FULL MATCH: The Rock vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan – WrestleMania X8 (March 17, 2002)
It was a night wrestling fans will never forget.
On March 17, 2002, inside the packed SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario, two eras collided in what would become one of the most iconic matches in WWE history. It wasn’t for a championship. It wasn’t about rival factions or months of buildup. It was something bigger. It was a moment. A passing of the torch. A clash of legends.
The match pitted The Rock, the face of WWE’s modern era, against Hollywood Hulk Hogan, the man who had defined professional wrestling in the 1980s. Billed simply as “Icon vs. Icon,” it was a match dreamed up by fans, delivered by destiny.
From the moment Hogan stepped through the curtain, the energy inside the SkyDome was unlike anything the WWE Universe had ever witnessed. Though technically the villain, Hogan was greeted with a deafening roar. Fans stood to their feet, many in tears, cheering the return of a hero. And when The Rock entered, he was met with a surprising mix of cheers and boos—a sign that, for at least one night, the crowd had chosen their allegiance. Toronto was Hogan country.
When the bell rang, the two stood motionless in the ring, locked in a staredown that lasted nearly a full minute. The arena shook. This wasn’t just a wrestling match. It was a generational battle—respect wrapped in rivalry.
The early exchanges were simple: collar-and-elbow tie-ups, shoulder tackles, and body slams. But every move, every taunt, drew earth-shattering reactions. Hogan scratched The Rock’s back like he did in the ’80s. The Rock responded with raised eyebrows and smirking arrogance. The match was storytelling at its finest—physical, dramatic, and raw.
Hogan played the power game, grounding The Rock with clotheslines and a bearhug. The Rock fought back with speed and fury, landing his signature spinebuster and setting up for the People’s Elbow. But the real magic happened in the final minutes.
After a Rock Bottom, Hogan did what no one expected—he Hulked up.
The SkyDome exploded as Hogan pointed his finger in classic fashion and absorbed The Rock’s punches. He landed the big boot and dropped the legendary leg. The referee counted one… two… but The Rock kicked out. The arena gasped. Hogan looked stunned. The legend had given his best shot—and it hadn’t been enough.
The Rock struck back with two more Rock Bottoms and finished the match with a thunderous People’s Elbow. The referee counted to three. The match was over. The Rock had won.
But what happened next mattered more than any pinfall.
As The Rock stood tall, he extended his hand to Hogan. There was hesitation, a pause—then Hogan reached out and shook it. The crowd stood again, this time not for competition, but for unity. Two icons. Two eras. One unforgettable moment.
When the rest of the nWo stormed the ring to attack Hogan for showing respect, it was The Rock who returned to save him. Shoulder to shoulder, they cleared the ring together. And when it was all said and done, they stood at the top of the ramp—arms raised, side by side.
The Rock had the victory, but both men left WrestleMania as heroes.
Looking back, The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan wasn’t just a wrestling match. It was a tribute to everything wrestling was and everything it could be. It was emotion. It was legacy. It was magic.
No titles were exchanged. No stipulations were needed. Because that night in Toronto, the world didn’t witness a scripted outcome.
They witnessed history.
And history never fades.