On Thursday, WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan suddenly passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest. Over the last 24 hours, many wrestling icons and fans have mourned Hogan's death by paying their respects on social media, while others have also reflected on"The Hulkster's" greatest moments and his impact on the industry. Shortly after the news broke, WWE commentator Michael Cole joined ESPN to discuss Hogan's life and legacy by outlining two moments with Andre The Giant that helped shape sports entertainment today.
"Of course, Wrestlemania 3, the Pontiac Silverdome, 93,000 people in attendance. Hulk Hogan versus Andre the Giant. This right here, which was the body slam heard around the world, no one thought at that time that Hogan could body slam the 500 pound Andre the Giant ... just a year later, in a show called The Main Event on NBC, Hogan and Andre would battle again and they would set a record 33 million viewers.It was a record for televised professional wrestling event between Hogan and Andre."
Cole continued by sharing some of his personal favorite moments from Hogan's career, claiming his iconic match with The Rockat WrestleMania 18 is the greatest match to take place at the "Showcase of the Immortals," and explained why the contest was important to the future of professional wrestling.
"68,000 fans as loud as I've ever heard an arena. Face to face. Hulk Hogan was the bad guy, so to speak at the time, but he got incredibly cheered, as loud as they cheered The Rock. And this moment was so important for the professional wrestling industry because it was really the passing of the torch from one icon, Hogan, to the next icon, The Rock, in one of the most incredible moments in the history of WrestleMania."
The other personal moment that stands out for Cole was Hogan's match against former WWE CEO Vince McMahon at WrestleMania 19, as it was the first time that he and his broadcast partner Taz would have the opportunity to call a match of Hogan's on a premium live event.
"Mr. McMahon, of course, was the villain. He was the guy who was running the corporate industry of WWE that people like Hulk Hogan were fighting against. And they dubbed this '20 years in the making, McMahon versus Hogan.' And it was an incredible moment in my career to be able to call Hulk Hogan in a match of that caliber."
Tonight, a tribute is planned to take place for Hogan on "WWE SmackDown," where many legends will reportedly be making an appearance to honor the six-time WWE Champion and celebrate his career.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "ESPN" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
