During an interview on The MMA Hour, Hulk Hogan revealed that Shane McMahon contacted him in late 2022 / early 2023 and pitched storylines about a match between them at WrestleMania 39.
Hogan noted that he does want a retirement match in WWE, but turned down the WrestleMania 39 offer. However, he is open for WrestleMania 40 in April 2024.
Apart from a possible match against Shane O’Mac, The Hulkster also has his sights set on Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Hogan revealed that he wanted to face Austin after facing The Rock at WrestleMania 18.
If Austin agrees to step in the ring with him now, Hogan would be open to having the ‘Dream Match’.
Below is what the 2-time WWE Hall of Famer said:
“If he would get in the ring with me – 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, could have torn 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.
When I went [to the WWF in 2002], that was when I talked to Vince, he asked me if I’d wrestle The Rock, I said yeah I’ll wrestle The Rock, I don’t mind putting him over, he was going to do the movies and stuff. So my whole thing was to move on to Steve but I had no idea that physically he was hurt.
So I don’t know with all this time passing and both of us getting older and wiser if it would even make sense. You’d have to be crazy to get back in there at my age anyway and I just haven’t talked to him about anything like that ever. If he would get in the ring, he would be the guy.”
Hogan’s last WWE match took place at SummerSlam 2006, where he defeated Randy Orton. The last match of his career (to date) took place in January 2012 at a TNA House Show, where he teamed up with Sting and James Storm to defeat Kurt Angle, Bully Ray (Bubba Ray Dudley) & Bobby Roode in a 6-man tag team match.
Hulk’s last WrestleMania appearance was in 2021, where he was the Host of WrestleMania 37 along with Titus O’Neil.
Steve Austin came out of retirement after 19 years in the main event of WrestleMania 38 – Night 1, where he defeated Kevin Owens in an impromptu No Holds Barred match.
Since that match, Austin has noted in multiple interviews that he’d be open to wrestling again if the stars align.
Austin was offered matches against Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns recently, but he turned them down.
Also Read: Hulk Hogan Makes A Big Claim Involving Roman Reigns
