Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan became two of the undisputed giants of professional wrestling, but while there were some similarities, they did so in very different ways,
Hogan and Flair were and still are, larger-than-life characters, but at their respective peaks, the differences were stark. Hogan was the all-American babyface and the poster child for the industry, Flair ran with the Four Horsemen and bragged about a jet-set style life fans could only dream of.
The differences also continued in the ring, Flair prided himself on his work ethic and ability to create magic with just about anyone as a wrestler. By contrast, Hogan performed a limited number of moves (there are some exceptions) and leaned more heavily on his character.
This means that debates about “who was better” are never straightforward. Flair’s in-ring skills were generally accepted to be higher, but Hogan’s biggest matches were arguably bigger than anything Flair ever took part in.
During a recent episode of Talk Is Jericho, Bryan Alvarez, and “Big Vinny V” Vincent Verhei joined Chris Jericho for a watch-along of the November 27, 1987 episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event. On the show, WWE Champion Hulk Hogan took on King Kong Bundy.
On the watch-along, Jericho said that Hogan could hold a crowd like no one else, adding “Hogan is a better worker than Flair.”
“I will say to this day and people will bag. Here’s a clickbait. Hogan is a better worker than Flair. For me. I always had amazing matches with Hogan because he knew exactly who he was as a babyface, as a heel, whatever. He was so great. He knew his audience. He didn’t do anything he didn’t have to. It was one of my favorite times in my career.”
Hulk Hogan Once Went To The Ring Carrying Three Blades
While with WCW, Hulk Hogan was involved in one of the more controversial moments in wrestling history. As Bash At The Beach 2000, Jeff Jarrett lay down in the ring for Hogan to pin him for the World Championship. Once the deed was done, an irate Hogan blasted Head Writer Vince Russo live on air, and while Russo returned fire calling him a “piece of sh*t.”
The incident resulted in legal action and Hogan never worked for WCW again. In a recently unearthed interview from shortly after the show. Hogan claimed that he went to the ring expecting trouble and carried with him three blades in case things got heated.
H/t to WrestlingNews.Co