VADER VS. HULK HOGAN

 

Before the match, Mike Tenay hands a microphone to Vader before retreating to a safe distance. Vader cuts a promo on Hulk Hogan before handing the microphone to Ric Flair, claiming he doesn’t need it anyway. Ric Flair says he was always told Hogan was the measuring stick in wrestling and tonight he gets to be a part of Hulk-a-Mania ending. We see a video of Flair and Vader attacking Hogan back at Superbrawl, and Hogan trying to get to them 3 weeks previous. 2 weeks ago Hulk Hogan also attacked Vader with a leather strap, Flair was stopped from helping Vader by Jimmy Hart. Hulk Hogan promo time! He promises the Ultimate Surprise as he stands in front of a green screen with Jimmy Hart. It sounds strange hearing Hogan call Flair the dirtiest player in the game, too. Tony Schiavone completely ruins the surprise by saying it’s The Renegade before we even go to Michael Buffer. Vader makes his way out first, he’s the WCW United States Champion, and the #1 contender for the WCW Championship. None of those belts are on the line here, Hulk Hogan makes his way out sans Jimmy Hart or The Renegade.

Bobby “The Brain” Heenan and Tony Schiavone are on commentary for this match

 

VADER VS. HULK HOGAN (Strap match)

WCW Uncensored 1995 (March 1995)

  Ric Flair and Vader corner Hulk Hogan as Vader attaches himself to the strap. The Renegade’s music hits so Vader and Flair bail to the floor. The Renegade vaults from the ring over to the floor and backs Flair up the aisleway.

  Ric Flair’s punch is caught and we cut to Vader and Hogan brawling at ringside. Hulk Hogan chokes Vader with the strap and connects with right hands before removing Vader’s mask surprisingly easily and bringing it into the ring. Hogan rakes at Vader’s eyes and sends him across the ring as we see Flair return to ringside. Hulk Hogan chokes Vader with the strap again before biting his forehead. Ric Flair looks to get involved in the match but sees The Renegade on the apron and thinks better of it. The Renegade chases Flair around ringside as Hogan connects with right hands in the corner and climbs to the middle rope to choke Vader some more. Hogan whips Vader across the back as Ric Flair slides into the ring, Flair takes some shots and goes back to ringside, walking into The Renegade. The Renegade no-sells some strikes from Flair and chases him up the entranceway. Flair trips and Hogan fights out of a bearhug in the ring.

  Hulk Hogan knocks Vader down, Vader goes to the floor but The Renegade throws him back in the ring. Vader absorbs a shot from the leather strap and pulls Hogan into the Ho Train a couple of times. Tony’s mentioned a couple of times that you have to drag your opponent around the ring to win the match, I wonder if that’s important? Vader connects with a right hand and slams Hogan near the corner for the Vader Bomb. Vader chokes Hogan on the mat and puts him in the bodyscissors, Jimmy Hart runs down with a ripped shirt to be in Hogan’s corner. Hogan seems to have broken free from the strap so Vader whips him across the back with it. Hogan falls out of the ring, and Vader grabs a chair before talking to the crowd and headbutting Hogan. Jimmy Hart attacks Vader from behind as we cut to a further camera angle. That diverts Vader’s attention, Hulk Hogan gets some chair shots in and we’re back to a wide angle as Hogan gets a running start to knock Vader down.

  Hulk Hogan re-attaches the strap and whips Vader with it before choking him. Ric Flair runs past them as The Renegade is “keeping him at bay” and cheers on Vader. More shots from the strap as Hogan takes it to Vader. Vader tries to clinch with Hogan, but Hulk Hogan retreats through the ring and pulls Vader into the ring post. Hogan hits Vader with another weak chair shot, it honestly sounded harder when he dropped it on the floor. Flair is in he ring with Renegade, Ric Flair hits the ropes and is knocked down with zero effort so he leaves again. Hogan sends Vader into the ring for more lashes to the back and a comedy spot with the strap flipping Vader over. Vader is sent over to the floor, Hogan follows and knocks him down with right hands and a clothesline. More strap shots to Vader’s back, Hogan chokes Vader from above and slams him on the floor. Hogan touches 2 posts from the outside which I haven’t seen before. Vader stops Hogan’s momentum by sending him into the guard rail and bringing us back to square one.

  Vader sends Hulk Hogan’s head into the top of the guard rail and connects with right hands before taking a shot at The Renegade, who doesn’t flinch. Hulk Hogan gets back in the ring for a few moments of safety but he’s sent off the ropes into a chokeslam. Vader splashes Hogan on the mat before hitting him across the back with the strap and hitting a suplex. Hulk Hogan gets back up and hits the Big Boot into a Leg Drop, he drags Vader around the ring touching the corners but his momentum is stopped by a masked man hitting Renegade with a chair at ringside! Ric Flair hits Hogan with a wooden chair across the back and lays in some boots. The Renegade is quickly back on his feet but he takes a couple of shots from the wooden chair too, sending a piece flying into the crowd. Vader has touched 3 corners but Ric Flair gets in the ring, telling him to hit Hogan with another splash on the chair before ending the match.

  Vader misses a somersault, hitting the chair, so Flair drags him out of the ring. Ric Flair breaks another wooden chair over Hulk Hogan’s spine and struts away so he misses the Hulking Up. Flair turns around into some shots from the leather strap, he’s sent off the ropes into a Big Boot. Hogan attaches the strap to Flair’s wrist and touches all 4 corners.

WINNER: HULK HOGAN

They seemed to have booked themselves into a corner. The Championship wasn’t on the line so it shouldn’t have needed Flair to be the one to “take the fall” here. It was a basic Hogan vs. Monster match and there was no good way out of it. Ric Flair was the highlight of the match and The Renegade is a footnote in wrestling history that would be forgotten if it wasn’t for people watching old shows back and writing about them. [*] 1.5/10

After the match, The Renegade runs around ringside like a moron whilst Vader and Flair beat Hogan down, Hulk Hogan ducks a clothesline from the strap and knocks them both down. Another masked man rushes the ring with a chair and we have a stand-off! Arn Anderson is shown making his way up the ramp tied up. He was supposed to be the masked man! The 2^nd masked man clears the ring of the heels and reveals himself to be Randy Savage.