Hulk Hogan has forgotten more about professional wrestling than most will ever know, even if that occasionally bites him in the behind due to his less-than-perfect recollection.
He was the biggest act in WWE and WCW history during their respective glory days, a legitimate movie star even if he's been called an all-time bad actor by his peers, and even had an incredible run in Japan that few fans are even aware of, working matches against the likes of Antonio Inoki that made him into a top star in New Japan Pro Wrestling and an IWGP Heavyweight Champion.
Sitting down for an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated about professional wrestling in 2023, the Hulkster celebrated a performer he feels is doing things the right: Randy Orton.
“Randy's done something I haven't seen done before. He's a hybrid. A third-generation wrestler who learned from the old school. You can't see any holes in his work. Everything he does means something. Randy doesn't get a guy in the corner and stomp him 20 times for no reason. He'll stop you once or twice, and it means something. He understands how to adjust and adapt in a way no one else really does,” Hulk Hogan told Sports Illustrated.
“Watching Randy now, he fits perfectly. Not only does he adjust to the styles of the young guys, but watch his matches. He slows guys down and teaches them in the match. On the spot, he calls audibles and shows them how to do it. Open my hand, here's the diamond. He's transitioned from old school to this hybrid.”
Ah, well, that's nice of Hogan to say, but wait, the “Hulkamaniac” wasn't done. No, in a very Hulk Hogan move, the six-time WWE Champion lamented that he couldn't get in the ring with Orton, as they could have “torn it down” in a main event.
“If I wasn't all beat to h*ll, I'd love to get in the ring with Randy,” Hogan said. “We could still tear it down in the main event. Randy could call it in the ring, and he could adjust to my style to make sure it worked perfectly. He's just so good. He can work with veterans and the newer guys, too. He knows how to pivot both ways in the ring.”
Oh, Hulkster, never change. While the duo have technically shared the ring twice, including a singles match at SummerSlam 2006 when the veteran grappler leg dropped his way to a win over the “Viper,” you can never count out Hogan when it comes to booking a hypothetical match.
Hulk Hogan has a ton of love for the entire Orton family.
Elsewhere in his conversation with Justin Barrasso, Hulk Hogan opted to show some love to Randy Orton's famous wrestling family, from his father “Cowboy” Bob Orton, to his grandfather, affectionately known as “The Big O.” While the name Orton rarely comes up when discussing the history of Hogan in the business, the family did have an impact on his wrestling career.
“Randy's father was unbelievable in the ring. Before I got in the business, I used to watch Bob Orton and Steve Keirn go at it. Steve was a year ahead of me in high school, and we'd always talk about wrestling. I was so hooked and dialed in. Years later, I got to work with Orton, and he was amazing in the ring,” Hulk Hogan recalled.
“When I was getting into the business, I got to meet Randy's grandfather, The Big O. He used to wrestle in Tampa. I was such a big wrestling mark, I'd chase the wrestlers to the local bar, the Imperial Room, where they'd all hang out. He was really nice to me, but he was mean as h*ll in the ring. He was something really special in the ring, too. During that time period, he'd leave lace prints on you. Nothing but respect for the whole Orton family.”
Over Orton's three decades in the professional wrestling business as an active performer, Hogan shared the ring with members of the Orton family on 22 occasions, first appearing alongside Bob Orton in a WWF World Heavyweight Championship match at the Memorial Auditorium in 1984 and finally closing out their shared legacy over 30 years later in 2006, when Hogan defeated Randy at SummerSlam. Though their family feud may not be generational or hold the same spot in the hearts of wrestling fans as, say, Hogan-Andre, the matches clearly hold a special place in Hogan's heart, and that matters all the same.
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