Hulk Hogan's former rival reveals The Hulkster's biggest weakness in the ring (Exclusive)
WWE legend Hulk Hogan is seen as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, but a former rival of his has revealed what The Hulkster's biggest weakness was.
The rival in question is current AEW personality Jake 'The Snake' Roberts, who at one point was seen as a potential successor to Hogan during WWE's 'Golden Age' in the 1980s. However, the two never had a major title match on TV or on a premium live event. But as someone who shared the ring with Hogan on multiple occasions, Roberts knows all about the strengths and weaknesses of The Immortal One.,
In a recent interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling's Bill Apter, the WWE Hall of Famer said:
"Strengths was his ability to play with the crowd. He could play with the crowd all night long man, and they loved him. His weakness... well I’d have to go back to mobility. He wasn’t real mobile in the ring, he didn’t have to be. He didn’t do a lot of up and down. We never seen that guy that go up and down and bumped and fed people [in Japan], we never seen him." [From 04:17 to 05:06]
Hogan's greatest crowd work arguably came against The Rock at WrestleMania 18 in 2002, where he was meant to play the heel as a member of the nWo. But the Toronto fans refused to boo The Hulkster to the point that he turned to face in the middle of a match which is now seen as one of his best performances ever.
You can watch the entire video here:
What was Hulk Hogan like in Japan?
As Roberts mentioned, the Hulk Hogan that WWE fans saw in the 1980s was a very different one from the man Japanese wrestling fans watched in the same decade.
Hogan worked extensively for New Japan Pro Wrestling in the 1980s, where he wrestled a much more technical style than the one he would work in WWE. He even became the IWGP Heavyweight Champion in 1983 and held the title for over a year.
Hulk Hogan's last match for NJPW came after his departure from WWE in 2003, where he wrestled Masahiro Chono at the Tokyo Dome in October of the same year.
Did you know about Hulk Hogan's career in Japan? Let us know in the comments section below.
Don't forget to listen to Jake's podcast, 'The Snake Pit,' which you can find on all your favorite streaming platforms.
Please credit the original source and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling when using quotes from this article.