Recap hogan Micheals
8 -- SHAWN MICHAELS vs. HULK HOGAN
Michaels came out first to most boos, although it appeared the fans were mostly waiting for Hogan's entrance. No surprise this is the final match on the show, and there's no shame in it for the singles champs, either, as this is an epic "first" among two of the biggest - and very different - main event stars of the past 20 years. Hogan got a huge positive babyface response from the crowd, so many of the fans cheering Jericho and booing Cena are clearly behind Hogan all the way. Hogan posed as his music played. Hogan went after Michaels, so Michaels rolled out of the ring. Coach and Ross said nobody plays mindgames better than Michaels. Michaels had a poker face the entire time, showing no emotion. Ross said the terms icon and legend are interchangable since both are both. They circled each other after the bell. They locked up. Hogan shoved Michaels to the mat. Michaels took a great bump to the corner and got up showing his first emotions of the match - frustration and embarassment. Michaels danced backwards as Hogan went after him. Hogan shoved him to the mat again. Michaels went after Hogan immediately. Hogan shoved him to the mat. Michaels got up right away and acted upset. Michaels applied a hammerlock and a headlock. A "Let's Go Hogan" chant broke out. Hogan shoulderblocked Michaels, who bumped out of the ring. Michaels threw a brief fit at ringside. Back in the ring, Hogan shoved Michaels who somehow bumped onto the top rope. Hogan punched him and straddled him over the top rope, then punched him to the mat. Michaels was a bump machine for Hoghan most reminscent of how Curt Hennig worked against Hogan. Michaels poked Hogan in the eyes to gain control at 4:30. Hogan came back with a backdrop and then clotheslined Michaels over the top rope to the floor. Michaels did the rubber-leg bit as he stood and then collapsed. Ross, Lawler, and Coach talked about some of Hogan's biggest opponents over the years including Vader, Diesel, Undertaker, Andre the Giant, and Big John Studd. Hogan yanked Michaels back into the ring by the top rope. He nailed Michaels with a clothesline and some punches. Hogan went for a backdrop, but Michaels punched him in the face. So far Michaels has created almost all of the movement - a lot of it - to make Hogan appear to be a beast in his prime. Hogan's done very little, but fans aren't likley noticing. Michaels slapped Hogan in the face a couples of times, then threw some chops to the chest. Ross said he's never seen Hogan slapped before ever in his career. Hogan reversed Michaels into the corner. Michaels flipped into the corner. Hogan knocked Michaels to the floor. Hogan followed and rammed Michaels face-first into the security railing at ringside at 7:45, then slammed him onto the Spanish announcers' table. He threw a flurry of punches, and then rolled into the ring to break the ref's count. Hogan whipped Michaels into the ringpost. Michaels came back and threw Hogan into the ringpost at 9:15. Michaels punched at Hogan. Hogan flung him off and staggered around the ring. Michaels threw Hogan into the ring, then reentered it himself. Michaels stood in the corner and threw a series of punches at Hogan's face. Hogan threw Michaels off. Michaels went right back at Hogan. Hogan began bleeding from the forehead. Ross said the longer the match goes, the more it's to the advantage of the smaller man, Michaels. No reference to Michaels being the younger of the two. Hogan sat in the corner and looked half out of it. He struggled to his feet. Michaels punched away at him again. Ross said in all of Hogan's career he's never seen anyone dominate Hogan like Michaels was at this moment. That's a bit of an overstatement. Michaels applied a sleeper. Hogan's heavy bleeding covered Michaels's bicep in blood as he held onto the sleeper. Hogan's arm dropped once, twice, and almost a third time. Hogan waved his finger in the air and then back suplexed Michaels. Michaels was the first up. Hogan reversed Michaels, but Michaels fired back with a flying forearm. Michaels then nipped up. He then climbed to the top rope and went for the big elbow drop. Hogan moved and popped up. Hogan pointed at Michaels, then punched away at him. When he whipped him into the ropes, Michaels returned with a flying forearm. Both went down, and they knocked the ref down. Michaels eventually nipped up, then went back toward the top rope. Instead, he went back to Hogan and applied the Sharpshooter. Hogan teased tapping out, then crawled toward the bottom rope. Michaels dragged him back to the middle. Hogan eventually did reach the bottom rope, although as he crawled there, he slapped the mat with his hand twice. Coach said he tapped. The replacement ref called for the break at 17:15. As Michaels leaned over to grab Hogan, Hogan puncheded Michaels into the ref, knocking him down. Coach wondered if there was even another ref on call. Hogan struggled to his feet and limped badly. Michaels gave Hogan a low blow. The crowd booed. Michaels went to ringside and grabbed a chair. Coach said Michaels is stealing the show just as he always does. As Hogan struggled to his feet, Michaels waited with a chair behind him. He then swung and struck Hogan, knocking him to the mat. Hogan twitched his leg. Michaels went to the top rope and hit the big elbowdrop. Michaels then signalled for the superkik . He tried to wake up the ref, then he stomped the mat over and over in anticipation of Hogan rising. Then he nailed Hogan under the chin with a sharp Sweet Chin Music. Michaels scored a two count, but Hogan powered out by throwing Michaels into the air. Michaels punched away at Hogan, but Hogan hulked up and no sold it. Michaels continued to pummel Hogan, but it had no effect. Hogan then gave Michaels a big boot. Michaels took a huge rubber leg stagger into a flatback bump. Hogan milked the crowd for support and then dropped the legdrop. As Hogan posed, Michaels eventually stood. He shoved Hogan from behind. Hogan's music stopped playing. Michaels then said, "I needed to know, and I found out." He offered a handshake. Hogan and Michaels had some conversation, then he shook Michaels's hand. Ross said there is a lot of class in the ring. Michaels left the ring as Hogan had his arm raised in the ring by the ref.
WINNER: Hogan at 21:26.
STAR RATING: ****1/4 -- That was in many ways a one man show, and one of the greatest ever. Michaels was 100 percent professional, and he got out of Hogan what nobody else in this industry could have - which was a borderline great match. It told a great story, went longer than 20 minutes, had historically significant teases, convincing near falls, blood, drama, great bumps by Michaels, a nice bump by Hogan from Sweet Chin Music, and in the end the formula finish that the fans (for the most part) wanted. Hogan was really, really good given his incredible physical limitations at this point in his career.