WWE: Hulk Hogan Admits TNA Matches Were ‘Embarrassing’ But Still Wants WrestleMania 31

Hulk Hogan is enjoying his WWE return in its current limited fashion, but he’s still aching (hopefully not literally) for a WrestleMania 31 match. But would Vince McMahon even allow such a thing to take place?

In a related report by The Inquisitr, when Hulk celebrated his 61st birthday he was insulted by Brock Lesnar, and it’s even claimed Ric Flair snubbed the wrestling legend. Of course, who is the biggest legend of them all has Hulk and Steve Austin debating who is the biggest WWE star. No stranger to controversy, Hulk decided to opine that War Machine is “lucky” that Christy Mack is not Ronda Rousey.

Despite the age issue, the real reason that everyone is dismissing the possibility of any major match is due to Hulk Hogan’s back injuries. Several years ago he messed himself up by beach-combing for seashells, and he required major back surgery to fix the damage. Now he’s claiming the back is good enough to pass the WWE physicals, and he’s demanding that Stone Cold Steve Austin or John Cena face him in the ring (might as well add Brock Lesnar to that list since he’s wishing).

Recently, the Orlando Sentinel ran a story where they quoted Hogan during the WWE 2k15 character reveal. It turns out that even the Hulkster himself did not like Hulk Hogan’s TNA matches near the end of that era:

“The thing is, I watch the old tapes of myself, WCW, and it’s embarrassing because towards the end I was getting to where it was embarrassing to kind of like be in there and then I watch the TNA (Wrestling) stuff and that was a nightmare. I tried to get in there. I was in the middle of the back surgeries trying to keep up. The doctors would say ‘you’ll be fine’ but to watch it now is embarrassing. Not that Vince would want this, not that Triple H would want this but I keep telling everybody that my goal, because I’m not in pain anymore, that my goal would be to get back in there, not embarrass myself if that’s possible and have that one more match. And if that works, if that really were to work I would love to contribute and participate and do some stuff because I miss it so much.”

Hulk also admitted that the WWE is currently more interested in keeping the “mystique” of Hulkamania alive rather than actually have him wrestle in the ring. But he’s praying they have a plan that will have him doing more than “standing there with the microphone and saying the same crap every week”:

“I’m not trying to (get a match with Cena) but if I could have the best best case scenario with what’s going on with my body right now and the people that are helping me get back on track … My back’s fine, everything is cool, with my arthritis I’ve got some people helping me with that. (has it in his elbows and toes) hips and knees are metal so nothing wrong there If I can get more fluid and get rid of this arthritis, my goal would be in a perfect world to have Cena at WrestleMania 31. If that’s unrealistic I get it. But if I had a wish list and you’re asking me, that would I’d love to do. Have my body and be physically ready to have Vince and Triple H trust me enough to go ‘OK, you can handle this’ then get in there and just tear it down.”

Hogan has been saying for weeks now that John Cena is his “dream match” for WrestleMania 31 and he bet on Cena before the WWE face took on Brock Lesnar. But the hard part may be convincing Vince McMahon that any match at all is a good idea:

“Vince McMahon and I have always been good friends. On a personal level he would do anything for me, for you, for anyone he loves. He would give you the shirt off his back. On a business level? He’s a different animal. Cut and dry. Black and white.”

Assuming that Hulk Hogan’s back is better than when he was in the TNA, would you want to see him wrestle one last time at WrestleMania 31?