Remembering Hulk Hogan is an incredibly difficult puzzle to piece together. Sitting with a blank page, waiting for inspiration to hit is usually a writer’s nightmare. But this time it isn’t because there are no words. It’s because there are simply too many.
The epitome of sports entertainment. One of the first to not only break through the glass ceiling of professional wrestling, but absolutely shatter it. Hulk Hogan transcended the industry into the rarified air of pop culture zeitgeist. To many, he was a pure slice of Americana.
Netflix Runs Wild…
Flip the coin however, and it’s impossible to ignore the ignorant and harmful comments Terry Bollea (the man behind Hogan) spoke into the world.
Combined with multiple stories from peers of The Hulkster only ever looking out for himself, what should have been an outpouring of love at the news of his passing, becomes problematic.
Those affected by the aforementioned comments of course have the right to reserve their own opinions. But inside the ring, Hulk Hogan is, no matter how you spin it, one of the very best to lace their boots.
Changing Wrestling Forever
There is a well founded argument that without Hulk Hogan, there would be no WWE. There would be no AEW and the very real possibility that professional wrestling would still be stuck in travelling shows and bingo halls.
It would be easy to turn the rest of this feature into a list of the experience and accolades Hogan enjoyed in the early days of his career, but it was in 1985 that he arguably cemented his place in wrestling royalty.
Placing his company’s future on the back of Hulk Hogan Vince K. McMahon Jr. quite literally gambled his own house on the success of WrestleMania.
It would be Hogan’s appearances on MTV and partnership with Mr. T that would ultimately bridge the gap between wrestling and the mainstream audience.
Audiences fell in love with the bombastic over the top style Hogan brought to screens each week.
From hulking up, to tearing his t-shirts open with the aid of those infamous 24 inch pythons. Delivering a big boot to dropping the leg. Children across the United States were kitted out in Hogan’s signature yellow and red colours each and every single week.
WrestleMania moments will forever be measured against the spectacle of Hogan picking up the hulking mass of Andre The Giant and bodyslamming into the ring mat below.
The noise and image of what looked like hundreds of flashbulbs going off at WrestleMania 3 seared into the memory of every wrestling fan.
Hulk Hogan The Politician
But disputes on pay and time away from wrestling to boost his persona in Hollywood began to sour relationships in the industry. Tipping off Vince McMahon on Jesse Ventura’s plans to create a union for professional wrestlers, further marking his card in certain circles.
In the late nineties, Hogan was a big part of both the rise and fall in popularity of WCW. Joining as the infamous third man in NWO, he reinvented himself as Hollywood Hogan in one of the most shocking moments in professional wrestling history.
“You can call this the New World Order of wrestling brother!”
But throughout his time in WCW, rumours of total creative control and an unwillingness to put over others, once again soured relationships in the industry.
He would eventually return to the WWE, putting on an absolute classic against The Rock at WrestleMania 18.
Heralded by some (included Cody Rhodes) as one of the greatest WrestleMania matches of all time, it is a perfect example of Hogan’s ability to captivate an audience and have them planted firmly in the palm of his hand.
Larger than life, Hogan would constantly spin tall tales and braggadocious lies throughout his career. From claiming he was originally offered to be the name and face of portable kitchen grills before it was offered to George Foreman, to being the first choice bass player for Metallica.
When travelling from the UK to the States for WrestleMania, on more than one occasion it was the mention of Hogan’s name rather than Stone Cold or The Undertaker that helped immigration officers understand why this intrepid writer was visiting the country.
That isn’t hyperbole brother but it is testament to the pop icon he became throughout his life.
The Hulkster would continue to attract controversy after being featured in a leaked sex tape by Gawker.
If the act itself wasn’t damaging enough, it would be on the same tapes Hogan would make racist remarks that would prove to be an immovable stain on the rest of his career.
Art Over Artist?
And so, a question that is unfortunately asked far too often, must be aimed the way of Hulk Hogan. Is it possible to separate the art from the artist? If it were as simple as misguided and misquoted utterances, that would be one thing.
But remarks in private surroundings amongst supposed friends is another. Boos would haunt Hogan at all proceeding WWE appearances, most notably at the company’s debut on Netflix.
In typical Hulkster fashion, he attempted to style it out but close friends admitted he was left hurt.
There were moments where the nostalgia of his glory days won through however.
As the first few notes of Rick Derringer’s Real American echoed around MetLife Stadium at WrestleMania 35, the crowd exploded with noise. Not boos on this occasion, but instead in adulation.
At his absolute best, there are very few in the history of professional wrestling that could elicit an emotional response from live audiences quite like Hulk Hogan. In an ideal world, that would be the lasting memory fans can keep hold of.
Not the politicking, yarn-spinning, “That’s not gonna work for me brother” version that outlets reported on.
Perhaps time will be kind to the legacy, if not the man and Hulkamania can run wild forever.
