Hulk Hogan: Then, Now And Forever, Here's Revisiting The Top 5 Matches Of The 'Hulkster' That Redefined WWE And The Business Of Pro Wrestling | WATCH

Hulk Hogan, one of the greatest icons in the business of pro wrestling, passed away on July 24 after suffering a cardiac arrest. Popularly known as the 'Hulkster', the late wrestler and actor was one of the most influential figures in the 1980s, and he played a pivotal part in shaping up what the WWE is today.

Hogan will forever be remembered for his larger-than-life personality and his in-ring exploits. Here's rewinding the top 5 matches of Hulk Hogan that not only cemented him as an all-time great, but also allowed the WWE to scale greater heights.

Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant at WrestleMania 3

This is one match that changed the fate of pro wrestling forever. The Hogan vs. Andre match, at the grandest stage of them all, attracted a lot of eyeballs. The storyline for this match was built for quite some time, and it saw two of pro wrestling's greatest icons have a go at each other. One of the most memorable moments of the match was Hogan lifting Andre and following it up with his iconic leg drop that resulted in him retaining the championship.

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Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage at WrestleMania 5

Atlantic City Convention Hall was witness to one of the greatest wrestling matches of all time that saw Hulk Hogan locking horns with Randy Savage on the grandest stage of them all, WrestleMania 5. The match that took place on April 2, 1989, was a perfect display of what dominant storytelling could achieve. Hogan and 'Macho Man' Randy Savage had started the year as tag team partners, but growing animosity over their shared manager, Miss Elizabeth, played a key role in Hogan locking horns with his former tag team partner. The Hulkster eventually ended up winning the match.

Hulk Hogan vs. The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania 6

The sixth edition of WrestleMania was held at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was also the first WrestleMania that was held outside of the United States of America. Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior was a blockbuster clash featuring two babyfaces of the industry. The crowd was seemingly divided as two of the biggest icons of pro wrestling had a go at each other. The Ultimate Warrior finally ended up defeating the Hulkster, a result that nobody had expected.

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Hulk Hogan vs. The Rock at WrestleMania 18

The Rock, aka Dwayne Johnson, has always credited the late Hulk Hogan as one of his biggest heroes. WrestleMania 18 saw The Rock go one-on-one with his childhood hero, in a match that was endorsed as the 'Icon vs. Icon' match. The match drew great reactions from the crowd, and eventually The Rock had to resort to methods used by heels. Dwayne eventually won the match, but the minute respect shown by him to the Hulkster will go down as one of the greatest moments witnessed in the history of pro wrestling.

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Hulk Hogan vs. Vince McMahon at WrestleMania 19

WWE mogul Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan are directly related to each other's success. Over the years, Vince has praised Hogan and has credited him for where the WWE stands today. A 49-year-old Hulk Hogan and a 57-year-old Vince McMahon locking horns with each other was quite a spectacle at WrestleMania 19. The WWE had advertised it as "20 years in the making," and Hogan eventually ended up winning this all-time classic.