WWE News: Update On Hulk Hogan — What Will His Role Be At WrestleMania?
Despite his best efforts to convince WWE management that he’s physically able to have a match at WrestleMania, it appears that Hulk Hogan will not be stepping into the ring any time soon, and it’s very likely that he’ll never wrestle again. But just because he won’t be wrestling doesn’t mean that Hulk Hogan won’t appear at WrestleMania, as he’s scheduled to induct “Macho Man” Randy Savage into the WWE Hall of Fame, and he believes that he will be involved in something at WrestleMania— most likely the Rusev vs. John Cena match for the United States Championship.
Back in January — before it was apparent that Hulk Hogan wouldn’t be able to wrestle — WWE did consider the idea of having Hulk Hogan team up with John Cena to take on Rusev and a partner of Rusev’s choosing at WrestleMania, with the idea being that Cena could work most of the match in order to hide Hogan’s physical issues, and then Hogan would come in towards the end of the match and get the win.
Hulk Hogan was interviewed by Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer back in August before SummerSlam, and Meltzer asked Hogan about his physical issues, and asked Hogan why he wants to have one more match.
“You know brother, I watch those old tapes of myself in WCW and it was embarrassing. Then I watched the TNA stuff and it was a nightmare. To watch it now it’s just embarrassing, so — not that Vince [McMahon] would want this, and not that Triple H would want this — but I keep telling everybody that my goal — because I’m not in pain anymore — is to get back in there, not embarrass myself, and have one more match. If that worked, I would love to be able to contribute, because I miss it so much.”
Hogan, 61, hasn’t had a match since 2011, when he wrestled Sting at TNA Bound For Glory. Hogan’s last WWE match took place on August 20, 2006, at SummerSlam, where he defeated Randy Orton. Since returning to WWE last year, Hogan has been interested in having at least one more match, but — due to his back and knee issues — WWE has decided to not put Hogan back in the ring, despite his best efforts to convince both Vince McMahon and Triple H that’s he’s physically capable of pulling it off.
WWE is also hesitant to put Hogan back in the ring because of his age, because the last time someone who was over the age of 60 wrestled for WWE, they ended up having a heart attack immediately after the match. That person was — of course — Jerry “The King” Lawler. Moreover, Vince McMahon hates the idea of having “old guys” get in the ring and wrestle, and even though he’s making exceptions for both The Undertaker and Sting this year, it appears that he won’t make that same exception for Hogan.
[Image via WWE]
