WWE could have changed the finish during The Rock's legendary WrestleMania match, former referee believes

WWE icon The Rock is most famous for his run during the Attitude Era. This was when the company peaked in all aspects of the pro-wrestling business. One match that remains as enthralling as ever today is The Brahma Bull's match against "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 18.

The referee that called the iconic contest, Mike Chioda, recently spoke to PWMania about the sheer monumental impact of that bout. Furthermore, how no other match, not even The Rock's WrestleMania main event a decade later against John Cena, could compare it.

Chioda recalled the crowd response to both stars, with Hogan, despite being a clear heel in the story, was unanimously cheered:

"I mean, I’ve experienced a lot of different crowd pops. Stone Cold Steve Austin, can’t take nothing away from him and Undertaker and all that, Hulk Hogan, way back in the day. I mean, I’ve never experienced a pop like that, it was 68,000 people in the Skydome. For a big dome to have that, to be that loud, was f*cking amazing."

He revealed that he could hear his thoughts during the bout and felt goosebumps, claiming that both Hogan and Rock lived up to the hype as the match was billed as "Icon vs. Icon."

"I don’t think he [Hulk Hogan] would have got that much of a pop in the red and yellow, but he came out in that NWO gear and that music, and the crowd just went nuts. So I mean, I literally thought like, holy sh*t, are they going to change the finish? Oh, yeah, it was just it was amazing." [H/T: PWMania]

While the two former WWE Superstars faced each other again in 2003, the bout did not nearly match the legendary WrestleMania contest.

---

Hulk Hogan wants to face another WWE Attitude Era legend at WrestleMania 40

The Rock may have been the star to come out of the Attitude Era in all aspects of the entertainment business, but in the case of the WWE, Stone Cold Steve Austin might be the biggest sell the company has ever had.

During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Hulk Hogan revealed that if the poster boy of WWE's Attitude Era agrees, The Hulkster would be ready for a retirement match against him:

"If he [Steve Austin] would get in the ring with me... The reason I went back to wrestle The Rock was to get in the ring with Stone Cold Steve Austin. Because me as a bad guy, as 'Hollywood Hogan,' I could have tore the place down with him. He was the ultimate good guy at the time but he was having some physical problems with his legs and nerve damage, and he was about at the end of his run. So, if I had one guy to get in [the ring] with, it'd be him."

It remains to be seen whether Stone Cold will accept a match against Hulk Hogan in the City of Brotherly Love in 2024.

What are your thoughts on Hulk Hogan vs. Stone Cold at WrestleMania 40, and which WWE match do you consider the most legendary of all time? Let us know in the comments section below.