If you think he was just the right time and the right.. if you think he was just the right guy and the right.. let me tell ya something right now brother, if you you yyou think that he was just the wrong guy at the right guy.
If sting had gone to WWF he would have been the warrior character only infinitely better in the ring, I'm guessing by WM 6 he would have been the top guy and short of Hogan sabotaging his run would have stayed there for the foreseeable future
@Requiem4aDr3Am "sophisticated" ? Because the aging archetype of evil foreigner and ultra American babyface wasn't boring as sin compared to guys like Flair and yes Sting who were way ahead of their time. Like I said if sting had gone to the WWF he would have been Warrior, but better promos and ring work
Hogan was lightning in a bottle and without him the 80s boom doesn’t happen. Period. You could get close...maybe Savage a year or two later, say...but I think without Hogan you don’t get the mainstream boom.
I think that's pretty much undisputed fact at this point. It's fashionable for internet bloggers and smarks to shit on Hogan but they wouldn't have the platforms they do now without him. It's actually insane how many of them despise him. Many for the very reasons he was Hulk Hogan...
@TheAstrius I agree. Savage would have been able to hold the place for a short period of time but he didn't have the staying power Hogan did. I'm just surprised Savages name wasn't given. He had the look and following and promo ability. He was just crazy and like you said unstable.
Play they didn't give a fair shake to Superstar Billy Graham. Without him you don't have Hulk Hogan or just The Body Ventura. They copy that man's whole swag .
Even Savage didn't have it like Hogan. He wasn't as tall and his promos were great, but not comic book hero like Hogan's. Hogan was perfect guy for the time and I don't think anyone could've done that. Dusty lacked the look. Flair wasn't a comic hero. Kerry couldn't talk and was unreliable due to drug issues. Austin Idol wouldn't have done it. Magnum TA maybe, but even he didn't have the promo or height of Hogan. Snuka couldn't talk. I think they'd have had to rotate guys as the top guy like they did in the early-mid 90s.
What gets underestimated with Hogan is how important it was to have the absolute backing of his boss. He was a brand Vince inherently loved and believed in, and thus had the luxury of being able to take risks without fear of job loss.
Look no one in the 80s could of done what Hogan did. The only 2 people that came close in the 80s were Flair and Sting and they didn't have the brand of the WWF on their side in the 80s. Hogan was a icon day 1. This coming from a Andre the Giant fan
FFS Savage got over because of 1) his heel run opposite Hogan(was HUGE on the house show circuits and I remember it vividly as a kid) and 2) the MegaPowers push. Savage was certainly a star in his own right but without the Hogan connections, he wouldn't have gotten where he did.
Pig Vomit don't waste ur energy, everytime you bust an idiot lying, or being wrong, they say it was 'sarcasm'. (Remember we're talking about kids whose parents weren't alive in 83-84)
I think Hacksaw Duggan was pretty popular and entertaining. He was buff, could brawl and wrestle as good as Hogan IMO and he could get a crowd pumped. Duggan was good on the mic, had a lot of gimmicks and Vince didn't even really mess with his character. Walkin' tall, thumbs up and waving the flag - Tough guy!
Botchamania JEEZUS Vince would've pushed him if he would've juiced. He was as big a racist piece of shit as Hogan and Vince are behind the scenes. 😂😂😂😂
For those who don't believe Rocky III was THE reason that Hulk Hogan was the only choice guaranteed to help Vince take the WWF national, consider these historical facts. Rocky III was released in May 1982 during Hogan's rise to popularity in the AWA. One short five minute scene garnered Hogan mainstream media attention including appearances on national talk shows like the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson which put him on the national and international radar back when media meant three broadcast TV networks, newspapers and magazines. According to Greg Gagne, the AWA was negotiating a deal with CBS that was based on Hogan finally winning their World Title, the one Hulk had been chasing for over a year, on CBS television in the spring of 1984. AWA owner Verne Gagne never told Hogan about his plans, so when Andre the Giant told a frustrated Hogan about Vince's vision for expansion with the Hulkster on top, Hulk bolted for the WWF in December 1983. CBS wanted the AWA because of the small amount of mainstream fame Hogan achieved through Rocky III. Without Hogan, the CBS deal fell apart for the AWA. With Hulk atop the WWF, along with Captain Lou Albano's connection with Cyndi Lauper, Vince landed his MTV deal. Then came WresteMania followed by a 6 year association with NBC, Hulk appearing on Saturday Night Live, Friday Night Videos and the A-Team with his buddy Mr T. And Saturday Night's Main Event. Plus Hulk Hogan's cartoon show on . . . CBS. So what's the root cause of all this? Rocky III. Vince McMahon knew how strike while the flame was hot to build Hogan's five minutes of fame into much more. No wrestler other than Andre had that kind of mainstream attention at that time, and Hulkamania became the cornerstone of what would become a sports entertainment empire. All thanks to five minutes in the movie Rocky III.
Nobody could have launched the WWF to the moon like Hogan. He just had something about him that captured the imagination beyond what even the best of that era could muster.
You can't make that statement now having known how it played out, you're saying this having already known Hogan turned out like he did. In order to play this game, you have to pretend Hogan didn't become who he did.
@@YearsOVDecay1 when Shawn turned on Marty he turned into the top heel of the company. Nobody could touch him heat wise. He might not of been able to carry the company as a face like the other guys but his heel work was on point. If you don't have a good heel you don't have a good baby face. There's a reason people say he's one of the best in the business.
There´s just not anyone who could have done what Hogan did for WWF, been the star he was for crossing over into the mainstream. There were a ton of great wrestlers who could have been in that role to wrestling fans, but not who could help WWF cross over into the main stream. Say what you will, but Hogan was red hot and iconic from 83-88, still the biggest star in wrestling by far from 89-96, though the occasional boos started early 90s, and then again, mid 90s, in the middle of the hottest wrestling angle as a wrestlings biggest heel relatively shortly after his hero status had faded. He´s not my favourite wrestler, but his position as the biggest icon should really not be in question because I and other wrestling fans like others better. As a magnetic star he was just head and shoulders above anybody.
Problem is nobody could have done what Hogan did with Vince and the WWF, His in ring work wasn't great but it was his look his charisma his character but mostly the fact that Hogan is a great business man and very professional which was rare with a lot of the other big stars at the time who liked to party a bit too much!. Even the guys that worked with Hogan in the territories said he was ultra professional and a workaholic, which is why Vince new he could put the WWF on Hogan's shoulders and let him run with it!.
I remember reading somewhere that Michael Jordan felt the 80s stars he was working with in the NBA partied a bit too much - I guess it was the dominant attitude present in the people who were already established in the early 80s.
Hogan actually did have the in ring work... If you need proof go look up his NJPW matches. The problem was that Vince booked him as a lumbering brute and that's what we got. Hogan had skills, he just wasn't asked to use them and quite frankly, he didn't have to either.
Kenny Houser yeph even in awa he could wrestle and he could also do Japanese style and southern style but once he became hulk hogan 80s wwf was just wanting to give hulk for 10 minutes do the hulk moves then hit the leg and do the hulk pose and send the fans home happy
If you look at when Paul got to the WWF, ahead of Hogan, it's clear that if they hadn't had Hogan fall in their lap, Paul was right there and fresh off his national tv run off TBS.
No one. You had to be in the arena to see what Hogan did to crowds. It was nuts. It exceeded everything the WWF did before. Nothing could've matched it then.
Sting or Savage. Both great workers and talkers. Versatile to work with anyone. Another short term could have been the Junkyard Dog. He was WAY over at the time. I agree with Cornette's thoughts on Kerry von Erich. Would have been red hot for three years or so, but who knows if he could have avoided his own demons.
Junkyard Dog???? You've got to be kidding me. He was a comedy wrestler, there's no way his crawling headbutts & barking could have taken WWF to the next level.
I said this Many times before Hogan was Stallone and Schwarzenegger in wrestling ring. Thats what drew the People towards him because those two was the biggest movie stars of the 80s.
Cannot argue with that. If WWF at the time had let Hogan go like they did with Rock in 2003,then Hulk may well have been in some of the 80s action films like Predator, etc.
He couldn't act for shit, lol. He was IN cheesy and bad 80's/90's films. Did you really forget him as "Thunderlips"? OP is talking about the looks (which makes sense).
Good point. He was the perfect combination of height, muscle, overall look that stands out, his gimmick as a wrestling superhero, and his ability to give great promos. No one had that at that time.
How about Paul Orndorff? He did enter the WWF right before Backlund dropped the belt. Sure he was a heel, but a quick face turn involving Sheik could have been huge.
Orndorff only knew 100 words in the English language and he mangled 50 of them. Can you imagine Orndorff playing guitar & riding a Harley in the Real American video? Me neither.
LMFAO!!! If it were 5 years later I would have went with Curt Hennig. Good on the mic and crazy mat skills. Vince would have probably put him on a full time roid regimen however.
Curt Hennig - Had the look and the wrestling skills Jake Roberts - Had the intelligence and charm Roddy Piper - Had the energy, charisma and draw Randy Savage - Had intensity and personality Barry Windham or Mike Rotunda - Possibly Sting - Could have done it had he been a little older at the time
Windham & Rotunda were main NWA top guys. In WWF they weren't used properly. Henning was still too young along with Rick Rude. There time wasn't til 1988. Either Savage or Piper or Steamboat
Much like Superman is for superheroes, Hulk Hogan, wether you like him or not, IS the most indispensable figure in professional wrestling. First the Mega-Baby Face of the '80s Boom period and as a Mega-Heel as part of the mid to late '90s resurgence along with Steve Austin.
I don't think 1984 Savage was ready. It took him a couple of years and a program with Hogan to bring out the Macho Man that everyone really loves. His early WWF stuff is kind of muted and out of place, but after a couple of years he was more comfortable. Don't forget that Hogan had also done Rocky 3 and had his huge Hulk-a-mania run going in the AWA at the time. WWF just took a ready to go star and didn't have to really build him much. Randy would have needed a good year or so build, plus he only got to WWF in 1985 after Hogan had already kick started the national expansion.
MrGhostVI .....well I agree with you about Savage , in 1984 Randy Savage was a 13-year veteran of the Ring, so he had a very good idea of what to do in the ring and how to get over so he would have done just fine, hogan was really green in 1984, and he was given that major push because of his size and his looks, if Savage would have played in the Rocky movie, then he would have been the guy
It would have to be Savage and in an alternate timeline wrestlemania 3 would be wrestlemania 1 and savage vs andre would be the main event prob from a smaller venue than the silverdome.
Savage didn't even ARRIVE for another 18 months. You have to have someone carry the torch for a year and a half FIRST. That means, the first WrestleMania. Do we have the MTV connection without Hogan? I don't know.
The only guy who could have been close was Superstar Billy Graham. If Vince ran the company in 1977, Superstar would have turned face and Vince would have put the marketing jet pack on him. All the other names mentioned? No way!
I'm thinking of the WWF roster at that time (1983) and the wrestler that comes to mind is Don Muraco. Big guy with ring skills and great on the mic. He was "the magnificent' heel at the time but give him the 'rock' babyface push a few years earlier and maybe he's the guy. He comes out to some surfer music wearing his tie-dyes or Hawaiian shirts and gives a lady a lei on his way to the ring. It could have worked. Maybe.
Here's a crazy one. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. One of the greatest technical wrestlers of all time. Quite possibly the best baby face of his generation. THE best seller of his era. The fans adored him. He would have been a magnificent champion for WWE.
If there was an Internet wrestling community then? Fuck yes. But then? No. He’d have been a constant face in peril, and lacked the COOL factor of Face in peril, Ricky Morton. Steamboat needed a Flair or a Savage.
I was thinking Slaughter because of his appearance on "G.I. Joe", which was HUGE. But the only person who the same level of charisma that Hogan had was Macho Man. Jake "the Snake" may have been up there also.
Kerry would have been the pick, and it would have been great for two or three years before Kerry became uncontrollable. At that point, Vince could have transitioned to Savage, Warrior, or Sting.
I have become a huge fan of Austin Idol, thanks to the podcast, youtube and a little bit of the network. Curious why he never went to the WWF for a big run? I have read that he wasn't interested in the schedule because he survived a plane crash.
Not a huge Wwf fan at the time. For many years there was zero crossover between main stream culture and wrestling. Hogans turn in the Rocky Movie was HUGE, along with Mr. T. The Rocky music and aura made the character. Without that, no one else could have filled that spot.
i think hacksaw jim duggan would have been a great choice, he had the patriot/blue collar gimmick down perfectly, he could get the people chanting usa like crazy whenever he wanted to, he would match up perfectly against all the foreign heels, he was great at promos and even though he was a huge guy he could still get people to have sympathy for him whenever he was being beaten down
I don't know why, but Hacksaw was one of my least favorite wrestlers. I always found him annoying and boring. Wrestlers don't realize just how important it is to have a great look. Even their attire is important. Hacksaw just wore blue underwear and boots. He should have given himself a more appealing look.
Hogan is a legend because HE had it all. He had the body, the look, the right gimmick, he could talk, and he was willing to work. Many of the great wrestlers had some of these qualities, some were stronger in a single area than Hogan, but none of them had all the qualities like Hogan did. He was the right person at the right time, and no one could have done it better, period. He'll be remembered as the greatest of all time.
Mark Jackson When I was in high school, back when he was the belt holder in the WWF, my buddy got me into show wresting and we both didn't like Hogan and I still don't to this day.
Its one of those suspension of disbelief things, like Hulk Hogan being unbeatable while Terry Bollea was just looks and not much technical wrestling talent (He was above Warrior, but below Flair, or AA). These days, Hogan likes to talk like hes an old school territory guy, but he wasn't really. From Fla to Minneapolis to New York. He just fit the 80s perfectly, a big, blond, tanned muscle-bound patriot during the Cold War..IF Luger was as good as hed later be, or if Windham were a lil thicker, either of them could have. Kerry couldve. The prob is, you get the person with the persona, an be that addiction, or greed, or whatever. I personally would have LOVED to see a long Hogan-Warlord feud..(I've always wanted to see how the Road Warriors would have done in singles, too..tho Im afraid Animal may have been lost in that strongman thing w Warlord, Barbarian, Hercules, etc. Those guys seemed to do better w Crockett..there were too many big men in NY)..& there's always the talk of the Brody/Hogan angle..which would've been great. I always said I thought One Man Gang was a good anti-hero for Hogan..by then, w. Volkoff, and the Bolsheviks, (n Koloffs in JCP) the Russian angle was played, but if they'd have put Warlord as a giant Russian who HATED Hogan and America, itd have been huge.
Yeah, fuckin’ nobody could’ve pushed raslin’ into the stratosphere like Hulk Hogan. That guy was larger than life. Saw him live myself back in 86’ for the first time. Never heard a pop bigger than what Hogan got. Hell, my pop had to put me on his shoulders just so I could see him come to the ring.
Austin took them public straight out of near-bankruptcy and Vince owes him his life for that, but yeah, the longevity just wasn't there. Didn't help that they hotshotted the business and the wrestling bubble popped in 2002 and hasn't recovered since.
No one did what Terry did or have done since.He became the most beloved baby face in one decade with one company then became the most hated heel of another company in another decade.Two booms,two different decades,two different companies,one man.The Immortal Hulk Hogan.
Without Hogan, the major breakout for WWF might have had to wait a few years for Savage or the Ultimate Warrior. Undertaker was already around, but didn't have his persona yet.
Thersites of Athens Savage was only a couple years away. And Warrior just a couple years after that. But neither would have been quite as popular as Hogan. But the WWF would still have been a big company. Now if Hogan was pushed as champ by AWA at the same time then that makes things different.
Only hulk could do it and he did. With out Hogan Vince McMahon fails. Hogan was a super star that got non wrestling fans in to beening wrestling fans. Vince need Hogan and hogan need vince.
People tend to forget all of the work that Hogan did outside of the arena. The talk shows, the boardroom meetings and the Make a Wish contributions were at least as significant as what we saw on TV or in the arena.
Actually Jim Cornette, Greg The Hammer Valentine was asked this exact same question many years ago about what would have happened if Hulk Hogan didn't come to the WWE and blow it up in popularity and who would have been next in line. As always people love to forget that the "JUNKYARD DOG" was directly #2 as a babyface behind Hulk Hogan in popularity back in the early 1980's but I wouldn't expect you to mention him at all. Now believe it or not I was never really a fan of the Junkyard Dog. He was a horrible wrestler, but his realistic promo's, entrance theme music, and him dancing with the kids in the ring got him over with the fans and the children who liked him from way back in the days. I didn't hate the guy I just wasn't a fan of his overall wrestling skills that's all. But anyway according to Greg The Hammer Valentine, Vince Sr. had strongly realized that the African American wrestling market had heavily expanded with way more fans by then and wanted to be the first national promoter to crown an African American world heavyweight champion on a grander scale and they wanted to go with the Junkyard Dog and Greg The Hammer Valentine said that he would have been the #1 heel in the company chasing the Dog for the belt. But what had happened was that Vince Sr. became really ill and either knew or was told that he didn't have too much longer to live and put the tag team belts as a test run on Tony Atlas & Rocky Johnson to test the crowd reaction to some Black tag team champions which worked. But according to Greg The Hammer Valentine Vince Sr.'s health took a turn for the worst and when Vince Jr. came into full power he completely killed those plans and Hulk Hogan came back to the WWE and blew it up in popularity and the rest is history. So Cornette and others don't forget about the Junkyard Dog because he was the #2 babyface in the WWE from way back then next to Hulk Hogan. Facts!
JYD was very regional. In a national promotion he didn't have enough about him to be the main guy. He was a really good secondary babyface in WWF, but his drug problems, plus his awful wrestling and his promos would have worn thin quite quickly. We must not forget that as well as the charisma that Hogan had, he was also physically huge, and that also played a part in his appeal.
+A.J. SeventySeven, oh yes he did accept for his wrestling skills. If they could put the damn belt on The Great Khali than they could have done it for JYD for at least 6 months. Look past his skin color otherwise I agree with everything else you said.
A Greg P, WTF does Black people making up only 13% of America's population has to do with JYD's career? Also WTF does my user name and photo has to do with a Star Trek series?! This conversation is about a "WHAT IF" scenario involving "WRESTLING" not a science fiction television series from the late 1990's that is no longer in production let alone on the air! Also for the record Vince Jr. is still alive smart guy! Vince Sr. died in 1984 and that's who I was referring to while your so busy in my conversation trying to aggressively stir the pot on race. Vince Sr. was sick and in failing health! I didn't ask you about Black people's finances in this country! Again that has nothing to due with wrestling, are you on drugs or something?! One more time, yes JYD could have main evented because he was way over with the fans in popularity. However the only thing I agree with you on is his horrible wrestling skills. Great promo's and interview's but a horrible wrestler who was probably a nice guy behind the scenes.
I would have gone with Andre the Giant. He already had popularity with fans, charisma, and of course size. Let' s not forget about Barry Windham either who also worked for Vince in mid 80's. He was big, blonde, and highly skilled in the ring. I'm sure his promos would have improved with time. Maybe at some point also Cowboy Bob Orton would see the light and go against top heel Roddy Piper and be deemed the main eventer.
Names that came to my mind were Don Muraco. Bruno Sammartino could have had another run. I could also see Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff as the top guy. or Tito Santana as an ethnic hero. Gregg Valentine and Roddy Piper as key antagonists.
None of these guys could´ve replaced Hogan, not even close. Hogan was crazy over, intense, insanely charismatic, transcended the wrestling business. He was magnetic from 84-87. They´re talking about "Vinces machine", but that´s just wrong. Hogans success in WWF is what built up that machine through the 80s. Vince could not have emulated that success with anyone else. Successful? Sure. At that level? No. That´s ignoring what Hogan meant in that era. But the business might have been closer to the territory days, which might have been a good thing, for wrestlers and fans. At least until internet would come along and kill kayfabe.
@@SuperFata I think Hulk Hogan only surpassed Randy because he was in that position of being the guy and the moment with Andre. More people remember his Slim Jim commercials and Bonesaw appearance than anyone remembers Pastamania
@@sketchstevens5859 While I think Savage was a far better worker in-ring and his originality and charisma is undeniable, Hogans global cross over appeal in the early 80s was special. Savage being so outrageous makes him a better star within the wrestling industry, but as for expanding that into the mainstream Hogan worked better. Savages mainstream success came years after this, partly due to them being interwoven so much over the years. But in reality; who knows if Savage could have pulled off the same kind of success? If anyone else than Hogan could´ve, it would have to be Savage.
This segment just proves that Vince couldn't do it without Hogan. Everyone said if Vince didn't have Hulk, Vince would of found someone else but they went through pretty much every top guy and proves both Vince and Hogan made wrestling in what it is today.
James Ziembicki true but Vince and others have stated that Vince wanted to give Hogan's run to Superstar Billy Graham 10 years earlier but Vince SR was dead set on having Backlund be the top guy. If Jr would have got his way Graham would have had a similar run he was as popular as Hogan was in the 80's in the 70's and the two were almost identical in every way from charisma to Mic skills body etc.
I believe Bob Backlund and Larry Zbysko would have bern the main draw for a while longer. But as far as replacing Hogan. 1. Randy Macho Man Savage 2.Sergeant Slaughter 3.Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndoff 4. Superfly Jimmy Snuka 5. Junk Yard Dogg 6. Barry Windham 7. Million $ Man Ted Dibiasee 8. Rowdy Roddy Piper 9. Gregg The Hammer Valentine 10. Ricky The Dragon Steamboat.
The only one who could have done is Hulk Hogan. Period. I know Jim Cornette doesn't want to give Hogan any credit, but the fact is, Hogan had the charisma, the larger-than-life persona, the national attention thanks to Rocky III, and the ability to translate what McMahon had in mind into actuality. All these other guys mentioned here - nothing against them (don't know much if anything about Austin Idol), but they didn't have that unique combo of qualities that Hogan did. It's a moot discussion. The wrestling boom wouldn't have happened without Hulk Hogan.
Loved Kerry Von Erich, but he didn't have a huge persona. Even without the drug issues Kerry wouldn't have been able to pull off being the top guy for the WWF. He could have done very well though if it weren't for his personal issues.
Frankly, it's hard to imagine ANYBODY else other than Hulk doing it. He was PERFECT for that spot. Plus Vince KNEW once he got Hulk, a huge part of the Midwest was coming with him because of the AWA. And for those who DIDN'T get the AWA at that time, we remember Hulk from Rocky 3. So for me, Vince wanted a larger than life type, a big guy with a great body, could pull off the All American hero stuff, and could talk fans in the arena. As of 1983, (when Vince was plotting on Hulk) nobody else IN THEIR PRIME fit that bill. SBG was past his prime at this point. For me if he couldn't get Hulk, Sarge would have been the next best pick. UNTIL Hogan would eventually come in. Sarge didn't have the great body, BUT he had all the other elements. Flair and Dusty weren't going anywhere. And Sarge ACTUALLY fit what Vince was looking for more than Flair and Dusty. Vince wanted a superhero type guy on top.
what made hulk was the rub from mr t, johnny carson, and the rest of hollywood. nobody else had the same chemistry with hollywood, until the rock anyway
Mark Jackson Magnum TA, would be cool,maybe make Muraco a face or Valentine, people loved them too, Slaughter was good,Orndorff Piper and Ventura, especially if he went with Savage as soon as he got the career ending injury,it may have bounced around a bit, Steamboat Pedro Morales and Tito,you would have had alot of title change,s,it would be more exciting too ,
Kerry could have if he hadn't been a drugged out mess, Magnum was presumably on the fast track for NWA Champ before the accident, but really there was no replacing Hogan, he was one of a kind
FerretJohn i have to disagree on hogan being one of a kind. when you think of hogan, you think of superstar billy graham and jessie the bodie ventura. so hogan bit off of them.
True he borrowed off of the Superstars Schtick, imitation has always been considered the best form of flattery, but he took it further than anyone else did
A No mic skills wrestler replacing Hulk Hogan is like replacing Babe Ruth with Bob Uecker. Hogan's ability to talk is what made the WWF.
7 лет назад+1
I don't know if Austin Idol's very southern accent could have gotten him over as a big main eventer in the northeast. Sure Hogan was from Florida but he was able to mask the southern accent by the time Hulkamania rolled around (compare his early promos to his mid-80's ones). And Dusty had the accent but his personality was just so funky and unique that it still got really over in the northeast in the 70's.
I GREW UP A HULKAMANIAC IT SOUNDS WEIRD SAYING IT BUT I WAS A 80’s KID AND HOGAN WAS WRESTLING THEN I WILL ALWAYS LOVE HOGAN HE WAS LARGER THAN LIFE TO KIDS PEOPLE HATE TO ADMIT AND THE WWE HATES TO ADMIT IT BUT I DONT THINK THERE WOULDVE BEEN AN ATTITUDE ERA IF THERE WAS NO HOGAN VINCE JUST WANTS ALL THE CREDIT HULKAMANIA WILL LIVE FOREVERRRR!!!!!
With Hogan, u got 10 out of 10 looks, 10 out of 10 mic skills, and 10 out of 10 IT factor! Plus Hogan was a big guy 300 pounder on top of it. It was the perfect mix for what Vince wanted. Honestly, I could only see a prime Superstar Billy Graham in that spot. In terms of it factor and mic skills, Dusty OF COURSE could have worked. But like Corny stated, Dusty look and blood and guts style didn't fit Vince's vision. So I actually think Sarge may have been the right pick at this time. Didn't have Hogan's look. But Sarge was still a big man, had great mic skills, and plenty of IT FACTOR! Plus had the All American stuff going for him too. I think Magnum TA could have been an interesting pick too. Was still young in the business. But had the great look, was very good on the mic, had the IT FACTOR and came across and All American hero type who could be marketed.
I don't think anybody anybody could have been as big as Hogan was, but possibly Gino Hernandez, Masked Superstar or even though this is from left field, Hawk could have been very big stars for WWF at that time.
That's what I am saying. Nobody could have taken Hogan's place. Hogan was a once in a lifetime talent. He was bigger then wrestling at time. It would have been a revolving door of WWF champions, but I think Bill Eadie could have had a year or so on top, then the next guy, etc. I think without Hogan, the WWF would have had to change to southern style booking of having a long term heel champion and having the faces chase the title.
There is 0 argument that Savage & Steamboat drew the crowd for Wrestlemania 3. It was Andre vs Hogan period. Savage was a more exciting guy to watch from a mechanical wrestling point of view, and had great charisma and a promo, but until he was working with Hogan he was not a huge wrestling star. His match with Steamboat is just a great match on Hogan & Andre's show, but from the Megapowers onwards he was as big as Hogan in WWF, but not in the mainstream consciousness. Savage without Hogan was not as big a deal at the time as Savage and Hogan. I'd rather watch Randy over Hogan any day of the week, but facts are facts. Hogan is the biggest wrestling star of all time and nobody could have filled his shoes, and many people couldn't have become as big without working with him.
actual* There is NO good argument that the actual selling point of WM3 was Steamboat/Savage. You're delusional. The Hogan/Andre hype was part of American pop culture. The bell on Steamboat's throat did not sell out the Silverdome. Savage was not a bigger draw than Hogan. If he was, McMahon would have kept the belt on Randy in 1989. Vince loves money.
Exactly, and when the Megapowers split, Hogan would have been turned heel if savage was the bigger drawing babyface. Savage was a great wrestler and became an iconic figure, but it was working with Hogan that took him to the level.
No one could have matched his success - he came along at the perfect time with the perfect package of muscles, height and charisma. Others usually had 2 of the 3. Sgt. Slaughter - size, some charisma but no muscles. Kerry Von Eric - muscles, a pretty decent height but lacking on promos and reliability. Actually a better physique and more athletic than Hogan but a lot of limitations came along with all those attributes. Austin Idol - a bit of each but less so than Hogan on all counts. Vince wanted muscles and size.
Oh and one thing that is usually not talked about: The voice. Hogan has that booming voice that just makes people take note. Like DiBiase with his signature laugh - badass. Now go check out a Seth Rollins promo and enjoy his little boy going through puberty voice.
I think there is lot of jealousy and envy because "their guy" didn't become as big as Hulk. I was never a WWF fan or a big fan of Hogan, but he was a once in a lifetime phenomenon that will never be seen again.
I loved Hulk Hogan when he first got the belt, but by 87 or so my friends and I all rooted for him to lose. Honestly, hulkamania got me into wrestling as a 1st grader when WWF superstars started coming on TV Saturday mornings, but I eventually ended up a Ric Flair fan.
Yes, there are loads of better wrestlers than Hulk ever was, but he was the guy that drew the most people in to check out the WWF and discover the other guys on the roster. He is not just the reason for WWF exploding in the 1980s, but he's the reason that the masses even knew who the other guys who became big names were. Before Hulk, you'd pretty much have to be a wrestling fan to be able to name a wrestler. It was seen as such a dirty and lowbrow thing to even admit to be a wrestling fan, but he made it mainstream and cool, which made the other guys into household names.
I agree, and I'm right at the prime age where I was a young kid just starting grade school when this was unfolding. Hulk Hogan was pushed immediately when he hit the Vince Jr WWF. When they got the Superstars show Saturday morning right after the cartoons, it was over.
There wasn't any wrestler as "larger than life" that generated the charisma and energy of Hogan, especially back then. He was literally a living, breathing super hero who crossed all racial, religious, political and geographic boundaries through sheer force of personality and appearance.
Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan were my favorite wrestlers of all time. Randy could have done it. I love the Kerry Von Erich and Magnum answers. Sting definitely. I still think at the end of the day Hulk was irreplaceable. He was the perfect fit during the perfect time. His time in the 80s is second to none. Hulk is the greatest.
Another poster said it best. Hulk was lightning in a bottle. Like in any area of entertainment one has too create a buzz about oneself and ride with someone or promotion to take it to the next level. AWA in the late 70's was THE promotion. Hogan came up through that with all it had going for it to make his mark. Wrestling was getting national attention again with AWA and it's cross promotion with other territories in booking their talent. National TV appearances like on the Phil Donahue show exposed himself and wrestling of the time. Then his appearance in Rocky 3, he was well on his way to becoming the best known wrestler for a new mainstream audience. There was his Hollywood connection, exactly what Vince needed to take Hogan to the next level with the nationally televised machine he was developing at the time. WWF/The Incredible Hulk Hogan was lightning in a bottle who's timing could not have been better with cable TV just reaching its breakout along with the concept of PPV.
Magnum TA. I quote Dusty Rhodes "Magnum was the chosen one, the golden boy. The next in line b4 the accident". No accident no 16 world championships for Ric Flair. He had the look. Hogan was better on the mic, but Magnum's in ring ability blows Hogan out of the water. Can you imagine the matches Magnum could of had with Pipper, a heel Snuka, Iron Sheik, Steamboat, Magnum vs Macho (both in their prime). I don't think Hogan could be replaced, but the next best thing would have been Magnum TA by far.
The only issue is that this was 1983-84, not 86. He wasn't anywhere close to ready to do that in 83. He was just finishing building up to the NWA World Title against Flair when the accident happened. The real hypothetical is what happens to wrestling if Magnum doesn't get hurt. Crockett likely doesn't have to sell, and they could have been seriously ready to pounce when WM4 & 5 were not great at least box office-wise. Not sure how the Monday Night Wars would have happened early considering the technical issues with running live back then, but that would have been a lot of fun to see.
Scott Smart yea actually Superstar Billy Graham was susposed to get Hogan's run back in the 70's Vince Jr.said Graham would have done what Hogan did just 10 years earlier but Vince SR was dead set on Bob Backlund being champ Vince said he and his dad had very heated arguments over it and Vince SR was also dead set against making Hogan champ as well but Vince Jr finally wore his dad down and had to because if Hogan had stayed in AWA there would be no WWE today.
HOGAN! HOGAN! HOGAN! ROCKY III was Iconic - brought Hulk Hogan to forefront - put him on Johnny Carson - and he used the Eye of the Tiger as his Entrance Song and Vinny Mac wanted to make Hulk a new younger & healthier SBG of the 80's and create the ring entrance frenzy that they did using Eye of the Tiger...
I think it would have been Andre in any situation until they found someone. Probably till Savage arrived. Savage had the look and charisma, but also the attitude and drive as an employee. Savage was dependable.
I disagree. Andre is a great star but there's a reason he didn't elevate other companies, he's a gimmick. Giants are sideshows and Andre was the greatest ever but there isn't the same draw to an unbeatable giant on top.
@@Blackhawk211 I'd agree with that right now. I think Strowman could surpass Show in time, as the best worker. Andre will always be the top giant though because he was protected. There isn't video of everything he did like there is for Braun or Paul Wight. Andres legacy is what people say and no one will bad mouth him.
it was going to be Sarge they were building him for 5 years to be their top face. Dusty Flair were not leaving NWA. Kerry was not reliable even at the time, his promos were not that good, plus Fritz was not letting his son leave. Idol was a jobber lol. Snuka could not cut a promo, and was not going to be the face of the company. Sarge would not have got over as big as Hulk, but would have been the best option to run against Hulk the AWA and the NWA. Sarge was reliable never got in trouble had the size strength to slam and beat guys like Bundy Stud Andre and so on. Sarge would have been enough to get WWE to where they would have got Warrior and or Sting. It would have been fun to see Hulk and friends in the AWA battling Sagre Warrior Savage and others in WWE plus Flair Dusty and others in NWA. I still think WWE wins because they maybe get Sting and Warrior or get Sid in 1988 before NWA does. A lot of cool things could have happened I still think Vince and WWE would have won.
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With Hogan everything just fell into place, being in Rocky 3 and the A team later on was just the right man at the right time
Plus Verne didn't put the strap on him. Hogan would've closed out the 80's as champ and the AWA would still be here today.
If you think he was just the right time and the right.. if you think he was just the right guy and the right.. let me tell ya something right now brother, if you you yyou think that he was just the wrong guy at the right guy.
He sold his soul to the devil and he is incapable of being a decent person
thank Sylvester Stallone. Rocky 3 made Hogan nationally and Vince saw it, took it and rode it to the top.
Hogan was already a known commodity in wrestling at the time...Rocky 3 majorly elevated him though
Captain Insano could have done it. Rumor has it he shows no mercy!
Captain Insano was actually The Big Show. But u probably knew that already
You just won the internet. A winner is you!
@@UnflappableWoppy you won the I'm a tool contest! A tool is you!
@@danielboom72 burn... Not
would've had to wait 3 more years for sting. Surfer Sting would've been huge in the wwf
Yes sting would
Sting
If sting had gone to WWF he would have been the warrior character only infinitely better in the ring, I'm guessing by WM 6 he would have been the top guy and short of Hogan sabotaging his run would have stayed there for the foreseeable future
I don't think Sting would have been as big in wwe. Vince would not have used Sting right
@Requiem4aDr3Am "sophisticated" ? Because the aging archetype of evil foreigner and ultra American babyface wasn't boring as sin compared to guys like Flair and yes Sting who were way ahead of their time. Like I said if sting had gone to the WWF he would have been Warrior, but better promos and ring work
Hogan was lightning in a bottle and without him the 80s boom doesn’t happen. Period. You could get close...maybe Savage a year or two later, say...but I think without Hogan you don’t get the mainstream boom.
I think that's pretty much undisputed fact at this point. It's fashionable for internet bloggers and smarks to shit on Hogan but they wouldn't have the platforms they do now without him. It's actually insane how many of them despise him. Many for the very reasons he was Hulk Hogan...
I was surprised savage wasn't mentioned. He wouldn't be able to carry the company on his back like Hogan though.
@TheAstrius I agree. Savage would have been able to hold the place for a short period of time but he didn't have the staying power Hogan did. I'm just surprised Savages name wasn't given. He had the look and following and promo ability. He was just crazy and like you said unstable.
Play they didn't give a fair shake to Superstar Billy Graham. Without him you don't have Hulk Hogan or just The Body Ventura. They copy that man's whole swag .
Even Savage didn't have it like Hogan. He wasn't as tall and his promos were great, but not comic book hero like Hogan's. Hogan was perfect guy for the time and I don't think anyone could've done that. Dusty lacked the look. Flair wasn't a comic hero. Kerry couldn't talk and was unreliable due to drug issues. Austin Idol wouldn't have done it. Magnum TA maybe, but even he didn't have the promo or height of Hogan. Snuka couldn't talk.
I think they'd have had to rotate guys as the top guy like they did in the early-mid 90s.
What gets underestimated with Hogan is how important it was to have the absolute backing of his boss. He was a brand Vince inherently loved and believed in, and thus had the luxury of being able to take risks without fear of job loss.
Yeph both hogan and Vince needed eachother iam not a hulk guy but I give hulk credit he took the business to a another level
Look no one in the 80s could of done what Hogan did. The only 2 people that came close in the 80s were Flair and Sting and they didn't have the brand of the WWF on their side in the 80s. Hogan was a icon day 1. This coming from a Andre the Giant fan
Magnum TA coulda dun what Hogan did. Had he not gotten in that car wreck.
@Michael Anderson Yeah but only with the Hogan/MegaPower push.
Piper as an Anti-Hero, that or Jake Roberts
CavemanJesus4Life Piper didn’t get his due in the 80s. He was the greatest heel ever !
FFS Savage got over because of 1) his heel run opposite Hogan(was HUGE on the house show circuits and I remember it vividly as a kid) and 2) the MegaPowers push. Savage was certainly a star in his own right but without the Hogan connections, he wouldn't have gotten where he did.
Rikishi....he would do it....for the rock
:D
HAHA!
That was two and a half or three decades later.
Your time frame is off though. We are talking about 1983-84.
Pig Vomit don't waste ur energy, everytime you bust an idiot lying, or being wrong, they say it was 'sarcasm'. (Remember we're talking about kids whose parents weren't alive in 83-84)
The answer is nobody
I think Hacksaw Duggan was pretty popular and entertaining. He was buff, could brawl and wrestle as good as Hogan IMO and he could get a crowd pumped. Duggan was good on the mic, had a lot of gimmicks and Vince didn't even really mess with his character. Walkin' tall, thumbs up and waving the flag - Tough guy!
Jumpin' Jeff Farmer
Yup!
Don't turn the tables the wrong way on him!
you got me...mad. Now!
Botchamania JEEZUS Vince would've pushed him if he would've juiced. He was as big a racist piece of shit as Hogan and Vince are behind the scenes. 😂😂😂😂
he was fake sting in wcw....and yes he was on that lex lugar juice.
For those who don't believe Rocky III was THE reason that Hulk Hogan was the only choice guaranteed to help Vince take the WWF national, consider these historical facts. Rocky III was released in May 1982 during Hogan's rise to popularity in the AWA. One short five minute scene garnered Hogan mainstream media attention including appearances on national talk shows like the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson which put him on the national and international radar back when media meant three broadcast TV networks, newspapers and magazines. According to Greg Gagne, the AWA was negotiating a deal with CBS that was based on Hogan finally winning their World Title, the one Hulk had been chasing for over a year, on CBS television in the spring of 1984. AWA owner Verne Gagne never told Hogan about his plans, so when Andre the Giant told a frustrated Hogan about Vince's vision for expansion with the Hulkster on top, Hulk bolted for the WWF in December 1983. CBS wanted the AWA because of the small amount of mainstream fame Hogan achieved through Rocky III. Without Hogan, the CBS deal fell apart for the AWA. With Hulk atop the WWF, along with Captain Lou Albano's connection with Cyndi Lauper, Vince landed his MTV deal. Then came WresteMania followed by a 6 year association with NBC, Hulk appearing on Saturday Night Live, Friday Night Videos and the A-Team with his buddy Mr T. And Saturday Night's Main Event. Plus Hulk Hogan's cartoon show on . . . CBS. So what's the root cause of all this? Rocky III. Vince McMahon knew how strike while the flame was hot to build Hogan's five minutes of fame into much more. No wrestler other than Andre had that kind of mainstream attention at that time, and Hulkamania became the cornerstone of what would become a sports entertainment empire. All thanks to five minutes in the movie Rocky III.
dusty rhodes was a good talker but looked like a truck driver!
but that was his gimmick.if he had looked any different his american dream gimmick would not have worked.
Or the son of a plumber. RIP midnight raider
Nobody could have launched the WWF to the moon like Hogan. He just had something about him that captured the imagination beyond what even the best of that era could muster.
HoustonIsImmortal I agree 100%
The yellow and red worked great as well.
Andre made the company a major success. He was the biggest draw.
Hogan started to suck when he started to just wear red and yellow. He was at his best when he wore white.
You can't make that statement now having known how it played out, you're saying this having already known Hogan turned out like he did. In order to play this game, you have to pretend Hogan didn't become who he did.
Vince should be washing Hogan's feet. Great point by Corny at the end.
And Stone Colds, The Rock, The undertaker, Shawn Micheals, and Bret Hart.
everyone has to understand that the hulk hogan we all know was verne gagnes creation not vince mcmahon
@@YearsOVDecay1 when Shawn turned on Marty he turned into the top heel of the company. Nobody could touch him heat wise. He might not of been able to carry the company as a face like the other guys but his heel work was on point. If you don't have a good heel you don't have a good baby face. There's a reason people say he's one of the best in the business.
There´s just not anyone who could have done what Hogan did for WWF, been the star he was for crossing over into the mainstream. There were a ton of great wrestlers who could have been in that role to wrestling fans, but not who could help WWF cross over into the main stream. Say what you will, but Hogan was red hot and iconic from 83-88, still the biggest star in wrestling by far from 89-96, though the occasional boos started early 90s, and then again, mid 90s, in the middle of the hottest wrestling angle as a wrestlings biggest heel relatively shortly after his hero status had faded. He´s not my favourite wrestler, but his position as the biggest icon should really not be in question because I and other wrestling fans like others better. As a magnetic star he was just head and shoulders above anybody.
Kerry Von Erich had he left Texas. He had the look, wrestling skills and the likeability.
Carl Hicks And a huge drug habit
John L thats the best part
No chance. Kerry didn't have 1/10th of the charisma of Hulk Hogan. People always undersell Hogan as just a big body. That's bunk.
And two feet at that time
Never could happen, Major drug problems, no showed for his dad’s promotion numerous times
Problem is nobody could have done what Hogan did with Vince and the WWF, His in ring work wasn't great but it was his look his charisma his character but mostly the fact that Hogan is a great business man and very professional which was rare with a lot of the other big stars at the time who liked to party a bit too much!. Even the guys that worked with Hogan in the territories said he was ultra professional and a workaholic, which is why Vince new he could put the WWF on Hogan's shoulders and let him run with it!.
I remember reading somewhere that Michael Jordan felt the 80s stars he was working with in the NBA partied a bit too much - I guess it was the dominant attitude present in the people who were already established in the early 80s.
Namer of Dummies Hogan showed up once a month. That's how he worked.
Hogan actually did have the in ring work... If you need proof go look up his NJPW matches. The problem was that Vince booked him as a lumbering brute and that's what we got. Hogan had skills, he just wasn't asked to use them and quite frankly, he didn't have to either.
Kenny Houser yeph even in awa he could wrestle and he could also do Japanese style and southern style but once he became hulk hogan 80s wwf was just wanting to give hulk for 10 minutes do the hulk moves then hit the leg and do the hulk pose and send the fans home happy
I wouldve seen a Dusty vs Pipper run back in their primes. 2 of the best promos in the biz
Pipper?😆😆😆
Neither , very good wrestlers though
Jake the snake was so over.. Plus a great promo. I guess the body held him back but I think he couldve had a great run.. Rick rude as well.
Hogan just had that charisma and looked like a true wrestler..
He looked nothing like a wrestler
He was the anabolic created dope fiend
IT would of been Paul orndorff he even said it in a shoot interviews
If you look at when Paul got to the WWF, ahead of Hogan, it's clear that if they hadn't had Hogan fall in their lap, Paul was right there and fresh off his national tv run off TBS.
Savage or Piper
Tito Santana. He had the look & work rate. Then you could've tapped into the South American & North American markets.
No one. You had to be in the arena to see what Hogan did to crowds. It was nuts. It exceeded everything the WWF did before. Nothing could've matched it then.
Sting or Savage. Both great workers and talkers. Versatile to work with anyone. Another short term could have been the Junkyard Dog. He was WAY over at the time. I agree with Cornette's thoughts on Kerry von Erich. Would have been red hot for three years or so, but who knows if he could have avoided his own demons.
Couldn't have been Sting. He wasn't even a nobody back in 1983. His first wrestling match was in 1985.
I agree with JYD.
jason groomes What do u think about Magnum TA?
Junkyard Dog???? You've got to be kidding me. He was a comedy wrestler, there's no way his crawling headbutts & barking could have taken WWF to the next level.
@@rawbundy4676 Magnum TA probably could have done it.
I said this Many times before Hogan was Stallone and Schwarzenegger in wrestling ring. Thats what drew the People towards him because those two was the biggest movie stars of the 80s.
Cannot argue with that. If WWF at the time had let Hogan go like they did with Rock in 2003,then Hulk may well have been in some of the 80s action films like Predator, etc.
He couldn't act for shit, lol. He was IN cheesy and bad 80's/90's films. Did you really forget him as "Thunderlips"? OP is talking about the looks (which makes sense).
We all know he was not an actor but he was funny and entertaining just being him self
Good point. He was the perfect combination of height, muscle, overall look that stands out, his gimmick as a wrestling superhero, and his ability to give great promos. No one had that at that time.
@@RoninDays NEITHER COULD SCHWARZENEGGER! FFS, no one went to see Commando, Predator, The Running Man or any of those movies for acting! Stop it.
How about Paul Orndorff? He did enter the WWF right before Backlund dropped the belt. Sure he was a heel, but a quick face turn involving Sheik could have been huge.
Orndorff only knew 100 words in the English language and he mangled 50 of them. Can you imagine Orndorff playing guitar & riding a Harley in the Real American video? Me neither.
LMFAO!!! If it were 5 years later I would have went with Curt Hennig. Good on the mic and crazy mat skills. Vince would have probably put him on a full time roid regimen however.
Curt Hennig - Had the look and the wrestling skills
Jake Roberts - Had the intelligence and charm
Roddy Piper - Had the energy, charisma and draw
Randy Savage - Had intensity and personality
Barry Windham or Mike Rotunda - Possibly
Sting - Could have done it had he been a little older at the time
In 1984, none of those guys could have done it. Savage is probably the closest, but his charisma and personality just weren't there yet.
Windham & Rotunda were main NWA top guys. In WWF they weren't used properly. Henning was still too young along with Rick Rude. There time wasn't til 1988.
Either Savage or Piper or Steamboat
Piper had the charisma to be either a top heel or top babyface but savage same way
Jake Roberts was on Heroin would have not lasted much time. He wouldn't have handled the pressures of the life.
@@rolandosauceda1070 how do you know ? Maybe he would of never gone deep into drugs if he was a main guy
Much like Superman is for superheroes, Hulk Hogan, wether you like him or not, IS the most indispensable figure in professional wrestling. First the Mega-Baby Face of the '80s Boom period and as a Mega-Heel as part of the mid to late '90s resurgence along with Steve Austin.
Savage could have done it with that madness gimmick but that face turn would have had to be huge
I don't think 1984 Savage was ready. It took him a couple of years and a program with Hogan to bring out the Macho Man that everyone really loves. His early WWF stuff is kind of muted and out of place, but after a couple of years he was more comfortable. Don't forget that Hogan had also done Rocky 3 and had his huge Hulk-a-mania run going in the AWA at the time. WWF just took a ready to go star and didn't have to really build him much. Randy would have needed a good year or so build, plus he only got to WWF in 1985 after Hogan had already kick started the national expansion.
MrGhostVI .....well I agree with you about Savage , in 1984 Randy Savage was a 13-year veteran of the Ring, so he had a very good idea of what to do in the ring and how to get over so he would have done just fine, hogan was really green in 1984, and he was given that major push because of his size and his looks, if Savage would have played in the Rocky movie, then he would have been the guy
Savage was the one that came to mind for me too. Savage was fucking awesome in every way.
It would have to be Savage and in an alternate timeline wrestlemania 3 would be wrestlemania 1 and savage vs andre would be the main event prob from a smaller venue than the silverdome.
Savage didn't even ARRIVE for another 18 months. You have to have someone carry the torch for a year and a half FIRST. That means, the first WrestleMania. Do we have the MTV connection without Hogan? I don't know.
It's literally an impossible question. Vince needed Hogan, Hogan needed Vince. And the WWF juggernaut began.
Nobody replaced Hogan, nobody replaced Flair, nobody replaced Bockwinkel and no matter how much Vince has tried, nobody will replace Austin.
Chris G. Who replaced the Rock? Rock was a Megastar/Rockstar
No one could replace Piper, he drove Hogan nuts. lol
Yeah Austin was replaced by the Rock and Rock was replaced with Cena.
@@JamesSmith-jd1do The Rock may be a movie star, but he was never on the same wrestling level as Hogan, Flair or Austin.
@@AnnoyedAlways2 The Rock was never on the same level as Austin.
The only guy who could have been close was Superstar Billy Graham. If Vince ran the company in 1977, Superstar would have turned face and Vince would have put the marketing jet pack on him. All the other names mentioned? No way!
Superstar or Ventura.
I remember seeing Hogan for the first time, and this was well after he went to WWF, and thinking that he was essentially a Superstar clone
Yes Superstar or The Body!
Superstar Graham is a good choice, but his body might not have held up in 1984.
Jimmy Snuka or Sgt. Slaughter
Sting could have done it.
Sting made it big 1989, we mean in 1984
I'm thinking of the WWF roster at that time (1983) and the wrestler that comes to mind is Don Muraco. Big guy with ring skills and great on the mic. He was "the magnificent' heel at the time but give him the 'rock' babyface push a few years earlier and maybe he's the guy. He comes out to some surfer music wearing his tie-dyes or Hawaiian shirts and gives a lady a lei on his way to the ring. It could have worked. Maybe.
Here's a crazy one.
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat.
One of the greatest technical wrestlers of all time. Quite possibly the best baby face of his generation. THE best seller of his era. The fans adored him. He would have been a magnificent champion for WWE.
Wouldn't have drawn the way Hogan did. He couldn't elevate out of the midcard with TWO runs with the company.
Ricky Steamboat couldn't draw flies to a pile of horse shit.
@November I'm just saying, he might have been a good technical wrestler but did anyone pay to see him outside of the Flair matches?
If there was an Internet wrestling community then? Fuck yes. But then? No. He’d have been a constant face in peril, and lacked the COOL factor of Face in peril, Ricky Morton. Steamboat needed a Flair or a Savage.
I agree steamboat would have been a good choice.
I was thinking Slaughter because of his appearance on "G.I. Joe", which was HUGE. But the only person who the same level of charisma that Hogan had was Macho Man. Jake "the Snake" may have been up there also.
What about Bruiser brody!
Not trustworthy,never sold for his opponent,and screwed over most promoters
HULK HOGAN
was on :
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
TONIGHT SHOW
A - TEAM
various talk shows
Kerry Von Erich didn't have the promo skills to carry the WWF belt for any long period of time in the eighties
It's funny I never considered him before, but I can totally see Austin Idol in that spot ..!
Kerry would have been the pick, and it would have been great for two or three years before Kerry became uncontrollable. At that point, Vince could have transitioned to Savage, Warrior, or Sting.
Sting? Vince never had sting. Vince’s best chance, I think, was Randy Savage.
Kerry had the IQ of a sofa and a serious drug problem.
I have become a huge fan of Austin Idol, thanks to the podcast, youtube and a little bit of the network. Curious why he never went to the WWF for a big run? I have read that he wasn't interested in the schedule because he survived a plane crash.
He hated the travel
Not a huge Wwf fan at the time. For many years there was zero crossover between main stream culture and wrestling. Hogans turn in the Rocky Movie was HUGE, along with Mr. T. The Rocky music and aura made the character. Without that, no one else could have filled that spot.
it was susposed to be Sgt. Slaughter if not Hogan many people have stated this in interviews.
Lacked physique. Hogan was the perfect storm at the time.
I LOVED the ol' AWA... to me that will always epitomize pro-wrestling.
Jim cornette might just be the smartest and most knowledgeable guy in wrestling to me
Except for keeping his job.
Pre 1985 maybe. But he hasn’t had a thought past 1985
Comment written by one James E. Cornette
Doink the Clown would've been a no brainer to replace Hogan, followed by Virgil, and IRS.
I think the Red Rooster would have them all beat.
@@dbeau2006 Gobbledygooker for the win!
i think hacksaw jim duggan would have been a great choice, he had the patriot/blue collar gimmick down perfectly, he could get the people chanting usa like crazy whenever he wanted to, he would match up perfectly against all the foreign heels, he was great at promos and even though he was a huge guy he could still get people to have sympathy for him whenever he was being beaten down
I don't know why, but Hacksaw was one of my least favorite wrestlers. I always found him annoying and boring. Wrestlers don't realize just how important it is to have a great look. Even their attire is important. Hacksaw just wore blue underwear and boots. He should have given himself a more appealing look.
I was thinking much the same thing.
Ace Goodheart Yaa I love hacksaw but he didn’t have the look and the blue trunks and boots was boring but I loved hacksaw he just had that charisma
Hogan is a legend because HE had it all. He had the body, the look, the right gimmick, he could talk, and he was willing to work. Many of the great wrestlers had some of these qualities, some were stronger in a single area than Hogan, but none of them had all the qualities like Hogan did. He was the right person at the right time, and no one could have done it better, period. He'll be remembered as the greatest of all time.
Many of us dislike Hogan today but, at that moment he transcended the sport. I really don't believe anyone else could have done that.
Mark Jackson i still don't dislike hogan
Mark Jackson When I was in high school, back when he was the belt holder in the WWF, my buddy got me into show wresting and we both didn't like Hogan and I still don't to this day.
I was a Warrior fan, but Hogan made & is the face of WWF/WWE .
He's always been my hero...Like a dad, for me in a way.
Its one of those suspension of disbelief things, like Hulk Hogan being unbeatable while Terry Bollea was just looks and not much technical wrestling talent (He was above Warrior, but below Flair, or AA). These days, Hogan likes to talk like hes an old school territory guy, but he wasn't really. From Fla to Minneapolis to New York. He just fit the 80s perfectly, a big, blond, tanned muscle-bound patriot during the Cold War..IF Luger was as good as hed later be, or if Windham were a lil thicker, either of them could have. Kerry couldve. The prob is, you get the person with the persona, an be that addiction, or greed, or whatever. I personally would have LOVED to see a long Hogan-Warlord feud..(I've always wanted to see how the Road Warriors would have done in singles, too..tho Im afraid Animal may have been lost in that strongman thing w Warlord, Barbarian, Hercules, etc. Those guys seemed to do better w Crockett..there were too many big men in NY)..& there's always the talk of the Brody/Hogan angle..which would've been great. I always said I thought One Man Gang was a good anti-hero for Hogan..by then, w. Volkoff, and the Bolsheviks, (n Koloffs in JCP) the Russian angle was played, but if they'd have put Warlord as a giant Russian who HATED Hogan and America, itd have been huge.
Yeah, fuckin’ nobody could’ve pushed raslin’ into the stratosphere like Hulk Hogan. That guy was larger than life. Saw him live myself back in 86’ for the first time. Never heard a pop bigger than what Hogan got. Hell, my pop had to put me on his shoulders just so I could see him come to the ring.
If WWF could get Snuka over, they could have done either Kevin or Kerry.
Kerry Von Erich is a good choice, for that time. The He-Man cartoon was big at the time and Kerry reminds me of him, in a way.
Assuming he was allowed to keep The Modern Day Warrior gimmick.
They have been trying to replace him since he left. Closest they got was austin but he didnt last nearly as long on top
Ed Prawdzik as much as I hate to say it but you forget about Cena & his 10 year run.
Austin took them public straight out of near-bankruptcy and Vince owes him his life for that, but yeah, the longevity just wasn't there. Didn't help that they hotshotted the business and the wrestling bubble popped in 2002 and hasn't recovered since.
Austin and rock and taker together brought Vince back
Its clear that Austin wouldve gone on up to the late 2000s if he was never injured by Owen Hart
No one did what Terry did or have done since.He became the most beloved baby face in one decade with one company then became the most hated heel of another company in another decade.Two booms,two different decades,two different companies,one man.The Immortal Hulk Hogan.
I would like to have seen Idol take that spot.
Without Hogan, the major breakout for WWF might have had to wait a few years for Savage or the Ultimate Warrior. Undertaker was already around, but didn't have his persona yet.
Thersites of Athens Savage was only a couple years away. And Warrior just a couple years after that. But neither would have been quite as popular as Hogan. But the WWF would still have been a big company.
Now if Hogan was pushed as champ by AWA at the same time then that makes things different.
Mark "Taker" Calaway didn't come to the WWF until 1990. He was just starting his career with WCCW in 1984.
Only hulk could do it and he did. With out Hogan Vince McMahon fails. Hogan was a super star that got non wrestling fans in to beening wrestling fans. Vince need Hogan and hogan need vince.
rowdy piper or Paul orndof would be the likely options
Piper really didn't NEED the title. Orndorf may have been a better choice. But what about Snooka?
No way.
Orndorff didn't have babyface charisma like Hogan...Orndorff was white hot as an "arrogant heel"
Piper as the Anti hero type would have been amazing.
@@raymondking214 Snuka had the worst mic skills in wrestling, plus he's not an "American hero".
People tend to forget all of the work that Hogan did outside of the arena. The talk shows, the boardroom meetings and the Make a Wish contributions were at least as significant as what we saw on TV or in the arena.
Kerry Von Eric or Magnum T.A.
WILLHANS ILI magnum T.A...... great shout 👍🏻
WILLHANS ILI The Tom Selleck rip off ? Zero charisma ! And unconvinced promos
3:48
hoganmania? good to see he's a wrestling fan
Actually Jim Cornette, Greg The Hammer Valentine was asked this exact same question many years ago about what would have happened if Hulk Hogan didn't come to the WWE and blow it up in popularity and who would have been next in line. As always people love to forget that the "JUNKYARD DOG" was directly #2 as a babyface behind Hulk Hogan in popularity back in the early 1980's but I wouldn't expect you to mention him at all. Now believe it or not I was never really a fan of the Junkyard Dog. He was a horrible wrestler, but his realistic promo's, entrance theme music, and him dancing with the kids in the ring got him over with the fans and the children who liked him from way back in the days. I didn't hate the guy I just wasn't a fan of his overall wrestling skills that's all. But anyway according to Greg The Hammer Valentine, Vince Sr. had strongly realized that the African American wrestling market had heavily expanded with way more fans by then and wanted to be the first national promoter to crown an African American world heavyweight champion on a grander scale and they wanted to go with the Junkyard Dog and Greg The Hammer Valentine said that he would have been the #1 heel in the company chasing the Dog for the belt. But what had happened was that Vince Sr. became really ill and either knew or was told that he didn't have too much longer to live and put the tag team belts as a test run on Tony Atlas & Rocky Johnson to test the crowd reaction to some Black tag team champions which worked. But according to Greg The Hammer Valentine Vince Sr.'s health took a turn for the worst and when Vince Jr. came into full power he completely killed those plans and Hulk Hogan came back to the WWE and blew it up in popularity and the rest is history. So Cornette and others don't forget about the Junkyard Dog because he was the #2 babyface in the WWE from way back then next to Hulk Hogan. Facts!
JYD was very regional. In a national promotion he didn't have enough about him to be the main guy. He was a really good secondary babyface in WWF, but his drug problems, plus his awful wrestling and his promos would have worn thin quite quickly. We must not forget that as well as the charisma that Hogan had, he was also physically huge, and that also played a part in his appeal.
A.J SeventySeven- Never heard of JYD having drug issues- interesting. But I agree, I don't think JYD would've been a good choice.
+A.J. SeventySeven, oh yes he did accept for his wrestling skills. If they could put the damn belt on The Great Khali than they could have done it for JYD for at least 6 months. Look past his skin color otherwise I agree with everything else you said.
A Greg P, WTF does Black people making up only 13% of America's population has to do with JYD's career? Also WTF does my user name and photo has to do with a Star Trek series?! This conversation is about a "WHAT IF" scenario involving "WRESTLING" not a science fiction television series from the late 1990's that is no longer in production let alone on the air! Also for the record Vince Jr. is still alive smart guy! Vince Sr. died in 1984 and that's who I was referring to while your so busy in my conversation trying to aggressively stir the pot on race. Vince Sr. was sick and in failing health! I didn't ask you about Black people's finances in this country! Again that has nothing to due with wrestling, are you on drugs or something?! One more time, yes JYD could have main evented because he was way over with the fans in popularity. However the only thing I agree with you on is his horrible wrestling skills. Great promo's and interview's but a horrible wrestler who was probably a nice guy behind the scenes.
JYD had a huge cocaine and crack addiction. He would often get to a town, ditch his travel buddies and go to the drug dens..
I would have gone with Andre the Giant. He already had popularity with fans, charisma, and of course size. Let' s not forget about Barry Windham either who also worked for Vince in mid 80's. He was big, blonde, and highly skilled in the ring. I'm sure his promos would have improved with time. Maybe at some point also Cowboy Bob Orton would see the light and go against top heel Roddy Piper and be deemed the main eventer.
Dusty Rhodes likely would have been the best pick to replace Hogan if you could have done that.
Michael King true
Names that came to my mind were Don Muraco. Bruno Sammartino could have had another run. I could also see Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff as the top guy. or Tito Santana as an ethnic hero. Gregg Valentine and Roddy Piper as key antagonists.
Other than Randy Savage, Hogan was the perfect guy.
King Skaggs I liked savage but he didn't have the appeal hogan had at that time.
Anything I want and honest, upfront, straightforward opinion... I always go the Jim Cornette
None of these guys could´ve replaced Hogan, not even close. Hogan was crazy over, intense, insanely charismatic, transcended the wrestling business. He was magnetic from 84-87. They´re talking about "Vinces machine", but that´s just wrong. Hogans success in WWF is what built up that machine through the 80s. Vince could not have emulated that success with anyone else. Successful? Sure. At that level? No. That´s ignoring what Hogan meant in that era.
But the business might have been closer to the territory days, which might have been a good thing, for wrestlers and fans. At least until internet would come along and kill kayfabe.
Savage. He tops Hulk Hogan first although I might concede to Hulk just having that voice. No homo
@@sketchstevens5859 True. Savage had the whole package, though probably slightly less so in terms of cross over appeal.
@@SuperFata I think Hulk Hogan only surpassed Randy because he was in that position of being the guy and the moment with Andre. More people remember his Slim Jim commercials and Bonesaw appearance than anyone remembers Pastamania
@@sketchstevens5859 While I think Savage was a far better worker in-ring and his originality and charisma is undeniable, Hogans global cross over appeal in the early 80s was special. Savage being so outrageous makes him a better star within the wrestling industry, but as for expanding that into the mainstream Hogan worked better.
Savages mainstream success came years after this, partly due to them being interwoven so much over the years.
But in reality; who knows if Savage could have pulled off the same kind of success? If anyone else than Hogan could´ve, it would have to be Savage.
@@SuperFata Ok I understand that. I forgot about international recognition. Hulk is more well known in Japan
This segment just proves that Vince couldn't do it without Hogan. Everyone said if Vince didn't have Hulk, Vince would of found someone else but they went through pretty much every top guy and proves both Vince and Hogan made wrestling in what it is today.
James Ziembicki true but Vince and others have stated that Vince wanted to give Hogan's run to Superstar Billy Graham 10 years earlier but Vince SR was dead set on having Backlund be the top guy. If Jr would have got his way Graham would have had a similar run he was as popular as Hogan was in the 80's in the 70's and the two were almost identical in every way from charisma to Mic skills body etc.
How about Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff
Hulk Hogan was a legend his history made WWF a world wide phenomenon respect and honour his past
I was surprised that neither mentioned Jerry the King for that spot; Since he was ALSO popular as hell at that time.
I believe Bob Backlund and Larry Zbysko would have bern the main draw for a while longer. But as far as replacing Hogan.
1. Randy Macho Man Savage
2.Sergeant Slaughter
3.Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndoff
4. Superfly Jimmy Snuka
5. Junk Yard Dogg
6. Barry Windham
7. Million $ Man Ted Dibiasee
8. Rowdy Roddy Piper
9. Gregg The Hammer Valentine
10. Ricky The Dragon Steamboat.
The only one who could have done is Hulk Hogan. Period. I know Jim Cornette doesn't want to give Hogan any credit, but the fact is, Hogan had the charisma, the larger-than-life persona, the national attention thanks to Rocky III, and the ability to translate what McMahon had in mind into actuality. All these other guys mentioned here - nothing against them (don't know much if anything about Austin Idol), but they didn't have that unique combo of qualities that Hogan did. It's a moot discussion. The wrestling boom wouldn't have happened without Hulk Hogan.
Cornette was giving Hogan all the credit. Did you even listen to a word he said?
@Don Johnson Neither would The Rock.
Who ever they had replace Hulk they still needed a person like Rowdy Roddy Piper as a heel to get the heat that Roddy caused
Without Hulk Hogan, I Would Have Signed Kerry Von Erich. He Would Have Filled The Role Perfectly.
Way too many personal demons...
He passed in 1993
Kerry wasnt like Hogan was on a mic. wouldnt have worked
Loved Kerry Von Erich, but he didn't have a huge persona. Even without the drug issues Kerry wouldn't have been able to pull off being the top guy for the WWF. He could have done very well though if it weren't for his personal issues.
Frankly, it's hard to imagine ANYBODY else other than Hulk doing it. He was PERFECT for that spot. Plus Vince KNEW once he got Hulk, a huge part of the Midwest was coming with him because of the AWA. And for those who DIDN'T get the AWA at that time, we remember Hulk from Rocky 3. So for me, Vince wanted a larger than life type, a big guy with a great body, could pull off the All American hero stuff, and could talk fans in the arena. As of 1983, (when Vince was plotting on Hulk) nobody else IN THEIR PRIME fit that bill. SBG was past his prime at this point. For me if he couldn't get Hulk, Sarge would have been the next best pick. UNTIL Hogan would eventually come in. Sarge didn't have the great body, BUT he had all the other elements. Flair and Dusty weren't going anywhere. And Sarge ACTUALLY fit what Vince was looking for more than Flair and Dusty. Vince wanted a superhero type guy on top.
Von Eric personal demons would of never let it happen
what made hulk was the rub from mr t, johnny carson, and the rest of hollywood. nobody else had the same chemistry with hollywood, until the rock anyway
Magnum TA or Kerry Von Erich but they didn't have good mic skills.
Mark Jackson Magnum TA, would be cool,maybe make Muraco a face or Valentine, people loved them too, Slaughter was good,Orndorff Piper and Ventura, especially if he went with Savage as soon as he got the career ending injury,it may have bounced around a bit, Steamboat Pedro Morales and Tito,you would have had alot of title change,s,it would be more exciting too ,
Kerry could have if he hadn't been a drugged out mess, Magnum was presumably on the fast track for NWA Champ before the accident, but really there was no replacing Hogan, he was one of a kind
FerretJohn i have to disagree on hogan being one of a kind. when you think of hogan, you think of superstar billy graham and jessie the bodie ventura. so hogan bit off of them.
True he borrowed off of the Superstars Schtick, imitation has always been considered the best form of flattery, but he took it further than anyone else did
A No mic skills wrestler replacing Hulk Hogan is like replacing Babe Ruth with Bob Uecker. Hogan's ability to talk is what made the WWF.
I don't know if Austin Idol's very southern accent could have gotten him over as a big main eventer in the northeast. Sure Hogan was from Florida but he was able to mask the southern accent by the time Hulkamania rolled around (compare his early promos to his mid-80's ones). And Dusty had the accent but his personality was just so funky and unique that it still got really over in the northeast in the 70's.
I GREW UP A HULKAMANIAC IT SOUNDS WEIRD SAYING IT BUT I WAS A 80’s KID AND HOGAN WAS WRESTLING THEN I WILL ALWAYS LOVE HOGAN HE WAS LARGER THAN LIFE TO KIDS PEOPLE HATE TO ADMIT AND THE WWE HATES TO ADMIT IT BUT I DONT THINK THERE WOULDVE BEEN AN ATTITUDE ERA IF THERE WAS NO HOGAN VINCE JUST WANTS ALL THE CREDIT HULKAMANIA WILL LIVE FOREVERRRR!!!!!
I guess there wasn't a school around in the 80s.
There definetly was Fuckface did i spell everything correctly????
Still think that Slaughter wouldve been the guy had Hogan stayed with Gagne.
Three words. The Brooklyn Brawler!The right push and it could have been just as big if not bigger than hulkamania ever would have.
Uncle Charlie's unholy world of thunderfuck! We all know that Patterson was behind him all the way (in more ways than one)...
Gordon Hatherley Patterson was definitely give the brawler a push...well, maybe more of a thrust
BRAWLERMANIA IS RUNNING WILD!
...in the brown eye....
Or...
Barry Horowitz
With Hogan, u got 10 out of 10 looks, 10 out of 10 mic skills, and 10 out of 10 IT factor! Plus Hogan was a big guy 300 pounder on top of it. It was the perfect mix for what Vince wanted. Honestly, I could only see a prime Superstar Billy Graham in that spot. In terms of it factor and mic skills, Dusty OF COURSE could have worked. But like Corny stated, Dusty look and blood and guts style didn't fit Vince's vision. So I actually think Sarge may have been the right pick at this time. Didn't have Hogan's look. But Sarge was still a big man, had great mic skills, and plenty of IT FACTOR! Plus had the All American stuff going for him too. I think Magnum TA could have been an interesting pick too. Was still young in the business. But had the great look, was very good on the mic, had the IT FACTOR and came across and All American hero type who could be marketed.
I don't think anybody anybody could have been as big as Hogan was, but possibly Gino Hernandez, Masked Superstar or even though this is from left field, Hawk could have been very big stars for WWF at that time.
Bill Edie-amania would not have taken over America.
Imagine Masked Superstar heading up a kid's cartoon or hanging out at MTV?
Me neither.
That's what I am saying. Nobody could have taken Hogan's place. Hogan was a once in a lifetime talent. He was bigger then wrestling at time. It would have been a revolving door of WWF champions, but I think Bill Eadie could have had a year or so on top, then the next guy, etc. I think without Hogan, the WWF would have had to change to southern style booking of having a long term heel champion and having the faces chase the title.
There is 0 argument that Savage & Steamboat drew the crowd for Wrestlemania 3. It was Andre vs Hogan period. Savage was a more exciting guy to watch from a mechanical wrestling point of view, and had great charisma and a promo, but until he was working with Hogan he was not a huge wrestling star. His match with Steamboat is just a great match on Hogan & Andre's show, but from the Megapowers onwards he was as big as Hogan in WWF, but not in the mainstream consciousness. Savage without Hogan was not as big a deal at the time as Savage and Hogan. I'd rather watch Randy over Hogan any day of the week, but facts are facts. Hogan is the biggest wrestling star of all time and nobody could have filled his shoes, and many people couldn't have become as big without working with him.
actual*
There is NO good argument that the actual selling point of WM3 was Steamboat/Savage. You're delusional. The Hogan/Andre hype was part of American pop culture. The bell on Steamboat's throat did not sell out the Silverdome.
Savage was not a bigger draw than Hogan. If he was, McMahon would have kept the belt on Randy in 1989. Vince loves money.
Exactly, and when the Megapowers split, Hogan would have been turned heel if savage was the bigger drawing babyface. Savage was a great wrestler and became an iconic figure, but it was working with Hogan that took him to the level.
No one could have matched his success - he came along at the perfect time with the perfect package of muscles, height and charisma. Others usually had 2 of the 3.
Sgt. Slaughter - size, some charisma but no muscles.
Kerry Von Eric - muscles, a pretty decent height but lacking on promos and reliability. Actually a better physique and more athletic than Hogan but a lot of limitations came along with all those attributes.
Austin Idol - a bit of each but less so than Hogan on all counts.
Vince wanted muscles and size.
Oh and one thing that is usually not talked about: The voice. Hogan has that booming voice that just makes people take note. Like DiBiase with his signature laugh - badass. Now go check out a Seth Rollins promo and enjoy his little boy going through puberty voice.
At 9:23 Dusty Rhodes' ghost possessed Jim Cornette.
That was a troll, right? Or did you mean to say 9:03 by any chance?
8:23*
+J.D. Ah, thanks.
Yep, Dusty was Hogan before Hogan was. He was huge for Vince Sr. for a couple of years in the late 70s.
People always want to rail against Hogan now.
I think alot of these guys won't allow Hogan to have his glory without some sort of critique.
I think there is lot of jealousy and envy because "their guy" didn't become as big as Hulk. I was never a WWF fan or a big fan of Hogan, but he was a once in a lifetime phenomenon that will never be seen again.
I loved Hulk Hogan when he first got the belt, but by 87 or so my friends and I all rooted for him to lose. Honestly, hulkamania got me into wrestling as a 1st grader when WWF superstars started coming on TV Saturday mornings, but I eventually ended up a Ric Flair fan.
Yes, there are loads of better wrestlers than Hulk ever was, but he was the guy that drew the most people in to check out the WWF and discover the other guys on the roster. He is not just the reason for WWF exploding in the 1980s, but he's the reason that the masses even knew who the other guys who became big names were. Before Hulk, you'd pretty much have to be a wrestling fan to be able to name a wrestler. It was seen as such a dirty and lowbrow thing to even admit to be a wrestling fan, but he made it mainstream and cool, which made the other guys into household names.
I agree, and I'm right at the prime age where I was a young kid just starting grade school when this was unfolding. Hulk Hogan was pushed immediately when he hit the Vince Jr WWF. When they got the Superstars show Saturday morning right after the cartoons, it was over.
There wasn't any wrestler as "larger than life" that generated the charisma and energy of Hogan, especially back then. He was literally a living, breathing super hero who crossed all racial, religious, political and geographic boundaries through sheer force of personality and appearance.
he sure crossed racial boundaries when Gawker recorded him dropping the NWOrd multiple times
Hogan was the guy! He picked the right guy.
the right guy at the right time the right gay guy. lol i remember that show
Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan were my favorite wrestlers of all time. Randy could have done it. I love the Kerry Von Erich and Magnum answers. Sting definitely. I still think at the end of the day Hulk was irreplaceable. He was the perfect fit during the perfect time. His time in the 80s is second to none. Hulk is the greatest.
Weird how Piper never came up. If they turned him the right way he could have both talked and wrestled, and wasn't some fat guy.
Piper was a natural heel back then
Another poster said it best. Hulk was lightning in a bottle. Like in any area of entertainment one has too create a buzz about oneself and ride with someone or promotion to take it to the next level. AWA in the late 70's was THE promotion. Hogan came up through that with all it had going for it to make his mark. Wrestling was getting national attention again with AWA and it's cross promotion with other territories in booking their talent. National TV appearances like on the Phil Donahue show exposed himself and wrestling of the time. Then his appearance in Rocky 3, he was well on his way to becoming the best known wrestler for a new mainstream audience. There was his Hollywood connection, exactly what Vince needed to take Hogan to the next level with the nationally televised machine he was developing at the time. WWF/The Incredible Hulk Hogan was lightning in a bottle who's timing could not have been better with cable TV just reaching its breakout along with the concept of PPV.
Magnum TA. I quote Dusty Rhodes "Magnum was the chosen one, the golden boy. The next in line b4 the accident". No accident no 16 world championships for Ric Flair. He had the look. Hogan was better on the mic, but Magnum's in ring ability blows Hogan out of the water. Can you imagine the matches Magnum could of had with Pipper, a heel Snuka, Iron Sheik, Steamboat, Magnum vs Macho (both in their prime). I don't think Hogan could be replaced, but the next best thing would have been Magnum TA by far.
The only issue is that this was 1983-84, not 86. He wasn't anywhere close to ready to do that in 83. He was just finishing building up to the NWA World Title against Flair when the accident happened. The real hypothetical is what happens to wrestling if Magnum doesn't get hurt. Crockett likely doesn't have to sell, and they could have been seriously ready to pounce when WM4 & 5 were not great at least box office-wise. Not sure how the Monday Night Wars would have happened early considering the technical issues with running live back then, but that would have been a lot of fun to see.
Scott Smart yea actually Superstar Billy Graham was susposed to get Hogan's run back in the 70's Vince Jr.said Graham would have done what Hogan did just 10 years earlier but Vince SR was dead set on Bob Backlund being champ Vince said he and his dad had very heated arguments over it and Vince SR was also dead set against making Hogan champ as well but Vince Jr finally wore his dad down and had to because if Hogan had stayed in AWA there would be no WWE today.
Magnum ta is one of those not meant to be stories.
@@johneaston918 Why not push Graham once he (Vince Jr.) took over the business?
Not about matches in the 80s lol people wanted personality
HOGAN! HOGAN! HOGAN! ROCKY III was Iconic - brought Hulk Hogan to forefront - put him on Johnny Carson - and he used the Eye of the Tiger as his Entrance Song and Vinny Mac wanted to make Hulk a new younger & healthier SBG of the 80's and create the ring entrance frenzy that they did using Eye of the Tiger...
If André had been but fitter and little bit younger. If would have been him
I think it would have been Andre in any situation until they found someone. Probably till Savage arrived. Savage had the look and charisma, but also the attitude and drive as an employee. Savage was dependable.
I disagree. Andre is a great star but there's a reason he didn't elevate other companies, he's a gimmick. Giants are sideshows and Andre was the greatest ever but there isn't the same draw to an unbeatable giant on top.
@@mthorntonwolfe
Andre definately would've known who to give the big push to but he'd likely base it on who he liked.
@@cgulbronsen As far as popularity Andre is the biggest giant but Big Show is easily the best in ring performer of all giants
@@Blackhawk211 I'd agree with that right now. I think Strowman could surpass Show in time, as the best worker. Andre will always be the top giant though because he was protected. There isn't video of everything he did like there is for Braun or Paul Wight. Andres legacy is what people say and no one will bad mouth him.
Ultimate warrior was still a few years down the road but he would have been a good pick
it was going to be Sarge they were building him for 5 years to be their top face. Dusty Flair were not leaving NWA. Kerry was not reliable even at the time, his promos were not that good, plus Fritz was not letting his son leave. Idol was a jobber lol. Snuka could not cut a promo, and was not going to be the face of the company. Sarge would not have got over as big as Hulk, but would have been the best option to run against Hulk the AWA and the NWA. Sarge was reliable never got in trouble had the size strength to slam and beat guys like Bundy Stud Andre and so on. Sarge would have been enough to get WWE to where they would have got Warrior and or Sting. It would have been fun to see Hulk and friends in the AWA battling Sagre Warrior Savage and others in WWE plus Flair Dusty and others in NWA. I still think WWE wins because they maybe get Sting and Warrior or get Sid in 1988 before NWA does. A lot of cool things could have happened I still think Vince and WWE would have won.