WWE Vault uploads classic match featuring Hulk Hogan and Earthquake

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Whatcha gonna do when the Quakester squeezes the life outta you!?!? | (Photo: WWE) Footage of a minutes-long bear hug was spotted Tuesday on WWE Vault. WWE’s YouTube home for classic content uploaded an April 1990 dark match between Hulk Hogan and Earthquake, in which Quake squeezed Hogan’s back and ribs for nearly two and a half minutes — almost a third of the match. In a show of strength, the 400-plus-pound Natural Disaster hoisted Hogan off the ground midway through the match and held him there for several moments. Eagle-eyed viewers might notice that Hogan’s shins were resting on Quake’s upper thighs. That’s a trick the wrestler trapped in the hold can use to help support his weight while being held off the ground. Meanwhile, Hulkamaniacs rallied behind Hogan, especially as he played the babyface in peril, pleading for the crowd’s support. However, as he began to fade, the referee lifted Hogan’s arms three times. Just before his arm completely dropped on the final check, Hogan shot his fist in the air, and the match continued. Once a pro wrestling staple, the bear hug has fallen out of favor in modern times. Years ago on his podcast, Jim Cornette opined that as the territories gave way to the indies, making it easier to get into the business, aspiring wrestlers had something else in mind. “When that happened,” Cornette explained, “guys got in the ring that were specifically becoming wrestlers because they wanted to do the fun moves. And the bear hug isn’t fun for anybody.” When done right, however, the bear hug can be a violent hold, especially the way Cornette described it. “If it’s a finish, it’s for a guy like Rusev, who would clamp those big arms around the small of the guy’s back. And he would be shaking him like a fucking rag doll, like a pit bull shaking a little Chihuahua around.” Ironically, one of the most memorable moments involving the bear hug came at Hogan’s expense. Last week, WWE celebrated the recently retired Brock Lesnar by uploading some of his best matches. Included in the batch of releases was the night Lesnar put Hogan down with a bear hug, which, in storyline, caused Hogan to bleed internally. In 1990, though, “fate” wasn’t on Quake’s side. After squashing the icon with his Earthquake Splash, Hogan hulked up, slammed the behemoth, then hit a leg drop for the win. Still, seeing the move applied for the time it takes to make instant ramen was a sight for sore eyes.