In a May interview, wrestling icon Hulk Hogan revealed that Shane McMahon had approached him with the idea of setting up a match for WrestleMania 39. However, Hogan explained that the concept never fully materialized due to his physical condition, primarily citing issues with his back. Hogan’s last wrestling match took place in January 2012, and the prospect of a retirement match had been a topic of discussion within wrestling circles for years.
In a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, Hogan provided further insight into the discussion he had with Shane McMahon. Hogan shared that Shane had initiated contact by sending him a picture from Madison Square Garden, where there is a hall of fame walk. In the picture, Shane stood in front of Hogan’s memorabilia and playfully asked if the “old timer” had one more match in him. Hogan was intrigued and asked for Shane’s ideas.
Their conversation expanded to include Hogan’s son, Nick Hogan, as a potential part of the match. Shane and Hogan brainstormed various scenarios involving Nick’s involvement. Hogan mentioned that he could only participate in the match if he remained in the center of the ring, as his physical limitations prevented him from running, hitting the ropes, or executing many wrestling maneuvers. He detailed the challenges he faced, such as being unable to roll to his right and having to roll to his left to get up.
Nick Hogan had trained at Rikishi’s school for a few years and had some wrestling experience, but he had also suffered injuries to both of his shoulders. Despite these obstacles, Hogan and Shane discussed potential storylines, including the possibility of Nick turning heel and blaming Shane for allegedly ending his father’s career.
However, the plan hit a roadblock when Shane McMahon himself suffered an injury to his quad at WrestleMania 39, as Hogan clarified during the interview. Following Shane’s injury, Hogan ceased hearing from him about the proposed match.
In the end, the idea of Hulk Hogan returning for a match at WrestleMania 39 with the involvement of his son Nick and Shane McMahon as a potential opponent never materialized beyond these discussions, leaving it as an intriguing what-if scenario in the world of professional wrestling.
“Shane had called me and sent me a picture from Madison Square Garden, I guess they got a hall of fame walk in there. Shane sent me a picture of him standing in front of my stuff and he goes, ‘Hey old timer, you got one more left in you?’ I went, ‘Okay, what are you thinking?’ He goes, ‘Well, I don’t know if you had one more left in you, or maybe a surrogate such as Nick [Hogan].’ So we started talking and I said that the only way I could do anything is if I was in the middle of the ring and you just came to me, because I can’t run or hit the ropes. I have a hard time walking distance. Taking a bump, If I got up I’d have to roll to my left, I can’t roll to my right. The only way I can get up is if I roll to my left. So, it would be a stretch but Nick was in Rikishi’s school for a couple of years and he was in there with Rusev and all of those guys. I’d go out to California and watch him, and Nick had it figured out, but then he blew both of his shoulders out. I said, ‘Well I don’t know. There’s a possibility to maybe do something, whatever the storyline is. Maybe, Nick is a heel and [he says that Shane destroyed his father’s career].’ I don’t know, there’s a million ways to do it but then a couple of weeks later, Shane got hurt or something with his quad.
Anyway, that whole idea, I just never heard from him again so that was pretty much it.”
FightfulSelect.com is reporting that Hogan is lying, and Nick Hogan was never considered for WrestleMania.
