WWE: Hulk Hogan Says Steve Austin Only A Bigger Star ‘In His Own Mind,’ Dismisses Attitude Era

Perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise, but “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan are arguing who is the biggest wrestling legend, and now the Hulkster has fired back with his own claim for the being the biggest WWE star.

In a related report by The Inquisitr, when Hogan commented on Ultimate Warrior’s death the latter’s wife, Dana Warrior, demanded that the wrestler “stop talking about my husband.”

The great wrestling debate started when a Dallas-area radio station asked Austin who was the biggest wrestling legend of the two:

“If you’re talking to me, it’s going to be Stone Cold Steve Austin. If you guys are talking to Hulk, it’s going to be him… I respect Hulk Hogan because his career lasted some 30 odd years. I think I lasted about 15, but during my peak years, I took the business to a height it had never seen before.”

Austin predicted that one dead on. When Hogan was asked by Yahoo Sports about Steve’s answer, he claimed just the opposite:

“I think that’s in his own mind. My career was twice as long as his. I’ve been a main eventer since 1978 when we sold out Shea Stadium. I just totally disagree with him.”

Even Austin admitted that Hulk Hogan’s name is more well-known among the general public:

“His name might come to your mind before mine, so I give that guy all due respect. He had a tremendous run.”

Austin is 100 percent correct in that regard. The Marketing Arm’s Celebrity DBI data claims Hulk Hogan has name brand recognition that few wrestlers could ever hope to compete with:

“Hulk Hogan has a 96% awareness among a general population in the US This is one of the highest awareness levels of any athlete/celebrity in the US. Michael Jordan (98%); George Forman (96%); Lance Armstrong (96%). For additional context, Kobe has a 91% awareness, Peyton Manning 88%. Sylvester Stallone and Clint Eastwood also have 96% awareness in the US.”

But Hogan went one step further and seemed to dismiss Austin’s popularity as being limited only to the WWE Attitude Era:

“I know he had a good run when he was in the Attitude Era. I don’t know how long the Attitude Era was — four years, eight years — I don’t know how long it was. That’s where we totally disagree. Maybe he and I should lock up and figure this thing out. That would be a nice match.”

Who do you think is the biggest WWE legend: Hulk Hogan or “Stone Cold” Steve Austin?