Who here has seen Hulk Hogan work in Japan?
 

Seriously I remember watching videos of him when he wrestled in Japan, and I watched another match of his yesterday.... dont get me wrong he wasn't a technical wizard or anything, but the guy busted his ass. He bumped like a motherfucker, he showed a little bit of technical ability and kept at a decent pace... he even showed some stiffness at some points. His finisher, the axe bomber (ie brutal lariat) was fairly badass.

It just goes to show that the guy is a genius. He knew in the US he could get away with doing jackshit in the ring, but once he came to Japan he had to do SOMETHING in the ring, and he was actually really cool to watch.

I've only seen him get smashed with a guitar over his head by Jarrett.

I would appreciate any links to his matches in Japan.

hulkamaniaがあなたでやりたい放題やるとき何兄弟をする行っているか。

I've heard good things, but I honestly thought they were jokes.

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It's not amazing or anything but damn he works a shitload harder here than he does in the states.

Him and Hawk beat the fuck out of one another. Though he does sort of shitout on the press slam.

Oh wow, an asian Road Warrior.

The Hellraisers is a sick tag team name.

His matches with Tenryu and the Great Muta are both on YouTube, I'll fetch a link later if I remember.

His match against muta was the best of his whole career, from a wrestling standpoint.

I've seen his match against muta it was really good. But I just watched his match against Hansen and I have to say that is one of the best brawls I've ever seen.

If you can find stuff from the mid to late 80's with Hogan, that's really his best body of work in Japan. His match with Muta in 93 is a notable exception. Tremendous match. Also, after the match Hogan gave a press conference where he bashed the WWF Title and said he wanted to come after the IWGP Title. Pretty interesting considering he was the WWF Champion at the time and even had the belt with him at the press conference.

Animals a bit green?? :?:

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Pretty obvious he's putting over NJPW and IWGP Title and all. Still interesting though, as it isn't the same Hulk Hogan character you see in interviews in the US.

That wasn't Animal. That was a young Kensuke Sasaki, under the name Power Warrior.

That promo was actually good.

Why couldn't Hogan be that in the WWF?

I think that's the character Hogan should portray in TNA if he ends up wrestling. Nobody is going to be able to buy Hogan as the unstoppable hero (John Cena?) that he used to be. If he wrestles, he has to wrestle more cagey and rely on his veteran wisdom instead of the "power of the 24" pythons", if you get where I'm coming from.

Basically, don't be Cena. If they book him like Hogan (and in turn Cena) I think the TNA fans would shit on it. They do need to do something different.

Hulk Hogan v Genichiro Tenryu

Pretty big match for the Japanese audience as Tenryu was HUGE in Japan. He is the only wrestler to hold a pinfall victory over both Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki.

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Exactly. To be believable in the ring, he'll need to wrestle more like Hollywood Hogan and less like Hulk Hogan.

Just skimmed that. Holy shit, Hogan is SELLING.

The step over jujigatame takedown around 3:45 in the first video really caught me off guard. Not an amazing move or anything, just not used to seeing Hogan do that, even though I've seen this match a few times.

I'm actually enjoying that match. I don't think I've ever actually enjoyed a Hogan match after I was a mark.

I think it's the fact that I've never seen Hogan do anything "good" in the ring.

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Typing "Hulk Hogan Japan" brings up a bunch of stuff. Other notable matches include Hogan v Fuijinami (1985), Hogan v Abdullah the Butcher, and Hogan v Akira Maeda (1983). The last one is only two and half minutes long, but is pretty intense and the crowd is hot.

I watched some Hogan's work in Japan and told my buddy that I felt ripped off as a result.

Yeah i know. I was taking the piss.

lol yeah pretty much.

The Tenryu match was pretty good. Gotta love the axe bomber, it's a stiffass looking lariat. Also liked how they always kick out of the leg drop and there's no hulkups.

His promo said it best, pretty much he bullshits in America. Can't blame him. It's not like anyone would have noticed a change in his style.

2 more things

1) I don't know if this was for effect, but he seemed almost nervous trying to please the Japanese crowd, like he was out of his element... though it's not like he doesn't have experience there so he was probably just playing up being a visitor

2) I was reading a youtube thread deal and I think the commentators refer to him as Hollywood Hogan. Apparently that's what he was referred to as behind the scenes and in Japan even before his heel turn? :s

Anyone care to elaborate if you know anything?

Honestly watching any Japanese wrestling depresses me because it makes me realize how much of a cartoon WWE is :(

does it really have to be like that? I mean... I GUESS it does, but have they ever tried to change it? The closest they have come to changing it is 1997, and even then we had the Undertaker and Kane and Mankind. Oh and I guess the year 2000... that was an amazing year to be a WWF fan.

I have no problem with the 'cartoon' stuff, it's just when they go overboard and shit that is completely illogical is when I get pissed.

But there's no reason they couldn't incorporate both cartoon and the 'serious' stuff to a good mix, and the Attitude Era sort of did that. Maybe it was turned up a bit too much, but still.

The cartoon stuff is pure shite. People are sick of it now which is why ratings are not as good as they once were. The merch sales are alright but that's because little kids will buy anything.

If they tried with competitive, great wrestling it could work. Obviously guys need to be able to talk. There will always be room for guys who can talk... just because guys can talk doesn't mean they have to try blow guys up in their cars and pretend to have sex with a corpse.

On the flip side, just because they can't talk doesn't mean they shouldn't not get pushed.

That's what managers are for.

WWE would be boring for me if it was just for the wrestling itself. I enjoy the soap operas, even though they tend to be ridiculous.

Exactly, now we're on the same page.

See cartoon stuff is okay to an extent but I mean very slight. I'm talking the way Stone Cold Steve Austin rolled. That wasn't even really cartoon... that was just someone being a badass and spitting in the face of authority.

Then there's someone like Piper who had a huge personallity, and did "cartoon" type things like breaking the coconut over Snuka's head. That's funny, great shit. But it doesn't overshadow the wrestling.

When Heyman was a manager we saw guys get over that we never thought had it in them (see: A-Train and Big Show)

Bobby the Brain was one of a kind. Cornette was great. But Vince decided one day we're past the days of managers. I don't really know why. It doesn't make sense. He apparently knows what his fans like more than they do. :s

AXE BOMBER!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Come on, that's just a clothesline.