The Hulkster Versus The Rattlesnake
Why Did Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin Never Have a One-On-One Match?
#PWHS #StorytimeOnSunday #SOS #Article #WGD #HulksterVsRattlesnake
Here, in their own words, both men give their sides of the story:
Hulk Hogan
"Was there some legitimate heat [between us]?
There was.
When me and Scott Hall and big Kev' [Nash] came into the WWE with the NWO we had such an edge and we were getting cheered. I guess the babyfaces [Austin and The Rock] weren't used to it. [They] were complaining, 'Those guys are turning us upside down and we're getting booed instead of cheered...' So there was some legitimate heat there, you know, on a business level.
And because I never got to work with him.
But Stone Cold always said, 'If there's money to be made - let's make it.'
And I steal that quote all the time because I loved hearing him say that.
I don't think there was that much heat at that time...but there was some heat during [Bet Hart's] hall of fame [induction].
There was a situation backstage that kind of got us a little heated up.
Bret had been a really good friend of mine.
We started in the business together - actually lived in the same apartment complex down in Atlanta. We'd been friends through our whole wrestling career.
When I used to do my interviews for like, 7 or 8 hours with Mean Gene, I'd sweat through the title belt - Vince would have to get me a new belt every month because the leather would rot, I'd sweat so much.
A lot of times Owen would come in and listen to my interviews...and Bret came in a couple of times. We were really close friends.
I remember I was cutting an interview and I said, 'I'm the greatest there was, is or ever will be...'
First time I said it I thought, 'That's a cool line...'
Bret started using it.
I went, [shrugs]. We all steal from each other - I stole a bunch of stuff from Superstar Billy Graham, I stole the [shaking] finger from Dusty Rhodes - so when Bret started using my line - no problem. I mean, it wasn't really my line, I just said it out of nowhere.
We've always been cool.
And then all of a sudden there was a situation where I was getting ready to leave [the WWF] and Vince and I were disagreeing about all kinds of stuff (usually money; you know, if we didn't talk about money, we were fine) so I said I'm done with this, that and the other.
I had some problems about putting the belt on the right person, because if you put the belt on the wrong person, when you come back it's hard to get the business going again.
I made a deal to drop the belt to Yokozuna - you know, do whatever I did at Caesars Palace [Wrestlemania 9], steal the belt from Yoko' and then at the next pay-per-view drop it on the way out.
And I guess Vince had told Bret that HE was getting the belt.
Bret had been a really good friend of mine.
We started in the business together - actually lived in the same apartment complex down in Atlanta. We'd been friends through our whole wrestling career.
When I used to do my interviews for like, 7 or 8 hours with Mean Gene, I'd sweat through the title belt - Vince would have to get me a new belt every month because the leather would rot, I'd sweat so much.
A lot of times Owen would come in and listen to my interviews...and Bret came in a couple of times. We were really close friends.
I remember I was cutting an interview and I said, 'I'm the greatest there was, is or ever will be...'
First time I said it I thought, 'That's a cool line...'
Bret started using it.
I went, [shrugs]. We all steal from each other - I stole a bunch of stuff from Superstar Billy Graham, I stole the [shaking] finger from Dusty Rhodes - so when Bret started using my line - no problem. I mean, it wasn't really my line, I just said it out of nowhere.
We've always been cool.
And then all of a sudden there was a situation where I was getting ready to leave [the WWF] and Vince and I were disagreeing about all kinds of stuff (usually money; you know, if we didn't talk about money, we were fine) so I said I'm done with this, that and the other.
I had some problems about putting the belt on the right person, because if you put the belt on the wrong person, when you come back it's hard to get the business going again.
I made a deal to drop the belt to Yokozuna - you know, do whatever I did at Caesars Palace [Wrestlemania 9], steal the belt from Yoko' and then at the next pay-per-view drop it on the way out.
And I guess Vince had told Bret that HE was getting the belt.
So Bret came to me and he was all upset about it. I said, 'No, it's not that I don't want to drop the belt to you - it's [just because it's] not the deal that I made.'
We went in Vince's office and we sat there and Vince was really nice to all of us and he told Bret, '[That you were getting the belt] is what you THOUGHT you heard.'
If Vince had told me to drop the belt to Bret I would have done it, but since he asked me I said: 'I need to drop to Yokozuna, he's red hot right now. He can carry it.'
So that was pretty much it. I don't know what was really said to Bret or maybe that's what Bret thought he heard...but that's where the heat started.
[Although] I may have said something really stupid behind closed doors about Bret...like, 'You know what...he's not that 'main event guy' yet...'
Because, you know, my perception of him was tag-team, intercontinental level - he hadn't got to that [top tier level] at that time.
When we put the belt on the Ultimate Warrior, we had such a roll going...and it didn't work. There was no Rock, no Stone Cold [type situation] where we had an A and B team [for house shows]...I was on the 'A' team with a lot of guys and the venues did great - and the 'B' team was the Ultimate Warrior. When the guys would get their booking sheets they would always see which team they were on...everyone wanted to be on the 'A' team because they would make more money.
So at the end of the day I may have said something like that that got relayed back to [Bret] - and I actually think it did. It was no disrespect [intended] but that's how I saw it - that if we had to put the belt on someone, we had to get him ready for that 'A' run...and I thought he needed a little more time.
[Years later] Bret was mad at me and Ric Flair and a bunch of other people because we told the truth on the [never released] 'Screwed' DVD about him. My view on the 1997 Survivor Series - that match where Bret screwed Bret in Montreal - is that Vince needed to get the belt off him, because he wasn't drawing any money, and Bret acted totally unprofessionally. So I gave that opinion on the DVD. I said when Vince McMahon asked him to lose the belt, then he should have lost it.
Because wrestling is not real, it's entertainment.
Bret says the business is a work but he really thinks it's a shoot. He really believes he's the greatest wrestler ever. Of course he's not - Kurt Angle or a lot of guys could beat him if it was a real wrestling match.
Bret had talked all kinds of crap about me [in response] and then I walk into the Hall of Fame and there he is.
I walked up to him and said, 'Hey brother, how you doing, it's good to see you...' And I stuck my hand out. He just looked at my hand; he wouldn't shake it.
And out of nowhere, Stone Cold Steve Austin came and grabbed him by the front of the shoulders and said, 'Let's get out of here, Bret,' and walked him away.
And I went, 'Hmm...that was really weird.'
So there was really heat there. Whether he was just getting Bret away from me - because it was a smart thing to do; or whether he was getting Bret away from me because he's Bret's friend; or just to stick it in my face, I don't know.
I would rather have kept my hand out and said, 'What's your F'n problem?' - but Stone Cold pushed him away and put him in a back room and they stayed together.
So when we got on stage..."
We went in Vince's office and we sat there and Vince was really nice to all of us and he told Bret, '[That you were getting the belt] is what you THOUGHT you heard.'
If Vince had told me to drop the belt to Bret I would have done it, but since he asked me I said: 'I need to drop to Yokozuna, he's red hot right now. He can carry it.'
So that was pretty much it. I don't know what was really said to Bret or maybe that's what Bret thought he heard...but that's where the heat started.
[Although] I may have said something really stupid behind closed doors about Bret...like, 'You know what...he's not that 'main event guy' yet...'
Because, you know, my perception of him was tag-team, intercontinental level - he hadn't got to that [top tier level] at that time.
When we put the belt on the Ultimate Warrior, we had such a roll going...and it didn't work. There was no Rock, no Stone Cold [type situation] where we had an A and B team [for house shows]...I was on the 'A' team with a lot of guys and the venues did great - and the 'B' team was the Ultimate Warrior. When the guys would get their booking sheets they would always see which team they were on...everyone wanted to be on the 'A' team because they would make more money.
So at the end of the day I may have said something like that that got relayed back to [Bret] - and I actually think it did. It was no disrespect [intended] but that's how I saw it - that if we had to put the belt on someone, we had to get him ready for that 'A' run...and I thought he needed a little more time.
[Years later] Bret was mad at me and Ric Flair and a bunch of other people because we told the truth on the [never released] 'Screwed' DVD about him. My view on the 1997 Survivor Series - that match where Bret screwed Bret in Montreal - is that Vince needed to get the belt off him, because he wasn't drawing any money, and Bret acted totally unprofessionally. So I gave that opinion on the DVD. I said when Vince McMahon asked him to lose the belt, then he should have lost it.
Because wrestling is not real, it's entertainment.
Bret says the business is a work but he really thinks it's a shoot. He really believes he's the greatest wrestler ever. Of course he's not - Kurt Angle or a lot of guys could beat him if it was a real wrestling match.
Bret had talked all kinds of crap about me [in response] and then I walk into the Hall of Fame and there he is.
I walked up to him and said, 'Hey brother, how you doing, it's good to see you...' And I stuck my hand out. He just looked at my hand; he wouldn't shake it.
And out of nowhere, Stone Cold Steve Austin came and grabbed him by the front of the shoulders and said, 'Let's get out of here, Bret,' and walked him away.
And I went, 'Hmm...that was really weird.'
So there was really heat there. Whether he was just getting Bret away from me - because it was a smart thing to do; or whether he was getting Bret away from me because he's Bret's friend; or just to stick it in my face, I don't know.
I would rather have kept my hand out and said, 'What's your F'n problem?' - but Stone Cold pushed him away and put him in a back room and they stayed together.
So when we got on stage..."
April 6, 2001 - Tallahassee Democrat
Steve Austin
(at the start of his speech to induct Bret Hart into the Hall of Fame, Hogan seated on the stage behind him)
"You know, it's funny...I was, uh, going through my bag in the back...I couldn't find something, I lost something - I went into the back looking through my bag...and I found a can of whoop-ass and it had Hulk Hogan's name on it..."
(Crowd erupts. Cuts to shot of Hogan looking less than impressed...)
Hulk Hogan
"I was working.
Because I wanted to have that match [with Austin]...that was the one match I never had. I want to do good business, help the sport and give the fans what they want. And working with Steve would [have done] all three.
I've got no idea why Steve didn't want to have a match at WrestleMania. I don't know if he has a problem with me personally.
When we were in WCW, and he was Stunning Steve Austin, he talked to me a couple of times about different ideas he had to work with me. The ideas were OK, they weren't home runs but they were pretty good.
I always put over anybody they asked me to put over. I think most of my WCW run was doing jobs.
I wish I could've put over Steve Austin..."
Steve Austin
"I don't think I just ever wanted to wrestle Hogan, I guess. That's the most honest answer. It sounds like a good match on paper...I just didn't think it would look so good once you got into the ring."
(at the start of his speech to induct Bret Hart into the Hall of Fame, Hogan seated on the stage behind him)
"You know, it's funny...I was, uh, going through my bag in the back...I couldn't find something, I lost something - I went into the back looking through my bag...and I found a can of whoop-ass and it had Hulk Hogan's name on it..."
(Crowd erupts. Cuts to shot of Hogan looking less than impressed...)
Hulk Hogan
"I was working.
Because I wanted to have that match [with Austin]...that was the one match I never had. I want to do good business, help the sport and give the fans what they want. And working with Steve would [have done] all three.
I've got no idea why Steve didn't want to have a match at WrestleMania. I don't know if he has a problem with me personally.
When we were in WCW, and he was Stunning Steve Austin, he talked to me a couple of times about different ideas he had to work with me. The ideas were OK, they weren't home runs but they were pretty good.
I always put over anybody they asked me to put over. I think most of my WCW run was doing jobs.
I wish I could've put over Steve Austin..."
Steve Austin
"I don't think I just ever wanted to wrestle Hogan, I guess. That's the most honest answer. It sounds like a good match on paper...I just didn't think it would look so good once you got into the ring."
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
#StorytimeOnSunday - The Hulkster Versus The Rattlesnake.
Author: Matt Pender (of Wrestling's Glory Days).
Published: May 13, 2018.
Article: #195.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
#StorytimeOnSunday - The Hulkster Versus The Rattlesnake.
Author: Matt Pender (of Wrestling's Glory Days).
Published: May 13, 2018.
Article: #195.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Other articles by Matt Pender can be Read Here.