How WWE will celebrate 30 years of Stone Cold Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan’s NWO heel turn

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WWE has had some major stars over the years but it’s hard to argue that Stone Cold Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan aren’t the top two of all time.

Ask most people to give a Mount Rushmore of wrestlers, and Austin and Hogan will at least be in the conversation.

As well as being superb in the ring and having classic match after classic match, both Austin and Hogan not only drew huge numbers in terms of gate and PPV buys, but they are among the biggest movers of merchandise in WWE history.

Now, approaching 30 years on from Austin’s famous 3:16 promo and Hogan’s infamous NWO run, WWE are planning to cash in on the merch train with a celebration.

WWE planning major merchandise push for Austin and Hogan moments

If there’s one thing WWE knows how to do well, it’s sell merchandise to their adoring army of fans around the world.

They never miss a chance to cash in either, and with it now approaching 30 years of both Austin and Hogan’s career-turning moments, they’re set to do it again.

According to Wrestle Votes radio, WWE will launch a major campaign around the King of the Ring this summer to push both Austin and Hogan’s moments.

It’s claimed the company is planning a release of brand new merch, including prints, t-shirts, online campaigns and more.

Furthermore, it’s suggested that while Hogan and Austin will be pushed, it is Austin’s King of the Ring speech from 1996 that will be the focus of a lot of this event.

As we all know, Austin’s promo on Jake the Snake Roberts after winning the event turned the industry on its head and WWE haven’t looked back since.

Regarded by many as one of the greatest turning points in wrestling history, Austin’s 3:16 promo has stood the test of time both in terms of merch sales and rewatchability.

As for Hogan, his heel turn at Bash at the Beach in 1996 was as shocking as it was massive. That kick-started 83 weeks of WCW dominance in the ratings before Austin’s appearance to help Mankind win the WWE title on Raw helped move the needle and change things forever.