The Rock has admitted he wasn’t sure if Hulk Hogan would put him over when they faced each other at WrestleMania X8 in 2002.
The Rock and Hogan competed in an Icon vs Icon match at WrestleMania 18 and it went down in WWE history as one of the best ever Showcase of Immortals matches not only because of the work created in the ring but due to the atmosphere by the fans inside the arena as well.
Following two Rock Bottoms and a People’s Elbow, The Great One was able to pin The Hulkster and win the match, but in the build-up to the match itself, he was unsure if he was going to win as planned.
During a recent live chat on Instagram, The Rock reflected on his match with Hogan at WrestleMania X8 and how at one point he was just waiting for Hogan to give him the green light in order to win the contest.
He said, via Ringside News: “I remember speaking to Vince McMahon, Pat Patterson, Michael Hayes, about our match, and as we were putting the match together and we were all collectively, including Hogan, just felt like, well, let’s just feel it out there and see where the crowd goes, and then we’ll adjust.
“We had agreed that I was gonna win the match, but much like WrestleManias before, WrestleMania 3 with Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant, it was assumed that Hogan was going to win but with Andre, Hogan talks about it still to this day, you never know until match time what Andre is going to decide because he’s the OG.
“Well, the exact same thing I felt with Hogan, even though we agreed that I was going to win the match and he was going to pass the torch to me.
“The wrestling world is funny, I’ve learned because I grew up in the wrestling business, that you don’t count your chickens until they hatch, they come out of the egg and it’s happening. So I wasn’t assuming I was going to win. I was just waiting for Hogan to give me the green light.”
Hogan did pass the torch to The Rock by allowing him to win at WrestleMania X8, creating an amazing WrestleMania moment in the process.