SCF Tournament, Round of 32 - Hulk Hogan vs. Harley Race

[Slyfox696]

The following match is scheduled for one fall. The match is held in Los Angeles, California and is a Round of 32 matchup. All seeds represent overall tournament seeding.

#4 "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan	vs.	#29 Harley Race

The discussion period will last for two days, followed by two days for voting. You may vote for whomever you feel deserves to win this match. Please post your reasons below if you wish.

[Fallout]

This match-up annoys me. Not only because Race is really underrated in his seeding, but because he deserves better than to go out in the first round, even in a 32 man tournament. Race is a legend who could stake a claim to being in the top 10 of this tournament.

With that said, he's up against the man who should win this tournament, the man who made wrestling mainstream, pushed the WWF to the moon in terms of popularity, and is infamous in his prime for never losing the big fight. For as much as a badass as Harley Race was, this isn't of who wins, but how much does Hogan win by?

[Echelon]

Harley Race was arguably the best NWA champion of the 70's, and was one of the most popular wrestlers of his era. Like all of the NWA champions of the time, he traveled everywhere, wrestled everywhere, and drew everywhere. Once Vince Jr. bought the WWE from his father and started expanding it, Hogan was the best man for the job of being its face. You could argue he was in the right place at the right time, but I highly doubt anyone at the time could have played that role better than Hogan. He had the right blend of charisma and intensity to appeal directly to what Vince's vision of wrestling was. Not that Harley didn't appeal to Sam Muchnick, and later Bob Geigel. He absolutely did. And his success as NWA champion is a testament to that. Harley was dicked over once he came to the WWE, though. And that wasn't his fault. The Funks suffered similar fates. I suppose the tradition of Vince not wanting to acknowledge wrestlers that WWE couldn't call their "own" started early. And Harley did his best to make The King gimmick work.

However, from 1984 to 1993, Hogan was one of the biggest names in wrestling. Just about the only ones that could match him at various times were Ric Flair, Randy Savage, Roddy Piper, Ultimate Warrior, Andre, Sting, and Bruno Sammartino. Harley Race wasn't on that list. Not at that point. Though, Race has been lucky. The WWE machine has peddled his legacy for years, thanks in part of Trips being a fan of his. You can see how history hasn't been as kind to past NWA champs like Kiniski, Jack Brisco, or the Funk's.

When it comes down to it, Hogan was better for business. Even if you could argue that he didn't create the wrestling boom of the 80's, there's no denying that he was the fuse. And the resulting business boom lasted nearly a decade. And then he went on and helped ignite a second, smaller business boom in the 90's. Only a handful of wrestlers in history have boomed business in two separate decades.

This is a good match, but I say it's Hogan's victory.

[Gazprom]

Harley was a big name at one of wrestling's nadirs. He's well loved by lots of people within the industry, and with good reason, but ask the most casual of fans and he's less known. Hulk Hogan was the biggest name at one of wrestling's peak and is probably the most well known and recognised wrestlers in history. For me, it's a pretty straightforward decision. Hogan wins.

[Fallout]

I just threw a pity vote on Race fyi, still think Hogan should win.

[Lee]

I just threw a pity vote on Race fyi, still think Hogan should win.

You're the reason why the Conservatives keep getting elected.