Hulk Hogan Reveals Why John Cena WWE WrestleMania Match Never Happened, Another Match is “Out of the Picture”

Hulk Hogan is one of the icons of WWE and wrestling overall, so it’s actually rather surprising that Hogan hasn’t had that grand retirement match or last run in WWE over the past several years. In the past, Hogan has talked about how he would love a proper in-ring sendoff, but Hogan’s latest interview seems to shut that possibility down. In a new interview with Chris Van Vliet, Hogan states that while he would have loved to have that last match, it’s completely out of the picture now due to his body being too beaten up from surgeries (H/T Fightful).

“I would have loved to have had that last match, but now it’s completely out of the picture,” Hogan said. “You know, I’m just too beat up from the surgeries. I think if I took a couple of bumps, you probably would have to cut up me again. But no, I really wanted to have that last match. I wasn’t sure, I think it was WrestleMania 25 in Orlando.”

Hogan elaborated on that possible match at WrestleMania 25, which was evidently going to be against John Cena. Things were pretty locked in to make that happen, and Hogan says he was in talks with Vince McMahon on a regular basis in the lead-up to the rollout, but it was ultimately his back that kept things from moving forward, and that actually occurred during a call with McMahon.

“Vince had me all hooked up with Cena and I said I’d do it. Vince and I were talking every week and we were putting the plans together, you know, like the old days where I was in the office every day, him and I were talking every day, and all of a sudden I’m on the phone with Vince I was like, ‘Oh my God. Oh, my back.’ My back went out when I was talking to Vince on the phone,” Hogan said. 

“I just had back surgery number three or four at that time and I had to go right in immediately and get cut on,” Hogan said. “So that was it for that, but I thought that was going to be my last match then you know, but that never happened and then it just kind of faded away.”

In previous interviews, Hogan revealed that he had been pitched a match at WrestleMania 39 by Shane McMahon. At the time Hogan didn’t feel he was moving around the way he needed to, and wanted to see where he might be in another six months or so. “I said, well right now my back needs a little more work, but that’s something we can talk about next year,” Hogan said. “I have always wanted to have a retirement match, but now I’m not moving around the way I should be. So, I’m gonna keep working and keep training, and keep doing rehab and see where I’m at about six months from now. But all I found out in the wrestling business, brother, is you never say never.”

If Hogan could end up having one last match, who would you want to see him face? Let us know in the comments, and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!