Read update
- The Undertaker pinning Hulk Hogan for a world championship on a major PPV should have been one of the greatest moments of his professional life. It’s unfortunate that The Hulkster’s comments to a young Dead Man and the way he conducted himself backstage soured the moment. The two would reprise their rivalry in 2002. By that time, the power dynamics were quite different. Hogan still had greater star power on the whole but The Undertaker had not only grown more competitive in that regard and grown as a performer, but also had enormous backstage clout as a loyal WWE star who’d helped carry the company even while Hogan worked for the competition in WCW. Their backstage relationship is an interesting one to track and the nature of comments each man has made in interviews and other platforms post-retirement have also been revealing about who each man really is and how fans should look back on their history.
Quick Links
The Undertaker made his WWE debut in the fall of 1990. Back then, his undead character was a stark contrast to the rest of the cartoonish gimmicks and characters that permeated the roster at that time.
In his televised debut match, Undertaker made quick work of Koko. B Ware and Dusty Rhodes in the Survivor Series elimination match, and he was never really hurt throughout the contest. He was only eliminated by count-out when he decided to go after Rhodes.
9 Times The Undertaker Wasn't The Scariest Wrestler In His Match
As scary as The Undertaker was in WWE, there were certain times he fought wrestlers that were more frightening than he was!Right there and then, his aura was cemented as he was legitimately terrifying and unlike anyone else on the roster. The Undertaker continued picking up victories and within a year, he was challenging for the world title. The champion at that time was Hulk Hogan. Big surprise there. The Hulkster had handed the reigns of the company to the Ultimate Warrior back at WrestleMania 6 in 1990 but that reign failed to live up to the hype, only for Hogan to come back and win the title yet again.
UPDATE: 2024/01/07 07:30 EST BY MICHAEL CHIN
The Undertaker pinning Hulk Hogan for a world championship on a major PPV should have been one of the greatest moments of his professional life. It’s unfortunate that The Hulkster’s comments to a young Dead Man and the way he conducted himself backstage soured the moment. The two would reprise their rivalry in 2002. By that time, the power dynamics were quite different. Hogan still had greater star power on the whole but The Undertaker had not only grown more competitive in that regard and grown as a performer, but also had enormous backstage clout as a loyal WWE star who’d helped carry the company even while Hogan worked for the competition in WCW. Their backstage relationship is an interesting one to track and the nature of comments each man has made in interviews and other platforms post-retirement have also been revealing about who each man really is and how fans should look back on their history.
The Undertaker Vs. Hulk Hogan Was A Big Match
The Undertaker Presented A Different Variation On The Hulk Hogan Vs. Monster Heel Formula
- Hulk Hogan had a history of beating back super heavyweights and monster heels.
- The Undertaker presented a fresh, off-beat gimmick on an impressive young talent.
- Ric Flair was a difference maker in the first Hulk Hogan vs. The Undertaker PPV match.
- Hulk Hogan insinuated The Undertaker had injured him with The Tombstone.
Hulk Hogan versus Undertaker headlined Survivor Series 1991 and the storyline was actually pretty intriguing as it was the clash of the titans, the unstoppable force meets the immovable object as Hogan was the super-hero, and he was up against a supernatural foe in the Undertaker.
Neither Hogan nor the Undertaker (at that time, at least) were superb in-ring workers, but the match had the big-fight feel and the crowd was into every exchange. The match proceeded and Undertaker dominated most of the contest but towards the end, Ric Flair interfered and slid a chair into the ring.
Hogan was distracted by Paul Bearer and Undertaker took advantage as he hoisted Hogan up for the Tombstone piledriver and crashed his head onto the steel chair. As devastating as the move looks on camera, it was easily one of the safest finishers out there as the knees of the executor take the impact while the head of the opposing wrestler remains safe. Hogan, however, thought otherwise.
As soon as Undertaker executed his signature move, Hogan whispered. “Ow, you got me, brother,” signifying that Undertaker had actually injured him. Mark Calaway was 24 years old at that time and according to the man himself, he was devastated that he had injured the cash cow of the company.
More importantly, as a wrestler, you just have to feel terrible knowing that you had injured someone else. Hogan implied that Undertaker had injured his neck and Mark Calaway was mortified. Backstage, according to rumors, Hogan was even yelling about someone calling his wife and his kids as he was in an immense amount of pain. Again, just rumors, but this does sound like something Hogan would do.
WCW Starrcade 1994 Was Hulk Hogan At His Worst
Hulk Hogan's performance at Starrcade 1994 is the epitome of everything wrong with his character at that time.Six days later, Undertaker lost the title back to Hogan (again, no surprise there) on Tuesday in Texas and popular belief was that Undertaker was being punished for injuring Hogan. Mark Calaway himself admitted that he was shaken up. It was only after his conversation with Shane McMahon that Calaway started to feel confident. Shane McMahon assured the Undertaker that Hogan’s head was nowhere near the mat, but the young wrestler still felt a tad guilty.
The Undertaker Confronted Hogan Himself
The Undertaker Was A Professional, But Didn't Kowtow To Hulk Hogan
- The Undertaker realized Hulk Hogan had manipulated the situation.
- The Undertaker remained professional but didn't forget what Hogan had done.
Eventually, Undertaker saw the tape, realized what had happened, and went to confront Hogan. Calaway called Hogan out for lying about his injury, stating that he had watched the tape and his neck was safe all the way through. In response, Hogan cooked up a lame excuse about his neck being jammed due to the Undertaker putting his knees around his head too tightly and that led to the injury. Calaway did not escalate the issue further, but he got to know what Hogan was really about.
Despite this, Undertaker was never really overtly hostile towards Hogan and whenever they were in the same building, he made sure to say hello and keep business as usual. He did mention that after the little spat, his radar was on high alert whenever Hogan was nearby.
The Undertaker Vs. Hulk Hogan Happened Again In 2002
The Dynamics On-Screen And Off Had Changed For Hulk Hogan And The Undertaker After A Decade
- Hulk Hogan putting over The Undertaker in late 1991 was a watershed moment for both men's careers.
- When The Undertaker and Hulk Hogan clashed in a WWE ring again in 2002, the circumstances were very different.
- The Undertaker took the WWE Championship off Hulk Hogan again.
The iteration of the feud between The Undertaker and Hulk Hogan that transpired from 1991 to 1992 was a watershed moment for WWE. Hogan began to inch away from the spotlight and toward his first retirement in Spring 1992, while The Undertaker took arguably his first steps into immortality when he won his first world title by beating the biggest babyface in wrestling history, albeit under spurious terms.
The Undertaker's Body Transformation Over The Years, Told In Photos
The Undertaker is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, and these photos track his physical evolution on the path to becoming a legend.By the time the two clashed again over a decade later, a great deal had changed. Hogan had reaffirmed his status as an icon in his WCW run which included playing the top heel for years. By 2002, though, it was clear that he was in the twilight of his days of wrestling on a full-time basis. Meanwhile, The Undertaker's steady presence toward the top of WWE had given him a place as a locker room leader and one of the most universally respected men in the business. No longer could The Hulkster "pull rank" on The Dead Man, and it's perhaps telling that The Undertaker beat him in decisive fashion for another world title at the Judgment Day PPV.
What Hulk Hogan And The Undertaker's Comments Post-Retirement Have Told Wrestling Fans About Them
The Undertaker Has Opened Up Since Retiring And Hulk Hogan Remains A Popular Interview Subject
- Even Hulk Hogan supporters have to admit he tends to hyperbolize and lie during interviews.
- The Undertaker has opened up after protecting his gimmick faithfully across his in-ring career.
Long ago, fans may not have known who to believe when there were discrepancies between The Undertaker and Hulk Hogan had to say about backstage affairs. That has shifted, however, over time. Hogan remains a popular figure on the interview circuit given the profound fame he achieved in the 1980s and 1990s, but it has become an expectation that he's going to hyperbolize and tell his share of outright lies anytime he gets to talking.
A big part of The Undertaker's legacy was how long he remained beholden to kayfabe, protecting his character and the business faithfully even after so many of his colleagues had opened up in tell-all books, documentaries, and podcasts. Starting with an end-of-career documentary produced by WWE called The Last Ride, continuing with his Hall of Fame induction and since expanding to his one-man shows and YouTube show, The Undertaker has become an open book. He hasn't been caught telling any noteworthy lies and has even demonstrated humility, like his recent acknowledgment that he was mistaken in critiquing modern talents as too soft. Given what fans have come to understand about how each man is perceived in real life, there seems to be a consensus that The Undertaker was a consummate professional in his dealings with Hogan, while Hogan was petty and manipulative in spoiling The Phenom's first world title win.
In the 2020s, Jim Cornette came out and blasted The Hulkster for what he did at Survivor Series 1991. Cornette said this was an old trick used by wrestlers to guilt-trip the newer stars and make them feel indebted. In summation, Hogan was not ready to drop the title, and so he lied about his neck being injured and Undertaker lost the title within a week. The Hulkster has never commented on this issue and wisely so.
