Four Months Following a Successful Back Surgery, 69-Year-Old Hulk Hogan Wants to Have a Retirement Match: “I’m Going to Keep Working”

Hulk Hogan is among one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time. He ruled the scene in the 80s and 90s and continued to put up a string of dominant displays in the new millennium. Overwhelmed by several surgeries, The Immortal One finally retired in 2012.

Never say never in wrestling, as the pro wrestling community has consistently seen their beloved retired wrestlers come back for a last hurrah. Over a decade later, Hogan, 69, has opened up about his desire to have a retirement match. He has also named a fellow WWE icon as his preferred opponent.

Shane McMahon’s call sparked Hulk Hogan’s retirement match interest

Vince McMahon’s son Shane McMahon is a popular character among WWE fans. The 53-year-old made a surprise comeback at this year’s WrestleMania. However, he grabbed the spotlight for an undesired reason. Just minutes into his match, McMahon suffered a torn quadriceps, ending his return in a painful manner.

Hogan, who appeared on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, said McMahon had offered him a return at WrestleMania 39 three months before the event. “You know what’s so funny, Shane McMahon called me. He goes, ‘Hey, you got one more in you, old man?’ I said, ‘Take it easy with the old man stuff, brother.’,” Hogan said. The two-time WWE Hall of Famer had undergone a back surgery in January, as reported by fellow legend Kurt Angle. Naturally, Hogan asked McMahon to wait as he was recuperating.

“I’ve always wanted to have a retirement match, but right now, I’m not moving around the way I should be. So I’m going to keep working, keep training and keep doing rehab and see where I’m at about six months from now,” he said. Hogan told Helwani that he has learned that in pro wrestling, you never say never.

Meanwhile, Hogan, who turns 70 in August, has named another WWE Hall of Famer as the wrestler he wants to face inside the squared circle.

The Hulkster desires a generational clash

If Hulk Hogan ruled the Golden Era in WWE, the baton was passed to his worthy successors, who became the face in the years that followed. One among them was Stone Cold Steve Austin, the poster boy of the Attitude Era. During Austin’s rise in the New Generation Era- ruled by Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels- Hogan was going strong as a member of the legendary nWo stable.

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However, the two stars never feuded. Hogan rued the missed opportunity and said the two could have torn down the place. He also complimented Austin as the “ultimate good guy at the time”. Well, the 69-year-old wants to have the bout that eluded him during his WWE run.

“So, if I had one guy to get in there with, it’d be him. I just don’t know, with all this time passing and both of us getting older and wiser if it would even make sense. You have to be crazy to back in there at my age, anyway,” Hogan said.

Would Hogan face Stone Cold Steve Austin at The Grandest Stage of Them All in Philadelphia in 2024? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, do let us know what you thought about Hogan’s retirement admission.

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