WrestleMania VI remains one of the most iconic events in WWE history, headlined by the champion-versus-champion showdown between Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior. While the match ultimately saw Warrior defeat Hogan to become both WWF and Intercontinental Champion, the result reportedly weighed heavily on Hogan in the aftermath.
Speaking on his Something to Wrestle podcast, Bruce Prichard reflected on the mindset Hulk Hogan carried into the historic bout. According to Prichard, Hogan was fully committed to making the match work and was determined to elevate Warrior, even if he had reservations about the long-term outcome.
“Hulk was willing to try, and Hulk was willing to do whatever it would take to get Warrior over,” Prichard said. “But, I don’t think that he had total confidence that it would work, because he didn’t feel that Warrior was fully vested, and he was in it. He really didn’t like the business and didn’t care, whereas Hulk was kind of a lifer and loved the business.”
Prichard added that Hogan believed Warrior viewed professional wrestling more as a means to an end than a lifelong calling, which created doubts about how sustainable his run on top would be. Despite those concerns, Hogan went into the match prepared to do everything possible to make the moment work.
According to Prichard, the loss weighed heavily on Hogan in the immediate aftermath, particularly because he feared the audience would reject him now that he was no longer champion. However, those concerns quickly proved unfounded.
“Hulk was nervous going out in front of a crowd the first time. … Because he thought that he was a failure,”
Prichard explained, but according to Prichard, the crowd response was even bigger than what they anticipated.
What Are Hulk Hogan’s Greatest WrestleMania Matches?
Hulk Hogan’s legacy at WrestleMania is defined by some of the most iconic matches in WWE history, many of which helped shape the event into the global spectacle it is today. His first major WrestleMania moment came at WrestleMania I, where he teamed with Mr T to defeat Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff in the main event, setting the tone for the company’s expansion era.
Perhaps his most famous bout came at WrestleMania III, where Hogan body-slammed and defeated Andre the Giant in front of a reported 93,000 fans, a moment that became synonymous with the rise of Hulkamania. Hogan later headlined WrestleMania V, where he lost the WWF Championship to Randy Savage in a highly personal showdown, and WrestleMania VI, where he passed the torch to The Ultimate Warrior in a historic title-versus-title match.
Other notable WrestleMania appearances include his championship win over Yokozuna at WrestleMania IX, his Hollywood-era showdown with The Rock at WrestleMania X8, and his later return to the grand stage at WrestleMania XIX against Vince McMahon. Together, these matches cemented Hogan’s status as one of the most influential and enduring figures in WrestleMania history.
