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Hulkamania is on its way back into WWE. The Immortal One served a three-year suspension but recently was reinstated back into the company's Hall of Fame. He has since implied an nWo reunion for October, but has also been reported backstage at WWE events in the past week. Could Hulk Hogan return to programming soon? Perhaps SummerSlam runs a little wild this year?
Hogan appearing at SummerSlam is nothing more than speculation on the part of this author, but it can't be denied that Hulk's had many spectacular performances on this grand summer stage. He's faced off against legends in the business such as Randy Savage, Ted DiBiase, and Shawn Michaels, to name a few. He's been in singles and tag matches, six in total, that span across three separate decades. Every single time, Hogan was victorious.
Undefeated at SummerSlam, this articles counts down to the very best red and yellow victory at WWE's biggest party of the summer. Expect plenty of big boots, leg drops, and arenas full of screaming Hulkamaniacs.
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#6 Hulk Hogan & The Ultimate Warrior vs. Sgt. Slaughter & Col. Mustafa & Gen. Adnon (1991)
With the Iraq war on the forefront of the American psyche, pitting Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior against the traitor Sgt Slaughter as well as two Middle Eastern cohorts probably sounded like a great idea on paper. This was an okay bout, but definitely below the usual standards of Hulk.
The match was overall slow and not very exciting. Compared to previous SummerSlam efforts, the crowd didn’t seem to pop nearly as rabidly for Hulk’s signature moves and poses. What was even more distracting was special guest referee Sid Justice's complete lack of understanding of what he was supposed to be doing as a referee. Even the announcers kept pointing it out.
The premise didn't capture the attention of the fans quite like Vince and company had hoped. Ultimately this was the weakest of the red and yellow SummerSlam catalog. After this win, Hogan took a 14-year sabbatical from SummerSlam.
#5 Hulk Hogan vs. Earthquake (1990)
Due to a gigantic posterior seated on Hulk Hogan on The Brother Love Show in the buildup to SummerSlam 1990, Hulkamania faced one of its biggest threats to date.
The first half of the match was fairly slow, as Hogan built to the big moment when he first knocked Earthquake off of his feet. The inclusion of Dino Bravo and Jimmy Hart in Earthquake’s corner as well as Big Boss Man in Hogan’s made this a tad too convoluted for much of this contest.
After kicking out of a pin that followed two big Earthquake squats, Hogan most assuredly had this contest won as he went for the cover. However, chaos broke out as everyone at ringside got involved. The action spilled to the outside, resulting in a countout victory for the Hulkster.
The Hogan vs. Earthquake rivalry carried on for many more months, with notable meetings during Survivor Series and the 1991 Royal Rumble. Hulk repeatedly upended his foe in those subsequent battles.
#4 Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Orton (2006)
In Hulk Hogan’s final match on a SummerSlam stage, he faced off against a young Randy Orton. Still in his ‘Legend Killer’ phase, the master of the RKO set his sights on the biggest legend of them all. He wanted to be the man to finally vanquish Hulkamania at the biggest party of the summer - a futile task.
At one point, Hulk had Randy against the ropes and taunted him by asking him how bad he wanted to take out his daughter. The Hogan Knows Best reality show got several references during this match, which are a little awkward in hindsight.
If there was ever a paint by numbers Hulk match, this was it. This is the shortest bout on this list and he made certain to his all of the signatures. The big boot and the leg drop on perfect cue, after he rebounded from an RKO. But even this late into his career, Hogan had no trouble garnering thunderous reactions from the crowd. If anything, this is a solid argument that even the most basic Hogan match is going to still be a big highlight any show.
#3 Hulk Hogan vs. Shawn Michaels (2005)
This is a hard match to rank because while it is enjoyable to watch, it's fun for many of the wrong reasons. Shawn’s over-the-top performance as he comically sold for the tag team partner he turned on in the buildup to this contest is what gets all of the attention. However, there’s still a pretty decent match going on from bell to bell.
This was the longest battle of all of Hogan’s matches. It went over 21 minutes and even showcased a profuse amount of blood on behalf of The Hulkster. The crimson mask proved that The Heartbreak Kid could weaken his much larger foe, even if he didn’t ultimately get the job done.
The post-match handshake appeared to be a big sign of respect shared among Hulk and Shawn, even if later interviews revealing the canceled follow-up matches indicated angst between them.
#2 Hulk Hogan & Brutus Beefcake vs. Randy Savage & Zeus (1989)
What a difference a year makes. Hulk Hogan and Randy savage teamed alongside each other in a tag team match in the inaugural SummerSlam. Now in 1989, they were opponents.
The crowd was very raucous for much of this despite the limitations of some of the competitors. Even with the weak links, Hogan and Savage brought more than enough fire to the table to make this a solid main event.
Hogan was able to utilize a loaded purse to ultimately put away the formidable Zeus. The crowd was hot and continued to go ballistic in the post-match action as Hogan gave Sherri an atomic Trop, which led into a fun slap by Elizabeth across her face. Brutus even cut her long ponytail before the baddies finally retreated backstage.
#1 Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage vs. Ted DiBiase & Andre The Giant (1988)
The Mega Powers were challenged by The Mega Bucks in the main event of the inaugural SummerSlam. It proved to be Hulk's greatest performance during a time when Hulkamania ran as wild as it ever. The big speculation going into this match was whether or not Ted DiBiase’s deep pockets could sway special guest referee Jesse Ventura. He ultimately called it down the line, although there was uncertainty beforehand.
The most shocking moment from this match was when Elizabeth partially disrobed, creating one of the most effective distractions in wrestling history. This set up the blockbuster ending when Randy dropped the elbow off the top, followed by the patented Hogan leg drop to The Million Dollar Man. That was more than enough to get the three count, even if Ventura teased hesitation.
The post-match action included Hulk Hogan trying to pick up Elizabeth. That planted the seeds for a storyline that built into an eventual WrestleMania match between the Mega Powers. They did eventually implode, but on this night, Hogan and Savage were the best.
