Would it have been different if Stone Cold had faced Hogan at WrestleMania

[K.J]

Do you think the WWF was expecting the kind of crowd reaction in the Rock vs Hogan match at WrestleMania? By this I mean were they expeting out and out support for Hogan? Also do you think the crowd would have reacted differently if Hogan had faced Stone Cold?

 

Personally I think the WWF was expecting more of a 50/50 crowd response than they got, the Rock is not as popular as they would like to believe.

 

Also I think if Austin had face Hogan in this match then I don't think we would have seen the crowd booing Stone Cold, what do you think?

[Guest Nuff]

I don't think you can ever underestimate just how popular Hogan is.There's no doubt that after mainia as you said Rock isn't as popular as the WWF thinks or wants us to think.

 

Austin might have got more crowd support that the Rock did but I believe that the crowd would still have been strongly behind Hogan.

 

Hulkamaina is running wild again

[The Crippler]

Yeah I think it wouldn't really have made a difference. While the crowd was behind Hogan during the match, they still popped big time for Rocky when he got the People's Elbow then the pin.

[Simon]

I dunno what it is, while Austin was mine and a lot of other people's Wrestler of 2001...I dont think id have enjoyed the match as much if it was Hogan V Austin...

 

I cant put my finger on why that is...does anyone else agree?

[Guest Jazzmaster]

I agree that austin/hogan wouldn't have been as special unless it happened at the height of Austin's popularity. However I think the crowd would have popped for Austin at WM as the angle would have been run differently. They would have built Hogan up as a bigger heel for the match than they did for Rocky. Plus, Austin doesn't have the 'arrogance' to tell the crowd that they know he's better.

[Guest NJC]

Compared to Rock-Hogan, Austin-Hogan would have been absolutely dire.

 

Austin will go down as one of the most successful and popular wrestlers of all time, but for the 'Icon vs. Icon' match that everyone dreamed of, it just had to be Rock-Hogan.

 

Hogan, whether we like it or not (personally, I don't care) is the biggest star in wrestling history by an absolute mile. When an adult, or non fan is asked to name a wrestler, they will say Hogan. If the fan is asked to name one, it will probably be Rock. Not because he is the best or anything, so no-one have a rant about how they would name Benoit etc.

 

Hogan and Rock are wrestling's biggest ever stars, Hogan made wrestling big, and was a huge mainstream personality, and The Rock is nearly as big now as Hogan was then. Unlike Hogan, Rock has been in BIG films, such as The Mummy Returns, which was one of the highest grossing films in US history- no doubt largely due to Rock. The fact that Rock didn't really have a very big part is completely irrelevant, he was the main advertising force behind the movie.

 

Rock and Hogan are outside of wrestling stars, Austin is more inward, and not nearly as well known outside wrestling's fan base- even when he was at the height of his popularity in 1998.

 

In fact, even the '98 Austin still wouldn't have made the match like Rock. Rock and Hogan are showman, out and out. The fans can love them or hate them, but guaranteed, the fans will definately be chanting something for The Rock, be it his name in support, or "Rocky Sucks".

 

The crowd at the SkyDome, and everyone who watched at home were completely in Rock and Hogan's control because of the Icon's that they are. The match had the most electric atmosphere I've ever seen, and it was a magical moment that will never be equalled.

 

Austin just wouldn't have cut it, he would have made it more of a wrestling match. He wouldn't have been able to portray the character of 'wrestling's future' like The Rock did, as he himself is drawing his to a close.

 

For many different reasons, no two people in the world could have captivated us like Rock and Hogan that night.