Steve Austin, Andre the Giant, The Rock, Hulk Hogan - Who is the biggest star in professional wrestling? (The Finals)

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Continuation to these threads.

Was Hulk Hogan the biggest star in professional wrestling?

Thread 'Randy Savage, John Cena, Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan - Who is biggest star in professional wrestling? (Semi-Finals)'

Jul 26, 2025

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Thread 'The Undertaker, Ric Flair, Andre the Giant, The Rock - Who is the biggest star in professional wrestling? (Semi-Finals)'

Jul 26, 2025

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[Adamant]

 

[Pierce 34]

How is it not stone cold? He was #1 guy during the peak years.

 

[Adamant]

How is it not stone cold? He was #1 guy during the peak years.

Hulkamania isn't just a phrase to sell t-shirts. There was an actual Hulk Hogan-mania during his peak that was bigger than any other "mania" for any other wrestler. Then he went to WCW and turned Hollywood Hogan and exploded all over again. It's like the dude had TWO primes. And both primes were absolutely colossal.

Austin is a very easy second. Which, there's no shame in that.

 

[w00t]

Stone Cold will always be my guy, but it's Hulk and it isn't close. Every normie and their grandma in the world not familiar with wrestling knows who Hulk is, and his impact in the 80's and 90's is unmatched.

 

[wwkirk]

The final result is looking inevitable.

 

[Kardashians]

As much as I love the rock I have to acknowledge hulk ruled back in the day and transcended the wrasslin biz and became a household name.

 

[Intermission]

Hulk told Howard Stern you dont fuck your buddies former girlfriend.

"MAN CODE brother."

Then a few years later it was found out that he did. "I had my fingers crossed when I told you that".

 

[Darkavius]

Hulkamania isn't just a phrase to sell t-shirts. There was an actual Hulk Hogan-mania during his peak that was bigger than any other "mania" for any other wrestler. Then he went to WCW and turned Hollywood Hogan and exploded all over again. It's like the dude had TWO primes. And both primes were absolutely colossal.

Austin is a very easy second. Which, there's no shame in that.

I don't think Austin is an easy second. Austin was the king of the Attitude Era but The Rock has a valid argument for second. His name recognition is likely higher than Austin's even today. He actually feuded and wrestled against the consensus #1 Hogan and Cena, who is in the top 5 currently in name recognition and popularity. Austin's peak was higher but Rock's peak is longer.

 

[Milgrim]

If you're measuring stardom within wrestling, it's Hogan - Austin - Rock - Andre.

If you're measuring stardom in terms of worldwide fame, it's Andre - Rock - Hogan - Austin.

 

[FyrFytr998]

Hogan by leg drop.

 

[Fury]

It's Hogan. He was the one who took it national with WWE .He propelled WCW, with the NWO, as the only legit competition WWE has had on a national level.

The Rock crossed over to Hollywood but was never the biggest star in wrestling. Stone Cold's run was short and without Vince would not be nearly as popular. Vince could be up there too.

The only one close on a wrestling basis, for his real era, was Andre. Not the Andre who was half-crippled but the Andre who sold out every show in every territory.

 

[My Spot]

I don't think Andre gets enough credit, he was legit the highest paid wrestler on the planet for like a full decade and went all over the world and to every territory.
Austin may have had a higher peak than Hogan but it only lasted months. Plus he left in Nov 99 and didn't come back until Sep 2000 and business didn't drop at all (ratings, attendance, PPV buys, etc). And unlike Hogan and Rock his heel turn was bad for business.

 

[Adamant]

I don't think Austin is an easy second. Austin was the king of the Attitude Era but The Rock has a valid argument for second. His name recognition is likely higher than Austin's even today. He actually feuded and wrestled against the consensus #1 Hogan and Cena, who is in the top 5 currently in name recognition and popularity. Austin's peak was higher but Rock's peak is longer.

Yeah but a lot of that has to do with Hollywood and social media. Austin didn't have much of a Hollywood career or social media presence. Rock's was far bigger in Hollywood and social media. But if we look purely at wrestling, I'd say it's (all time):

1) Hogan
2) Austin
3) Rock

 

[Madmick]

As a pro wrestler? I don't know.

I think Hogan had more crossover appeal with non-wrestling fans than even The Rock, but partly that was because entertainment was so much less competitive during his era, and wrestling was a bigger part of general culture. Those two were easily the biggest in that regard. I remember friends who didn't care about wrestling talking about "the people's eyebrow" or adapting the phrase, "can you smell what ___ is cooking?" to some other topic. It's not surprising both were able to capitalize on that crossover appeal by parlaying it into film and TV careers. Obviously The Rock has had a much bigger career in that regard, but I don't think his character "The Rock" was ever as iconic as "Hulk Hogan" to America in general.

Stone Cold was the most limited to the wrestling fanbase.

 

[I Am Legion]

There was Hogan, and there was everyone else. He was in his own stratosphere. He was a household name and brought wrestling into the mainstream. In the 80s he was a legit rock star. He held that for a long long time.

 

[LEWIS540]

Hogan.

Would say, he came around at the right time.

Not sure he’d have made it so big if he came along 20 years later.

Everything about the guy was pretty ridiculous, truth be told, even though we all loved him as kids.

 

[TankAbbott4Eva]

Stone Cold will always be my guy, but it's Hulk and it isn't close. Every normie and their grandma in the world not familiar with wrestling knows who Hulk is, and his impact in the 80's and 90's is unmatched.

Yep, I mean you could argue the Rock is as big a star these days but it's more for his movies than wrestling, Hulk is mainly known for his wrestling (IMO)

 

[armbarforhire]

The rock is a biggesr star but Hogan is the biggest wrestling star.

Almost every 80-90s unlicensed wrestling game had a Hogan reference in in it.

 

[bandicoot]

I was never a big Hulk mark, and even with that said, his biggest moments in his wrestling career can still give me chills when I watch them to this day. Not the best worker, not the best promo, and not the best human. But best professional wrestler? It's hard to argue against his case.