So who was the biggest name ever in the industry, Hogan, Austin,The Rock or someone else?

[the ambush]

Hogan right now, but when the dust settles, it will be The Rock. The Rock is so huge that in time, his pro-wrestling career will be a mere footnote in his autobiography.

I guess it depends how you judge it though. If it's just purely PW, Hogan will probably never be topped in notoriety for simply being a pro-wrestler. General infamy though, The Rock will destroy them all.

Respectfully disagree on The Rock.

 

[HereticBD]

Respectfully disagree on The Rock.

I don't know how you could. He's a legitimate Hollywood mega star. That carries more weight and notoriety than anything Hogan did. Now, if you want to boil it down to stardom based purely on Pro-Wrestling, then Hogan is tough to beat. However, I think The Rock is going to be one of the most famous people ever when all is said and done. Hogan had a lot of mainstream crossover, but he wasn't someone like The Rock who has successfully branched out in other ventures and has become just as big of a movie star as he was a PW star, if not bigger. It's a hell of a feat, and nobody did it on the scale of The Rock.

 

[My Spot]

Its an interesting discussion, though everyone other than Hogan and Austin are difficult to argue for because TV ratings for Pro-Wrestling were non-existant prior to Hogan.

Hogan made pro-wrestling in the 1980s, and his heel run in the 90s nearly buried WWE. When you account for the amount of time he was on top of the industry, as well as money brought in through ticket sales, merchandise, TV ratings, etc... its Hogan and by a very wide margin.

But for the overall highest peak of Pro-Wrestling - The Monday Night Wars and Attitude Era - Stone Cold Steve Austin ruled it and for the 6 years he was on top of the WWE is was the absolute best quality Pro-Wrestling in its history. Period. All of the factors I mentioned with Hogan were never as high as they were with Austin with any era of WWE... even with Hogan in the 80s... but Hogan's era lasted 20 years as compared to Austin's 6 years.

I still maintain that if WWE had offered Austin the right pricetag to have a year-long feud with Hogan back in the early 2000s... it would have banked WWE hundreds of millions of dollars.

Austin's peak was so short compared to Hogan's though. And he wasn't on top for 6 years. Not even close. He also bombed as a heel.

 

[GearSolidMetal]

Austin's peak was so short compared to Hogan's though. And he wasn't on top for 6 years. Not even close. He also bombed as a heel.

And Hogan's babyface run in the WCW before turning heel was atrociously bad. I could have gone into how Austin was a Rick Flair jobber ripoff in WCW too.

My first post was talking about the quality of their work or the fan reactions, I was talking about money and interest generated to pro-wrestling.

 

[My Spot]

And Hogan's babyface run in the WCW before turning heel was atrociously bad. I could have gone into how Austin was a Rick Flair jobber ripoff in WCW too.

My first post was talking about the quality of their work or the fan reactions, I was talking about money and interest generated to pro-wrestling.

Except Hogan doubled and in some cases quadrupled attendance and buyrates in WCW before turning heel.

 

[GearSolidMetal]

Except Hogan doubled and in some cases quadrupled attendance and buyrates in WCW before turning heel.

Then it wasn't very high in the first place, because WWF was still beating them in TV ratings and ticket sales.

Last I heard, WCW's PPV buys were always bad and never came close to beating WWE's even when Nitro was beating raw on TV ratings.

 

[My Spot]

Then it wasn't very high in the first place, because WWF was still beating them in TV ratings and ticket sales.

Last I heard, WCW's PPV buys were always bad and never came close to beating WWE's even when Nitro was beating raw on TV ratings.

Straight from Meltzer, who hates Hogan:

 

[GearSolidMetal]

Straight from Meltzer, who hates Hogan:

To clarify, I'm not saying Austin drew more money than Hogan overall, just during the Attitude era.

But I'd have to see line graphs comparing WCW & WWF's PPV buy rates throughout the 90s to believe although WWF had higher TV ratings but WCW had bigger PPV buys during Hogan's WCW babyface run.

 

[My Spot]

To clarify, I'm not saying Austin drew more money than Hogan overall, just during the Attitude era.

But I'd have to see line graphs comparing WCW & WWF's PPV buy rates throughout the 90s to believe although WWF had higher TV ratings but WCW had bigger PPV buys during Hogan's WCW babyface run.

It's not though. Austin's highest buyrate was a 2.6 (WM17). Hogan's WM buyrates in the 80s destroys that (8.0, 7.0, 6.0, 5.9). Hell, Hogan did a 7.0 for Summerslam.

 

[GearSolidMetal]

It's not though. Austin's highest buyrate was a 2.6 (WM17). Hogan's WM buyrates in the 80s destroys that (8.0, 7.0, 6.0, 5.9). Hell, Hogan did a 7.0 for Summerslam.

Wait... Hogan did a 7.0 for SUMMERSLAM 2005?

I'm not calling you a liar, but could you kindly provide a link to back this up? This is something I have to see to believe.

 

[My Spot]

Wait... Hogan did a 7.0 for SUMMERSLAM 2005?

I'm not calling you a liar, but could you kindly provide a link to back this up? This is something I have to see to believe.

Summerslam 88, but I got it mixed up with Survivor Series 87.

 

[the ambush]

I don't know how you could. He's a legitimate Hollywood mega star. That carries more weight and notoriety than anything Hogan did. Now, if you want to boil it down to stardom based purely on Pro-Wrestling, then Hogan is tough to beat. However, I think The Rock is going to be one of the most famous people ever when all is said and done. Hogan had a lot of mainstream crossover, but he wasn't someone like The Rock who has successfully branched out in other ventures and has become just as big of a movie star as he was a PW star, if not bigger. It's a hell of a feat, and nobody did it on the scale of The Rock.

I never felt The Rock had the same mojo in the ring like Hogan, Bret, Austin and a couple others but so be it. Rock had the look, charisma, tools and all of that yet something was off in the ring, I will call it storytelling. Yes certainly his success and accomplishments outside the WWE sphere are unrivaled.

 

[deezy]

Who has generated over a billion dollars based on their star power?

Doubt El Santo could make shit movies like Skyscraper and Rampage into a movie that grossed 100 of millions of dollars. Across the world.......

 

[BEAST]

Who has generated over a billion dollars based on their star power?

Doubt El Santo could make shit movies like Skyscraper and Rampage into a movie that grossed 100 of millions of dollars. Across the world.......

That's Dwayne, not The Rock.

 

[My Spot]

Who has generated over a billion dollars based on their star power?

Doubt El Santo could make shit movies like Skyscraper and Rampage into a movie that grossed 100 of millions of dollars. Across the world.......

Except that was Dwayne Johnson from California.

 

[deezy]

Nobody calls him Dwayne

 

[Red Dragoniop]

ayeee o

 

[Red Dragoniop]

 

[Batjester]

I totally agree...

 

[Kforcer]

Its an interesting discussion, though everyone other than Hogan and Austin are difficult to argue for because TV ratings for Pro-Wrestling were non-existant prior to Hogan.

People who argued for Thesz pointed to the ticket sales, which were apparently off the charts, from what I've read.