A WWE Hall of Fame legend believes a key WCW title change involving Hulk Hogan in the 1990s did lasting damage to one of the company’s most protected characters.
Speaking on an episode of The ARN Show, Arn Anderson criticised the decision to have Hulk Hogan defeat The Giant, better known as The Big Show in WWE, who currently works for AEW under his real name Paul Wight, for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship at WCW Hog Wild 1996.
Anderson argued that the booking move came at the expense of The Giant’s long-term aura, suggesting the character lost something that could never truly be regained once he was beaten on such a big stage. In his view, WCW rushed into the payoff instead of allowing the storyline to grow.
“I would have rather he did not take it off The Giant,” Anderson said. “I feel like The Giant was due and should have had a bigger, more spectacular title run and keep him and Hogan away from each other. I’ve always thought that let it build to that because once you’ve beat a giant, how do you top that?”
The comments reopen debate over one of WCW’s most talked-about creative decisions, with Anderson making the case that protecting The Giant longer could have paid greater dividends for the promotion in the years that followed.
When Did Hulk Hogan Join WCW?
Hulk Hogan joined World Championship Wrestling in 1994 after leaving WWE, marking one of the most significant talent jumps of the era. His arrival was officially unveiled at Bash at the Beach 1994, where he confronted Ric Flair and quickly positioned himself at the centre of WCW’s main event scene.
Hogan’s move helped reshape the company’s direction in the mid-1990s and laid the groundwork for many of WCW’s biggest storylines, including his later heel turn and the formation of the nWo.
