Jim Ross delved into the intricacies of Hulk Hogan‘s unwillingness to drop the WWE title to Bret Hart, shedding light on the potential dynamics of a momentous wrestling match that never came to fruition.
In an episode of Grilling JR, Ross provided insights into Hulk Hogan’s mindset and the missed opportunity for a compelling rivalry between the two iconic wrestlers.
Addressing Hogan’s disinclination to lose the WWE title to Bret Hart, Ross attributed it to Hogan’s perception of Hart as a tag team specialist, emphasising Hogan’s adherence to traditional wrestling principles prevalent during his era. Ross highlighted the influence of old-school ideologies and territorial mentalities in shaping Hogan’s reservations about the match, ultimately leading to an impasse on financial considerations that contributed to the outcome.
I think that maybe Hogan still perceived Bret as the tag team specialist with the Anvil and the Hart Foundation and he didn’t want to lose to a much smaller tag team guy. I can see old-school guys thinking that, and Hogan was an old-school guy. He was a territory guy. He had a lot of those old-school principles in his mindset. I think what happened, and this is my own opinion, along the way after Hogan won the title, there became an impasse on money.
Reflecting on the hypothetical scenario of a match between Bret Hart and Hulk Hogan, Ross expressed his belief in the potential for an extraordinary encounter, drawing parallels to Hogan’s successful match with The Rock at WrestleMania 18 despite physical limitations. He underscored the prospect of a compelling rivalry between Hart and Hogan, envisioning a match filled with dramatic storytelling and nuanced character dynamics that could have captivated audiences.
I believe that Bret Hart and Hogan could’ve had one hell of a match. We saw what Hogan did with Rock at WrestleMania 18. He’d had back surgeries and he wasn’t the same dude physically because of the wear and tear on his body. But I thought he and Rock had a great match, the people bought it, and that’s what matters. Based on that, looking back at the potential of a Bret Hart/Hulk Hogan match, I believe as a fan and somebody that’s made a living in this business since the mid-70s, they could’ve had a hell of a match and had a great rivalry.
Which WWE Hall Of Famer Would Have Made Hulk Hogan Uncomfortable?
Arn Anderson said that he believes Vader would have pushed Hulk Hogan out of his comfort zone. Anderson went on to say that Vader and Hogan could have had some matches that he would have really wanted to see as he believes that Vader would have made Hogan really work hard.