Hulk Hogan: 5 Legendary Rivalries That Made Him a Wrestling Icon

The legendary wrestler died in July 2025 at 71, and he was a major part of wrestling fans’ childhood memories, tagged by many as the greatest of all time.

He has a series of unforgettable rivalries that shaped his journey, including titles and matches. 

Let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit the five most legendary rivalries that turned Hulk Hogan into the legend we still talk about today.

At one time, Hogan and Savage were like brothers. In fact, they formed a tag team known as The Mega Powers, which was a a dream alliance that thrilled fans across the globe. 

They were unstoppable together, sharing victories and soaking in the crowd’s cheers, but like many great teams, it did not last.

Their rivalry started when jealousy and mistrust crept in, especially around Miss Elizabeth, Savage’s manager and real-life wife. 

Hogan’s closeness with her did not sit well with the “Macho Man”. Eventually, Savage snapped and attacked Hogan, turning the Mega Powers into bitter enemies.

This set the stage for their WrestleMania V showdown in 1989, a dramatic clash where Hogan defeated Savage to reclaim the WWF Championship. 

The build-up was so emotional and intense that it felt like watching two brothers fight; it even made fans choose sides.

If Hogan was the king of the '80s, then The Ultimate Warrior was the wild energy of the early '90s. When their paths crossed, it was nothing short of epic.

At WrestleMania VI in 1990, fans witnessed something rare: babyface vs. babyface, hero vs. hero. 

Hogan was the WWF Champion, and Warrior held the Intercontinental title. The match was billed as "The Ultimate Challenge", and it truly was, with both men fan favourites, but only one could win.

The match was thrilling from start to finish, with big slams, power moves, and dramatic near-falls keeping fans on the edge of their seats. 

In the end, Warrior won clean, but Hogan did something unexpected when he handed Warrior the belt and raised his hand, showing respect and humility.

It was one of Hogan’s few clean losses, and it passed the torch (at least for a while) to a new hero. 

Their rivalry was not full of hatred, but it was legendary because it brought together two larger-than-life icons in a battle of respect.

If Hogan was the all-American hero, Roddy Piper was the loud-mouthed rebel who never backed down. Their feud shaped the entire Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Era in the mid-'80s.

Piper was the perfect villain who insulted crowds, smashed guitars, and interrupted everything with a smirk. 

Hogan, on the other hand, was the clean-cut star who stood for the fans, making the contrast perfect. 

Their feud peaked at the first-ever WrestleMania in 1985, where Hogan teamed up with Mr T to face Piper and “Mr Wonderful” Paul Orndorff.

That match launched WrestleMania into a worldwide brand, as Hogan and Piper brought celebrities, mainstream attention, and a sense of drama that wrestling had not seen before.

Their battles continued over the years, even spilling into WCW in the late '90s.  Even in their older years, Piper and Hogan could still get a crowd fired up. 

By 2002, Hogan was in the twilight of his career. He had gone from red and yellow to black and white with the nWo, had switched companies, and returned to WWE. 

Meanwhile, The Rock had become the new face of the industry who was young, electric, and sharp-tongued.

At WrestleMania X8, WWE gave us a dream match no one ever thought they would see when he chose to fight The Rock in an old generation vs. new, The Immortal vs. The Great One.

What happened next was magical, as the Toronto crowd cheered Hogan wildly, even though he was meant to be the villain. 

The Rock got booed at times, but both men adapted, told an incredible story in the ring, and gave fans a classic.

The Rock won the match, but Hogan walked away with a hero’s ovation in what was a passing-of-the-torch moment that also reminded everyone why Hogan was still “The Man” in so many hearts. 

This was tagged as the rivalry that changed wrestling forever. Andre the Giant was once Hogan’s friend and mentor, was undefeated for 15 years and was beloved by fans everywhere. 

But in early 1987, the unthinkable happened when Andre turned on Hogan and challenged him for the WWF title. 

The betrayal hit fans hard, as Andre wanted the belt and to break Hogan.

Their match at WrestleMania III became one of the most iconic moments in sports entertainment history. 

Over 93,000 fans packed the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan, with millions more watching at home. 

When Hogan body-slammed Andre, a man billed at over 500 pounds, the stadium erupted. 

That slam became the defining image of Hogan’s career, as he pinned Andre and retained the title, but more importantly, he became immortal.

This rivalry turned Hogan into the face of a global empire, and it brought wrestling to mainstream TV, made WrestleMania a global brand, and etched Hogan’s name in the history books forever.