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Newsweek
24-07-2025
- Newsweek
Remembering Hulk Hogan: His Most Iconic Wrestling Moments
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The professional wrestling world was shocked at the news that Hulk Hogan, real name Terry Gene Bollea, had sadly passed away at 71. The 12-time World Champion had established himself as one of the most popular wrestlers of all-time and the biggest draws in the history of the business. More Pro Wrestling: Hulk Hogan Dead At 71 After Cardiac Arrest While the Hulkster has fallen under controversy in recent years, there are still countless moments that established his legacy and pro wrestling as a whole. Here are some of Hulk Hogan's most iconic moments across WWE and WCW. ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - March 27 1988: Hulk Hogan vs Andre the giant Wrestlemania Vl March 27 1988 at Historic Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey March 22 1988. ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - March 27 1988: Hulk Hogan vs Andre the giant Wrestlemania Vl March 27 1988 at Historic Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey March 22 The Iron Sheik for His First WWF Championship While Hulk Hogan had a plethora of iconic rivalries throughout his career, one of his best was against The Iron Sheik. A classic tale of All-American baby face vs. foreign heel, Hogan defeated The Iron Sheik to win his first World Championship, reversing the Camel Clutch into Hogan's now iconic Atomic Leg Drop. This would swiftly catapult Hogan as the greatest hero in the then-WWF, taking the place of Bob Backlund. Hogan would go on to hold the WWF/WWE Championship six times, reigning for a total of 2,185 days: the second most in WWE history. Slamming André The Giant at WrestleMania III In any sport, there is a moment when you can tell that things have changed, like Babe Ruth calling his shot or Michael Jordan's dunk from the free throw line. For professional wrestling, this was when Hulk Hogan slammed André The Giant at WrestleMania III. A seemingly unbeatable villain, André The Giant was billed as 7-foot-four-inches tall and over 500 pounds. Fans had no idea what to expect when Hogan To this day, Hogan slamming André remains the iconic image of professional wrestling. The Formation (and Break Up) of The Mega Powers While there are many names that are Synonymous with Hulk Hogan, the first one that comes to mind is easily "Macho Man" Randy Savage. Easily the biggest baby faces of the era, the wrestling world was blown away when Savage and Hogan joined forces to become The Mega Powers. However, two stars shining this bright could not remain near each other without imploding, and this would eventually happen after Savage grew jealous of Hogan's friendship with his wide, Miss Elizabeth. This would eventually result in their iconic battles at WrestleMania V, which is widely considered one of the best matches in both wrestlers' illustrious careers. More Pro Wrestling: Hulk Hogan's 10 Greatest Matches Of All-Time Joining The nWo At WCW Bash at the Beach 1996, Hogan came to the ring as if he were going to help Randy Savage, Sting, and Lex Luger. Instead, he turned on the heroes, joining forces with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. This shocking heel turn marked the creation of arguably the most famous and popular faction in professional wrestling history: The nWo. And their effect would be felt on professional wrestling throughout the decades for better and for worse. The Fingerpoke of Doom While The nWo was easily the most popular thing going on in WCW, it also marked the unfortunate destruction of the company due to various issues behind the scenes. And there was one single in-ring moment that truly marked this controversy. In a highly-anticipated match between Nash and the now-named Hollywood Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. However, instead of a battle between two powerhouses, Hogan defeated Nash with a simple fingerpoke and pin. To this day, the "Fingerpoke of Doom" is widely considered to be the turning point for the Monday Night Wars and the eventual demise of WCW. Hulk Hogan's Face Off With The Rock After WCW went bankrupt, Hogan eventually found his way back to WWE to varying levels of success. That being said, one moment stands out as not just the best moment of Hogan's career, but Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's as well. Billed as an "Icon vs. Icon" match, this bout felt special from the moment the bell rang. As both Superstars faced each other, the crowd couldn't help but erupt in cheers and applause. While the match itself would be a good one, this singular moment before it even started captured something special. To this day, it is considered one of the greatest moments in WrestleMania history. More Pro Wrestling: Pro Wrestling World Reacts To Hulk Hogan's Sudden Death For more WWE and professional wrestling news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Yahoo
The D'Amore Drop: Welcome to pro-wrestling's biggest weekend since WrestleMania
Jon Moxley vs. Hangman Adam Page for the AEW World Championship headlines Saturday's All In mega-event. The D'Amore Drop is a weekly guest column on Uncrowned written by Scott D'Amore, the Canadian professional wrestling promoter, executive producer, trainer and former wrestler best known for his long-standing role with TNA/IMPACT Wrestling, where he served as head of creative. D'Amore is the current owner of leading Canadian promotion Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling. This weekend is pro-wrestling's biggest since WrestleMania 41 in April. Advertisement Saturday is headlined by the biggest show on AEW's calendar: All In. We went over what a home run this is for AEW last week — today, let's focus on the matches. As a promoter/booker, you dream of the times where everything just clicks. Everything in AEW is clicking right now. The main event is a Texas Death Match for the AEW World Championship: Jon Moxley vs. Hangman Adam Page. We know this is going to be a violent, personal, emotionally-loaded match. Some people have been critical of Moxley's title run, saying the Death Riders have outlived their usefulness. Well, ratings and attendance have gone up during Mox's reign as champ. If you're going to blame the world champ when things go down, you have to credit him when things goes well. Advertisement With that said, it is time for Hangman to complete his redemption arc and regain the title. WWE presents its latest mid-year edition of "Saturday Night's Main Event," just hours after AEW's big event (how'd that happen?), with the headliner being 58-year-old Bill Goldberg's retirement match against WWE World Champion Gunther. A lot of people are asking if Gunther can carry Bill to a good match. That's not a fair question — and it isn't the right one. What fans want is simple: That knock on the door, that music to hit, the smoke, the fireworks, Goldberg punching the air on the way to the ring, the spear, the Jackhammer — and a near-fall. Advertisement They just want the chance to believe in Goldberg one last time. Don't we all want that — just one more time seeing our heroes as we remember them? That's what WWE aims to deliver on Saturday. Some fans argue WWE has telegraphed that Goldberg is losing, because he's not getting the belt in his last match, especially with WWE establishing that wrestlers 'Jon Jonesing' the heavyweight title 'ruins' things. Even if that was the case, sometimes the result is not as important as delivering the moment. Also on "Saturday Night's Main Event": LA Knight vs. Seth Rollins in the co-main event. It's a big spot for LA Knight — well earned. He's incredibly over and super talented. Some people compare him to The Rock, others to Stone Cold. If you're compared to both, you're doing something right. Advertisement Meanwhile, Rollins is having one of the best — maybe the best — in-ring years of his career. He had the best match on Day 1 of WrestleMania 41 with his triple threat against CM Punk and Roman Reigns. And he's followed that up with banger after banger. His match with Penta this week on "WWE Raw" was just a perfect TV match — everything you'd want from weekly wrestling. Sometimes it takes a while for even a top hand to find their footing in a new environment, but Mercedes Moné now looks like an AEW superstar and not 'Sasha Banks from WWE.' However, to me, this is the — ahem — 'time' for Toni Storm to retain her Women's Championship and then circle back to this feud a little down the road. Saturday's biggest match in terms of pure wrestling is, of course, Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega. This is the fifth match in a series that not only is one of the very best in the sport's history, but a massive reason AEW even exists. Advertisement Okada and AEW took some criticism about how Okada was used early on in his AEW run, and some of that was fair, but there's no question that since linking up with Don Callis, Okada is on fire. If I had the pencil — and I don't — I'd have Okada go over, 100%. He needs the win way more than Kenny does. He's just starting to really hit top gear in AEW, in part because he's been paired with a heat machine like Callis. Okada losing would put him at 1-3-1 against Kenny in singles matches. I'd have Okada draw level in the series. Maybe I'd lean into the idea that Kenny's been off hurt, maybe plant the idea he's not quite what he was, give him something to prove to the fans and himself. Advertisement Then do another rematch in September or even early next year when Kenny Omega proves the old adage from Toby Keith, 'I'm not as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was.' Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega's rivalry goes back to their NJPW days. (Etsuo Hara via Getty Images) That's all this weekend. Last weekend was a huge one for my new promotion, Maple Leaf Pro. It's hard to call our July 5 event in Montreal anything but a smashing success. Montreal is a wrestling city with deep roots, but it's also fiercely competitive. There's always a lot going on every weekend and you have to fight to sell every ticket. On the same night we ran our show, the CFL's Montreal Alouettes drew 21,000 fans, Lionel Messi and Inter Miami were in town, and one of North America's biggest Comic-Cons was happening a few blocks away. Advertisement And yet — in a market we'd never touched before — we still drew 2,800 fans. That's an incredible statement about what we're building with MLP. This promotion is just 10 months old. We don't have a TV deal or national distribution. What we do have is a passionate crew, a growing digital footprint … and a roster of talent that's second to none. And in Montreal, we had a secret weapon: PCO. Carl Ouellet, 57, is a Montreal legend, and he and his team put in the old-school hustle — boots on pavement, posters on walls, shaking hands and filling seats the hard way. And then, as advertised, PCO had a wild, unforgettable main event against Dan Maff with AEW's Billy Gunn as special guest referee. Advertisement The spot PCO did — at his age and after three decades in the business — through the table was as legit of a 'Holy s***!' moment as I've seen all year. And Maff underlined that he also absolutely belongs in a main-event spotlight. The show itself was our best yet. We even had a surprise reunion of AEW's Dark Order with Stu Grayson and the unexpected return of Evil Uno. That moment was so cool to give the fans — those guys haven't teamed in years. Then we added another layer of fun with TNA's Santino Marella making a one-night-only appearance as MLP's Director of Authority. That whole segment, with AEW, TNA and MLP talent all sharing the ring, was a great example of the kind of cross-promotion and fan-first moments we love delivering. NWA Champion Thom Latimer is criminally underrated. His match at MLP last week against Matt Cardona was as good as anything you'll see on WWE or AEW week to week. Shotzi Blackheart hit free agency like a ton of bricks — already appearing on MLW and then having a great match against MLP Women's Canadian Champ Giselle Shaw. Advertisement Similarly, hot new free agent Ace Austin reminded — as if anyone should need reminding — what a massive talent he is against Josh Alexander. The entire team — in front of and behind the camera — delivered big. I left that night feeling humbled, proud and more excited than ever for what's next. Which brings me to Downtown Showdown. On Saturday, July 26, Maple Leaf Pro literally takes wrestling to the streets — closing off downtown Windsor, dropping a ring at the intersection, and letting the action fly. This is wrestling on the patios. Wrestling on the sidewalk. A fair show on supplements. Last year's trial run drew about 500–600 fans. This year, we're expecting to pack in around 1,000. Advertisement The vibe is casual and electric — no video wall, no big stage, just daylight, great matches, a sound system, and the energy of a live crowd standing (or sitting) just feet from the action. It's free, it's family-friendly, and it's world-class wrestling in the heart of my hometown. Expect to see The Good Brothers, Giselle Shaw, Ace Austin, and more — not behind a velvet rope, but right there, where you can shake hands, grab a photo and make a memory. We're proud of what we're building with Maple Leaf Pro. And we're just getting started.
Hamilton Spectator
07-07-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Rare' experience with Canadian UFC legend Georges St-Pierre comes to Toronto in September. Here's how to get ticket starting this week
Seen by many as one of the greatest fighters in mixed martial arts history, Georges St-Pierre is heading to Toronto in September for a 'rare and revealing' evening experience at Meridian Hall. The one-night-only event, according to a news release, will offer fans a 'rare glimpse inside the mind of a fighter who became a global icon.' A post shared by Georges St-Pierre (@georgesstpierre) The live interview event is set to take place on Monday, Sept. 29, at 8 p.m. and will be followed by an audience question-and-answer period where fans will get the chance to ask questions and hear personal responses from the former UFC superstar. 'This is a chance to speak from the heart — to share not only what I've done, but what I've learned,' St-Pierre said in the release. 'I've always believed greatness isn't something you're born with — it's something you build, day by day, choice by choice. That's the story I want to tell.' Tony Gattillo, founder of Gattillo Group and the event's producer, has conducted similar events with the likes of legends like Al Pacino, Arnold Schwarzenegger and John Travolta. 'For Canada, there's no one more inspiring to lead the way than Georges St-Pierre — an icon of discipline, perseverance and authenticity, and a national treasure,' Gattillo said. An event presale is set to go live on Ticketmaster on Wednesday, July 9, at 10 a.m., followed by a general public sale on Friday, July 11, at 10 p.m. A limited number of post-show VIP packages will be available, offering an 'intimate post-show experience' with St-Pierre that includes a cocktail reception, professional photo, signed memorabilia and a viewing of his original World Championship belt. A post shared by Georges St-Pierre (@georgesstpierre) St-Pierre, inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2021, holds the UFC record for most wins in title bouts, and held a professional record of 26 wins and just two losses. The two-division UFC champion won titles in both the welterweight and middleweight divisions, becoming one of only a few athletes to achieve such a feat in multiple weight classes. His records include 13 championship wins, nine consecutive title defences, 90 total rounds won and 90 successful takedowns, which is the most in UFC history, according to the event news release. The UFC legend first retired in 2013, but returned in 2017 at Madison Square Garden to became the UFC Middleweight Champion. He would announce his retirement from professional mixed martial arts in 2019, and now lives in Montreal and travels the world training with coaches and partners across every discipline.
