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I started this debate in PWT but all of my debates got deleted over there and this is one that wasn't finished and I'd genuinly love to read people's opinions on... So...

Arguements have been made that Hulk Hogan is the greatest in the history of professional wrestling... The same arguements have been made in favor of Ric Flair.

If you were gonna select one of these guys to be listed as "The Greatest of all Time" which one would it be and why.

Out of the two it would have to be Ric Flair. The man's insane and just seems to keep going even though he constantly looks like he's about to have a heart attack. Hogan is probably going to be the more memorable, he's loud and very colourful! Flair's a wrestler, a good one. Hogan, not so great in my opinion although every time he makes an appearance I still find myself getting excited and singing along to his music!

I'm not so good at debates, maybe once someone starts disagreeing with me I'll chirp in a bit more. Just wanted to contribute seeing as I'm on the roster.

Ok back to the question so like I said Hogan is more entertaining if you ask me. The cheap pops, music, catchphrases and all of that. But Flair is just something else. I just wish the poor guy would retire, he makes me nervous... I don't want to watch him collapse on TV.

honestly in my opinion, i think they are about equal. They still do what is needed even though hulk looks like he is hung back by rubber bands when he swigns a punch and flair the guy is phenominal for his age. But his body is unable to take the bumps anymore as you notice that they do everythig carefully with him. Though I like them both I would have to say Hogan. The guy is by far the Legend of the decade. He has done it all, and i dont disrespect flair, he has been a 16 time world champion, but I would have to agree, he needs to retire, before Flair does burst some blood vessels in his head after what he flew off the handle about with Foley on RAW

Hogan a distant second

he puts people over first then himself last at this age he rocks look at his fued with shelton benjamin, kenny dykstra, mic foley...he made them so over during the fueds...look at the match he had against randy orton after that hogan mess at summerslam...think about it if randy had of lost to flair a different way there would be no dx/rated rko fued

flair made that possible...the same for the past flair put wrestlers over in the ring...sting, luger, steamboat, and eddie g. along with others like kevin von erich and piper the list goes on

who has hogan put over?

brutus beefcake and supposely the warrior

hogan gets my props for what he done for wrestling in the media part of the business...he truly trancended that part to making it bigger and more profitable

but as far as the actual wrestling part the in-ring part of it that is Flair Country by far

Alright, here are my thoughts.

To say someone is the greatest professional wrestler of all time takes a lot of balls, and, if it's done right, should be done so convincingly with a supportive argument behind it.

With that being said, I firmly believe Ric Flair is the greatest of all time. Especially over Hulk Hogan. Hulk Hogan made a lot of money, and had a generation of people following him, but it wasn't anything Hogan did, especially early on. He had the right look at that time, and Vince McMahon decided he wanted Hogan as his guy. Ric Flair built himself up over time.

Now, it can be argued that Hogan spent time building himself up, but I disagree heavily. While he was a big deal, momentarily, in the AWA, he wasn't a global superstar, he wasn't well-traveled throughought the country, he was not a 'name' outside of the AWA, Vince found him, put him over the Iron Shiek, and boom, there was Hogan.

Flair, on the other hand, traveled from the AWA to the Mid-Atlantic territory, where he stationed himself. He built himself up as a star in that territory, became NWA champion, turned around and dropped it, but continued to build himself up. He toured the NWA Territories, not only in the United States, but abroad- so not only did Ric Flair not rely on one promoter to turn him into a phenomenon basically over night, but he was consistently on tour as Champion for different promoters, not just for one.

It can be argued that Hogan toured everywhere with Vince McMahon, and that's true, but Vince McMahon was using him in these territories, Vince McMahon was building Hogan as his star, other promoters weren't wanting him to come in. Granted, the way the NWA was set up, you wanted the Champion to come to your territory, but it also meant that Flair had been an established star before Hogan became a major star.

Besides that fact, Hogan can't work with anybody out there for any extended period of time- it's hard for me to stomach a Hogan match that goes past ten minutes with anyone anyway, and even in his prime, Hogan couldn't go an hour. Ric Flair went an hour with so many people it's not funny, and according to http://www.ObsessedWithWrestling.com from the years 1986-1989 Flair adveraged thirty-four minutes a match, and had nineteen matches that went over an hour. That's just in those years, considering he won his first World Title in 1981, and his second (the big win over Race) in 1983, he had many many lengthy matches in that era. Flair also couldn't just work the guys he knew and was familiar with, he had to go from territory to territory battling their top guys, he had to do a lot of traveling by himself... he didn't have the blessing, at least early on, of traveling with the same group of guys every where, and of knowing his opponent on a personal level.

When WCW went to North Korea, Flair was there. Hogan was not. Flair put the business in front of his own personal wishes, most of the time, while it's documented by several sources that Hogan would veto things he didn't want to do, for the sheer fact he didn't want to do them. Flair is a consumate professional.

Flair is still an active part of WWE storylines, though he's nearing sixty, he's also still one of the most entertaining guys on the card. He's also been able to transition himself from being THE main guy, to being a guy who puts over the younger talent to help establish them, and help give them the 'rub'. Hogan comes back every year to work high profile matches, and win. Since he retired from the WWE after his last 'full' run with the WWE in 2003, Hogan has gone on to say, "No more WWE. No more Vince." in the Japanase press, (from an article in Yomiuri Sports, and some others), and did stuff for TNA. Hogan came back to WWE in 2005 for the Hall of Fame induction, and since then, he's put over: zero wrestlers, while he's gone over: Kurt Angle, Davari and Hussan, Shawn Michaels, and Randy Orton.

In the same time frame, from 2005 to now, Ric Flair has been in major programs with Triple H (who he put over), Edge who he put over, Foley (who put Flair over), the Spirit Squad which transitoned into his feud with Kenny Dysktra and being a part in the Rated RKO/DX feud. Besides this, here's a list of people Ric Flair put over since 2005: Orton, Shawn Michaels, Batista, Kurt Angle, Chris Masters, Carlito, Triple H, Edge, Umaga, and Kenny Dykstra. There could be more I'm missing, but I think that list is a pretty good list to begin with, because it shows that Ric Flair, the sixteen time world champion, is still willing to put people over, because it's the right thing to do. Hogan has lost zero matches in the WWE, even though it does nothing for him to win.

Hogan might have more money, but Flair is better, pound for pound. Even at near sixty years old, when his music hits, I'm rivetted, I'm locked in my chair, and I can't move. Even at almost sixty years old, Ric Flair goes out there and busts his ass. Ric Flair is THE man, people, Hulk Hogan just happens to get spotlight. there's really no comparing them. It's like comparing oxygen and gold, sure, they're both elements that occur naturally in the environment, but while gold gets all the fan fair (Hogan), oxygen is definately more important (Flair).

With that said, Ric Flair is the greatest of all time. Hogan's not even in the same class.

God-damn!

I can't see anybody sitting here and arguing THAT. Well done Dave, well done.

lol just a question are you and taylor related?

oh they forgotten that when hogan came back to the wwe they had to use the Rock to put him over at their wrestlemania match

and another thing hogan in his prime lost a non scripted (shoot) match against the mountie at a wcw house show clean pin in the middle of the ring

em hmm now for my opinion lol.. now taylor can vouch for me when i state two things.. one i basicaly can't stand to watch ric flair or Hogan in the ring and two.. i don't pay much attention stats wise..but if i had to pick then i would have to go flair cause i dislike him less then Hogan and after reading DVDs response he even convinced me lol.. but there is one thing that he left out between Ric Flair and Hogan

----- That being the fact that I have never heard of Flair being basicaly removed from a company because he wouldn't put someone over like Hogan was in WCW when he was to face Jerrett for the World Title.. and from what i heard and im not sure if this is acurate but it was the rumor i heard at the time but it was because he did not want Booker T to hold the title because he was black.. i might be wrong and knowing my knoledge of stats and the fact that i dont live and breath wrestling i prolly am.. but in my opinion if that is correct then Hogan defiantly lost any possible respect i had for him with those actions along with any possible claim of being a legend.. and if im wrong on that material then so be it..

--- Now i have always said that Hogan is in it for the spotlight and that he will never pass off the torch and any time i say that i hear about The Rock and how Hogan was passing him the torch but he sold out and went to Hollywood and all that.. yet Brock isnt' a sell out... but that is a diffrent debate lol.. the fact of the matter is that i doubt even if the Rock had stayed Hogan would still be dragging him gimpy ass to the ring to bath in the spotlight.. He needs the spotlight.. hell i think he will die if he isnt in it... He's like Mr. Freeze in his suit.. when he is out of it he will die.. Hogan is no diffrent.. hence the reason for his reality show.. as long as they is going he will have his spotlight...

--- Now onto Flair.. im an avid believer that he needs to get his ass out of the ring.. im waiting for him to have a heart attack or break a hip.. but thats mainly cause i think he is to old to be in that ring.. He had his glory days and that.. now don't get me wrong i think thats its great he is doing what you wont' ever see Hogan do and pushing talent that he feels should be pushed in the business.. but i think that he should do it as a manager instead of in the ring.. there are only so many times that you can watch the man get his ass kicked before you start to look at him as nothing but a glorified jobber and wonder what happened to the legendary Ric Flair..but yeah my answer to who is the legend.. i would go with Flair lol

Was bored... wanting to put in my two cents.....

I can't stand either. But at least Flair lets the new talent get the push, instead of always wanting to win *cough* Hogan *cough*.

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