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Hulk Hogan Vs. Ric Flair Needed To Main Event WrestleMania 8

There were no two wrestlers who, despite being so different, better defined 1980s wrestling than Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair. From his first WWE Championship victory in 1984, Hulkamania ran wild in the company - and the 'Nature Boy's reign on top in Jim Crockett Promotions (and later WCW) was its only North American counterpart. The two characters were charismatic blondes, but that's where the similarities ended: Hogan was a cartoonish, superhero babyface and Flair was the consummate heel who cheated because he wanted to, not because he had to.

RELATED: Every Major Hulk Hogan vs. Ric Flair Match, Ranked Worst To BestWhen, in 1991, Flair left WCW due to disrespect from booker Jim Herd - who infamously wanted him to shave his head, wear an earring and call himself 'Spartacus' - he signed with WWE and debuted with new manager Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan (toting the real 'Big Gold' NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt), immediately calling out the Hulkster. Despite the storyline (and timing) seeming to line up perfectly for the main event at WrestleMania 8 - in one of wrestling's worst missed opportunities, the match never happened.

Hulk Hogan Vs. Ric Flair - Dream Match

There were no two 1980s wrestlers who were subject to greater 'What If...?' speculation than Hogan and Flair. 'Smart' fans knew that it likely depended on whose 'turf' the two collided upon that would determine the winner. Plus, it seemed extremely unlikely then that Hogan, who'd been Vince McMahon's cash cow for over seven years, would ever wrestle for any other promoter.

RELATED: 6 Failed Hulk Hogan Storylines (That Should Have Worked)It was unfathomable that WCW leadership - now under the Turner umbrella - would allow conditions to fester that led to Flair's departure, but Jim Herd (the former Pizza Hut executive-turned-wrestling executive) never understood the Nature Boy's value. When Flair finally left, he took the physical NWA belt - which he never lost - with him, as Flair felt he had the legal right to it due to a $20,000 deposit required by the company. He arrived in WWE in late 1991 to much fanfare and the assumption that he versus Hogan - the sure money match - would happen on the Grandest Stage of Them All.

What Went Wrong?

Hogan and Flair were wildly different wrestlers but got along from the beginning. When Flair first came in, he had a series of matches with old NWA rival 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper, but it wouldn't be long before he involved himself in the WWE Championship picture. Hogan was champion then, and he and Hogan had begun wrestling at house shows to test the waters for their eventual 'Mania match. Flair helped cost Hogan the title against the Undertaker at Survivor Series, which ultimately led to its vacancy, to be awarded to the winner of the 1992 Royal Rumble.

However, a few things happened when the two began meeting in November and December: ticket sales were okay but not great, the matches were similar and the WWE fans' general reception was tepid. When Flair won the Rumble for the WWF Championship, despite winning the title and being the star of the match, the story coming out of it was the conflict between Hogan and Sid Justice, with Hogan reportedly wanting to retire following 'Mania. In a move that seemed to have as much to do with McMahon's doubt in the pairing's drawing ability, the angle (and house show matches for the next two months) pivoted away from Hogan vs. Flair and towards Hogan vs. Justice and Flair vs. 'Macho Man' Randy Savage.

WWE's Loss Was WCW's Gain

True to his word (sort of), Hogan 'retired' for nearly an entire year, returning to WWE shortly after Flair, who had a short but revitalizing run — winning the World Championship a second time from Savage after dropping it to him at 'Mania before losing it to Bret 'Hitman' Hart — returned to WCW. Hogan's final months in WWE weren't great, and due to several factors, he became something of a free agent in 1993.

RELATED: The Most Important PPV In WCW History Is... Bash At The Beach? Flair recruited Hogan to join him in WCW, and soon, its stars like Sting and Big Van Vader began showing up on Hogan's Thunder in Paradise television show. Eric Bischoff broke out Ted Turner's checkbook and, on top of bringing in several of Hogan's former WWE coworkers like the Nasty Boys, 'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan, and (of course) Ed 'Brutus Beefcake' Leslie, the price was ultimately right. After a ticker-tape parade at Disney's MGM Studios where WCW hosted much of their programming, the Hulkster made his debut in what was WCW's highest-grossing PPV until that point, Bash at the Beach '94, where he immediately won the WCW World Championship from (who else?) Flair.

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Almeda Bohannan

Update: 2024-05-05