Jim Cornette's Watch Along: Hulk Hogan vs. The Rock at Wrestlemania 18 

"He beat Andre the Giant with that move!" I almost forgot that pro wrestling used to be so captivating.

On behalf of everyone keep these watch alongs coming

One of my favorite calls in wrestling is when JR goes “THE BIG LEG!!! HE BEAT ANDRE THE GIANT WITH THAT MOVE!!!” Still gives me goosebumps

The Rock is the only wrestler to beat Hogan,Austin and Cena at Wrestlemania.

That last couple of minutes about Jim saying we'll never see the likes of Hogan and The Rock again just made me feel sad. He's 100% right.

Here's the deal, i was at WM 18 and don't remember anything about it except this match. 70,000 people going crazy, it was insane.

If Hogan vs rock wasn't a 5 star match then NO match should ever be a 5 star match

The fact there was no "this is awesome" chant makes this match.

This match had 4 wrestling moves discounting finishers. A spinebuster, a DDT, an abdominal stretch and a sharpshooter. Jim is right on what draws and what doesn't. You don't need 450 splash's and shooting star presses with 15 near falls to have a 5 star classic. When crowds nowaday see that acrobatic shit, they chant ''holy sh#t'' or ''this is awesome'' or even worse ''fight forever'' (cringe) but they are cheering the moves. These fans in in Toronto were cheering the performers and losing their minds. Nothing can surpass that level of emotion no matter how many suicide dives you do.

"Well, Ladies and Gentlemen. You can love him or you can hate him and there are a lot of Fans here in the Skydome that love this legendary figure. Hollywood Hulk Hogan" - Jim Ross

The moment Hogan Hulks up still gives me goosebumps, and forever will. One of the best Wrestlemania moments of all time. These watch along are really fun, please keep them coming Corny! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟✌

Characters make wrestling great, not spot-fests.

"This is professional wrestling" that sums it up perfectly

“This match is a god damn masterpiece!” -Amen, Corny :-)

"HE BEAT ANDRE THE GIANT WITH THAT MOVE!!!!" - JR GOOSEBUMPS....

Corny's star ratings make a hell of a lot more sense than Uncle Dave's do

King’s line about this match being the equivalent of Mike Tyson vs Muhammad Ali or Babe Ruth vs Barry Bonds always gets me.

This is possibly the greatest analysis of any wrestling match ever. It's not about there being just 4-5 moves. It's about the hottest young star of his day wrestling the biggest star in history in front of a crowd who is so happy to see their hero again. Those big stars made every move count towards a bigger story. Dave Meltzer is a great historian but he doesn't understand a match as much as he thinks he does. In 20 years, no one will care about Chuck and Trent vs Santana/Ortiz. They will remember this match for the emotion they made them feel.

The moment when Hogan hulked up and the crowd popped. That moment was amazing. I watched it on ppv when I was a little kid and it was the first Hogan match I had ever seen.

Love the match. No flips, flops or dives. No 14 Canadian Destroyers. No 19 chair shots to the head only to be beat by a tombstone piledriver. Love it.

This is five stars, no flipping and diving just guys who are bigger than life and know how to work the crowd. So when people say there are better athletes today who cares if nobody cares about them

Jericho even said that this match should have been the main event. Too bad Triple H’s ego wouldn’t allow it.

"Looks at this fans JR. They are on their feet they are clapping" - Jerry Lawler

Corny is the absolute most passionate man in pro wrestling history, love hearing him talk about these matches it definitely puts you in the ring and the full phycology behind everything.

Finally....Cornette building up to this watch long had more long term storytelling than WWE has had in years...

Hogan put on a master class on how to work the crowd and showed why he was the biggest star in modern wrestling history. A lesser wrestler wouldn't have been able to hold the crowd for that entire match like they did.

I know it’s a little late, but on peacock the time stamp for the match start is 2:29:29

The Rock started semi retirement after SummerSlam '02. He was like 30. He was supposed to be the guy in WWE throughout the 2000's, but he became Hollywood's guy.

It’s nice to hear Jim actually enjoying wrestling.

I was so shocked he called it a masterpiece in the end but it reinforced my thoughts that Cornette really is one of the few who still gets how pro wrestling truly works best. This match was a tremendous example of ring psychology and crowd control. If not the best of the modern era. I regret never seeing it live since I missed that WM after the clusterfuck ending to 17 which had the best main event build up ever. I just stopped watching wrestling altogether after WM 17.

Can you imagine Dave meltzer has rated this match and orange Cassidy vs Chris Jericho the same rating. RIP Wrestling

"he sells more than Jon Moxley sells being run over by a car from 2 punches and a kick"..........ouch

They had the crowd in the palm of their hands, absolutely amazing match.

Kids don't really know these days but THIS match is exactly why my generation love Hulk Hogan.

I hope they do a Watch Along for the HBK vs Hogan at Summerslam 2005😅

You should watch the Rock's take on this match. He has his own video about it. Exactly what Corny says, on the first lockup bump he took, The Rock decided to improv & take it like a heel and oversell the facials because of the pop that it got.

I love the unwavering POSITIVITY throughout this entire comments section. So refreshing. The emotional reaction of the crowd feeding off these giants makes this an absolute joy to watch. Corny's authenticity shines through also. Bravo.

This entire match encompasses exactly what pro wrestling is all about. The crowd reaction, the selling, the psychology. It’s the greatest wrestling match of all time.

Hogan''s performance here for me defines the phrase. I may not be as good as I was but for one night I can be as good as I ever was. This match was magic.

If I was going to show a non-wrestling fan a “pro-wrestling” match this would be one of them. The other would be Bret vs. Austin. And maybe one of the Shawn Michaels/Taker matches.

I always loved the psychology of this match. Can't believe I finally get to hear corny analyze it now

I always wanted Jim Cornette's opinion on the Rock vs. Hogan match at WM18....finally.....it's here!!!!😃😀😃💯👍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🙏

"This is a goddamn masterpiece!" Completely agree.

Shawn Michaels-Undertaker, WrestleMania 25 I think Jim would love that too, plus I enjoy hearing him begrudgingly compliment Michaels

Dewayne Johnson has eclipsed “The Rock” as a Wrestling persona but Rock is so underrated as an IN RING talent. His ability to sell and even as a Heel on the mic,he’s just such a babyface in his technique. His facials,his cardio,his ability to give the audience whatever energy they give him right back is just magnificent. If I were a Wrestling teacher i’d make The Rock’s entire WWF/E run a docuseries on GETTING OVER and STAYING OVER!

The Rock v Hulk Hogan is the greatest match of all time! Wrestlemania X8 will go down as a classic. HHH v Jericho was the official main event, but this was the people’s main event.

Hogan being the first megastar of the ppv tv era, was THE GUY everyone wanted to face in a mania PPV main event. This was torch passing done the right way!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ match and commentary from Jim!

Even though I was about 20, this was the last match that made me believe again. I knew wrestling wasn’t “real” but the whole package was there. It wasn’t just performers in the ring, the crowd gave it an unreal atmosphere and JR gave it that big-match feel with his call.

I NEED Cornette to do a watch along of Taker vs Micheals WM25

Best “Pro Wrestling” match of all time. I remember hearing Cody Rhodes saying this was the best match of all time and it made me rewatch this match.

I remember watching this match live and being seriously impressed that Hogan still had it in him to have a top quality PPV match by 2002 standards. I honestly think this was the best in ring performance of his career.

John Cena was the last guy of the business to come in, get super over, and make himself a household name to anything even remotely close to Hogan, Rock, and Austin. So Jim is absolutely right. Nobody watches wrestling anymore, nobody takes it seriously, and nobody is a powerful enough draw these days.

My wife and I were in attendance at this Wrestlemania, and I just cannot describe to you how or why it happened, but when The Rock first appeared on the big screen, I want to say someone close to ringside got himself and some buddies to start the “Ro-cky SUCKS!” chant, and since so many of us had been sitting on our hands up until that point, I guess it just gave us something to do, so slowly people started to get into it. I don’t know here the tipping point was, but once you could tell that a significant portion of the crowd was chanting it, others joined in as the anonymity of the crowd allowed you to yell it loud without turning heads. So when The Rock came out, we just went into it again, and it just never let up. And THEN both The Rock and Hogan realized that the crowd had decided who to boo, and swapped roles on the fly, and the crowd all felt INVOLVED in the match. It was all anyone could talk about coming out of the event and carried the show for many of us.

This was the greatest match on an emotional level. I was there and the audience led the way. Hulkamania ran wild.

“HE IS PLAYING THESE PPL LIKE A FUCKING FIDDLE” 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 You can really hear the Worker in Jim in that moment. As a fan I can see the obvious but as someone who’s been in the business 40yrs,to see the ppl’s emotions sooooo invested HAS to make you feel good.

I don’t care if it wasn’t a master class of wrestling this match is so much better than the flipping flop bullshit, I loved the match from start to finish the announcers sold it JR saying he beat Andre the Giant with the leg drop and the back and forth of the crowd

He beat andre with that move!!!!!! Classic shit right there man god i miss this era of wrestling so much.

I think that Brian's thing with "remove 1.5 stars to adjust Dave's rating" needs to go for about actually 5 stars. Meltzer would never know what a 4 or 5 star match is even if it slapped him in the face.

This…… is 100% why Austin didn’t want that match. Austin’s ego couldn’t handle being in a ring with the crowd behind Hogan. The Rock didn’t care, he just went along with it bc he knew it was magic.

I remember watching that match for the first time with my grandpa(who was a massive Hulk Hogan fan) a few days after it actually happened. Unforgettable experience. Thank you,Jim and Brian for yet another really entertaining watch along.

You actually want to start it at 2:29:26

I got misty eyed at sections of this. I dunno why, but Jim's enthusiasm for this masterpiece was awesome. It's still real to me damn it!

I watched the match live with friends and family who were big Hogan fans (my uncle saw Hogan a few times in the 80’s and in WCW in ‘97) and we were hoping Hogan would come out in the red and yellow lol We were wondering if Hogan would “hulk up” or not, being a heel and when he did, we were all jumping up and down and cheering. Never will forget that...

"He sells more than John Moxley being hit by a car from 2 punches and a kick." This right here is what every wrestler needs to learn. People don't think you are tough because you get up from being hit by a car. It just makes wrestling look phony.

The peoples elbow was so popular, I don't get why people only complain about it now. Its a showboat finisher that usually combines with the spinebuster or the rock bottom, so it works for someone as eccentric as Rocky.

We were there. We lost our voice cheering for Hogan. We left after the Hogan & Rock match because we had a 4hr drive to get home. We attended Raw in Montreal the next day. The place popped HUGE for Hogan.

My friend and I bought this PPV as our last in high school, and I couldn't have been happier. Seeing all the guys that we grew up with vs. the guys we GREW UP with was incredible.

I love the points Jim made at the very end, The wrestling business has completely shit the bed. It will never be as big or have real stars ever again.

For the smart fans who dont think Hogan Could work. That kids was working. By what i consider the greats pro wrestler in History.

This is professional wrestling at it's finest. Total emotional involvement by the crowd with two of the greatest of all time bending them to their will. I watch with tears in my eyes everytime because when Hulk is out there posing I'm 10 years old again and life is good. What a story this match told and it didn't need a bunch of flips, just STARS that people care about. 5 stars all day long.

I watched this match with a group of 20 people at a friend's house on PPV. We were all transfixed and emotionally invested in the outcome. The room was 50/50 in regards on whose side they were on. But as for me, even though I had become a cynical "Hogan hater" on the internet I was brought back to the days of my youth. Something stirred inside of me and I suddenly began cheering for Hogan and I believed in him again. All of the so-called dirty tricks and politicking that he was responsible for did not matter anymore because I was a Hulkamaniac again. From failing hands, the old warrior Hogan who had seen his share of epic battles had gallantly passed the torch in an inspiring and moving performance. A fitting swan song to the most important professional wrestler in history (everything Hogan did afterward is just epilogue--there was really nothing to prove after this). This is a 5 STAR match, easy. To hell with the smarks who shit on this.

This match contains my favorite commentary line ever: *"HE BEAT ANDRE THE GIANT WITH THAT MOVE"*

Finally my opinion on this is vindicated

I literally teared up watching this. Thanks so much for the watch along.

I was in the crowd that night. This match aged my hearing by 20 years but goddamn was it worth it. You could feel the floor shake.

Being in this crowd during this match was insane. I didn't think this match was going to be anything but about a few minutes in and EVERYONE in the arena was hooked.

I didn't watch this match until 8 years after it happened. I knew the finish and it was still magic. Shame we didn't get Hogan/Austin.

nearly 20 years later and still a 5 Star Match all day long. Beautiful Match

Hahaha love how the artwork is simular to the 'Meltzer gives blading buck the most 4 stars artwork' only now its Corny giving the stars 😂😂

A 42 minute video about one of the greatest matches of all time? I'm in.

Love how on meltzers T-shirt it’s got a 7 on it

I just realized that the ads didn't come in until after the match was over. Thank you uploader(s?) for making the fans and advertisers happy!

Rock and Hogan should of been the last match that night

I love hearing Jim so excited talking about the wrestling business he loves.

One of my favorite matches of all time with my favorite Jim Ross call on the Hogan leg drop false finish. “He beat Andre the Giant with that move” makes my arm hairs shoot straight up even to this day when I hear it. Five star match without a doubt.

This was the only match I’ve witnessed where you immediately knew it was a contender for the greatest match of all time. It’s also aged even better.

This is Jim Cornette at his absolute best! Excellent work!

"This is a god damn masterpiece"

I was at this match. The crowd was electric. I lost my damn mind when he hulked up!

I have always put this as my favourite match of all time. The crowd gives me goosebumps watching it. JR was on fire as well. Hogan and Rock were truly the puppet masters here.

22:41 Jim's eye for pro wrestling is really amazing. I was just watching a interview with Hogan saying he really didn't wanna do that last rock bottom and rock had to pick him up. And hot damn Jim picked up on that.

Wasn’t expecting the reaction Hogan got, and I’m an 80s child. Without a doubt, the most enjoyable match I’d seen in a long time, if ever.

I loved this watch along. Jim Cornette explained the psychology of the match so well. It makes me appreciate what these guys were able to pull off. I saw the Rock wrestle CM Punk at Royal Rumble in Phoenix and I swear when the Rock hit the Rock Bottom the arena damn near exploded.

Thank you for finally doing this. I’m 28 years old. I’ve loved this match for over a decade.

Keep em coming im looking forward to em the watch along has really helped me understand some stuff i never would have thought of

That match is my favourite wrestling match of all time simply due to the crowd reaction and the people involved

Even to this day and despite my current more negative views of Hogan. This match still to this day gives me goosebumps and always stuck out to me as one of my top favorites when it comes to WrestleMania matches. I love it. It reminds me of why I love it in the first place.

These watch alongs are so informative and valuable. Thanks for doing these.

When I saw this match, I loved it. I felt it was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. I wasnt sure how Jim was going to feel about this match b/c he isnt the biggest Hogan fan, but If you went up to him and asked him what the best Hogan match was I'm sure he would say this one. Jim is 100% right I dont think anyone will get over to the level of a Rock, Hogan, or Austin but I can live with that b/c those guys were some of the best.