I haven't watched wrestling consistently in over 10 years, instead only slightly catching up on it when big things happen (like when Lesnar came back). But I grew up with wrestling, and it was so ingrained in me that even when we stopped having cable for a few years back in the early 90s and we got it again, I saw WCW on and saw Hogan, Savage, Flair, etc and thought it was WWF and asked myself "where is the Undertaker?" (I'm like 7 at this time, but these guys were so recognizable for me even though most people don't remember too many details from when they were 3-4 years old). When I realized there were different companies, I watched both during the whole "Monday Night Wars", so when nWo was at its peak, DX, Nation, Undertaker/Kane, Goldberg, HBK, Sting...."Attitude Era". Many stars like Austin, Rock, HHH, DDP, Jericho, etc. were during this time. Then the early 2000s with Angle, Lesnar, Booker T coming up, and more. And now the "PG Era" with Cena, Orton, and more.

I said all this just to let you know that I know about all these superstars and their accomplishments. With that in mind, believe me when I say there is no bigger name than Hulk Hogan. Triple H coming back from his leg injury? The Rock "coming home"? Goldberg's streak? Glass shattering and Stone Cold comes out? None of that got more crowd response than Hulkamania. None of it that sold more merchandise than Hulkamania (and nWo since Hogan was at the forefront). Just look at how crazy the crowd went with Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 6 vs Warrior. Granted, wrestling back then "meant something" and the rise of the internet kind of diluted it by making it more transparent (by putting tons of info out, allowing us to get more than just what we see on screen). But that's something we just have to live with.

They don't call him the "Immortal" Hulk Hogan for no reason. Hulkamania transcends time

Hogan. Like him or not, he made Wrestlemania possible (WM 1 card was a disaster and if it didn't worked it would probably be the last. Hogan's charisma saved it). Besides that, he maintained an amazing crowd reaction no matter how much time he was out. His heel turn as Hollywood Hogan made him the most hated heel ever. Even with that, he was received back at WWE with huge pops. The crowd chanting for him at WM X-8 against The Rock was insane too. I have a fair amount of criticism regarding a lot of things he did and his infamous booking control power, but I recon that he is the reason there is a WWE or any other federation today.

Not that I want him to be!  It's just that when you look at the matches he's had, the man just steals the show.  I wanted Bret to beat his ass at WM12 but HBK is good.  Damn good.  The man put on a hell of a show in that ring.

*edit*

Unless you're talking about Japanese, indies, etc--there's tons of guys better that just don't have the spotlight that HBK has.  But for mainstream, Bret is a hell of a performer.

I know he isn't the most recognisable but I had to pick Andre the Giant, was the first ever wrestling show I saw and he is also in one of my favourite movies the princess bride.

The Rock and it's not even close.

I'm still salty about WrestleMania XII, too. And Survivor Series '97. But it did warm my heart to see that they've buried the hatchet.

I don't think Shawn was anywhere near as good as Bret as a worker. As an acrobat and showman, sure, he could run circles around Bret. But I don't think Bret has an equal when it comes to psychology and being a good ring general, which is what wrestling is all about. The big thing that hurts Shawn, I think, is that when he was at his physical peak, he was by his own admission, a fucking asshole prima donna and drug addict. Shawn was a lot more of a natural performer and athlete than Bret (and so, incidentally, was Owen - but unlike Bret and Shawn, Owen didn't really have an emotional need to be a wrestler and really just wanted to go and be a fireman), but Bret could tell a story like nobody else. Mostly because he had a borderline unhealthy obsession with becoming the best at it, he could work with a great deal of subtlety and nuance in a company that was never all that subtle. His matches with Bulldog at SummerSlam '92, Owen at WMX, Austin at WM13... I don't think Shawn has any to his name that are as great as those, except maybe with Bret.

lol at people saying hogan. SCSA killed hogan's WCW.

WCW killed WCW.

Bret screwed Bret.