5 Worst Wrestling Matches Of 1997

3. Hulk Hogan vs. The Giant – Souled Out 1997

Hulk Hogan and The Giant had something of a battle at Souled Out

WCW’s booking in 1997 was defined by matches having false finishes and never-ending outside interference. This match was no exception, as the Giant was the victim of a ridiculous amount of attacks from other wrestlers.

Everyone from Brutus Beefcake to the NWO to Eric Bischoff run-in to try and attack The Giant, only for most of them to eat Chokeslams for their troubles. Maybe this was WCW’s way of covering for the bad in-ring action that Hogan and the Giant were putting on display. Looking back on it, that actually might make sense, because Hogan and the Giant had poor chemistry and their matches were often slow and uninspiring.

Worse, this match also suffered from poor refereeing on Nick Patrick’s part. Patrick (who was also famous for botching a fast-count, as you'll see later) botched a slow-three-count by counting normally instead of slowly.

In other words, he couldn’t do a fast count when needed nor could he slow himself down. He could only count three at a normal pace. What he was doing in a stipulation match that featured a biased referee is anyone’s guess.