It appears that Retirement-mania is going around with Greg Valentine wanting a final match against Flair—which he believes will draw, Goldberg wanting a proper retirement bout, Ricky Steamboat scheduling a retirement match after Thanksgiving, Keiji Muto hanging up his boots, and now Hulk Hogan wants in on it.
Hulk Hogan is Eyeing a Retirement Match at WrestleMania 40
While Flair and Steamboat’s retirements are under the Crockett banner, Hogan—best known for his time with WWE—is aiming for the Showcase of Immortals. It would give Hogan a way to be back on television regularly as he’d need to build-up his retirement match.
That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll have to wrestle a tag match or something on television but he’d at least have to be around. Given that Hogan is bringing up a final match now, it seems like he’d have no problem making shows to push the storyline.
During his interview on MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Hogan said that Shane McMahon approached him about a retirement bout. Now, Hogan shared the pitch—which means it probably won’t get used—in which McMahon comes after the Hulkster for walking away from WWE and his father. Mind you, he’s been back several times and the last time he left, he pretty much had to since he was a brand risk at that time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPzA_ybYTPk&pp=ygUPaHVsa2FtYW5pYSB0b3Vy
It would be something Shane would’ve stewed over for years even after Hogan returned as a WrestleMania presenter. Shane-O-Mac had many opportunities to get his revenge and even had a large, menacing goon to do it for him.
To up-sell the Hall of Famer on the match, Hogan said that Shane took his age into consideration and was told that he wouldn’t have to do anything and that the younger McMahon would handle the ring action.
Hulk Hogan viewed the pitches as interest in him having more involvement in WrestleMania. He told Helwani that he explained to Shane that he needed more surgery on his back but the idea would be revisited for WrestleMania 40.
So, it all hinges on how Hogan recovers. On that note he said:
“I have always wanted to have a retirement match, but now I’m not moving around the way I should be. So, I’m gonna keep working and keep training, and keep doing rehab and see where I’m at about six months from now. But all I found out in the wrestling business, brother, is you never say never.” (h/t: CagesideSeats)
To his last point, Hulk Hogan speaks the truth as odder things have happened in wrestling such as Stone Cold returning for a match and CM Punk wrestling again—those two happened this decade. He is interested in Stone Cold being his final match which would be the most hyped retirement bout in WrestleMania history.
Do you see a retirement match in Hogan’s future? A harder question is would Austin be up for facing Hogan at WM? Who else do you see sending Hogan off for a final time?
As always, let us know down below!
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