Ex-WWE star says Hulk Hogan respected him after real-life fight
Hulk Hogan's view of Jacques Rougeau seemingly changed after the former WWE Superstar's incident with Dynamite Kid.
Rougeau, aka The Mountie, was beaten up by WWE co-worker Dynamite Kid backstage in 1988. At the next television taping, the former Intercontinental Champion retaliated by knocking his former in-ring rival's teeth out with a roll of quarters.
On the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast, Rougeau recalled how The British Bulldog and Dynamite Kid used to bully other wrestlers. Hogan was never on the receiving end of their antics, but he took notice when Rougeau stood up to Dynamite.
"They never ribbed Hulk but I'm sure somewhere down the line Hulk must have been afraid that they'd start on him because they were pretty wild," Rougeau said. "The fact that I put a stop to bullying in those days, and Hulk knowing that I'm not a real fighter in real life, never known to be a tough guy, it was so hard for me to do what I did, and I think that maybe he had grown a respect for me." [48:47 – 49:16]
In 2021, the VICE show Dark Side of the Ring told the story of the real-life fight. WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley said Dynamite Kid "was never the same guy" after the incident.
What happened when Jacques Rougeau faced Hulk Hogan?
On April 11, 1997, Jacques Rougeau surprisingly defeated Hulk Hogan in their only singles contest against each other. The live event match took place in the Canadian's hometown of Montreal, Quebec.
Hulk Hogan drops the leg on Jacques Rougeau.April 11,1997,Bell Centre,Montreal.Hogan actually got pinned by Rougeau that night.Hogan always said he did it out of respect for Rougeau,but I've always felt there was more to it than that https://t.co/9aDycvDU8U
To this day, Rougeau feels privileged that The Hulkster agreed to lose against him:
"I was one of the luckiest men alive today to say that Bret [Hart] never beat him. I'm the only Canadian to ever beat Hulk Hogan! Pin him one, two, three, no gimmicks, right in the middle." [49:22 – 49:33]
At the time, Hogan was the WCW World Heavyweight Champion and one of the biggest stars in the wrestling business. Rougeau revealed to Sportskeeda Wrestling's Dr. Chris Featherstone in 2020 that Hogan pitched the idea of losing via pinfall.
Do you think Hulk Hogan should have agreed to lose more matches? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling if you use quotes from this article.