Hulk Hogan’s 2002 return to WWE didn’t go exactly as planned. After leaving in 1993, the former fan favorite went to WCW, where he reinvented himself as one of sports-entertainment’s greatest villains. So when he returned nearly ten years later, many, including the Hulkster, assumed he would pick up where he left off as an antagonist. The fans had other plans. From the moment he appeared on-screen at No Way Out in February, the fans embraced him like it was 1985 all over. Unexpectedly, Hulkamania was running wild again.
According to the Hulkster, the original plan was for the aging Superstar to return for only a handful of dates alongside fellow New World Order members Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. But once Vince McMahon saw how positively the crowd responded to Hogan’s homecoming, he asked the Hulkster to trade in his nWo black for the traditional red and yellow and placed him in several more high-profile encounters, including an Undisputed WWE Championship Match against Triple H at Backlash in April.
Eighteen years after defeating the Iron Sheik for his first WWE Championship, the forty-eight-year-old Hogan dropped his signature leg over the throat of The Game and pinned him to capture the sixth WWE title of his Hall of Fame career.
Lady Luck was certainly on Hogan’s side at Backlash, especially considering Triple H was far and away the better competitor at that point in their respective careers. Not only did the Hulkster struggle to get his big boot up to The Game’s chin level, but he also appeared to be in great pain while attempting the simplest of tasks, including walking.
As expected, it wasn’t long before Hogan’s luck ran out. Less than one month after capturing the title, the Hulkster was dethroned by the same Superstar who ended his third reign back in 1991: Undertaker. Ironically, in both instances, a steel chair was used to neutralize Hogan. This time, however, Hulkamania stayed down for good.
