Over the past six decades, Hogan has witnessed every major moment in pro wrestling. Yet he still found himself enamored, as The Rock captured his attention and seized his imagination.

“The Rock, he’s one of a kind,” said Hogan. “He’s on another level. That was noticeable right away. But one part stood out to me–and I thought it was very clear. Rock still has wrestling in his blood.”

The ongoing writers’ strike in Hollywood has opened an unexpected pathway for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to return to  WWE. If he were to  wrestle again, the match would be a WrestleMania 40 main event against Roman Reigns.

Hogan, who headlined the inaugural WrestleMania–and WrestleMania II, WrestleMania III, WrestleMania V, WrestleMania VI, WrestleMania VII, and WrestleMania VIII, as well as closed out WrestleMania IX–believes a Rock-Reigns match would redefine pro wrestling.

“That would be a moment for everyone,” said Hogan. “Not everyone was around, not even a lot of today’s stars, for the first WrestleMania with Mr. T and Liberace. Or to see me and Andre The Giant at WrestleMania III. But if Rock comes back, people will never forget it.

“For all the people to see him come back, and see greatness right in front of us, it would be amazing. If The Rock comes back at WrestleMania, it will be a moment people will never forget.”

Hogan and Rock wrestled each other on two different occasions, and had a fantastic three-on-two handicap match on Raw where Hogan teamed with NWO brethren Kevin Nash and Scott Hall against The Rock and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Their most famous moment together took place in 2002 at WrestleMania X8, where The Rock and Hogan electrified the crowd at the SkyDome in Toronto.

Prior to WrestleMania X8, Hogan had not wrestled at  WWE’s signature event since 1993, and the build to his match against The Rock was sensational. But a lot had changed in  WWE while Hogan had worked for WCW.  WWE was no longer his domain, as Austin and The Rock became the company’s two top stars during the immensely popular “Attitude Era.” Life in WWE also changed off-camera, and Hogan was surprised when he asked to run through the match against The Rock during a WrestleMania X8 rehearsal.

“I’ve never practiced a match in my life,” said Hogan. “But when I finished at WCW and went back to WWE, Vince McMahon told me things were different. I remember him telling me that I needed to bring it if I wanted to keep up. There were other changes, too. Vince and Pat Patterson wanted us to go through the match to see what we were doing. That wasn’t my cup of tea. To me, the art form is calling it when we’re out there.”

Hogan fondly recalls the voice of Rocky Johnson, the father of The Rock, echoing throughout their rehearsal.

“I’d known Rocky Johnson for a long time, even before I started to  wrestle,” said Hogan. “He was someone I looked up to. And that day, I can still remember standing in the ring talking with Dwayne, and all we could hear was Rocky Johnson yelling, ‘Dwayne, listen to Hogan!’”

Hogan first met Rocky Johnson while both were living in Florida. At the time, Hogan was a rabid wrestling fan and Johnson was a star of the industry.

“Rocky Johnson was wrestling in Florida, and after the matches in Tampa, they’d all go to the Imperial Room,” said Hogan. “I bet Rock remembers the place because they lived right near it. I’d go just to mark out and see Harley Race and ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham on one side of the room, then Rocky Johnson on the other.