“Didn’t Want to Upset the Applecart”: WWE Legend Once Exposed Hulk Hogan’s Loyalty Towards Japan Despite Being Under WWE Contract

The name Hulk Hogan is a major one in pro-wrestling in the western hemisphere. If you think this, you might be wrong as The Hulkster was a massive babyface in Japan too. While he was a big name with WWE, Hogan also had some matches with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Moreover, he has won the original version of the IWGP title also during his tenure in NJPW.

A few years ago on Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard, the wrestling legend talked about Hulk Hogan’s career in Japan. He shed light on how big the star ‘The Immortal One’ was in Japan and Vince McMahon had plans to enter the Japanese market with WWE.

Prichard said, “Hogan had a New Japan loyalty, that he did. Hulk didn’t want to upset the applecart over there because he felt that if he leaves WWE and he goes to Japan, he has his bread and butter there with New Japan. Even though he did go over there with us.”

He added, “I think he was still young. He was just trying to hedge his bets there. This was just an exploratory deal with Miki Brett’s company in England. They had made some overtures, and they were worldwide concert promoters. So Vince said, ‘Yeah, we are interested in going to Japan.’”

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Back in the day, WWE believed to break into the Japanese market they needed a Japanese babyface. Therefore, Hogan occasionally made appearances in the NJPW for some matches. 

Mr. McMahon had a long vision of promoting shows in Australia, New Zealand, and everywhere he was able to. After Hogan’s success on Japanese soil, WWE understood the eastern market was the same as the home market.

Hulk Hogan calling IWGP Title more important than WWE Title didn’t bother Vince McMahon

In May 1993, Hulk Hogan traveled to Japan as a WWE Champion to face the IWGP Champion The Great Muta. There is an interview that ran in Japan, Hogan stated that the IWGP Title was greater than WWE Title in professional wrestling. 

Bruce Prichard shared what Vince McMahon’s reaction to this statement was. Prichard said, “It was all hyping that event for New Japan on that one night. That was all, it was about it.” “Oh my god, it was no big deal. It was in Japan doing promo for Japanese promotion for that match. So that was not a big deal”

According to Prichard, there are two aspects why this statement didn’t bother Mr. McMahon. Number one was the internet and computer weren’t big back then. Only people in Japan saw that, while the USA fans were mostly unaware of that situation at the time.

Moreover, as WWE hadn’t entered the Japanese market yet, Mr. McMahon ignored it. He knew it was for promoting the NJPW event and nobody in the USA would watch that at that time.

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