"I could've put him over everywhere" - WWE legend on dream match with Stone Cold Steve Austin that didn't happen
WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has opened up about wanting to face Stone Cold Steve Austin after his return to WWE in 2002. Hogan said he could have put over Austin if the two legends were in a feud with each other.
Hulk Hogan returned to WWE in 2002, almost a decade after leaving the company to join WCW. After his return, he faced the likes of The Rock, Triple H, The Undertaker, and Kurt Angle, to name a few, but missed out on facing Stone Cold Steve Austin.
On the recent After The Bell podcast, Hulk Hogan stated that his "goal" after feuding with The Rock was to face Stone Cold Steve Austin and put over The Texas Rattlesnake.
"My whole goal was to have that run with The Rock and then focus on Stone Cold. Because, as a heel, I could've put him over everywhere. If they could've put the belt back on me, he could've chased me - and like Stone Cold says, 'If there's money to be made, let's make it, brother.' That was my goal. It was to get him in that Hulk Hogan zone and make him realize - he'd been beat up pretty bad with his neck and a bunch of stuff - I just wanted him to realize the way you go to the ring, the way you feel, was the same way you're going to feel after working with me on the way back. It's going to be nice and easy, but we're going to tear the house down."
Hulk Hogan said his goal was to get even more fans on Stone Cold Steve Austin's side, but the match didn't come to fruition.
Why Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Hulk Hogan didn't take place in WWE
Former WWE commentator and Hall of Famer Jim Ross revealed why a match between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan did not happen in WWE. He said that Austin felt his pace of wrestling would not have matched Hogan's style.
"I think Steve’s issue was just that Steve had a very high pace – intense, aggressive, somewhat snug, high pace. That just may not have fit Hogan’s stylings at that time because of his back. But it would have been an interesting attraction."
Stone Cold Steve Austin was at the tail-end of his in-ring stint in WWE when Hulk Hogan returned to the company, as injuries halted his career.
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