Although WWE dedicated the opening on Friday Night time SmackDown to an expansive tribute to the late Hulk Hogan, from a ten bell salute to a near-seven-minute lengthy video package deal highlighting his complete profession, Cody Rhodes wished to spend a bit of additional time specializing in the “Hulkster” earlier than getting right down to enterprise.
Taking the ring to speak SummerSlam, his feud with John Cena, and every thing else alongside the way in which, Rhodes devoted a while to Hogan, thanking him for his contributions to sports activities leisure, wrestling, and leisure as effectively.
“Yesterday, WWE and pro-wrestling misplaced considered one of its giants in Hulk Hogan, and I do know feelings and emotions relating to it are difficult, however what shouldn’t be difficult is his accomplishments and his contributions to WWE to sports activities leisure, to professional wrestling, to leisure as a complete,e they’re staggering and they’re indeniable,” Rhodes declared. “So, as somebody who will get to face right here and say that I am a WWE Famous person, he was the unique, and I simply need to take a second to say thanks, Hulk Hogan.”
Did Rhodes and Hogan ever share the ring? Nope, however Hogan did wrestle his Cody’s father Dusty a lot of instances again within the day, together with eight matches in New Japan Professional Wrestling – when you can consider it – a Royal Rumble in WWE, and one last time on an episode of WCW Thunder in 2000, in keeping with Cagematch.
Regardless of being from very completely different generations, the way in which Rhodes and Hogan current themselves to the WWE Universe is remarkably related, with the “American Nightmare” taking quite a lot of cues from the “HulkaManic” in his pink, white, and blue babyface presentation post-AEW. Whereas Rhodes’ time as a babyface might quickly be coming to a detailed, with Cena’s redemption coming sooner or later, possibly as quickly as SummerSlam, when that day comes, he’ll nearly actually take cues from Hogan there too, utilizing the “Hollywood Hogan” character as a template from which to inform his personal story.
