that yes, they are very much on equal footing despite the obvious differences in the industry and target audiences.

[Guest LooneyTune]

I understand that, but for me, as a fan for god knows how long, Austin/Undertaker wasn't that big of a deal. It's all a matter of opinion, like about 40 people already said. I'm not saying the hype or match was bad, but I just wasn't into it and wouldn't rank it as something memorable.

[Precious Roy 0]

Well, agree to disagree then, because even with a dozen years as a fan or whatever under my belt, Austin in 98 was some of the best wrestling entertainment I've ever seen. It helped that everyone I knew was finally into something I'd been a fan of on my own my whole life, which I never expected to happen, but on it's own merit it was still a really cool, fresh time in wrestling. And this argument isn't about what you enjoyed personally, but about the comparative overall impact of Hogan and Austin on the existing and potential fanbases at the time, and there is really no debate that they're in the same league.

 

The best way I can put it this:

 

When I was a little kid I remember watching Hogan/Andre with my dad, and the next day in school all the kids my age were talking about it. Ditto for everything in that time period up to Hogan/Warrior. But I can say with reasonable certainty that the average older kid, kids in high school and college, were not discussing pro-wrestling as a watercooler topic. It was considered uncool, and for little kids.

 

Now, when the WWF "boom" hit, 97-98, I was a senior in high school and then moved on to college. Wrestling, something that would have been taboo in the past, was popular amongst pretty much everyone at my high school, especially the jocks and cool cliques who set the trends for younger kids. It became hip and acceptable amongst very picky sets. My girlfriends were into wrestling because the guys were. I don't think Hogan had teenage girls watching wrestling. And Austin got the kids as well, as our younger brothers and their friends were all into the WWF as well, at least in part because it was seen as cool amongst the older kids. My first year or two in college it was the same way, dudes and chicks would gather in the dorms to watch RAW, and pretty much everyone from every group was down with it, it became a popular, social drinking event. The same crowd that I'd be watching rasslin with on Mondays I'd be out at the bars with the next day.

 

Hogan NEVER had college kids watching wrestling unless they were geeky shut-ins.

 

I really don't see any rational argument against Austin here.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

Rock is better known in the mainstream than Austin is. Rock is certainly more successful in the mainstream than either Austin or Hogan.

 

If you are going by money drawn as your basis, than the answer is clearly Austin.

 

Basically within the industry, they rank:

 

1) Austin

2) Hogan

3) Rock

 

In the mainstream, they rank:

 

1) Rock

2) Hogan

3) Austin

 

After that it is a matter of what you deem more important. Personally, I have to say Hogan was the biggest wrestler off all time. Rock was a great draw for the WWF, but he was not quite at the level of Austin or Hogan. Austin barely made a blip in the mainstream, other than his catchphrases. Hogan was really the only one that did both. Austin's lack of mainstream success really hurts him, especially after the splits with Vince and legal trouble. Overall, I would have Hogan at #1 who made the 80s a huge success for the WWF and at least made it into the mainstream even if his film projects and albums weren't exactly successes. Rock comes next, and I really could see arguments for him as #1 based on his success outside the company, but as a wrestler he was on top for only a year or so. Austin is third. He was the biggest wrestling star in history, but unlike Rock or Hogan he never became more than just a successful wrestler.