Hogan Vs. Cena In The Works For WrestleMania 31
In a report in this week’s subscribers-only edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan is adamantly pushing for a match with John Cena at WrestleMania 31.
“Hulk Hogan has pushed for a match with Cena. If he’s willing, and can pass the physical, they could do a retirement match. Hogan hasn’t wrestled at a WrestleMania since 2003 and will be almost 61 at match time, so if he can’t do it this year, that should be it.”
Hogan and Cena were supposed to wrestle back in 2009 at WrestleMania 25, but those plans fell through after Batista, who was supposed to be in the main event of WrestlMania’s 25th anniversary show got hurt, and WWE needed a main-event caliber star to replace him, and chose Cena to be that guy.
As the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer stated, Hogan will be nearly 61 by the time WrestleMania 31 takes place, so if he’s going to have a match it needs to be at the big event in Santa Clara, California.
After nearly a dozen back surgeries, Hogan has been rendered nearly immobile, and the word is he cannot take any bumps. If he is able to get in the ring for one more match with Cena, the match may not be all that great.
The last time Hogan wrestled in a WWE ring was a little over eight years ago, when he defeated Randy Orton at SummerSlam on August 20, 2006. The last time Hogan wrestled a match period was at TNA Bound For Glory on October 16, 2011 when he lost to Sting.
For the last several months there have been many rumors that WWE is trying to bring back several legends to compete in one-off matches at WrestleMania 31. Those one-off matches have included Undertaker vs. Sting, Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. John Cena [if the Hogan vs. Cena match doesn’t happen], and at the WWE SmackDown TV taping on Tuesday, WWE teased a match at WrestleMania 31 between The Rock and Triple H, which will air on Friday, October 10 at 8 p.m. eastern time on SyFy.
While a match between Hogan and Cena at WrestleMania may turn out to be an in-ring disaster, it’s still something that many long-time wrestling fans can get excited about, and no matter what the quality of the match is the fans in attendance will likely give Hogan the respect he deserves.
Would you like to see Hogan vs. Cena at WrestleMania 31?