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00:00The Rock, Hulk Hogan, WrestleMania!
00:05The goal was to put on the greatest marking match-up of all time, and
00:09one that would determine who the greatest of all time is.
00:13There's nobody in this business that's a bigger icon than I am.
00:17It doesn't matter what you think, it doesn't matter, it's still.
00:23One of the most important matches of my career coming up, I'm hurt.
00:30Ready, Doc?
00:31Shot my ribs up and stuff like that.
00:34Doctor says, you're not gonna feel a thing, I'm like, good, yeah, right.
00:37It is icon versus icon, wrestling's past versus its future.
00:43That iconic moment of Hogan looking at Rock for
00:45what seems like forever because it was forever.
00:47Many in the crowd chanting for The Rock.
00:49Quite frankly, many in the crowd chanting for Hogan.
00:54You could feel the audience, you could feel the electricity.
00:56Because it was like the first time that you saw these two icons in the ring, and
01:00they were going at it.
01:01My God, what you gonna do, Rock?
01:05I knew right then that it was gonna be huge.
01:09The Rock will take his vitamins, but if I were you, I would say my prayers.
01:15You're all right.
01:19So much animosity in this awesome rivalry.
01:24When two legends collide, the rivalry stays pinned in our minds forever.
01:30This is where we break down the legendary stories behind the greatest
01:34rivalries of all time.
01:36I'm Gabriel Iglesias, and this is WWE Rivals.
01:41The greatest match in the history of this industry,
01:46WrestleMania, Rock versus Hogan.
01:50There is no bigger because I've been in them all.
01:53Hollywood Hulk Hogan, and the great one, The Rock.
01:56Icon versus icon, WrestleMania 18, the man.
02:01To me, this match represented the peak.
02:05We'll never see Tyson and Ali, but
02:07we are gonna get to witness The Rock and The Hulk.
02:10The guy from the 80s versus the guy from the 90s.
02:14You're never supposed to see this, and here you are.
02:16You know at that point, people will be talking about this for the next 50 years.
02:19I don't think it gets any bigger than that.
02:21Rock may never have been inspired to want to do this,
02:23to be a WWE superstar without somebody of the magnitude of Hogan.
02:27The man with a bionic fire system, my hero, your hero.
02:36The best that there is.
02:39He just had a charisma.
02:41His character connected to the youth of America.
02:44What are you gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you?
02:55Such presence, such aura.
02:57As a kid, it made you want to be around him and want you to do what he did.
03:02He was very much a positive role model.
03:05Training, saying your prayers, and
03:07eating your vitamins is definitely the right way to live.
03:10I'm gonna be fighting for all my Hulkamaniacs.
03:13I saw Hulk Hogan, and to me, that's when I was hooked.
03:16Hulkamania is running wild like it's never ran before.
03:21That's one of the things that put sports entertainment on the map,
03:24in terms of a global scale.
03:26How many millions and millions of people have seen this?
03:29There he is, the greatest professional athlete in the world today.
03:33At this base of Hulkamania, and
03:36these people that believed in the training, the prayers, and the vitamins.
03:40All these little teeny Hulksters are gonna grow up to be big Hulksters, man.
03:44I idolized Hulk Hogan, I wanted to be him.
03:48Come on in here, Hulk Hogan.
03:50They're both coming down on a Hulkster, and I'm the new WWF champ.
03:53And when you take a lesson from a Hulkster, Hulkamania's gonna run wild.
03:56Woo!
03:58This is a guy who, when I was 12 years old, I was in Madison Square Garden.
04:03And Hogan took off his white headband that said the Hulkster on it.
04:08He threw it in the crowd.
04:11I caught that son of a bitch.
04:13I was so excited.
04:15So after the match, I went in the back, and I'm like, hey, I just want you to know,
04:18I caught your headband.
04:20Really didn't think too much about it at the time, I was just so young.
04:25I knew he was Rocky Johnson's son.
04:26I never thought I was gonna get a chance to ever wrestle him.
04:30Hulk Hogan has won the title for the fifth time.
04:33I had about a ten year run as a top guy.
04:39And the WWE was moving in a different direction.
04:42It was like a youth movement, basically.
04:44Hulk Hogan is not the caliber of superstar that Shawn Michaels is.
04:49I mean, come on, the guy is a dinosaur.
04:52And I went down the WCW route.
04:55We want Hogan, we want Hogan.
04:59WCW was a secondary national wrestling promotion.
05:03In second place to WWE, Hulk Hogan going to WCW
05:08was pretty earth shattering.
05:10Hogan goes to WCW in 94, and it just didn't hit right.
05:15Hulkamania just kind of became passe.
05:18Pasta mania has got all my Hulkamaniacs running wild.
05:21And I've eaten so many Hulkaroos and Hulkyous.
05:25I needed to switch gears.
05:27So I already knew what I wanted to do with Hulk Hogan.
05:32You fans can stick it, brother.
05:34As far as I'm concerned, all this crap in the ring
05:39represents these fans out here.
05:42Started cutting that promo.
05:44I knew right then, that moment, that it was going to be huge.
05:50You can call this the new world order of wrestling, brother.
05:56Birth of the new world order.
05:58The birth of the NWO.
06:00Yeah.
06:00We have seen the end of Hulkamania.
06:03Hulk Hogan, you can go to hell.
06:05I remember getting in a limo with Hogan
06:07afterwards when we were going back to the hotel.
06:09And Hogan was so elated that he left the building
06:14with that much heat.
06:16Here's the NWO.
06:20Ready or not, here we come.
06:22There's the only one, Hulk Hogan.
06:25There's no yellow.
06:26There's no red.
06:27He's wearing black.
06:30It was such a big deal, because when you think about Hogan
06:33being a bad guy, it was like, all of a sudden,
06:36Hogan was the coolest guy in the industry.
06:38The badass wearing all black, cool beard.
06:42It was a recipe for phenomenal success.
06:47NWO for life, brah.
06:53Actually changed the look of good guys and bad guys
06:57and what people liked.
06:59The more bad stuff I did, the more they cheered me.
07:02A lot of that gave birth for The Rock, too.
07:04You know, when Hogan turns heel, you know,
07:07Rocky Maivia came in and failed miserably.
07:09Rocky Maivia.
07:11Rocky Johnson is down, former WWF Tag Champion.
07:14Rocky Maivia, and he's got the little tassels and everything.
07:17He had bright colors, you know what I mean?
07:19Like, animal print, great hair.
07:22I saw his first match, and I go, OK,
07:24somebody's not even wearing a beanie in the ring.
07:28But that kind of went nowhere fast.
07:30As soon as they put a mic in his hand, I went, OK,
07:33now here we go, now we're going to get real with this.
07:35If you smell what The Rock is cooking.
07:42I said, OK, this is going to be really great.
07:45I like The Rock.
07:46I like The Rock's music.
07:47I like when he raised the people's eyebrows.
07:49I was flying by the seat of my pants,
07:52and I mean that in the best way.
07:54The man who is simply electrifying.
07:58It was clearly evident to anybody
08:00that watched what he was doing that he was driven
08:02to be the best he could be.
08:05The Rock is the WWF Champion.
08:08And he would do whatever it took to pursue that and accomplish
08:12it, and he did.
08:16What's the official label that you've crossed over
08:19into pop culture icon?
08:22One of them is, did you host Saturday Night Live?
08:26Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. T and Hulk Hogan.
08:31Hulk Hogan does it in the mid-1980s,
08:3415 years later.
08:36The Rock.
08:37Ladies and gentlemen, The Rock.
08:41The proof that they're iconic, not just within the ring,
08:45but so far beyond that.
08:47Rock's everywhere.
08:48He's into everything.
08:49Like, he's not just an entertainer.
08:51He's everywhere.
08:53Just went number one today, correct?
08:55Just went number one.
08:56Unbelievable.
08:57So Rock says, you're old, know it, your mouth shut it.
09:04Rock was growing, spreading his wings,
09:06and definitely growing in the outside world.
09:10Meanwhile, WCW was in shambles at that point.
09:14We made an offer, and they took it.
09:18I remember in a producer's meeting,
09:21pulling most of the producers, asking,
09:24should we bring him back or not?
09:26Because there might be some locker room ego BS happening.
09:30But I remember Pat Patterson and The Rock
09:34being like, Rock versus Hogan.
09:37That has to happen.
09:39Like, Icon versus Icon matches don't grow on trees.
09:42We need to do this, and we need to do it as soon as possible.
09:45Here we go.
09:46Three, two, one.
09:48Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan is about ready to return
09:51to the WWF.
09:52The WWF has confirmed that Hogan, along with Kevin Nash
09:56and Scott Hall, are under contract,
09:58and they will return as the team known as the NWO.
10:02And I ask, how was Hulk Hogan received in the locker room?
10:06I mean, we saw one thing on the outside, but, you know,
10:08I wasn't back there.
10:09I mean, we all want to know.
10:10I mean, I was there.
10:12There was nobody in the dress room
10:13that I saw had any problem whatsoever with Hogan,
10:16with Scott, with Kevin.
10:18You know, they were fighting for a living just like we were.
10:20So when they come back, people were overwhelmingly
10:23glad to see Hogan.
10:25Now we're on the same team.
10:26Let's figure out how we can all make money together.
10:29When I was in WCW, I was just doing my job, man.
10:32I was there to do business.
10:33It's a dream come true.
10:34It's like I'm coming home.
10:37Not only was Hogan someone who I'd grown up admiring,
10:42he was hot off of him becoming arguably the hottest
10:45heel that the business had at that time in the NWO.
10:51I'd watch the Rock work.
10:52I already figured out how I could fit in very gracefully
10:56and make them bigger.
10:57Come on, guys.
10:58Hey, wow.
10:59It's a people's champ.
11:00I'm the boss.
11:01This is my son's favorite wrestle.
11:03Really?
11:04Hey, how about a shot?
11:04Come on.
11:05OK, I'll take it.
11:05I'll take it.
11:06Picture with the Rock.
11:07Yes, sir.
11:08For your son.
11:08Yeah.
11:09No problem.
11:10Here's man.
11:10OK, you guys get in there.
11:11Ready?
11:13Time to do something for the people's taste.
11:14Oh.
11:18What'd you just say?
11:20Oh, no, no, no.
11:23What's the matter with what you just said?
11:24See, you shouldn't have said that.
11:26Rock was being a man.
11:26No problem.
11:27Picture for your son.
11:28No problem.
11:29Hogan, you take that camera.
11:30It's already shined up.
11:31Turn sideways.
11:32Eat your vitamins.
11:33Say your prayers and stick it straight up.
11:34Oh, you're candy.
11:35Yes, sis.
11:36Yeah.
11:39After that moment, you just can't
11:41wait to see what's going to happen on Raw the next night.
11:48Maybe you need.
11:57Did he get some personal business
11:58to take care of there?
12:00What kind of personal business would he have?
12:05Hogan came in in great shape.
12:07He looked amazing.
12:08Hogan looked like the Hogan of 86, right?
12:10Yep.
12:11Honestly, I think he looked better.
12:12He did.
12:13He was in better shape.
12:14He was leaner, tanner.
12:18Hulk Hogan is back in the WWE after almost a decade off.
12:22I was anticipating the nostalgia factor and everything
12:25with Hogan to certainly resonate amongst some.
12:31Certainly a mixed reaction here tonight in Chicago.
12:35I think some fans out of respect for what
12:37this man has accomplished.
12:39The wrestling fans are very forgiving.
12:41Believe me.
12:42You can make a lot of mistakes in this world,
12:44and they will forgive you.
12:46You know, guys, it feels great to be back
12:49in this ring in the WWF.
12:53I remember at the time, Hogan being the heel
12:56and The Rock being the baby face.
12:58I was like, wow, how is this going to happen?
13:01I mean, the WWF made Hulk Hogan a legend.
13:06To be out here in front of all you WWF fans
13:09right here tonight.
13:10I mean, we've been through everything together.
13:15And then you people turned on me.
13:19The WWF fans drove me out of the WWF.
13:23Classic wrestling storytelling is try
13:26to get as much heat on the heel as much as possible.
13:29I'm the one that made wrestling as big as it is today.
13:33There's nobody in this business that's
13:36a bigger icon than I am.
13:43The idea of Hulk Hogan coming back was so special.
13:46It reminded me of just how cool my job is.
13:51In sports, you never get to see these icons
13:55from different generations face off.
13:57Not true in WWE.
13:59Is this history making?
14:00That it is.
14:01Hulk Hogan and The Rock in the same ring.
14:05Who would have thought they would ever see
14:07Hogan and The Rock?
14:09I remember watching it having goosebumps
14:12because it was like the first time that you
14:14saw these two icons.
14:16Do you actually think that it was the people
14:19that drove you out of the WWF?
14:22Is that what you think?
14:24That's exactly it.
14:25It doesn't matter what you think!
14:29It's real easy to actually be comfortable
14:33with the second position when you get a guy
14:35that's so good on the mic.
14:37Because most of the time, I'd have to overpower
14:40my opponent to make the point.
14:42They loved you!
14:45They believed in you!
14:48And damn it, The Rock believed in you!
14:53With him, it was just so easy to sit back
14:56and tell the story.
14:58Well, Hulk Hogan, The Rock says,
15:00how do you feel about headlining
15:02one more WrestleMania with The Rock?
15:05Oh my God!
15:07The Rock is telling Hogan!
15:09He's telling Hogan for WrestleMania!
15:12Oh my gosh!
15:13People all of a sudden realize,
15:15we're seeing history.
15:16And you can feel that in the arena.
15:18It's as if time has stood still!
15:20You want to see this matchup.
15:22And the longer they stood there,
15:23the more people realize this is
15:25a once-in-a-lifetime event.
15:27The Rock has challenged Hogan
15:29for WrestleMania!
15:31Part of the magic in WWE
15:34is that it always has
15:36a true third character.
15:38And that character is the crowd.
15:41Listen to this!
15:44What do you have to say about that, JR?
15:46The fans want Hogan and The Rock
15:49to get it on in WrestleMania!
15:51I'd love to see it myself!
15:53That character is real, loud,
15:56and visceral.
15:58This is amazing!
16:00This is a moment.
16:02You could feel the audience.
16:03You could feel the electricity.
16:04And it was awesome.
16:06That iconic moment of Hogan
16:08looking at Rock for what seems like forever
16:10because it was forever.
16:11What makes you think
16:14you're even close to being
16:16a bigger star as I am?
16:18What makes you...
16:26I was very excited.
16:28You don't get a chance to do this very often
16:30with most people.
16:31Going back and forth with the verbiage.
16:33Yes...
16:35or no?
16:37Is it yes or is it no?
16:39It'll be a pleasure
16:41to kick your ass in WrestleMania.
16:46So I say, let's do it.
16:51And by the way, Rock,
16:53good luck.
16:55Because you're gonna need it.
16:59Everything about that night was so exciting.
17:02Not as much as you...
17:08brother.
17:16The idea of wrestling Hogan
17:18and creating this match
17:20of who the greatest of all time would be,
17:23Icon versus Icon,
17:24was very, very special.
17:32The great thing about it was
17:34is we built it.
17:35He was part of the NWO.
17:37And I was the People's Champion.
17:47Oh, no, this is not gonna be pretty!
17:49Oh, my God!
17:51Hogan whipping The Rock
17:52like a number-one hero with that weight belt!
17:55The NWO attacking Rock.
17:57At the end of that segment,
17:59you want to have the heel as hot as possible.
18:02You want the baby face
18:04as needing to win as much as possible.
18:08What the hell is Hogan doing there?
18:10Oh, my God!
18:12No!
18:13Hogan just struck The Rock in the back of the head
18:15with that damn hammer!
18:20Hogan's got a hammer in that toolbox!
18:22Oh, and there's Hogan and The Rock!
18:24Oh, my God!
18:25No!
18:26Hogan just struck The Rock in the back of the head
18:28with that damn hammer!
18:30There's the ball-peen hammer, you know.
18:33When we threw him in the ambulance
18:35and we, you know, chained all the doors
18:37and did all that stuff.
18:39No, no, you've got to stop it!
18:42Oh, my God!
18:45For the love of God, The Rock himself
18:47was in that ambulance!
18:49That was the heat getter there.
18:53Hogan driving in a semi
18:55and trying to murder a man.
18:57Can we talk about that?
18:59I know, iconic moment.
19:01Hogan comes in and he's trying to end this man's life.
19:03He says, no, this is still my mountain.
19:05I'm still on top, and I'm not going to tell you this verbally.
19:08I'm going to run over you with an 18-wheeler.
19:10I'm going to run over you with this 18-wheeler.
19:12Hollywood made the smackdown on his double-ass!
19:16Maybe I did get a little carried away last week,
19:19but I can tell you this, Rock,
19:21it felt real, real good to hurt you.
19:26I mean, it was like he got heat.
19:30One of the things I wanted to have
19:32was a couple matches before then
19:34just to make sure that my nerves
19:36didn't get the best of me.
19:38You can be in the greatest ring shape in the world,
19:40and when you step on that ring,
19:42if you're nervous, you start breathing,
19:44then you'll never get your gas back.
19:47Rikishi's a dream to work with.
19:49From about here, the chair's going to jump,
19:51and he'll launch his whole body into his back
19:53and his butt and everything.
19:56We were in Tampa, the Sun Dome there
19:58at the University of South Florida,
20:00and I looked over and I saw my kids,
20:02Nick and Brooks, sitting there.
20:04And I kind of winked at them and made a face at them,
20:06and I forgot he was coming.
20:08And I was just looking over to Nick and Brooks,
20:10and he was on me, and I didn't have a chance to do this.
20:13You know, so I was like this,
20:15and got two of my ribs pretty good, you know, so...
20:19Oh, boy, here we go.
20:21Got one of the most important matches
20:23of my career coming up.
20:25Ready, Doc?
20:27I'm hurt.
20:30Leading up to WrestleMania 18,
20:32Hogan got hurt by Rikishi,
20:35and his ribs were messed up.
20:37I remember him having to get, you know,
20:39injected with, like, Toradol, anti-inflammatories.
20:41Hogan didn't cry. Hogan didn't want.
20:44And I think he also understood the magnitude of, like,
20:46hey, I'm carrying a massive part of the show,
20:49and the show has to go on.
20:53Ribs are a pain in the butt, you know?
20:55When you can't breathe, and the pain is, like...
20:58The rib thing is a whole different ballgame, you know?
21:00You gotta really think through that one to make it happen.
21:03Here's how we always tell.
21:05You're a rock-solid man.
21:07Even with an injury like that,
21:09I knew this was getting done, one way or the other.
21:15For the first time since being nearly crippled
21:18at the hands of the NWO
21:20a few weeks ago,
21:22The Rock has returned!
21:24The biggest match-up in the history of our industry,
21:26a match-up that will determine
21:28who will go down as the best.
21:32Even in the build-up,
21:34The Rock had the people on his side.
21:36It was a perfect recipe for the crowd
21:38to, you know, be really into that.
21:40Hogan, you did all you could to take The Rock out
21:42before WrestleMania.
21:44Because, you see, The Rock, Hogan, and WrestleMania,
21:46Hogan, you can argue about who's bigger,
21:48but there is no denying
21:50Rock Hogan who is better.
21:53You had two absolute titans
21:56at a point where they both could still deliver.
21:59WrestleMania, all these millions
22:02and millions of fans
22:04who were my fans first
22:06are going to see me kick your candy ass
22:08at 100% at WrestleMania.
22:10Look at you just standing there!
22:12You and your punk-ass friends!
22:14Who would have ever thought the man with 24-inch pythons
22:16would have half-inch testicles?
22:18Uh-oh!
22:20Oh, boy!
22:22WrestleMania, it is Icon vs. Icon!
22:25WrestleMania, it is Icon vs. Icon!
22:28Wrestling's past vs. its future!
22:31This is a guy in his mid-to-late 40s
22:34who still looks great, who can still go,
22:37who's still popular as ever,
22:39and The Rock is a young man
22:41in his absolute prime.
22:43You can take a hammer to the back of The Rock's head,
22:45you can try to end my career,
22:47but the fact remains is there is no way.
22:50And The Rock means no way
22:53that he's not going to walk into WrestleMania,
22:55the biggest match ever.
22:57Whoop your candy ass!
22:59One, two, three!
23:02Two icons, two guys
23:05who were so good on the mic,
23:07who were so good in a promo,
23:09and yet were so different.
23:11We love to say styles make fights.
23:14These were two styles made for a fight.
23:17What you gonna do
23:19when Hulkamania runs wild on you?
23:25Oh my God!
23:27The Rock will take his vitamins,
23:30but if I were you,
23:32I would say my prayers.
23:40The Rock kind of wanted to make sure
23:42that the match was good,
23:44and so we did get together down in Miami.
23:48There was a ring set up.
23:50He had a bunch of ideas,
23:53basically walked me through a match.
23:57I had a sense that we had
23:59probably about 30 minutes total,
24:01and I also knew that
24:04I had the luxury, the great luxury,
24:08of working with a ring general.
24:11And what I mean by that is,
24:12we were going to take our time,
24:14and we were going to tell a great story.
24:16They actually wanted me
24:18to have that match in that building.
24:20I went, I can't do that.
24:21I said, if I wrestle in this ring
24:23without 20,000 or 30,000 people,
24:25I'm gonna get hurt.
24:26I gotta have that crowd.
24:28I gotta be ready to rock
24:29when I head out to that ring, man.
24:30I gotta be like Hulk Hogan,
24:31not just in a warehouse going,
24:33okay, let me act like Hulk Hogan.
24:35No, that doesn't work for me.
24:36I have to have that thing there.
24:39Welcome WWF fans
24:41from around the world to AXS.
24:44Oh, yeah!
24:45WrestleMania, baby!
24:47Hogan Rock was sort of the definition
24:49of that big fight feel.
24:52Looking forward to the main event.
24:53Been a big fan of The Rock,
24:54big fan of Hogan for years.
24:56I can't wait to see him get it on.
24:57These are the two most recognizable names
24:59in the history of this business.
25:01This was like the biggest fantasy
25:02booking match ever.
25:03And here you are.
25:04I've been waiting for you
25:05to announce to be here.
25:06Oh, thank you, that's cool.
25:07Nice to meet you.
25:08That's what I'm saying.
25:09Wild, man, to be back in Toronto.
25:10I mean, these people, I tell you,
25:12I think they've watched Hulk Hogan
25:13for so long, I've got to earn their respect.
25:15So, I feel I'm in good hands here.
25:19Oh, my gosh.
25:20I don't fuck this.
25:24Tomorrow, your match is being topped
25:25as the biggest icon of all time.
25:28And I want to know,
25:29what makes you believe
25:30you're the bigger icon than Hulk Hogan?
25:32I've never actually said
25:33that I'm the bigger icon than him.
25:34I've always respected him
25:35and everything he's got in the industry
25:37and outside of the industry.
25:38And so, better you should ask me
25:41after the match,
25:42after I've laid the smackdown
25:43on these Canadians.
25:52Welcome to Toronto Skydome.
25:55Welcome, ladies and gentlemen,
25:57around the world,
25:58to WrestleMania 18.
26:01You hear it said all the time,
26:03it's the Super Bowl of wrestling.
26:04You think about the prize fight feel
26:07of WrestleMania.
26:08There's nothing like it.
26:09You've just got to feel it.
26:11The challenge is psychologically
26:14and mentally being prepared
26:16for what you want to accomplish
26:18on that night.
26:19The stage is set.
26:20WrestleMania,
26:22the biggest matchup of all time.
26:24A matchup that will determine
26:26who will go down as the greatest ever.
26:30I was in that crowd.
26:32I was there in person.
26:34And I wasn't, you know,
26:36a huge fan of The Rock.
26:37I didn't dislike him or anything,
26:38but I just wasn't like
26:39a diehard Rock fan.
26:40And I wasn't a diehard
26:41Hulk Hogan fan either.
26:43As soon as we got to the building,
26:45people were so electric
26:47for the match before the show
26:49even started,
26:50the Hogan chants,
26:51the Rock chants,
26:52that I couldn't help
26:53get caught up in it too.
26:55Well, ladies and gentlemen,
26:57you can love him
26:58or you can hate him.
26:59Hollywood Hulk Hogan,
27:01the greatest icon
27:02in the history
27:03of sports entertainment.
27:05For the Rock Hulk match
27:07in Toronto,
27:08I was on the floor.
27:09I had gone out
27:11because I wanted to be
27:12in the audience
27:13to just feel that.
27:15Over 500,000 fans
27:17have seen WrestleMania
27:19and since its inception,
27:21this man has headlined
27:22nine of those events.
27:25With what had happened
27:27with their favorite guy,
27:28The Rock,
27:29the hammer to the head,
27:30ambulance,
27:31every evil thing we'd done,
27:33I wasn't sure
27:34what was going to happen
27:35when I came out.
27:39What I was not expecting
27:41was an entire stadium
27:43cheering Hulk Hogan.
27:47I remember in SkyDome,
27:49literally screaming,
27:50he hit him in the back
27:52of the head with a hammer!
27:54What is wrong with you people?
27:59I said, man,
28:00this is definitely
28:01not going the way
28:02I thought it would go.
28:03I thought for sure
28:04they'd be booing me
28:05and throwing stuff at me
28:06and trying to get at me
28:07and kill me.
28:09This man,
28:10The Rock,
28:12is coming home.
28:15I can tell you
28:16from talking to The Rock
28:17earlier today,
28:18he was a big Hulkamaniac
28:20as a young man.
28:2260,000 plus fans
28:24at the SkyDome
28:25going crazy
28:29because the audience
28:30was 100% invested
28:33in our match.
28:36Many of the crowd
28:37chanting for The Rock,
28:38quite frankly,
28:39many of the crowd
28:40chanting for Hogan.
28:42Our audience hadn't seen him
28:43in a WrestleMania
28:44in almost a decade,
28:45and Hogan is just
28:46larger than life.
28:47Exactly.
28:48That's exactly how I felt.
28:49And then the closer
28:50the looks got,
28:51the louder it got,
28:52and you're just like,
28:53oh, give you chills.
28:55Energy matching energy.
28:57History in the making now.
28:59This is a WrestleMania moment.
29:02It felt like the roof
29:03was going to blow off
29:04the SkyDome, you know,
29:05and it was really intense.
29:07And look at the flashbulbs.
29:09It was a rare moment
29:10where you just get to see
29:11these two stars
29:14lining up for that one second,
29:16and in some ways,
29:17I can't believe it ever happened.
29:19That moment
29:20when they both
29:21turned their faces
29:22and looked at the crowd,
29:24that build-up was insane.
29:28The child that idolized
29:30his hero
29:32then actually gets
29:34to share the venue
29:36against his childhood hero.
29:39That played out
29:40in spectacular fashion.
29:43Millions of people
29:44around the world watching,
29:45and they just stood there.
29:46There was no commentary.
29:48There was no action.
29:49You're just seeing
29:50these two legends
29:51standing there against each other
29:52and you're going,
29:53this is beyond belief.
29:54This is so freaking cool.
29:56It wasn't dead space.
29:57It wasn't dead air,
29:58as they say.
29:59It was like you were
30:00feeling the moment.
30:01This is what cracked me a match.
30:03I thought I was never,
30:05ever safe.
30:06Here we go!
30:12We had to tell a story
30:13in the ring.
30:15You know, the stare down
30:16at the beginning,
30:17none of that stuff was planned.
30:18Most of it was
30:19listening to the crowd
30:20and he's great at that, man.
30:23You learn.
30:24There's a certain
30:25live crowd acumen
30:27that forces you
30:28to either sink
30:29or f***ing swim.
30:30But you jump
30:31and head first
30:32into the fire.
30:34Oh, the power of Hogan.
30:35And I'll tell you what, King.
30:36Look at the power!
30:37The power of those pythons!
30:40And Hogan is staying a rock.
30:41You just bring it, buddy.
30:42Oh, man!
30:44It's just so simple
30:45that The Rock
30:46would always do his thing
30:47and look at the bad guy
30:48sitting on his ass
30:49and go bring it.
30:50Well, all of a sudden
30:51The Rock's getting pushed
30:52on his ass
30:53and I'm predominant male.
30:55People were really
30:56just engrossed in the match
30:58like I've never seen before.
30:59And I would probably say
31:00like we haven't seen since
31:01like I've never seen
31:02anything like it.
31:04And now Rock is challenging
31:05Hogan to break it.
31:07I ran a whole match
31:08with those ribs messed up
31:09you know, so
31:11it was kind of crazy.
31:13There's something
31:14about performing.
31:15The crowd gives you energy.
31:16Hogan was such a pro
31:17that he pushed through
31:18the pain.
31:19The biggest dream match
31:20you can think of
31:21at the time
31:22it was Rock and Hogan.
31:23Nothing wasted
31:24in that match.
31:25Everything meant something.
31:27I thought the pacing
31:28was superb.
31:29Hogan came from that era
31:30to say
31:31you do something
31:36and what you want to do
31:37is give enough time
31:38for the guy sitting
31:39next to his buddy
31:40or his wife or his kids
31:41to go,
31:42did you see that?
31:44The crowd
31:45100%
31:46got behind Hogan.
31:47You know,
31:48before you knew it
31:49I was going nuts
31:50for Hogan too.
32:00The problem
32:01kicked out.
32:07It's amazing
32:08that the crowd
32:09is so solidly behind
32:10Hogan.
32:11I don't know
32:12if The Rock knows
32:13what to think.
32:14Look at this.
32:16It's kind of like
32:17he switched roles
32:18with me
32:19and did something
32:20a bad guy would do
32:21to somebody.
32:22We were not anticipating
32:23what the crowd
32:24reaction was
32:25and
32:26Rock and Hogan
32:27ran with it.
32:28The Hogan fans here
32:29not pleased
32:30with that offensive move.
32:31Thank God
32:32he was the perfect guy
32:33to pull this off
32:34because
32:35I can't think of
32:36many other ones
32:37that we could have
32:38made that shift.
32:49Nobody gets
32:50this kind of love
32:51from the fans.
32:52They've been with me
32:53for so long
32:54for showing me
32:55how much they respect
32:56my work.
32:57It just made me realize
32:58that
32:59man, you know what?
33:00You better do your job
33:01out there
33:02because these people
33:03love you more
33:04than you ever imagined
33:05they loved you.
33:25Who would have
33:26ever thought
33:27that a young lion
33:28would have to
33:29bow down
33:30to the old lion
33:31and that's exactly
33:32what it was.
33:50The situation
33:51with my ribs
33:52they were cracked
33:53so they
33:54shot my ribs up
33:55and stuff like that
33:56the doctor says
33:57oh, you're not going
33:58to feel a thing
33:59I went good
34:00yeah, right.
34:06He rock-botted me
34:07I mean, I'm dying.
34:16He rock-botted me
34:17I was hurt really bad
34:18you know, I was
34:19I was done.
34:26With the people's elbow
34:27on Hogan
34:28Hogan!
34:29Rock with the people's
34:30elbow
34:31on Hogan
34:32No!
34:41In my opinion
34:42this match
34:43lived up to the hype
34:44It didn't live up to it
34:45it far surpassed it.
34:50To be able to
34:51have this incredible
34:52match
34:53with him
34:54was very special
34:55and one of the
34:56highlights
34:57of my
34:58career.
35:10It was more of a
35:11respect thing with him
35:12and it was from the
35:13heart
35:14and
35:15that's just who he is
35:16man
35:17he's a good person.
35:19I'll be damn king
35:24Shook hands
35:25and hugged
35:26knew that we really
35:27had done something
35:28special
35:29I'm grateful
35:30I'm grateful to
35:31Hulk
35:32for that.
35:43The Rock is insisting
35:44that Hogan
35:45come back into the ring
35:47and do you see what
35:48he wants Hulk to do?
35:49Rock is insisting
35:50that Hogan
35:51pose here
35:53Now this is a show
35:54of respect
35:55from The Rock
35:56to Hollywood
35:57Hogan.
35:59It was just very awesome
36:00to see those two
36:01iconic characters
36:02especially
36:03at different points
36:04in their career
36:05kind of come together
36:06in mesh
36:07in such a way
36:08that made for
36:09some incredible moments.
36:11I love this
36:12one more time!
36:14Look at The Rock
36:15The Rock wanted
36:16Hogan to pose
36:18Gave him the ring
36:19so he can
36:20do his
36:21iconic poses
36:23At the end of the day
36:24we told a
36:25pretty damn good story
36:26and that crowd
36:27was
36:28on
36:29fire
36:31He had it all
36:32that's why he was
36:33the right guy
36:34at the right time
36:35I was just glad
36:36that I had a chance
36:37to get some of that
36:38because I
36:39had a long career
36:40that was spread out
36:41and every once in a while
36:42I hit on magic
36:43and that was some magic
36:44that was really cool
36:45to be a part of
36:47WrestleMania
36:48are when dreams
36:49come true
36:50and this is a
36:51dream-like
36:52situation
36:54with Hogan
36:55and The Rock
36:56leaving
36:58with a
36:59sign of
37:00mutual respect
37:05He had done
37:06so much
37:07for our business
37:08and just made
37:09such an impact
37:10on our business
37:11and made it
37:12really cool
37:13It was an honor
37:14to pass the torch
37:15to him
37:17The
37:18proverbial
37:19passing of the torch
37:20hand being raised
37:21afterwards
37:22the truth is
37:23passing of the torch
37:24for me
37:25was
37:26the privilege
37:27of putting on
37:28this match
37:32No one expected that
37:33I don't think
37:34Hogan and Rock
37:35expected that
37:36and all of a sudden
37:37this iconic moment
37:38happens and
37:39think about
37:40WrestleMania that year
37:41all the great matches
37:42and all the great talent
37:43and everything people
37:44remember
37:46In Toronto
37:47it was just
37:48I thought my cup
37:49was totally full of
37:50loyalty and respect
37:51and pats on the back
37:53There's a lot of
37:54Hollywood Hulk Hogan fans
37:56here in Sky Dome
37:57tonight
37:59And then I walk out
38:00of Montreal
38:01and they take it to
38:02a whole other level again
38:04That'll be a great
38:05feeling for
38:06for Hollywood Hogan
38:07right now
38:08Look at the response
38:09from these people
38:10JR
38:11This is amazing
38:13People in Montreal
38:15gave me a standing
38:16ovation
38:17which felt like
38:18it would never end
38:20It was a touching
38:21moment
38:28Damn I love you guys
38:37And for that
38:38I want to thank
38:39each and every one
38:40of you out there
38:42There's the guy
38:43that we loved
38:44and we hated him
38:45when he left us
38:46and he became Hollywood
38:48But now he's
38:49coming back home
38:50So bringing back
38:51the red and yellow
38:52is just a return to home
38:53The true colors
38:55of the Hulkster
38:57The bright red
38:58The bright yellow
38:59Hulk Hogan
39:01is back
39:03I mean that's some
39:04crazy love they're
39:05giving me you know
39:06It's kind of like
39:07it made me feel like
39:08I made the right choice
39:09going to college
39:10because I was majoring
39:11in finance and management
39:12Become a wrestler
39:13It kind of made me feel like
39:15I told you dad
39:16I was right
39:18This ovation
39:19is not about nostalgia
39:21It is about
39:22respect
39:23for what this man
39:24has done
39:25for this industry
39:28It's 12 years later
39:29It's WrestleMania 30
39:30The Rock
39:31and Hulk Hogan
39:32kicking off
39:33WrestleMania
39:34with Stone Cold
39:35Steve Austin
39:40I remember how
39:41excited everybody was
39:42to see them all together
39:44When you're backstage
39:45even though we're
39:46performers we're fans
39:47you know you love this
39:49The Immortal
39:51Hulk
39:53Hogan
39:58Well it was cool
39:59you know
40:01Other than I was
40:02just so rattled
40:03I said the wrong
40:04name of the building
40:05First off
40:06I'd like to welcome
40:07everyone
40:08here at the Silverdome
40:09to WrestleMania 30
40:12The guy in the front
40:13row is going
40:14Superdome
40:15Superdome
40:16I'm like oh
40:17I'm sorry
40:18it is the Superdome
40:19brothers
40:22Superdome
40:23Silverdome
40:24Bob, John, Joe
40:25you know whatever
40:26I'm like
40:27I'm all over the place
40:29The Rock, Stone Cold
40:30Steve Austin
40:31and the Immortal
40:32Hulk Hogan
40:33have finally come back
40:34to the
40:35Superdome
40:36Superdome
40:41To see The Rock
40:42come out
40:43and just make a
40:44quick reference to it
40:45with a little smirk
40:47letting the Hulkster
40:48know yeah
40:49we all heard it
40:50this is so great
40:55Together
40:56these two
40:57changed WWE history
41:00It's as if
41:01Iron Man stood still
41:03When the two of them
41:04were in the ring
41:05as a fan watching this
41:06you're just like
41:07no freaking way
41:08this is about to happen
41:10This is a
41:11WrestleMania moment
41:13Hogan vs Rock
41:15one of the greatest
41:16things that could have
41:17happened in the modern era
41:19What would happen
41:20if The Rock and Hulk Hogan
41:21had a match in their prime?
41:22Guess what?
41:24It happened
41:25at WrestleMania 18
41:27You'll never see
41:28two superstars
41:29to be able to do
41:30something like that
41:32probably ever again
41:33I don't think
41:34we'll see it in my lifetime
41:36The goal was to put on
41:37the greatest
41:38marking matchup
41:39of all time
41:40and one that would
41:41determine
41:42who the
41:43greatest of all time
41:44is
41:46It was one of the
41:47greatest nights
41:48ever
41:49in my life
41:51It was just
41:52perfect
41:54It's a piece of history
41:55you know
41:56it makes me realize
41:57we've made history