From the “Wrestlemania” Dept.

It’s 4:20 am in the morning, and I needed to write down my experience at this year’s Wrestlemania (my first major wrestling event) at Toronto’s Skydome.

The match of the day was the Rock againstHollywood Hulk Hogan. I wasn’t expecting much to be honest. The Rock is, and I quote, “The most electrifying athlete in sports entertainment,” and Hollywood Hulk Hogan is a 48-year old former superstar; a man well passed his prime.

In fact, the match was billed as The Battle of the Icons.

Two men. One of them a hero of the 1980s, the other known to us as the “Bhrama Bull”. The last time Hulk Hogan wrestled in TO was when he lost his WWF Championship Belt in 1990 against the Ultimate Warrior. It was a time when a body slam, a rake-to-the-back, a boot-to-the-head, and a Leg-Drop could take down the toughest of opponents.

FACT: The 1990 Wrestlemania at the Skydome was also the first time the “double clothesline” was debuted.

Times have changed in the WWF. Hogan was old. The Rock was young.

When Hogan walked down the ramp, we booed. Everyone knew he was going to lose to the Rock. How could 1980s wrestling possibly beat the “RockBottom” and the “People’s Elbow”?

The Rock’s music played. We stood up. Finally, the Rock HAD COME BACK TO TORONTO! It was glorious. The MILLIONS and MILLIONS of fans cheered world-wide.

The two gladiators looked at each other and girded themselves for battle.

The locked arms and the bell rang.

Something changed in the crowd at that moment. It was as if we remembered and tasted some of the greatness that was once Hulkamania. We remembered that he would come down in red and yellow to Survivor’s “I am a Real American”—could we ever really forget? All the prayer, all the vitamins—then it happened:

With one push, Hulk Hogan launched the Rock to the ground.

Then he “hulked up” [flexed].

We erupted to shouts of “Hogan, Hogan, Hogan…” We booed this man called the Rock, an imposter trying to touch the greatness that IS Hulkamania. Who was this pretender?

If I could only articulate the energy in the stadium during that match….

Oh, how we cheered when Hulk Hogan raked the back of the Rock! Or how we stood up and shook the rafters when we saw the boot-to-the-head! How we knew that victory was within reach when the Mighty Hulk Hogan laid the Leg-Drop across the Rock’s chest.

“1!” we yelled across the arena.

“2!” we screamed as the referee’s hand went down against the mat again.

And then the rocked snapped up after the 2 count.

Hogan picked him up, threw the Rock against the ropes. Then he “Rock Bottom’d” the Rock. Another Leg Drop!

Yet the Rock would not go down.

He never did.

Needless to say, the Rock eventually pinned Hogan with the “People’s Elbow”.

But if you all could have been there. Let’s just say that if I could have bottled up some of the stuff floating in the air during that match—WOW. Talk about a can of liquid energy.

It was a great vibe. Everything that Wrestlemania was suppose to be.

The last two matches (the women’s bout, and the Jericho and Triple-H match) were a yawn. A fifth of the audience had left after the Hogan vs. Rock match.

I’ll stop ruminating now, and leave you with this question:

Whatchya gonna do, when Hulkamania runs wild on you?

Tai