Real Reason Hulk Hogan’s Final Match With John Cena Was Scrapped

Hulk Hogan passed away in July 2025, but a huge final match against John Cena was once on the table—until Hogan’s health shut it down.

On a new episode of 83 Weeks, longtime friend and former WCW President Eric Bischoff revealed Hogan was this close to locking in a final in-ring match with Cena—but it never materialized due to medical concerns. Bischoff explained that he wasn’t just hearing rumors—he was right there when the talks went down.

“His last match was supposed to be against John Cena until health issues with either one derailed it. Yeah—um—not only was I aware of it, I was sitting next to Hulk as he was on the phone negotiating the deal in real time. So yeah, I was very aware of those conversations—at least from what I could hear.”

He clarified that he didn’t have all the details but was deeply involved in Hulk’s day-to-day life at the time. According to Bischoff, the talks took place during a period when Hogan’s mobility had taken a serious hit.

“We were in a car, or on a boat, or something like that—so I heard Hulk’s side. I can’t tell you how far it eventually got. I wasn’t involved in the details, but I was involved in some of the scheduling. Keep in mind, the reason I was there was because I was actually living in Hulk’s condo at the time to help out. Hulk wasn’t moving around very well—this was when his back started getting really, really bad.

So I remember being part of those discussions, or at least listening to them, and hearing a little bit about what the match might look like—but very little of that did I really pay attention to or get exposed to. But yeah, it actually did happen. It’s a true story. I was there.”

While the match never came to fruition, Bischoff’s comments confirm that Hogan vs. Cena was more than just fantasy booking—it was real, and it almost happened.

Back in August 2023, Hogan had shared with Muscle and Health that he’d undergone 10 back surgeries, with a potential 11th looming due to his deteriorating condition. He traced the root of the damage to his iconic finishing move, the leg drop, and even admitted that working a post-surgery match with Ric Flair in Australia worsened the injury.

“Our good friend Ric Flair put my back out last year… they’re talking about back surgery number eleven, which I truly hope I can avoid,” Hogan said at the time. “The problem goes from my tailbone all the way up to my shoulder blades.”

In the end, Hogan’s final match took place during a TNA house show in January 2012—but the world will always wonder what could’ve been if Hogan vs. Cena had come to life.

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