WCW Starrcade 1994 Was Hulk Hogan At His Worst

Quick Links

• Hogan Abused His Power

• It Was A Boring Storyline

• The Match Was Equally Disappointing

Hulk Hogan signing with WCW changed the company for both better and worse for the tenure of his contract. Eric Bischoff convinced Ted Turner to offer one of the biggest contracts in wrestling history to sign the most high-profile name after he left WWE. Hogan clearly was a positive move since he brought new viewers to WCW and later led the New World Order as an all-time great act.

However, there were plenty of negatives to come from adding Hogan to the roster. An instant sign of that featured his Starrcade 1994 match with his best friend The Butcher aka Ed Leslie. This program summarized everything that was bad about having Hogan in the promotion. WCW should have regretted the acquisition of Hogan at least a little during this chapter of his stint.

Hogan Abused His Power

The most blatant thing Hulk Hogan did terribly in 1994 was getting his best friend Ed Leslie pushed in a top spot. Leslie lucked out even getting a contract offer to get a new run after his WWE stint as Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake ended. Hogan had all the power in WCW at the start with a massive contract, peak star power, and a creative control clause in his contract. Eric Bischoff often gave Hogan full reign to call his own shots.

RELATED: 10 Ridiculous Examples Of Hulk Hogan's Friends Getting Pushed

Leslie turned heel against Hogan and adopted the name of The Butcher to enter the top feud. Hogan ran through Ric Flair in his first WCW feud to win the WCW Championship. In fairness to Hogan, there were few top heels to choose from around this time. Arn Anderson and Vader were the most realistic wrestlers that could have thrived against Hogan on the biggest show of the year.

The Butcher was a horrible choice since fans didn’t buy into him as a real threat. Hogan feuding with Butcher showed that WCW was going to cater to his every need. WCW allowing Hogan to work with his closest friend in the main event of the biggest show of the year was a new level of favoritism that became dangerous as WCW went on.

It Was A Boring Storyline

The storyline of two former best friends feuding against each other can be hit or miss. Some better instances featured Triple H vs Shawn Michaels or Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn delivering epic matches and compelling storytelling. However, the worst-case scenario can lead to fans caring less about each talent as opponents than they did enjoy watching them work together.

Hulk Hogan and Ed Leslie were never a must-watch act as a team, but they had some fun moments. A storyline between the two needed layers that would make fans buy into their tension. It was just another same old storyline of the jealous less successful friend turning on the bigger name. Hogan trying to sell The Butcher as a credible threat to him just made Hulk look bad along the way.

WCW rushed through the Hogan vs Flair angle, but they at least told the obvious story of two great stars of the generation looking to be the guy. There was no deeper reasoning for the Hogan feud with Butcher other than his friend got tired of being in his spotlight. It also took away from the WCW Championship feeling like the top prize in the company.

The Match Was Equally Disappointing

Hulk Hogan was never known for having great in-ring classics, but he was able to have a solid match with the right opponents. The best friend of Hogan underperforming on the biggest stage showed that he wasn’t going to be a top star. Close friends usually work well together based on their chemistry, but Ed Leslie could not have a good one against Hogan. The Butcher dropping the ball in his biggest opportunity proved Hogan wrong about vouching for him.

Starrcade 1994 should have been the top night of WCW that year, but it felt like a secondary show that year. Hogan joining the company in the summer was a massive move and led to tremendous success against Flair. Even with the flawed creative and overall mindset for this feud, Flair was able to get the best out of Hulkster more than his best friend.

Creative control became a huge flaw for WCW with Hogan’s power leading to many more negatives. WCW wasted the biggest match of the year giving Hogan the chance to work with his best friend, and it turned into an all-time disaster. Hogan having too much power and getting management to trust him showed the worst side of having him in the company.