Hogan discusses with NBC Universal about The Rock, Stone Cold and more

NBC Universal had a conference call with Hulk Hogan today to promote Sunday's WrestleMania 30 special on NBC. We were told that Hogan's questions should pertain to the special.

The first caller asked Hogan what his top WrestleMania moment. He said slamming Andre The Giant in front of 93,000. Asked what has changed since Mania 1, he said that the pacing is so much faster now both with talent and storylines. He said that it is done to stay ahead of the curve and keeping people's attention, keeping them for turning the channel. He was asked who he never faced that he wanted to and he said "that no good Rattlesnake Steve Austin.

The next caller asked about the opening of Mania 30 with Hogan, The Rock and Steve Austin. He was asked how much was scripted into it. He said that he was at the go position and got pulled aside to do a press conference by Stephanie McMahon and he did it. They asked him a lot about Andre the Giant and when it was over he ran back to the Go position and he saw Rock and Austin in the back talking. He said he blamed Stephanie McMahon for him saying Silverdome since he was rushed out ti the ring, but he was kidding. He said that there was no prep for the legends segment, it was all done on the fly.

He was asked where he sees Mania going in the future. He said everything that is old is new again. He said that, in essence, doing tons of moves doesn't mean as much as telling a story and having a character that has a few big moves that matter. He said he thinks it will go back to larger than life characters instead of inter-changeable guys.

Hogan was asked which WrestleMania match he thought was his best from a work standpoint. Hogan said that different matches had different circumstances. He said he was proud of his match with Warrior because he carried it and told a longer story than Warrior wanted to tell, saying Warrior wanted to get out in four or five minutes. He said he listened to Andre and the Giant carried that match for Hogan. He said with Rock it was tit for tat. He said if he had to pick one, it would be the one with The Rock.

He was asked what match at this year's show was his favorite. He said Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker. He said he and his son Nick watched it in catering and he knew within a few minutes Taker was out of his feet, but he was such a pro and kept going. Hogan said he thought Taker was going to win and had no idea what the ending was.

He was asked about his relationship with Vince McMahon and having a match with him. He said Vince is a consummate pro who never asked anyone to do what he wouldn't do himself. He said Vince never missed a beat in the ring which is kind of amazing since his in-ring work was so scarce. He said he was one of the best he had ever worked with.

He was asked about the decision to have Brock Lesnar end The Undertaker's streak. He said it's a tough one for him because he doesn't know what Taker's body is like or what his outlook is. He said he can't speak for Taker but he knows that as he aged himself, he hit a wall body-wise. Hogan said he was torn on the finish. He said it was done for a business reason, but he doesn't know what those reasons are. He said Vince McMahon always has a plan. There is something more to it than he knows.

He was asked how close they came to having some kind of Roddy Piper vs. Hogan match at Mania. He said it wasn't even close. Piper was working an angle on his own. Hogan said his priority has been to get his back in order after his surgeries. He was asked how his back was. He said he went in for one surgery and ended up having nine. He said that he had fusion surgery and his back is coming around. He said he does have arthritis issues that he inherited from his mom. He is taking fish oil and other natural remedies to help with that.

He was asked about when he and Ultimate Warrior made peace, in WCW or at Mania. He said that Warrior had mostly kept his distance during Mania weekend and they hadn't talked for many years. Hogan was asked by Triple H to let Warrior enjoy the weekend and maybe they could hash it out after Raw on Monday. He said that he and Warrior had a chance meeting backstage at the Superdome and Hogan apologized for whatever he had done to let their relationship get to where it was, said he loved Warrior and he hoped that they could be friends. He said Warrior said the same thing to him and thank God it happened since he passed away two days later. He was glad they made their peace.

He was asked how he felt about Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. He said he looks at those guys and he sees characteristics from guys from the past. Ambrose's character reminds him of Roddy Piper. Work wise, not really as he thinks Ambrose is more technical. He said he admires the shape Ambrose in. Rollins impresses him. Reigns is a larger than life, Hulk Hogan type. He hits the big spots and gets a huge reaction. He said those are three heavy duty names and they are infants in the business. Daniel Bryan has changed the game for all of us. He is every man and the people love him. He can't wait for Bryan to come back.

He was asked if Nick Hogan was still interested in wrestling and MMA. He said Nick got hurt training and changed his priorities. He is DJing now and doing music.

He was asked if he likes to watch his older matches. He said he gets yelled at by his wife for living in the past, but he does indeed enjoy doing it. It is great to see stuff that he had forgotten he has done.

He was asked how his role in Rocky 3 helped elevate him in both wrestling and in the mainstream. He said that Sly Stallone was a huge cultural icon at the time so what it did for him was allow Hogan to get a rub from Sly. He said it made Pro Wrestling look good in the eyes of the public and helped the business.

He was asked about the concept of Saturday Night's Main Event when it debuted. He said he always believed in wrestling and felt if they could get on Prime Time TV, it would open eyes of the people that didn't appreciate it in the mainstream, which it did. He said it was a good idea and a win-win. He said he is happy WWE and NBC are still working together.

He was asked about his relationship with Mr. T. He said that they had the same agent, Peter Young, and became friends that way years ago. They worked with each other on their respective projects (A Team/WWF) through that. He said they have been friends for years and still are. He said that T hasn't changed a bit and that is a good thing.

He was asked what it was like to return to WWE for Mania. He said he was a bit nervous. He said he worked for Vince Sr. then Jr. then down south. He then was in and out after that, but not a full-time employee. He said he was nervous because he wasn't 100 percent sure what kind of reaction he would get. If he didn't get a good one, you wouldn't be talking to him right now. The fans accepted him and let him off easy when he called their building the Silverdome and he appreciated that. He said he was nervous unlike he ever was before.

He was asked about the process of getting checked out medically when older guys come back to WWE. Hogan said for him, he would only get in there and wrestle if it really, really meant something. He said with his surgeries and hip/knee replacements, he isn't ready right now but he feels better every day so maybe down the road it could happen.

He was asked what the wrestling business means to him. He said it's the basic moral conflict of good vs. evil. He said it has persevered through the years. He said unlike fights or UFC, which could end in 30 seconds, you get three hours of entertainment when you buy a PPV. He said it's a great escape for people. It's a constant thing for fans. He said people feel safe and comfortable with WWE, they love the product and the characters. He is proud to be a part of it because he is a lifer, it's in his blood. It's what he loves.

He asked what he does outside of wrestling. He is a beach bum and has three Chihuahuas. He said that he loves spending time on the beach with them, his wife and his two kids.

That ended the call at 30 minutes. Hogan came across really, really well here. He is a great ambassador for the company.

"WrestleMania 30: The World Television Premiere" airs Sunday August 3 at 7 p.m. on you local NBC station.