Hogan/Austin: The Thread

[Boxer 0]

So everyone talks about this match, especially when Hogan and Austin were on the same roster in 2002. Some even said it should've been Austin vs. Hogan at Wrestlemania 18 instead of The Rock. With that said, there is a little too much history between the two. There were talks over the years about doing this match, but nothing came to be. Apparently, it was suppose to happen when Austin kick started something with his line of finding a can of whoop ass with Hogan's name on in at the 2006 Hall of Fame ceremony.

 

So here are a few questions to discuss.

 

1. Who should win?

You book this match, and you know that both men DO NOT want to job to the other. A double DQ would likely piss off the crowd. There will be no rematches, this is based on Hogan punking Michaels. So one match only, there must be a CLEAN finish. This is pitting one generation of fans vs. another. The 80's vs. the WWF Attitude era. Some say Hogan should win, he was the man that built the WWF from the ground up and put wrestling where it is today. On the other side, Austin, the man who SAVED the WWF from going under. Some claim Austin made more money than Hogan ever did. Others claim that is fiction not fact. With that said, who do you book to go over and HOW do you do it. A simple stunner or leg drop cannot be bought, because these guys kicked out of more dramatic finishers and were booked like supermen. One finisher probably wouldn't be enough.

 

2. Is this match still a money match?

Someome asked Keith on his blog a while ago and he said it is. More so then Austin/Goldberg. With that being said, can this match draw in your eyes? Remember, this isn't 2000 or even the late 90's when Wrestling was on fire. If there is no money, this match will not happen. In fact, there probably has to be A LOT guarenteed to both men for them to even consider the match.

 

3. Is this a Main Event?

Wrestlemania will probably be where this match would, if ever, take place, do you platoon two guys who haven't done nothing in years over the whole damn roster. There will probably be broken egos and pissed off attitudes by some of the guys. Wrestlemania 25 is coming, if there was ever the time to do this match, it's now.

 

4. Does this intrigue you AT ALL?

This isn't either men in their prime or even during the 90's. In today's WWE, do you think the booking would even come through? There is a storyline right there with all the personal stuff, but I don't know how far both guys would go.

 

5. Would you order the pay per view, JUST for this match?

The rest of the card is crap. Would you still order a pay per view, beause this match is on the card.

 

6. Will they both get desperate enough?

We've seen enough Austin/Hogan returns. You think they'll both be desperate enough to do a match and get a big payday? We know Hogan might, with all his legal problems, but Austin is a tougher call.

[cabbageboy 0]

1. This might sound like a copout, but the man who should win the match is whoever is willing to stay around and wrestle past WM (or whatever PPV). If neither Hogan or Austin is going to be around after this match, it's not really worth doing. If neither stays around, I'd put Austin over at this point in time. With Hogan's recent public problems he's not in that great of a position to refuse to job.

 

2. It would still be a money match, but it wouldn't be any good at all. That said I dunno if it would draw as much as Hogan/Rock.

 

3. Does the "Main Event" have to be the last match? It would probably be in the Hogan/Rock spot on the card where it wasn't last but it would be the most important match.

 

4. It's somewhat interesting but mostly for the notion of seeing who would win or lose. As far as the match work itself, forget it.

 

5. You know, I probably would get a PPV just for this. Hell, I got SummerSlam 2005 mostly for Hogan/HBK, since there was little else on the show that seemed like a must see.

 

6. Hogan might, Austin not so much. If Hogan has to pay the Graziano family a bunch of money and his wife truly divorces him, then he might be cash strapped.

[King Kamala 0]

1. Who Should Win?

Obviously, neither guy will want to job cleanly and a non-finish would upset the fans. But this kind of match is a "once in a lifetime" type opportunity therefore the finish will be overdramatic and overblown. If I had to pick a winner, I'd say Hogan. Hulk Hogan is the first name that comes to mind when you ask Joe Q. Nonwrestlingfan and even after his trials and tribulations is still tremendously popular. I think WWE has overused Austin just a little bit since his retirement and when he's shown up, it's almost always in dumb McMahon Vs Austin retreads. The specialness has worn off just a tad. I say Hogan wins, perhaps after interference from McMahon

 

2. Is this match still a money match?

Absolutely, this is without a doubt, the biggest dream match in wrestling not involving The Rock and might be the biggest dream match overall. It'd be absolutely huge.

 

3. Is this a Main Event?

I would hope WWE wouldn't use this match to headline a WrestleMania. It's best to use it as a special attraction for a 'Mania or perhaps a main event a slightly less prestigious show like SummerSlam. Say what you want about WWE, but with a few exceptions, the World title match has always been the main event at WrestleMania and if they didn't make an exception for Rock/Hogan, they won't for Austin/Hogan.

 

 

4. Does this intrigue you AT ALL?

It intrigues me a little bit just to see how they'd pull it off but with both guys in the shape they're in, I don't see it being more than a mediocre, overbooked garbage match. I don't see it being more than a *1/2 match at this point. Honestly, wrestling wise, I don't think it would have been a good match ten years ago when Austin was at his peak popularity wise. Their styles just wouldn't seem to mesh IMHO.

 

 

5. Would you order the pay per view, JUST for this match?

Absolutely not

 

 

6. Will they both get desperate enough?

I could see Hogan doing it with his recent trials and tribulations but at this point, would WWE want him back? I think this recent scandal may put a damper on Hulk Hogan. Sure, he'll always have his mouthbreathing fanboys who'd mark out for him if he legdropped a puppy but I don't know if the casual fan is ready to root for Hulk right now. Oddly, I think Austin would be less willing to do the match than Hogan. Austin seems perfectly content in retirement, doing the occassional non-wrestling angle. That and I'm not sure if any amount of money is worth the potential paralysis he'd be facing if he screwed up his neck again.

 

[Lil' Bitch 0]

1. Who Should Win?

Stone Cold of course.

 

2. Is this match still a money match?

Well, yeah.

 

3. Is this a Main Event?

This SHOULD be the main event of a Wrestlemania. It's AUSTIN VS. HOGAN

 

4. Does this intrigue you AT ALL?

This is the dream match of dream matches!

 

5. Would you order the pay per view, JUST for this match?

Absolutely

 

6. Will they both get desperate enough?

Unless Austin has some serious dramatic shit to happen to his life like Hogan's, probably not.

[Timmy8271 0]

1. Who Should Win?

Probably Austin because he might stick around after the fact.

 

2. Is this match still a money match?

Probably the biggest money match out there today that is no Cena/Rock.

 

3. Is this a Main Event?

Hell yes it is. It should be one of the main events at Mania.

 

4. Does this intrigue you AT ALL?

Not as much as it could have if it was 5 years ago.

 

5. Would you order the pay per view, JUST for this match?

If I had PPV, yes.

 

6. Will they both get desperate enough?

No. Hogan's not worth it.

[Noah 0]

Neither one. Both are GIANT fucking pieces of shit IMO. Fuck both those cunts.

[CanadianChris 0]

1. Who should win?

I'd say Austin, because Hogan beating him when he can barely move around the ring just wouldn't be believable. They'd probably have to make it a no holds barred match to cover up for Hogan (and Austin, too, to an extent).

 

2. Is this match still a money match?

I have no doubt that a lot of people would pay a lot of money to see this match.

 

3. Is this a Main Event?

Probably a co-main at WrestleMania, like Hogan/Rock and Hogan/McMahon. The world title match always goes last, and deservedly so. It's the bookers' responsibility to build this match up without having it overshadow the entire card.

 

4. Does this intrigue you AT ALL?

Not in the least. I hate the concept of the dream match in this context, pitting two past-their-prime guys who aren't even full-time wrestlers anymore against each other. This isn't Austin from 1997 against Hogan from 1987, where they could put on an exciting match. They'd need a lot of help to get this match even to the ** level. The only thing that would interest me at all is which guy has enough juice to go over, and I can get that from looking at the results the next morning.

 

5. Would you order the pay per view, JUST for this match?

There is no way in hell I would put down even one penny just to see this match.

 

6. Will they both get desperate enough?

At this point, I doubt it. Both guys are just way too stubborn to lay down to the other guy. Hogan tried to "pass the torch" to Lesnar and we all saw how that turned out, so I doubt he's going to be willing to show up just to job to Austin, and Austin will never agree to lay down for Hogan. So there you have it.

[The Metal Maniac 0]

I'd book Austin to win, and here's the jist of how: Of course, they'd have already kicked out of each other's finishers once or twice already by this point, but Hogan wouldn't have hulked up yet - I'll say Austin was unable to capitalize after hitting the stunner, so hulking up wasn't needed.

 

Anyway, here's how I'd book the finish: Austin is in control, Hogan is hurting. Austin hits him with the stunner, gets the closest 2-count the ref can pull off. Hogan starts hulking up, Austin starts looking nervous - not scared, cuz he's Stone Cold Steve Austin, but more like a "shit, what can I do now?" sorta deal. Right hand by Austin is shrugged off. Another one. Another. Hogan sticks up the wagging finger, Austin quickly slaps Hogan's hand away, gives him the stationary finger, followed by a kick in the junk and the stunner.

 

Hogan doesn't sell it fully - sorta bumps but staggers back to his feet, still trying to hulk up, but Austin hits him with another Stunner as soon as Hogan is on his feet, 1 2 3.

 

It's way too late for this match to have the impact it should, but I'd have Austin go over because I consider Austin the "new" Hogan - or at least, he was in his prime, which is why this match should've happened years ago. The new generation star proving that not only could he hang with the stars of the last generation, but he's even better. A passing-the-torch sort of deal, you know?

[cabbageboy 0]

I don't why exactly Cena vs. Rock is some mega dream match. Some have said they have no interest in seeing two washed up old guys like Austin and Hogan, but personally I have zero interest whatsoever in seeing The Rock come back just to job to Cena in WWE's neverending attempt to make people buy into Cena as a mainstream star.

[King Kamala 0]

I hate to go off on a tangent but I don't get why people deride Cena for not being "a mainstream star". Yeah he isn't one and he probably never will be but who is really? There are only three living wrestlers who are; Hogan, Austin, and Rock. And two out of those three barely qualify as mainstream stars. Heck, I'd go as far as to say Austin isn't a mainstream star period. He was one ten years ago maybe even five years ago but he sure isn't anymore.

 

Anyways, I can certainly see why people dislike Cena. Yes, his gimmick is sort of annoying, he's kind of bland, and WWE was really shoving him down the audience's throat for the past few years (They've relented a bit in the past few months). But I don't understand the wide spread adamant, seething hatred for the guy. The man has had too many good matches to deserve that and he's a good talk show guest! I guess Cena isn't supposed to be for jaded, cynical marks like us. Like Wu Tang, Cena is for the children. If this board was around in '86, everybody would have been bitching about how Vince is trying to shove Hogan down our throats. Incidentally, Cena at this point is a better worker than Hogan ever was (got to tie it back somehow).

 

Anyways, if The Rock were to make a return for some reason, I think I'd want him to go against Shawn Michaels. I don't think it'd be a mega dream match like Hogan-Austin but I'd be way way more interested to see HBK-Rock. But given The Rock's apparent dislike of HBK, that match happening is about as unrealistic as seeing Bret Hart Vs Shawn Michaels at this point.

[ANKLELOCK 0]

To the wrestling fanbase of right now, Cena/Rock would definately be a bigger match than Hogan/Austin. The "heat" at the HOF when Rock made that crack about the Marine was off the charts. And while Rock isn't as big a figure in wrestling history as Hogan or Austin, he's the biggest mainstream star its ever produced, and Cena is the biggest star of today. Not to mention the match would about 6 billion times better than Hogan/Austin.

[nl5xsk1 0]

To the wrestling fanbase of right now, Cena/Rock would definately be a bigger match than Hogan/Austin. The "heat" at the HOF when Rock made that crack about the Marine was off the charts. And while Rock isn't as big a figure in wrestling history as Hogan or Austin, he's the biggest mainstream star its ever produced, and Cena is the biggest star of today. Not to mention the match would about 6 billion times better than Hogan/Austin.

And that's who their target audience should be. I don't think there would be any mainstream attention from an Austin/Hogan match. Best case scenario would be to get them on a show like Leno, and try to whip up some publicity from that. But most mainstream folks (and former fans) would be more likely to focus on how old both guys are, and would be surprised that either would still be wrestling ... I don't think there'd be many people that aren't fans already that would say "Oh, wow, I have to see those two fight".

[Naked Snake 0]

Neither one. Both are GIANT fucking pieces of shit IMO. Fuck both those cunts.

 

 

Although I was a huge fan of Austin back in the day, he is every bit of a politician Hogan was.

 

Austin has refused to job countless times or work with certain people. And his unprofessional walkouts as well.

 

He hasn't really made anyone a star or put them over clean.

 

Whenever he is on TV he is pretty much useless.

[cabbageboy 0]

Kamala, I thought more about this Cena thing today and here is what I came up with: Cena is someone who won't ever really have that cred with the serious wrestling fan. This is for a variety of reasons, be it his initial rapper gimmick, his pretty boy looks, his appeal to women and kids, whatever. So if he's not meant to appeal to the serious wrestling fan, then he better be a big mainstream star. But the attempts to turn him into such have mostly failed. Cena doesn't have that Bret/Shawn type wrestling credibility with fans, and he's not anywhere near the Hogan/Austin/Rock level in the mainstream. So he ends up not really working either way.

 

Obviously Rock/Cena would be a much better match than Hogan/Austin. That isn't the point.

[King Kamala 0]

Kamala, I thought more about this Cena thing today and here is what I came up with: Cena is someone who won't ever really have that cred with the serious wrestling fan. This is for a variety of reasons, be it his initial rapper gimmick, his pretty boy looks, his appeal to women and kids, whatever. So if he's not meant to appeal to the serious wrestling fan, then he better be a big mainstream star. But the attempts to turn him into such have mostly failed. Cena doesn't have that Bret/Shawn type wrestling credibility with fans, and he's not anywhere near the Hogan/Austin/Rock level in the mainstream. So he ends up not really working either way.

 

Obviously Rock/Cena would be a much better match than Hogan/Austin. That isn't the point.

 

God dammit cabbage. You and some of the board got to get your head out of '06. OK, he doesn't have Bret/Shawn type wrestling credibility (whatever the fuck that is) but once again, who does? He's a perfectly competent worker, I'd even venture to call him good. He's not a mainstream star but once again who is besides the aforementioned big three? Cena probaly has more mainstream recognition than an Ultimate Warrior or Kevin Nash and just about as much as a Ric Flair or Undertaker or Goldberg. It's completely unreasonable to expect every champion to have every champion be a wrestler the caliber of HBK and Bret Hart and/or a mainstream superstar the caliber of Rock or Hogan. Yeah, his character is annoying and it is stale. But he isn't more annoying than a Randy Orton or a Batista or a tired Triple H or a broken down, should be retired Rey Mysterio Jr. And none of those guys catch half the flak that Cena does. It's incredibly easy to blame him for WWE's current woes but also incredibly ignorant.

 

Who does Cena appeal to? Kids. Who does WWE try to appeal to most and who spends the majority of money on WWE? Kids and their parents (Mostly their parents but you get the jist). Look I'm not saying the serious wrestling fan doesn't have his say in the wrestling world and I think with 24/7 and retro DVDs flying off the shelf, they're being treated much better than they were ten years ago. But that's besides the point.

 

Ugh I'm just rambling right now. I'm going stop. Not worth getting an ulcer over arguing John Cena(!!!) with a stubborn buffoon like Cabbageboy (!!!)