Over 30 years ago, in the summer of 1994, the wrestling world was shaken. Vince McMahon and the WWF were on trial for steroid distribution. The most high-profile witness for the prosecution had just left Vince’s employ: Hulk Hogan, who was making the jump from the WWF to WCW. At the time, many feared the WWF—and perhaps even pro wrestling itself—might not survive.
That notion now seems absurd. Like any staple of popular culture, wrestling changes—adapts, evolves, morphs—but endures with loyal fans and the ebb and flow of casual viewers. Back then, though, it felt like the end times for the WWF and a decisive shift towards WCW. While the former never came to pass, the latter did, and within a year, the Monday Night Wars ignited.
Wrestling’s Shaky Foundations in 1994
To understand why this period felt so fragile, you have to remember wrestling’s state in the early ’90s. WWF attendance was shrinking, Raw was still new and struggling to find its audience, and big arenas were being swapped for smaller markets. WCW, meanwhile, was largely considered a southern company, with Turner money but limited mainstream reach.
Add to that an increasingly cynical fanbase—one exposed to steroid headlines and disillusioned by cartoonish gimmicks—and wrestling’s image was battered. By the Summer of 1994, both WWF and WCW were in need of a spark.
Hogan’s WWF Farewell
Hulk Hogan’s exit from the WWF was anything but gracious. Vince McMahon had hyped Hogan versus Sid Justice at WrestleMania VIII as possibly Hogan’s last match. Hogan returned at WrestleMania IX for another supposed farewell, tagging with Brutus Beefcake against Money Inc. In an unexpected twist, Hogan ended the night as WWF Champion, defeating Yokozuna in under ten seconds after Yokozuna had just dethroned Bret Hart. At King of the Ring 1993, Hogan wrestled his last WWF match of the decade, losing the belt back to Yokozuna.
Although everything was set up for Hogan to return and reclaim the title, negotiations fell through. Hogan claimed he was more interested in pursuing movies. Instead, Lex Luger stepped into the spotlight, famously bodyslamming Yokozuna on the U.S.S. Intrepid on July 4, 1993. Fans aboard the Intrepid, expecting Hogan, even chanted his name as Luger arrived.
The Steroid Shadow
Hogan has always known when to exit a scene. When the Dr. Zahorian trial in 1991 revealed Hogan’s name as a client, he was thrust under intense media scrutiny. He was the sport’s most famous face, the man telling kids they could achieve his physique through training, prayers, and vitamins. His appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show only worsened matters when he downplayed his steroid use, admitting only to recovery-related use.
Ever wonder why Hogan vanished from WWF TV between WrestleMania VIII and IX? That’s why. WWF edited the 1992 Royal Rumble and WrestleMania VIII crowd reactions for later releases, but live broadcasts told the truth: Hogan was booed heavily, while Sid Justice received cheers. Fans were turning on Hogan, associating him with steroids and hypocrisy. To escape the backlash, Hogan stepped away for nearly a year.
Vince on Trial
In spring 1994, McMahon was indicted by a grand jury after two years of investigation and taken to federal court on steroid distribution charges. Unlike the Zahorian trial, the federal case against McMahon was flimsy. Hogan testified, but repeated the same excuses he had given on Arsenio. There was no solid evidence tying McMahon directly to a conspiracy.
Mainstream media covered the trial daily. Newspapers, talk shows, and nightly news reports painted the WWF as a haven for steroid abuse. Advertisers grew wary, parents questioned wrestling’s influence on children, and fans simply tuned out.
On July 22, during the summer of 1994, after a short trial, McMahon was acquitted. He even celebrated in a neck brace, a theatrical reminder of his ongoing battles. But while Vince walked free, the WWF’s image was in tatters.
Hogan Finds a New Home in WCW
While Vince was on trial, Hogan was busy filming Thunder in Paradise at Disney MGM in Orlando—the same site WCW used for syndicated tapings. With promises of movie and TV deals, plus top billing on WCW pay-per-views, Hogan signed with Ted Turner’s WCW. Summer of 1994, July 17, Hogan debuted in the promotion, defeating Ric Flair for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship at Bash at the Beach.
The reaction was divided. While Hogan’s star power brought mainstream attention, many WCW loyalists booed him immediately, unhappy to see Flair lose and sceptical of Hogan’s presence. This tension would define his WCW run until his eventual heel turn.
WCW Becomes WWF 2.0
For loyal WCW fans, Hogan’s arrival felt like a betrayal. He brought his WWF buddies along—Brutus Beefcake, Earthquake, Randy Savage, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, and The Nasty Boys. Duggan even defeated “Stunning” Steve Austin, one of WCW’s best young stars, for the U.S. Title. Storylines echoed old WWF angles, including Andre the Giant’s “kayfabe son” and even Zeus, repackaged as Z-Gangsta.
It wasn’t WCW anymore. Fans like me were rooting for Flair and Vader to topple Hogan, but booking always kept Hogan strong. By late ’94 and into ’95, WCW crowds regularly booed him. The Hulkamania routine was stale, and Hogan’s refusal to lose cleanly frustrated viewers.
The NWO Changes Everything
After disappearing again in 1995, Hogan re-emerged at Bash at the Beach 1996 as the shocking third man of the New World Order. The heel turn worked. The NWO storyline revolutionised wrestling with its faction warfare, reality-based promos, and “cool heel” energy. Eric Bischoff played the evil boss long before McMahon’s Mr. McMahon character cemented the archetype.
The NWO’s success forced the WWF to adapt, launching the Attitude Era. Within two years, the industry was thriving again, and the Monday Night Wars captivated fans worldwide.
What If Hogan Never Left?
Fans still debate the hypothetical: “What if Hulk Hogan had never left the WWF?” But the truth is, Hogan was never going to stay in what looked like a sinking ship. His move to WCW set the stage for wrestling’s rebirth. Ironically, WCW firing Steve Austin in 1994 cleared the way for him to join ECW, then WWF, where he became Stone Cold—the very star who spearheaded the WWF’s comeback.
Without Hogan’s WCW run, the NWO may never have happened, Austin may never have risen, and WWE as we know it might not exist.
Wrestling Endures
Looking back more than 30 years later, the summer of 1994 no longer feels like the end of wrestling but a crucial pivot point. Wrestling survived scandals, courtroom drama, and fan disillusionment. It emerged stronger, reshaped by Hogan’s move to WCW and McMahon’s acquittal.
What endures is the lesson that wrestling, no matter the controversy, is nearly indestructible. Both Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan may forever be linked to scandal, even in death, but they also played central roles in ensuring wrestling’s survival.