Jim Ross Details Dealing With Talent Who Didn't Want To Work With Hulk Hogan

Despite being one of the most popular wrestlers of all time, Hulk Hogan is also one of the most notorious, with tales of Hogan’s infamous ‘creative control’ and inflated ego plentiful in the annals of wrestling history.

Indeed, some of WCW’s epic downfall in the early 2000s can be attributed to Hogan, and when he returned to WWE in 2002 his reputation preceded him. During a recent episode of Grilling JR, former WWE Head of Talent Relations Jim Ross spoke of talent not wanting to work with Hogan after his return;

“Well, a lot of top guys were not interested in it, because they knew that it was going to create competition for that spot, or those spots. There are not enough spots to go around to cover everybody’s bases it needs and so forth. I tell talent, I remember telling talent: ‘Why are you worried about it? He’s the older guy with multiple back surgeries, he’s very limited on what he can do physically. So I don’t understand your angst, I don’t understand your paranoia. It sounds like you’re worried about competition, right?’” said JR.

Ross continued, revealing his advice to the locker room at the time:

“‘And knowing your abilities, talking with talent, I don’t know what you got to worry about. Let’s go do your thing. Go do your thing and, and have the best match you can possibly have. And then stick your chest out and you walk back to the gorilla position and say something to the effect of follow that boys. Follow that.’ So you know, I had no issues. I just wanted whatever is gonna be good for the company to enhance my paycheque, I’m forever for it.”

Ross revealed that one top star who wasn’t interested in working with Hogan was Stone Cold Steve Austin, as Austin felt he couldn’t have a good match with ‘The Hulkster’ due to how broken down the former nWo leader was.

H/T: TJR Wrestling