"Little bit like Rock and Hogan" – WWE Hall of Famer compares AEW match to The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania 18
Was Kenny Omega vs. Bryan Danielson at AEW Dynamite on par with The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania X8? AEW commentator and WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross thinks so.
The American Dragon vs. The Best Bout Machine was a dream match for years. Both men were on different brands for over a decade but came together in AEW. Tony Khan didn't make fans wait long to witness the long-awaited match.
Despite a time-limit draw, the match met its lofty expectations. The match was a technical masterpiece, and 20,000 rabid fans cheered from start to finish.
Jim Ross, on The Grilling JR podcast, said that Danielson vs. Omega was comparable to The Rock and Hulk Hogan's spectacle at Wrestlemania X8.
"[It was] a little bit like The Rock and Hogan in Toronto. It was amazing. Hogan getting cheered wasn't something we planned for. Laurinitis called an audible; we had Vince in the headset saying you gotta go the other way. We felt it, two veteran announcers, two storytellers who had been around the pro-wrestling business a long time, you should be able to sense that kinda stuff. I think we made the right call on that one. The call at the end of the day was good. It was special. That show was special, in Arthur Ashe. We're on par to have more of those," Jim Ross said.
Is Jim Ross correct in comparing The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan to Omega vs. Danielson on AEW Dynamite?
17 Years Ago Today On RAW - The Rock challenged Hulk Hogan for a "Dream Match" at WrestleMania X8!!!
Legendary segment! https://t.co/poau1QCBh4
Before we jump into the comparison, it's imperative to look at how monumental The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan was.
Billed as Icon vs. Icon, The Great One vs. The Hulkster was the most anticipated clash in WWE since Hogan faced Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III.
Hulk Hogan vs The Rock at #WrestleMania18 is my all time favorite match. Hogan's crowd pop is unrivaled and always gives me chills. @HulkHogan #Hulkamania #ThisIsWhereThePowerLies https://t.co/YdxWxzg05K
From an in-ring perspective, the match itself was poor. The crowd's reaction, on the other hand, was arguably the greatest ever. Fans didn't stop cheering for Hulk Hogan despite The Rock being the babyface. Fans popped for every punch and cheered at their mere expressions. It's a spectacle unlikely to take place again.
From a technical standpoint, Omega vs. Danielson was brilliant. The crowd reaction was no less. That's probably what drew the comparison from Jim Ross.
Both matches, while incredibly different, have some similarities. We'll let you decide if Jim Ross made the right comparison. Let us know in the comments!
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