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Hulk Hogan’s return to the WWE in 2002 offered up a lot of strange and unique scenarios which many fans never likely thought they’d see. From a dream match against The Rock to Hogan wrestling in a mask as Mr. America, all the way to a WWE Undisputed Championship reign, lots of unthinkable things took place. 2002 also saw a complete clash of generations as a rising young star, Edge, would form a tag team with the multi-time WWE Champion and biggest professional wrestling draw of the 80s and 90s. Their team didn’t last very long, but it is looked back upon fondly as a nice direction for both individuals at the time.
Edge Came To Hulk Hogan’s Aid, Forming A Tag Team
Following Hulk Hogan’s stunning match with The Rock at WrestleMania 18, he entered the WWE Championship picture, defeating Triple H to win the gold for the first time since 1993, nearly ten years prior. Hogan had very much passed his prime by this point, and to see an old-timer who could barely move hold the biggest prize in the company felt like a complete slap in the face to the rest of the roster. Hogan being in the spotlight at this point of his career just simply wasn’t good.
During his reign, light was shed on Edge’s love for Hogan, as he was a childhood fan of the champion. Edge would fall into the trap of acting goofy with impressions to try and impress Hogan, becoming a protégé or sidekick of sorts, with the pair teaming up on an episode of SmackDown against Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho, although they would come up short due to shenanigans. Following this, Edge was sidelined briefly for an injury following his own feud with Angle, and Hogan would eventually lose the WWE Championship.
Hogan continued feuding with both Jericho and Angle, until Hogan and Jericho battled in the main event of SmackDown in July 2002. During the match, Jericho attacked Hogan with a chair, causing a disqualification. In the midst of a beat down, Edge made his return, coming to the aid of Hogan, posing with him to end the show. Although Edge could’ve looked like nothing more than Hogan’s sidekick at this point, the pair did a decent job of giving Edge some shared spotlight instead of making Hogan the focus, which is exactly the role Hogan should’ve been playing all the time during this stint back in WWE.
Edge & Hulk Hogan Won The WWE Tag Team Titles
This brief alliance led to them getting a shot at the WWE Tag Team Championships the very next week, with them teaming up to battle Billy and Chuck. This match was notable, as it marked the first time since 1993 that Hogan made his entrance to his iconic ‘Real American’ theme song. It truly indicated that the ‘old’ Hogan was back, and the Hollywood persona gradually came to an end.
Their match went very much as expected, with Edge taking the punishment throughout, before Hogan picked up the victory for his team. Edge and Hogan each delivered leg drops to end the match, and whilst on paper this feels cheesy and pandering, the crowd absolutely ate it up, with Hogan still having an unmatched presence and aura despite his inabilities. It notably took place on the 4th July episode of SmackDown too, so Hogan’s Real American character was even more welcomed and celebrated.
Edge & Hulk Hogan Were Only A Tag Team For A Month Or So
The following week, they defended the belts again in a rematch, before then feuding with the Un-Americans, which included Edge’s former partner, Christian. With Edge being Canadian the feud was a little weird, but it was fun for what it was. At the 2002 Vengeance PPV, they battled over the belts in what was a decent match based on cagematch.net ratings, with Edge once again playing the babyface in peril whilst Hogan mostly beat up everyone. There were shenanigans at the finish which led to the heels picking up the victory and dethroning the short-lived tag champions, effectively putting an end to their alliance.
What made this such a wholesome tag team, was that Edge was a huge Hogan fan as a kid, despite not even being American. He notably attended WrestleMania 6, and was distraught when Hogan was beaten by the Ultimate Warrior. On Kurt Angle's podcast, Edge also revealed that it was at this moment he knew he wanted to become a WWE superstar, making his relationship alongside Hogan even more special. For him to team up with his childhood hero was likely a dream come true, and whilst he was mostly second fiddle, he was in fact elevated by this short stint as a duo. Hogan being out of the main event scene was a breath of fresh air too. Perhaps Edge would have benefited from a heel turn at the end of this whole thing, but Hogan would’ve likely gone over him in a feud, so it was probably for the best that it didn’t happen.