Hulk Hogan is no stranger to controversy, and the events of Bash at the Beach 2000 have become the stuff of legend.
At the show on July 9th, WCW Head Writer Vince Russo wanted World Champion Jeff Jarrett to retain his title over Hulk Hogan. However, Hogan had other ideas, and refused to lose the bout.
Come show time, Russo instructed Jarrett to lie down in the ring so Hogan could cover him, which he duly did. A confused looking Hogan then placed his foot on Jarrett to win the World Title. But there was more chaos to come.
As Hogan stood over Jarrett, he blasted Russo on a live microphone, saying “That’s why this company is in the damn shape it’s in, because of bullsh*t like this!”
In response, Russo shot back that this was the last time fans would see that “piece of sh*t” in a WCW arena ever again. In the midst of the chaos, Russo also reversed the decision, meaning Jarrett kept hold of the title. Not that his reign lasted much longer, by the end of the night he had been defeated by Booker T.
Bubba the Love Sponge recently released a clip from his Bubba the Love Sponge Show recorded on July 10th, 2000, less than 24 hours after the incident took place. In the audio, Hogan details using his creative control to dispute the finish of the match between himself and Jarrett before explaining that he expected trouble at the event.
“Go out to the ring bro, and I’m predicting trouble. I don’t know if some of the boys might run out there.”
When Bubba asked if he was expecting a swerve, Hogan continued, revealing that he brought multiple blades with him to the ring in case a confrontation turned physical.
“So I’ve got my gimmicks on me, I got the half-inch sword, the quarter-inch sword, the two-inch sword you know, can go anywhere from 10 stitches to 500 stitches, depending how bad I wanna pull it. I’m thinking old school, I’m thinking the sh*t’s on now, anything could happen.”
Hulk Hogan Revealed Where He Hid Multiple Blades During Bash At The Beach 2000
When asked by Bubba where he hid the blades on his body, Hogan stated:
“I keep two in my mouth and one on my wrist. So I’m just being cool about this thing, but I’m not an idiot, I’m covering my ass.”
In the wake of the show, Hogan filed a lawsuit for defamation of character against Vince Russo and WCW’s parent company, Turner/Time Warner. Although the suit was dismissed in 2002, Hogan never appeared in WCW again.
If you use any part of this transcription, please credit the original source and link back to this article with a h/t to Inside the Ropes.