Andrew SpoorsThe turn of the year signals new beginnings for people all over the world. The wrestling world is no different, as the road to WrestleMania begins to form. Tonight’s episode of Raw calls upon wrestling royalty to kickstart 2021 gaining the moniker ‘Legends Night’.
Booker T, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Mickie James and Big Show are just some of the names slated to appear on the special episode of Raw. What the Superstars of yesteryear will be doing has not been revealed, leading to speculation on what the WWE Universe can expect.
Two of the biggest legends in the industry, Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan, have recently talked about what they think makes a Superstar a legend…
Many people would list you as the greatest WWE Legend of all time. How do you feel hearing that?
Ric Flair: To even be in the conversation is a compliment. There are so many people that would want that kind of recognition. I’d be a liar if I didn’t say I liked getting it. In fact, I love hearing it. To be 71 years old, to be discussing the business, being asked my opinions by other people, and knowing that my opinion matters – that is rewarding enough. When I go to the shows all the talent show me the utmost respect. They are so good to me, so nice to me. But, at the end of the day, I’ll take the recognition!
Ahead of WWE Raw ‘Legends Night’ what do you think makes Hulk Hogan a WWE Legend?
Ric Flair: I think Hulk is one of two or three guys that are the most famous people to ever be around, part of, or participate in the history of WWE. The others being, in my estimation, Steve Austin and The Undertaker. The three of them, I think, stand out more than anybody I can think of. Any time I had the opportunity to wrestle Hulk was an opportunity to be in the ring with the flagship of WWE. I could list four or five other guys too but he was the ‘Golden Goose’ and he represented everything that the company wanted and not only competed at the highest level. He was the Make-a-Wish king long before it was recognized as much publicly as it is now. He took time for the kids at every show. He worked hard and he just represented. I was thrilled to even have the opportunity to work against him.
At Raw ‘Legends Night’ you’ll be entering the WWE ThunderDome for the first time. What do you think of the ThunderDome and are you excited to witness it in person?
Hulk Hogan: Oh man I’m really excited. I love the way the way the ThunderDome looks, with all the screens and the fan interaction. I think it is a step above what I expected, you know, with all the craziness in the world today. I mean, I’ve had very exciting moments. I remember going into WrestleMania 1 with goosebumps not knowing what the heck was going on. I remember being scared to death of Andre the Giant and being afraid of my own shadow not knowing if he was going to break me in half. Then I remember wrestling the Rock and the fans were cheering. It’s kind of one of the crazy WrestleMania moments. For me to show up at the ThunderDome after all this time? To have Flair and Kurt Angle with me, all my buddies, the Big Show? We’ve even got Beth Phoenix and Tori Wilson. It’s just the unexpected wrestling moment I didn’t think was going to happen this late in my career. I am just totally pumped for this. I feel like I’m getting ready for WrestleMania or something.
How do you feel when people say you are one of the greatest WWE Legends of all time? Who do you think is the greatest WWE Legend of all time?
Hulk Hogan: Well, you know, I will gracefully accept and acknowledge that compliment because it means so much, especially coming from my peers, to say that. The guy who is my hero, and who I think is the greatest wrestler of all time, that’s Ric Flair. So, I do appreciate the comment, but I have a different opinion about who is the best wrestler and the greatest of all time, I have to go with Flair. It’s in his blood…he laid the groundwork. He raised the bar that no one has really been able to follow as far as work ethic.
What do you think of the current Champions Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre?
Hulk Hogan: I’m a little biased to both of those guys. Romans Reigns’ father Sika and his partner Afa, they pretty much put me on track when I was lost. I mean, my first run in WWE I left Florida and we met up and drove to the first TV and when we were up there they had been in the business quite a while so they groomed me and they helped me and kept me from making too many mistakes when you’re first in the business. I’ve got so much respect for the Samoan dynasty, and to understand how it peaked with The Rock, I see Roman Reigns taking it to a whole other level now. He’s solid, he’s consistent, he’s got the look and there are no holes in his work…he’s really, really spot on. Then on the other hand I’ve watched Drew McIntyre, and the years of training and in-ring experience, now he’s as legit as they come. He’s got the eye of the tiger look in his eyes. He’s got the body of a god. His work is solid, everything he does is spot on. His interviews are good. So, I think Triple H was right when he’s comparing those two guys having classic matches like the stuff Flair and I had.
What should fans expect from Raw Legends Night?
Hulk Hogan: Well, the fans should tune-in because you never know what to expect. I don’t even know what to expect. I’m going there just to have a great time, reminisce with friends, but when you’re talking about having Flair and Kurt Angle there, Big Show, Carlito… anything is possible. We could end up in the ring, brother. We could end up taking over the whole WWE on one given night. You don’t know what’s going to happen. That’s why I’m so excited.
