Hulk Hogan discusses potentially returning to the ring.
WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has battled numerous health injuries over the years; he has had ten surgeries in the last decade alone. The legend's in-rig career ended unceremoniously at a TNA house show in 2012, and he never got a true retirement match.
Speaking on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Hogan described how cannabis and THC have helped him feel better than ever, and his health has come a long way. When asked whether he felt good enough for one more match, Hogan recalled how Shane McMahon tried to get him to return to the ring. Hogan then stated that he told McMahon that his back needs more work, but they could talk about the possibility for 2024.
“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.’ I said, ‘What do you want to do?’ He goes, ‘All you gotta do is stand in the middle of the ring, and I’ll come do it.’ I said, ‘Right now, my back needs a little more work, but that’s something we can talk about next year.’ I’ve always wanted to have a retirement match. I’m not moving around the way I should be, so I’m going to keep working and keep training and keep doing rehab and see where I’m at about six months from now. All I found out in the wrestling business, brother, is you never say never," Hogan said.
When asked to clarify the timeline, Hogan stated that he talked to Shane a few months ahead of WrestleMania 39. He recalled how McMahon took a picture of the Hall of Fame at Madison Square Garden and wondered if Hogan had another one left in him. The legend then explained that he and McMahon spoke about potential storylines, but "The Hulkster" told him that WrestleMania 39 wasn't the right time. However, Hogan noted that he told McMahon they could talk again in a few months.
"I talked to Shane probably about three months before WrestleMania, and he happened to be at Madison Square Garden, and I guess there’s a place in Madison Square Garden where they got the Hall of Fame, and they’ve got my boots up there, and they got my tights. He took a picture standing in front of it, and Shane called me at home. He goes, ‘Hey, look at that picture I just sent you.’ I looked at it, he goes, ‘Well, you got one more in you?’ I said, ‘What are you talking about?’ He started running storylines by me to try to ramp us into that mode. I said, ‘Those were all good storylines, whether you’re coming at me like, ‘Hulk, you quit. My father made you and you left, you walked out on my father,’ which I did. Or go the opposite way, that ‘my dad did you wrong,’ because him and his dad go back and forth all the time. ‘My dad did you wrong, I wanna revitalize your career.’ There’s several things we came up with. I told him, ‘I just need to get my feet underneath me more. Now’s not the time, not this WrestleMania, definitely not. Let’s talk about four or five months from now and see where I’m at," he said.
WrestleMania 40 came up in the conversation, and Hogan noted that, given the special nature of the anniversary show, anything is possible. He also stated that he never imagined getting in the type of shape it would take to wrestle again at the age of 70. When asked about his dream opponent for his potential return to the ring, Hogan named Steve Austin, though he noted that he wasn't sure if it would make sense for them to wrestle each other at this point.
"If he would get in the ring with me, that’s the reason I went back to wrestle The Rock was to get in the ring with ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin because me as a bad guy; as Hollywood Hogan, I could have tore the place down with him because he was the ultimate good guy at the time, but I think he was having some physical problems with his legs and nerve damage, and he was about at the end of his 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. I just haven’t talked to him about anything like that ever, so if he would get in the ring, he would be the guy," Hogan said.
Hogan recently announced that he is launching his own cannabis and mushroom brand. More information is available here.
Kurt Fuller recently praised Hulk Hogan's acting abilities. Click here to see what he had to say.
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