When it comes to associating a sport with an iconic athlete, Hulk Hogan and pro wrestling go together like Michael Jordan and basketball, Muhummad Ali and boxing, Tom Brady and football, or Arnold Schwarzenegger and bodybuilding. So, news that Netflix is set to air a new docuseries, telling the story of how Terry Bollea went from humble beginnings to become the superhero-like Hulk Hogan, has come as welcome news for wrestling fans. Not least because the project will feature the Hulkster’s final interview before his untimely death in the summer of 2025. So, as we prepare to revisit Hulk Hogan’s incredible life and career, M&F names his top ten greatest matches, brother!
Quick side note on how we compiled this list: Of course, top 10 rankings are often subjective, so we’ve taken a range of factors into consideration, accounting for critics scores, fan reaction, and the overall impact that each match has had on the pro wrestling business.
10. ‘Hollywood’ Hulk Hogan vs. Goldberg (WCW Monday NITRO)
A seismic shift in the pro wrestling landscape was felt on July 6, 1998, when Hulk Hogan defended the WCW World Heavyweight title against Bill Goldberg in front of around 40,000 fans at The Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
Why is it so great? “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan, who by this time had gained a reputation for monopolizing the main event scene, took an important loss to build up the younger Bill Goldberg in this bout, much like he had done previously for The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania 6. And, because this match happened in the era of the “Monday Night Wars” against WWE Raw, WCW execs decided to air this bout for free, rather than charge a fee on pay-per-view. This resulted in a whopping audience of around 10 million viewers tuning in to see the changing of the guard. While the match provided a much needed short term boost for WCW, and introduced Goldberg as a bona fide superstar, neither WCW or the hometown hero would be able to challenge the long term legacy of The Hulkster.
9. Hulk Hogan vs. The Big Boss Man (‘Saturday Night’s Main Event’)
On Saturday Night’s Main Event, May 27, 1989, Hulk Hogan once again proved that some of his greatest wars were against opponents that were much heavier than him.
Why is it so great? Fans of the movie No Holds Barred, released that same year, will get a kick out of seeing Tiny “Zeus” Lister Jr. attack The Hulkster before the match begins, leaving The Big Boss Man with a hefty advantage. This bout also features Hogan suplexing the Big Boss Man from the very top of the cage, sending the crowd into a frenzy. The two behemoths then give a masterclass in storytelling by lying on the floor for a painstaking two minutes until Hogan “Hulks Up,” and gets the win, erasing memories of the plodding Hogan vs. King Kong Buddy snoozefest from WrestleMania 2. Hogan vs The Big Boss Man at SNME remains essential viewing, mixing violence and storytelling in a way that only the best pro wrestling action can.
8. Hulk Hogan vs. Ric Flair (WCW Bash at the Beach 1994)
Hulk Hogan was trained by Japanese legend, Hiro Matsuda, and was a technically proficient grappler, but he much preferred to lean into the story and psychology than submission holds. This limited moveset led to serious speculation about how Hogan would fair in a match against wrestler’s-wrestler, Ric Flair after signing with WCW.
Why is it so great? While the two had previously battled in mostly non-televised matches, Hogan’s jump to WCW meant that his first pay-per-view main event for the company would be pivotal to the organization’s future growth. Fortunately, during this match, held at Bash at the Beach on July 17, 1994, The Hulkster delivered in spades. Not only did Hogan win his first WCW World Heavyweight Championship in this match, but he also impressed the critics with his dedication to trading moves and reversals with “The Nature Boy.”
7. Hulk Hogan vs. Vince McMahon (WrestleMania 19)
It’s hard to imagine what the product of pro wrestling would look like, for better or worse, had Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan not joined forces to hype “Hulkamania” in the mid-80s. Still, as the 90s approached, the two titans of industry were torn apart by steroid trials and big money offers from Ted Turner’s WCW. Hogan famously left WWE in 1994 and even helped McMahon’s rivals to overtake WWE in the Monday Night Wars. That victory would be short lived, however, because McMahon eventually beat, and then bought out WCW. But not one to let personal gripes get in the way of ticket sales, Hogan was welcomed home in 2002.
Why is it so great? These decades of very real personal history between the McMahon family and Hulk Hogan set the perfect scene for the Vince McMahon vs. Hulk Hogan Street fight match on March 30, 2003, at WrestleMania 19, and while The Hulkster was 49, and his boss was 57, the match went beyond what fans had expected. Sure, the epic story telling was there as expected, but so too was some brutal physicality. Hogan even lay prone on the commentary table while his aging antagonist climbed a ladder and blasted him with a leg drop. To top it off, the real American was able to pin the evil Mr McMahon, leading to one of the most bizarre and yet utterly watchable bouts in bone-bending history.
6. Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage (WrestleMania 5)
Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage wrestled all over the world, including legendary matches in London and Paris, but their most iconic clash went down on April 2, 1989, at WrestleMania 5, as the tag-team known as The Mega-Powers exploded in a grudge match for the “Macho Man’s” World title.
Why is it so great? Tensions had hit a fever pitch weeks before, when Savage blamed Hogan for an incident during a tag-team match against The Twin Towers at The Main Event II, where Akeem had thrown the “Macho” Man onto his valet, Miss Elizabeth. As Hulk Hogan picked up a fallen Miss Elizabeth and took her to safety, Savage was left to receive a beatdown by the opposing team of Akeem and The Big Boss Man. This was the most complex and emotional storyline that a WrestleMania main event had been afforded up until this time and resulted in a white-hot grudge match where Savage blasted The Hulkster with two solid elbow drops before missing a third, thus affording Hogan his second WWE title win via pinfall.
5. Hulk Hogan vs. Stan Hansen (All Japan Pro Wrestling)
Hulk Hogan may have battled some cartoonish opponents during his iconic career, but a stiff bout against Stan Hensen in Japan earned him a 7.78 score on the fan/critic website, cagematch.net. The match took place on April 13, 1990, in the main event of a joint show between WWE, All Japan Pro Wrestling, and New Japan Pro Wrestling called the “Wrestling Summit,” and gave fans a glimpse of Hogan’s ability to go technical.
Why is it so great? During the clash, Hogan would eat several stiff shots from Hansen, who was known for blasting his opponents into next week with his lariat. Additionally, the two big men brawled outside of the ring, blending the best of American and Japanese pro wrestling action, and providing Hogan with a hard-earned victory that serves as one of the best performances of his stellar career.
4. Hulk Hogan joins Hall & Nash (WCW Bash at the Beach 1996)
If ever there was an award in pro wrestling for a match that was best remembered for what went down in the aftermath, then the main event of Bash at the Beach, on July 7, 1996, would win the trophy, hands down.
The red and yellow, “Say Your Prayer’s” shtick that helped Hogan to continue his career with an impressive WCW showing in 1994, had grown tired by the time Bash at the Beach ’96 rolled around. Fortunately, The Hulkster saw the box-office returns that could be made by turning his back on Hulkamania and becoming “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan instead. The historic match itself was sold around the idea that Scott Hall and Kevin Nash would bring a mystery partner into their main event bout against Randy Savage, Sting, and Lex Luger. Revealing himself as that dastardly mystery partner, Hogan would deliver just two moves, blasting Savage with two leg drops to crush the good guys, and his long serving fans in the process.
Why is it so great? Of course, this match served as the platform for the official beginning of the N.W.O movement thanks to Hogan’s incredible character work, where he proclaimed a “New World Order” in professional wrestling, WCW became the hottest pro wrestling program between 1996 and 1998 and business wise, the impact of this match is still being felt today.
3. Hulk Hogan vs. The Ultimate Warrior (WrestleMania 6)
“The Ultimate Challenge” took place at the Skydome in Toronto, Canada, on April 1, 1990, where more than 60,000 fans converged to witness two of pro wrestling’s most popular stars pitted against each other, for the right to be called king of the WWE mountain. James “The Ultimate Warrior” Hellwig was the young lion and the Intercontinental Champion when he took on Hulk Hogan for his WWE Championship at WrestleMania 6.
Why is it so great? While the pace of main events was a lot slower, in terms of moves per minute, back in the early 90s, the psychology behind the bout worked perfectly. Both men were closely matched in terms of size and aura, but Hogan’s job was to help usher in a new superstar for his then boss and WWE owner, Vince McMahon. Despite the Warrior’s limited skillset, The Hulkster was able to get the best out of the rising star, much like he would do years later with Bill Goldberg, losing the WWE title with dignity. In a nail-biting finish, fans were left wanting more from their established hero, as The Hulkster made the slow journey backstage following his defeat.
2. Hulk Hogan vs. The Rock (WrestleMania 18)
The goodwill that Hulk Hogan had built up during his WrestleMania 6 match with the Ultimate Warrior cannot be underestimated here, as “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan became the unexpected fan favorite at the Skydome against Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, 12 years later at WrestleMania 18.
Why is it so great? Accurately dubbed “Icon vs. Icon,” the bout pitted old-school against the best of WWE’s “Attitude Era,” but despite Hogan’s status as a heel, the fans rejected The Rock and cheered for the man who paved the way instead. The Rock appeared visibly shocked by the unexpected reaction at first, but then cleverly leant into the boos in order to help bring Hogan one of his most memorable matches, despite an almost 20-year age gap. Sometimes, the small details in a wrestling match matter the most, like the intense stare down that the combatants had as the crowd boiled over. Another masterclass in crowd manipulation and cinematic storytelling, this is a match for the ages.
1. Hulk Hogan vs, Andre the Giant (WrestleMania 3)
Whether it was the enormous (but debated) crowd of 93,173 fans at the Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit or the fact that Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant is one of the most visually appealing matches of all time, there’s no way to downplay the importance of their WrestleMania III confrontation on March 29, 1987.
Why is it so great? While the 7’4” giant was past his peak, he still more than delivered, owning his role as the intimidating, seemingly unstoppable force that would surely derail Hulkamania. In the end, however, The Hulkster didn’t just pin his bigger foe, he also executed the most famous bodyslam in history and set the standard for how WrestleMania main events should be presented to the mat loving masses.
If you are hungry to learn more about the life and times of the Hulkster, Netflix’s docuseries “Hulk Hogan: Real American” is set to premier on April 22, 2026, and will tell the story of Terry Bollea’s unique ascent to pro wrestling immortality. You can view the trailer below.
