“That Wasn’t My Cup of Tea”: Vince McMahon Forced Hulk Hogan Out of His Comfort Zone Hours Before Facing Dwayne Johnson in 2002

Looking back at Hulk Hogan’s career in the WWE or WCW, you feel like he was made for this line of work. The way he effortlessly gets the crowd on their feet before, during, and after a match. Everything he does inside or outside the ring feels natural to him. It feels like he’s never outside his element. However, this wasn’t the case when The Hulkster returned to the WWE in the 2000s.

Despite being one of the most iconic stars of the 80s and 90s, when Hogan came back to the WWE, things had changed. Vince McMahon forced him out of his comfort zone, but why would he do that?

Hulk Hogan had to follow new rules after returning to the WWE

Hulk Hogan left the WWE in 1993 to pursue a career in Hollywood. He recounted on multiple occasions what Vince McMahon Sr. had told him about his plan to leave the WWE. Unfortunately, his dream of being a Hollywood star would be cut short, and he would be lured back to the squared circle of WCW and not WWE. From 1994 to 2000, Hogan would be the top star of WCW and would form the NWO.

Despite being the top star of WCW, Hogan ended up getting fired by Vince Russo at an unplanned shoot angle. This left Hogan with no option but to return to the only place he knew: WWE. When he returned to the WWE, he crossed paths with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Despite coming in as a heel, fans cheered for him as if he was a babyface, leading to the now iconic ‘Icon vs. Icon’ match at WrestleMania X8.

Even though Hogan has years of experience in the ring, things at the WWE had changed. “I remember him telling me that I needed to bring it if I wanted to keep up,” Hogan said, speaking to Sports Illustrated’s Fan Nation. He continued by talking about how McMahon and Pat Patterson wanted every match to be rehearsed before the main event. This was something that was out of Hogan’s comfort zone.

READ MORE: Despite His ‘Lavish’ Miami Plans, $25M Hulk Hogan Forced Into ‘Intimate Setting’ by Third Wife, Sky Daily

“That wasn’t my cup of tea. To me, the art form is calling it when we’re out there,” Hogan added. This goes back to the old-school style of wrestling, where wrestlers would call out move sets during the match and would make it up on the fly. Hogan was not used to practicing moves ahead of the match, and it was an alien concept to The Hulkster.

Despite being out of his comfort zone, The Hulkster has managed to have several iconic matches throughout his career.

Hogan recalls his iconic match with The Rock

According to Hogan, he met The Rock’s father when the two were living in Florida. Hogan always cited Rocky Johnson as one of the greats of the industry. Hogan claims to have looked up to Johnson Sr. When he encountered his son in the WWE, all Hogan could do was hear the voice of Rocky Johnson from The Rock. Coming to the main event of WrestleMania X8, Hogan credits The Rock for making the match such a success.

“The crowd wanted something different, so we called it on the fly,” Hogan said. Despite the match being an Icon vs Icon match, Hogan was the babyface, and The Rock was the heel. Both wrestlers listened to the audience cheering to decide who would be what during the match. The plan worked wonders, as the audience in attendance couldn’t get enough of the two incredible legends showcasing their brilliance in the ring. Thanks to this, Hogan hopes that The Rock headlines the next WrestleMania in 2024.

What do you think about Hogan not wanting to practise matches and follow the new rules of the WWE?

Watch This Story: Crazy Scenes Unfold as Ric Flair Chops a WWE Legend at Hulk Hogan’s Birthday Bash