Hulk Hogan and the Controversy Surrounding Wrestlemania IX

Joe King

WrestleMania IX, held on April 4, 1993, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, remains one of the most controversial events in WWE history. While the show featured a unique Roman-themed presentation and several memorable matches, the ending of the event overshadowed everything else. The decision to crown Hulk Hogan as WWF Champion in the closing moments of the show created backlash from fans, wrestlers, and critics that still gets debated decades later.

The Main Event: Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna

The original advertised main event was WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart defending the title against the monstrous Yokozuna, winner of the 1993 Royal Rumble. At the time, Bret Hart represented the newer generation of WWF stars. Unlike the cartoon superheroes of the 1980s, Bret was portrayed as a hard-working, technical wrestler who earned respect through skill and determination. Yokozuna, managed by Mr. Fuji, had been built as an unstoppable monster heel. His massive size and dominance made him appear nearly unbeatable heading into WrestleMania. The match itself was solid storytelling. Bret fought valiantly but eventually lost after Mr. Fuji interfered by throwing salt into Bret’s eyes, allowing Yokozuna to hit the Banzai Drop and win the WWF Championship. For many viewers, this finish was acceptable because it protected Bret while establishing Yokozuna as the company’s newest monster champion. But the controversy was only beginning.

Hulk Hogan Suddenly Challenges Yokozuna

After the match ended, Hulk Hogan came to the ring to help Bret Hart, who had been attacked further by Yokozuna and Mr. Fuji. Hogan had not been involved in the WWF Championship storyline leading into WrestleMania. In fact, he had wrestled earlier in the night, teaming with Brutus Beefcake against Money Inc. Then came the infamous moment. Mr. Fuji challenged Hogan to face Yokozuna immediately for the championship. Bret Hart motioned for Hogan to go for it, while still selling the salt in his eyes. Hogan accepted the impromptu title match. Within less than a minute, Hogan defeated Yokozuna after Fuji accidentally threw salt into Yokozuna’s face. Hogan hit the leg drop and pinned him to become WWF Champion for the fifth time. The crowd jumped to their feet for the loudest ovation of the entire event. The show ended with Hogan celebrating while Bret Hart — the man who had carried the company through 1992 — was completely overshadowed. I’m gonna say it one more time: the crowd jumped to their feet for the loudest ovation of the entire event.

While fans and critics were angry, the biggest criticism was that Bret Hart’s championship reign and credibility were damaged. Hart had spent the previous year helping transition WWF away from the steroid-era image and into a more athletic direction. Many fans viewed him as the future of the company. Instead of allowing Bret to remain the focus — even in defeat — the spotlight shifted immediately back to Hulk Hogan. To many, it felt like WWF was saying: “The new generation still isn’t as important as Hulk Hogan.” Critics argued that Bret lost his WrestleMania main event spotlight simply so Hogan could have another triumphant championship moment.

Hogan Had Not Earned the Title Shot

Another major complaint was that Hogan was not part of the championship storyline at all. Yokozuna had won the Royal Rumble to earn his title opportunity against Bret Hart. Hogan had done nothing to deserve a championship match that night. Fans felt the title switch came out of nowhere purely for shock value. This made Yokozuna’s huge victory over Bret seem meaningless because he immediately lost the title seconds later.

Backstage Politics Rumors

The finish also fueled long-standing accusations about Hulk Hogan’s backstage influence. By 1993, Hogan’s reputation for protecting his spot in wrestling politics was already well known among fans and insiders. Many believed Hogan refused to lose cleanly to Bret Hart or did not want Yokozuna leaving WrestleMania as the dominant new champion. There have been conflicting stories over the years: Some claim Vince McMahon wanted one last big Hulk Hogan moment. Bret Hart later admitted he was unhappy about the situation. Hogan has often defended the angle as Vince McMahon’s decision. But as everyone found out in the documentary “WrestleMania IX: Becoming A Spectacle”, it was the Caesars Palace event coordinators in Las Vegas who wanted Hulk Hogan to win the belt. They all wanted a “Hulk Hogan Moment” to close out the show. You know, like we got at the greatest Manias of all-time up until that point. Send the fans home happy, as they say. Regardless of who made the call, the perception of backstage favoritism became attached to the ending forever.

Interestingly, Hogan’s title reign lasted only a couple of months. At King of the Ring 1993, Yokozuna regained the WWF Championship after interference from a debuting Yokozuna photographer named Harvey Wippleman and a fireball attack angle. Shortly afterward, Hogan left the WWF again. This made the WrestleMania IX title switch feel even more pointless to critics because Hogan did not remain with the company long-term. Meanwhile, Bret Hart slowly rebuilt momentum and regained the WWF Championship at WrestleMania X in 1994, a moment widely considered one of the greatest redemption stories in wrestling history.

For better or worse, WrestleMania IX proved that in 1993, Hulk Hogan was still the center of the wrestling world — even when the company was supposedly moving on from him. He would go to WCW with major fanfare at first with his Bash at The Beach main-event showdown against Ric Flair…only to die down once more afterwards. But then in 1996, Hogan would join the New World Order as the heel, Hollywood Hogan, and take the wrestling world by storm…as they were responsible for the start of the biggest boom period in professional wrestling history.