Hulk Hogan Takes Shot At The Rock, Praises Ric Flair, & More

St. Louis’ RiverfrontTimes.com has an interview with Hulk Hogan, who talks about wrestling against Ric Flair in a tag match on March 8th and his financial motivation for getting back in the ring. He also takes a shot at The Rock’s movie career. Hogan admits that his body is broken down, but he’s getting back in the ring because the fans demanded it, brother! Here’s what Hogan said about:

Is He Able To Still Wrestle? “Oh, I can’t, brother. I was in Australia recently and did four dates wrestling Ric Flair. The first day I ran into Ric with a shoulder tackle and knocked him down. He popped up and came right back at me. I didn’t have my footing right. I was turned in when he hit me and my right hip popped out of its socket. The pain shot like a piece of electricity to my head and right behind my ear. I felt like my head exploded. I fell and dumbed it up against the rope until I could pop my hip back in. That was my first day back. I really didn’t want to wrestle, but I got into a situation with TNA when the fans are chanting ‘Hogan! Hogan!’ It’s hard to say no. I painted myself in a corner. Now I’m fighting a tag-team match March 8 with Abyss against Ric Flair and A.J. Styles. I did that to myself, but I really shouldn’t be wrestling anymore.”

On Ric Flair’s greatness: “I think it’s the fans. There’s a real energy there. On a personal note I think he’s the greatest wrestler ever. He’s better than Lou Thesz, Gorgeous George — you name it. But it’s the fans. They are the ones that keep this going.”

Some Advice For Mark McGwire: “I don’t know his situation too well. But the only advice I have is don’t play a game with the fans. You’ve got to come to come clean. Don’t cling to half truths, either. I tried that during an interview on Arsenio Hall. I said I wasn’t on steroids, which was half true. I wasn’t when he asked me. But had I been? Yes. My advice is to lay it all out there.”

His Financial Situation Pushing Him To Wrestle Again: “I was in a situation where I was kind of lost and I happened to walk by a ring in a gym. I reached out and touched it, and I got goosebumps. I knew I had a problem, kind of like being an addict. I said, ‘Oh boy.’ It’s like driving a fast car or being on a date with a beautiful woman. So, that was part of it. The other was necessity. After the last couple years, financially, I needed to do something. I was devastated financially.”

Hogan Takes a Shot at The Rock: “I thought about moving out to L.A. and doing the movie thing cause I have seventeen movies under my belt — mostly low-budget kid movies, kind of like what The Rock is doing now. My agent said they could put me in supporting roles. I’d never be a Gene Hackman or anything, but there is work for me. But I just wasn’t into it. I needed to to work and thought why not get back to what I love, wrestling?”

The Rock Responds To Hulk Hogan – Says He’d Never Make It In Hollywood!