Arn Anderson Says Hulk Hogan Would Have Had To 'Turn It Up' Against Former WWE Star

Across his lengthy career, Hulk Hogan clashed with many of the biggest stars of his generation and even made quite a bang in Japan, where he notably employed a much different style of wrestling compared to what US fans were used to. According to Arn Anderson, one star would've pushed Hogan to another level in the Japanese scene.

During their shared time in WCW, Hogan was hesitant to compete against Vader – who was well-known in Japan — but according to Anderson, Vader would've forced Hogan to push himself. 

"It would've forced Hogan outside of his comfort zone to have him turn it on and turn it up," said Anderson in a recent episode of his "ARN" podcast.

Anderson recalled seeing clips of Hogan competing in Japan and noted how different he was while wrestling there. 

"But I've seen some stuff of Hogan in Japan. He's a different guy in there. He works like a regular guy but he's still Hulk Hogan. I was very, very shocked to see that. So, if he could've had that kind of match with Vader? Sign me up."

During Hogan's time in Japan, despite going by his WWE name, fans quickly began to call him "Ichiban" — which translates to "Number One." "The Hulkster" even went as far as becoming the IWGP Heavyweight Champion in a match against the legendary Antonio Inoki. Interestingly, Inoki pushed kayfabe during their match and ended up convulsing after their clash. According to Dave Meltzer, nobody knew Inoki would end up doing this, not even Hogan, the referees, or his business partner Seiji Sakaguchi.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the "ARN" podcast and provide Wrestling Inc. with a h/t for the transcription.