Hulk Hogan Reflects on Wrestling Brock Lesnar, Reminisces About Their Unexpected Match
In a recent conversation, Hulk Hogan shared his memories of wrestling Brock Lesnar, albeit with a timeline that appears to have gotten a bit mixed up. Hogan claimed that their encounter took place after Lesnar’s first UFC run, although their actual match happened in 2002, while Lesnar’s UFC tenure occurred from 2008 to 2011.
Recalling the moment, Hogan stated, “I got him first when he came back from the UFC. I was kind of winding down, putting guys over and doing my thing and Vince goes, ‘I want you to work with Brock.’ I went, ‘Okay.'” Hogan noted his prior awareness of Lesnar, thanks to their shared connection with Brad Rheingans, a coach on the Olympic team and Lesnar’s high school coach.
Sharing his initial impression of Lesnar’s intensity, Hogan continued, “He was really intense, brother. So my whole thing is we always grabbed somebody and squeezed him to give him the office. ‘You’ve got my head, you’re about to break my neck,’ you give him the office to lighten up.” Hogan’s nickname for Lesnar during their encounters was amusingly “Broccoli.”
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With a blend of humor and camaraderie, Hogan recounted their interactions, revealing how he playfully teased Lesnar to ease the tension. “I told him, ‘Broccoli,’ I got him to laugh a little bit. I said, ‘Let me tell you something. If you keep hurting me in here, if you don’t loosen up on the old man here, I’m gonna make you look really, really bad because you can be in here by yourself.'”
Hogan’s fondness for Lesnar’s growth as a performer was evident as he praised Lesnar’s evolution in the wrestling world. “He’s turned out to be one of the best workers this business has ever seen. He draws money. He backpedals. He sells. He’s got instinct. He’s got placement. He knows where he’s at. He listens. You don’t have to tell him what to do. He goes out and listens to the crowd with his mind and his heart. It’s something that’s a lost art form. He’s got it, man. He figured it out.”
