It's been years since Hulk Hogan stepped into a WWE ring for an actual match. In fact, you'd have to go back to the 2007 Summerslam contest against Randy Orton to see Hogan's last go-around in the company. Sure, the Hall of Famer has made numerous appearances on shows like Monday Night Raw over the past year, but Hogan's never been billed for a match during his current tenure with the company.
Of course, with WrestleMania coming up, anything is possible. Despite his age, a ring return for Hogan isn't so unlikely - in fact, it seems as if the aging superstar is getting ready for a fight at the show of shows, as he's begun training to re-enter the squared circle at WrestleMania.
According to AZCentral, Hogan has been training for an in-ring return, and hopes to have at least one final match in the WWE. Here's what Hogan had to say:
''I got some advice from a wise man, his name is Vince McMahon and he said, 'Never, say never.' I'm back home in the WWE, this is where I started, I'm home and to end the legacy and put the period on the end of the sentence I am training right now like I'm getting ready for the WWE Championship.
You just never know when Hulk Hogan is going to tear the house down. It could be any time, it could be anywhere. I am training and getting ready for my last match, my last run or my retirement match. It's not over until the fat lady sings and I haven't put the period at the end of the sentence yet.''
While it's great to see that Hogan is up for another match, there's a reason he's been on the sidelines for so many years: it's impossible to do that many leg drops for decades at a time and not end up with back problems. Hogan had to suffer through multiple different surgeries throughout the years - but, the superstar said that his back troubles were (no pun intended) behind him.
''My back is straightened out after nine back surgeries, everything seems to be on track and working really well.''
The timing isn't a coincidence, either: with WrestleMania just a few months out, it makes sense that Hogan would be training for the WWE's biggest pay-per-view event of the year. There will be a lot of high-profile matches this year, though it'd be hard to compete with the likes of Hulk Hogan.
''If it happened I would want it to be the greatest match of all time, of course ... If it's the end of my career and a huge emotional send-off that would be great, or if it's the beginning of another huge run for Hulkamania and me chasing the dream of winning the WWE title, that would be brilliant. I'm thinking very positively about getting back in the ring."
So, if Hulk is returning to the ring, it begs the question: who is he going to fight? Sting has made his first WWE appearances over the past few months, though fans are still clamoring for a match between him and the Undertaker. The obvious choice would be John Cena, who basically works as the company's mascot, though WWE COO Triple H would be another popular pick.
Regardless of who he fights, Hogan would be riding an immense wave of hype - which is just the sort of thing WWE is looking for come WrestleMania season.
