When it comes to wrestling, there is no bigger name than the Rock. While he may have hung up his boots years ago (or did he?) his name is still synonymous with the sport.
Earlier this week, the People’s Champion popped up on social media to answer a tweet sent out by WWE. The simple tweet asked people to name the match they thought to be the most important to WWE history. The Rock answered with a classic match. One that has very solid grounds for winning the debate.
Hulk Hogan vs Iron Shiek in Maddison Square Garden back in 1984.
The Birth of Hulkamania was Pivotal for WWE
There can be no denying the calibre of the Rock’s choice. The match between Hulk Hogan and the Iron Shiek was a pivotal one, not just for the company but for the entire evolution of professional wrestling.
The match was a classic tale of good versus evil, with all the political nods that the ’80s needed. Hogan became the first man to escape the camel clutch and went on to get the pinfall and secure his first-ever world title. More importantly than that, however, were the now immortal words uttered by Gorilla Monsoon.
Hulkamania is here.
The Rock is a wrestler, but more importantly, he is a wrestling fan. He has admitted on numerous occasions that he grew up as a fan of Hulk Hogan. His choosing that match as the most important is no real surprise. The Rock got to face his boyhood idol in an idol vs idol match at Wrestlemania X8, a match he championed and campaigned to Vince McMahon for.
The Rock has his own fair share of legendary matches during his run in WWE. Should rumours pan out, perhaps we will one day be talking about The Rock versus Roman Reigns in the same way we do Hogan and Shiek?
