For more on this topic and other wrestling related videos, check out my YouTube.
For more on this topic and other wrestling related videos, check out my YouTube.
I can honestly say, that even as a kid, I was never a fan of Hulk Hogan. He never connected with me on a level like he did with so many others.
When I was younger, I felt left out, why couldn’t I just say my prayers and eat my vitamins? And be a happy little Hulkamaniac like everyone else.
Why was I more encapsulated by Hall and Nash in WCW as part of the Nwo and not the front man Hogan? Even back then?
Okay so I am too young too have lived through his heyday, arguably his best days were past Hogan before I even started watching pro wrestling, but I’ve gone back and tried to fall in love.
But that spark that made Hulk Hogan a household name for generations and one of the all-time most famous wrestlers to ever step into a ring – for me it just wasn’t there.
He didn’t have as good matches as Ric Flair nor did he ever hold as many world titles.
He wasn’t as charismatic as Dusty Rhodes.
He was never as much a patriot as Hacksaw Jim Duggen.
He couldn’t cut a promo like Macho Man nor fly around the ring like Shawn Michaels.
He was less physically imposing than the ultimate warrior and he didn’t share his intensity.
His film’s weren’t a success like the Rock’s, every single one of them was shit.
He wasn’t as tall as Andre the Giant or as heavy as Yokozuna, nor was he as big of a financial draw as Bruno Sammartino.
He wasn’t as much a positive impact backstage as HHH.
He wasn’t the coolest guy in the NWO.
He wasn’t as beloved as Stone Cold Steve Austin, nor as hated as the Iron Sheik. He was less handsome than Rick Rude. He wasn’t a young prodigy like Randy Orton, nor did he show outstandingly quick adoption to the sport like Brock Lesnar.
His ego may tell him that he was the greatest of all time. So will the WWE in it’s record books. But to me the only thing that is immortal about Hulk Hogan is the legacy of backstabbing, selfishness and gread.
Hulk would regularly live up to the lyrics of his entrance theme. He would stand in the way of evil to protect America across those who sought to invade their star-spangled shores. Men and women alike admired his strength, his bravery and his reigns as champions. Children idolized him and flocked to shower him with there admiration. He helped the poor, he saved the homeless, he reconciled wars and triumphed over evil.
What a cunt.
I know it doesn’t sound like it. He’s a hero! I hear you cry. He helped to make wrestling what it is today, I agree. And that’s why I have such an issue with the memory of his career. How his achievements are lauded in numerous ‘best of’ segments by fans and WWE alike, Hall Of Fame ceremonies and self-indulgent Saudi Arabia shows.
If you take a deeper look, under the thin leathery hot dog skin of Hulk Hogan, what you’ll find is a twisted history of backstabbing, lies and manipulation.
And okay, maybe all of that doesn’t sway you.
SUPERBRAWL 5
“There was discussions about Vader/Hogan right off the bat. Everybody saw that as a marquee matchup, we all knew that it was going to happen at some point, but there were issues with Vader. Vader was, I’ll be careful how I talk about Leon, he wasn’t always the easiest person to deal with when it came to doing business. He was emotional, he was temperamental, he would sometimes be very, very manipulative, and it took a long time for Hulk to gain confidence in him" Eric Bischoff
Hulk’s inability to mesh with the locker room and his contemporaries at WCW continued when at Superbrawl 5 he faced the biggest and baddest man in the company at the time. Vader. A legendary big man wrestler, his huge mass, brute strength and experience in the ring backed up by a deceptivel quick and flexible style – imagine laying on the man when this man would jump from the top rope and land directly on top of you.
He left a path of bloody destruction in his wake throughout his entire WCW career and was known for being a little stiff in the ring. He was protected by management and won every match when he was able to execute his destructive Vader bomb.
“Hulk Hogan wanted to work with people that he knew were professional. He wanted to work with people who would make him look good. He was well aware of his strengths and his weaknesses and he wanted to work with people that would camouflage his weaknesses and amplify his strengths,” stated Bischoff.
Hogan just stood straight back up. Seriously. Watch this. Vader’s character was momentarily destroyed and his powerful presence dispelled. This wasn’t agreed upon before the match, this was something that Hulk threw in with the sole purpose of making himself look better. It’s selfish and does a lot of damage to the believability of the show.
PRIDE & UFC
It was later in 1997 that mixed martial arts competition Pride was formed. The UFC had started 4 years earlier and the sport was gaining traction with combat fans around the world. Something about this popularity drew Hogan’s attention. And you know how much he loves attention. In an interview Hogan explained how back in the 1970s he trained as a mixed martial artist and fought in the pride promotion against its top stars at the time. But, as you’ve probably just realised, Pride didn’t exist in the 70s so what was Hogan referring to?
It was this knowledge of real life combat and ability in the octagon which Hogan claimed to have, which meant that in 1993 when UFC was formed, he was top of the list of stars that the upstart company wanted to sign. UFC wanted to build a card around Hogan, bringing in his pro wrestling fans to their new genre of combat sports. But Hogan wasn’t interested because: “guys get beat up when the fight should be stopped. We looked at it and it was very violent and the referees weren’t stopping the matches and letting guys get beat up when they should have been stopped. So we just didn’t want to have any part of it, but it’s become quite a phenomena.”
But, as always, Hogan is lying. He was never meant to be the UFC’s top attraction back in 1993, he was never even contacted by the promotion at all.
A few years later, Hogan did indeed prove his fighting prowess. Taking on legendary boxer George Foreman to raise money for charity.
"I was in a charity "Boxer vs. Wrestler" fight with George Foreman, and I hung in with him. So against my better judgment, I started boxing with George Foreman. The first time I tried to hit him I didn't even come close. You think George is slow when you watch him on TV. let me tell you, brother, when he starts with his bobbing and weaving, you wouldn't believe how fast he is. No matter what I did I couldn't hit him and it was pissing me off. Then just as we got near the end of the round, he got me in a corner. I put my arms up to protect myself.
Then all of a sudden, he stepped back and threw a left hook at me. His hook hit me in the right arm, up by the shoulder. And he hit me so hard, MY WHOLE LEG WENT NUMB. That freaked me out. He hadn't hit me in the leg, but my leg had no feeling in it. I hobbled out of the corner and George thought it was hilarious. I couldn't imagine him hitting me in the face with that hook, I'd be dead. Anyway, he took it easy on me the next couple of rounds. But by the end of the second one, I couldn't even hold my gloves up. In the third round, it just became a comedy routine, because I couldn't box anymore. The kids who were watching us had a good laugh. I'm glad for them, because I certainly wasn't laughing.'
The problem is, this fight never took place. Or at least if it did. Nobody saw it. A charity match put on to draw a crowd between two bona fide legends in their respective fields. Cameras would be all over that right? It makes more money for the charity if it is publicised as the name of said organisation would be getting free publicity, right? At the very least it makes Hogan and Foreman look like decent human beings for doing something potentially dangerous to help those less fortunate, so they would bring along a camera or two, right? Hogan is lying about the entire thing. There are no news articles reporting on the event nor pictures to back up the claims. No specific charity is mentioned in the story so we can’t fact check there either. Seems awfully suspicious to me.
PRESIDENT
“It's something that's not out of the question, because with everybody having a different agenda and everybody owing everybody something in the political arena, it would be nice to have somebody that could put America first. ... The way I look at it, if Jesse Ventura could become governor of Minnesota, I mean I basically beat Jesse at everything he's done anyway in his life, so I might as well run for the president.”
Say what you want about Terry Bollea, but one thing that nobody can deny, is that the man behind the Hulk Hogan yellow and red, has charisma and ego in abundance. Two key factors which clearly influenced his decision to announce his involvement with politics in the late 90s.
The ability to win over a crowd with declarations on honour, integrity and hard-work had been a part of Hogan’s repertoire for over 2 decades so the transition from in-ring to behind podium, seemed to make sense.
Hogan’s initial foray into the world of American populist politics came when he announced on the Jay Leno show that the Hulkster was trading in his yellow boots for a red, white and blue tie, and would be throwing his hat into the ring as a potential candidate for president.
What started as a confident display from Hogan as he made his announcement, quickly crumbled under the questioning from Leno. When asked about his core values which would constitute Hogan’s platform. Hulk explained his concept of Flat Tax Brother! At least he tried to explain it. When questioned by Leno, Hogan replied “16%” after a momentary fumble. Still unsure as to what Hogan’s vague replies meant, Jay Leno asked, “How did you come up with that number?” to which Hogan triumphantly responded “16% is bigger than 15%”, before mumbling on to the next question.
If fans at the time at home weren’t satisfied with these non-answers, then surely, they would be rushing out to vote once they had heard Hogan’s killer follow up.
When Leno asked: “Have you had any experience at all in this field?”
Hogan replied, “Well, I've been making decisions all my life.”
This lacklustre display of his political acumen, bundled with he fact that nobody of any real significance within American politics took Hogan seriously, meant that Hogan’s presidential hopes never got off the starting blocks and fizzled out as quickly as they had begun.
After all, who would possibly believe that a larger-than-life, tangerine coloured, leathery old man with fake peroxide hair who had been involved in so many scandals and controversies throughout his career, could ever become president of the United Stated of America. It would just never happen.
HOGAN & TRUMP
“I’ve thought about it — as of late, people calling my phone, driving me crazy about running for Senate. They want me to run for governor, they want me to run for mayor, After seeing Donald Trump’s fanbase and watching what Jesse Ventura did, in the state of Florida, I got a feeling it wouldn’t be that hard, I really do.” HOGAN
Hogan’s aspirations to step out onto the political stage once again reared their head when he was closely linked to several political figures in Donald Trump’s run-in to become the president and throughout the first few years of his presidency.
"I don't want to be in the ring with any candidates, I want to be Trump's running mate," Hogan said. Once again proving that most modern politics are lead by those who garner divisive public opinions and is often less about a background in public office as much as it is about twitter followers and perceived popularity.
“At the moment, I am more focused on persuading Hulk Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, to challenge Governor Rick Scott for the U.S. Senate nomination in 2018,” Roger Stone
Sure, Hogan was most likely simply a pawn in the larger political play of those who were far more cunning and experienced than himself. Hogan received support from those who sought to use his public image and sway with an audience to better position themselves. But that doesn’t change the fact that we live in a world where a man who spent 30 years dancing around in his pants and getting dropped on his head, a man with zero prior experience in such a complex and nuanced position, could have potentially become a member of the United States senate. And that is terrifying.
2002
As WCW and Hulk Hogan’s contract with it, fell apart following the companies collapse in March of 2001, Hogan finally had time to take better care of his long-term injuries and allowed himself a period of rest and recovery.
During this spell, Hogan underwent knee surgery which proved to be a huge success, allowing the now aged veteran a second chance at mobility within the wrestling ring. After an extended break away from the business, Hogan reappeared at a small house show for a local independent wrestling company called the XWF, yes the X does stand for Xcitement. Which at the time was run by Hogan’s long time manager and close personal friend Jimmy Hart.
As Hogan’s body seemed to hold up perfectly fine during his short match against Curt Hennig in front of a privileged crowd in Orlando Florida, he took the decision to reacquaint himself with Vince McMahon, the pair entering into conversations openly for the first time in more than a decade.
RETURN TO WWE
“Brother, I can't believe that I'm in the World Wrestling Federation, and that in such a short amount of time, Hulkamania is running wilder than ever, and I got my fans back, plus a whole bunch of new ones. I can't believe that the Federation gave me the opportunity to fulfil my dream and complete this journey by becoming the Undisputed Champion, something that I've never accomplished.”
Saw his WWE RETURN VS ROCK at WRESTLEMANIA 18. This event is one that I remember so vividly. The tension, the excitement of the night. Being allowed to stay up really late to watch it, bursting to see these two goliaths square off. The Rock was my favourite wrestler back then but even as a youngster, I didn’t like Hogan.
Not because of anything he did behind the scenes, I didn’t know any of that. Just something about his look, his style irked me. So I was extremely happy to see my boy line up to defeat him.
When the two came face to face in the ring something special was happening. The electric atmosphere in the arena that night is something, even through my television on the other side of the world, I remember feeling. To this day, I go back and watch that event and it still brings a tear to my eye. It shows just how good both men were at creating these moments and it really was a once in a life time occurrence, something which I don’t think we will likely ever see again.
"The Rock broke almost all of my ribs at WrestleMania 18 with the Rock Bottom, he wanted to end the match there and then, I told him to relax, and told him to give me another Rock Bottom for good measure"
He then WON UNDISPUTED TITLE FROM HHH (a man at the peak of his career) ONE MONTH LATER. Realism in wrestling.
After some stupid segments covering up his tiring body and struggles with injury, involving motorcycles. Hogan and Undertaker faced off at Judgement day that year. And Hogan took the single worst chokeslam of all time.
Shawn Michaels jumped at the opportunity to face Hogan.
He realised the icon’s career was coming to an end and wanted one last great match. Vince McMahon got the two to agree to a three-match series, with Hogan winning the first and Michaels winning the second and third.
All men agreed until just before Summerslam 2005 decided it would be the only time the two would face off. Hogan did indeed win the first match, but that would be it. Shawn, with his famous hot headed ego completely over sold every single move Hogan’s over trodden and predictable 80’s moveset. Leaping all over the ring and comically feigning over the top damage from Hulk.
It’s funny, but I hate it.
In Hulk Hogan’s autobiography he made the claim that Elvis was a huge Hogan fan before Hogan joined the WWF. He did work in Memphis in 1977, however Elvis died in 1977. "Elvis Presley would come to the arena to see me wrestle when I was working in Memphis."
RANDY ORTON LEGEND KILLER
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"The one thing about Hogan is that Hogan isn’t going to come in to be buried whereas the rest of them are just going to do whatever they’re told." Dave Meltzer explained.
Mic Fowley, Shawn Michaels, Dusty Rhodes, Harley Race, Ric Flair all put to boot by the then rising villaing Randy Orton.
Summer slam 2006 came around and there was only one legend bigger, only one left to defeat. To cement Orton’s legacy, still only in his mid-twenties.
Hogan agreed to lose to Orton, if WWE would promote his daughter’s music album. It was as terrible as you’d expect. But WWE did so in order for the story line to have it’s conclusion.
Day’s before the event Hogan refused to perform unless he won and did so at the biggest event of the Summer. The topic was debated again and again with no conclusion before the day of the show.
The referee for the match, Marty Elias explained “As we entered the dressing room, there sat Hulk Hogan, Jimmy “Mouth Of The South” Hart, and Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake. As we discussed the match, the issue of who was “going over” came up and it went back and forth for a bit. Vince McMahon finally came into the dressing room to chat with Hulk and the issue of who was “over” was settled right there.”
During the match, Orton managed to land an RKO and pinned Hogan for the victory, however, Hulk’s foot was on the rope and as the referee noticed restarted the match. Hogan Hulked up, dropped the leg and pinned Orton for the 1,2,3, destroying Orton’s run as the legend killer in order to put himself over in what is to date his last ever WWE match.
"At SummerSlam, I fought Randy Orton and me and Vince had some problems with the money. Before SummerSlam, I was a little worried because instead of being a main event match I was on fourth against Randy Orton. When I heard about the first three matches at the Fleet Center in Boston, it sounded like a funeral. And when I listened to the crowd reactions to those matches, it did sound like a funeral. Then, when my music came on it was like the old days, people were stood up. It was electric. Randy is a great hard working wrestler and we fought an old school style match. That was the most exciting match I've ever had in the Fleet Centre.
It was at this time that Hulk Hogan claimed that he was offered a legend versus legend match at the upcoming Wrestlemania 22 event. Now, looking at the vast roster of performers who Hogan had feuded with throughout his career, had fans salivating at the prospect. Hogan facing off against the Rock was such a iconic night after all, who wouldn’t want to see something similar replicated.
Could it possibly be Hogan versus his long time nemesis Ric Flair. Or perhaps Dusty Rhodes another man who had been around in the business as long as the Hulkster. There were so many familiar faces from Hogan’s past who could fill the slot and deliver a memorable match.
Maybe it would be a future legend who would prove to be Hogan’s opponent on the big night. The likes of Jeff Hardy, Batista, John Cena, Bobby Lashley or Umaga. All of whom would have benefitted from sharing the limelight with Hogan and could have proved to have been an excellent match up.
But no. The rumoured and thankfully never realised match set to take place at WWE’s biggest show of the year, was said by Hogan himself to have been Hulkamania versus Greg The Hammer Valentine. Thank the wrestling gods that we didn’t have to sit through that one.
2007 Nick Hogan Crash
The next 2 years would prove to be some of the most difficult and straining periods of Hogan’s entire life. A family man at heart, would see his and several other families’ lives changed forever.
For Nick Hogan, real name Nick Bollea, he had lived his entire life in the inescapable shadow of his father’s fame and fortune. A typical spoilt trust fund baby, I don’t blame Nick for spending his formative years being the black sheep of the family. With the regular boundaries which come from being a normal everyday teenager removed for the likes of Nick and his sister Brooke, I find it somewhat understandable as to how they would eventually turn out as adults, for better and for worse.
Nick, however always seemed as if he was the more extreme personality of the two siblings and appeared as if he relished his bad boy persona, even if only in the context of a supremely privileged and sheltered white teenager.
This would unfortunately continue to spiral out of control for the young Hogan son, who found himself caught up in the seedy underbelly of street and drag car racing, boasting online of his personalised car registration plates which read COEHSP, an acronym widely understood by car enthusiasts to represent the phrase "Capable Of Eluding High Speed Pursuit."
And, capable of that Nick and his supped up cars may have been, but one thing he could not elude, was the tragedy which the young man would have a direct involvement in. When in November of 2007, Nick Hogan handed himself into the local police station, he was charged with “reckless driving involving serious bodily injury” an accusation which was unavoidable for Nick. You could turn on any local news station in the area over the time leading up to Nick’s arrest and see coverage of the destruction which he had caused when he had crashed his car at high speed.
The crash had initially left both Nick and his friend John seriously injured, needing emergency rescue, before both were rushed to nearby hospitals.
Neither men were wearing a seatbelt when the crash occurred, which serves 2 purposes in this instance. 1. It meant that the horrific injuries which both men suffered, left John Graziano in a coma, something which could have perhaps played out differently if they were wearing belts. And 2. In the upcoming legal case, the fact that both men were not wearing seatbelts formed the core defence for Hogan’s lawyers. After all, if the two men had been racing their cars that fateful night, then wouldn’t both men have been smart enough to have at least reacted to the extreme danger by wearing their seatbelts?
This is a question nobody will know for sure and one that did not play well with courts as the legal case against Nick Hogan’s recklessness became insurmountable.
In May of 2008, Hogan delivered a plea of no contest and was sentenced to 8 months in prison and a further 5 years on parole, with Hogan’s driving license being withheld for a separate 3 years as well as being forced to serve 500 hours of community service for his crimes.
This would prove to be little recompense for John Graziano and his family, with the young man being temporarily stuck in a vegetative state and now, after years of rehabilitation, was left needing permanent around the clock assistance and care.
The family were awarded $1.5 million by Nick Bollea, a fee settled out of court and said to cover the medical expenses incurred since the car crash destroyed young John’s life.
Now with Nick being released soon after from prison, you’d think that the horrors that took place, would still be fresh in his mind. And who can say for certain if they are or aren’t’ However, comments made by Nick to his father which were released to the press, show that the Hogan’s hold little sympathy for the way in which that night played out.
Hulk Hogan says that “God laid some heavy s**t on him because of things that he was "into." To which Nick agreed, saying “John was a negative person."
Pretty dark stuff.
Break Up and Suicide
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It was later in 2007 when further misery would befall the Bollea household, as the stress caused by the car crash and Nick Hogan’s prison sentence, was further exacerbated as Terry and Linda’s marriage begun to fall apart.
"I practically begged her, Please, don't file, our son's just had this accident -- if we do this now, it'll make us look like the Britney Spears family. Please, don't file for divorce."
A sentence which at first glance made me feel a real sense of despair from the once great man. It made me feel sorry for Terry Bollea the person, and helped me to relate to him on a level which I have struggled to find throughout this near 7 month journey of creating this video series. However, as I read and re-read the sentence, I realised how I had seemingly been so naive.
Begging your loved one for one last chance in a position which we all hope never to find ourselves in. The desperation and vulnerability of Hogan as you imagine him clinging onto his former life and the romance which him and Linda once shared.
But his problem with the marriage break up was seemingly not one of romance, as he continued to elaborate of just why he didn’t want the divorce. He wanted to save face. To protect his reputation and his families ability to remain marketable. He didn’t want to save his marriage because he loved his wife. Terry Bollea wanted to save his marriage to save himself.
And that is the key idea which has run through every single facet of this man’s life. Something which started as a burning passion for fame and success, infected both the character of Hulk Hogan and the man behind the muscles in Terry Bollea. By this point, seemingly the line separating the 2 had disappeared and even in his most desperate hour, all Hogan boasts about caring for is the way in which he is portrayed by the public. And that, in my opinion is the saddest fact of all.
Perhaps this sadness was evident to Terry at this time to. After all, nobody was closer to the misery than the man himself. Who, following a messy and drawn out legal battle over property and finances with his now ex-wife, began to explore out into the media spotlight once again, this time with a new autobiography and several miserable appearances on day-time television in a hopes at rekindling that spark. Scratching that itch which incessantly burrowed into the spot just under that famous Hulkamania bandana, that ever present need for more fame.
It all became too much. In a time of true darkness, Hogan searched his house for a gun, sleeping tablets and strong alcohol. Falling into a deep depression which left the once great man, firmly planted on his knees.
To end it all. That would be Hogan’s only escape. At least, that is how Hogan explained his suicide attempts when he was promoting his book on one of the aforementioned talk shows. With a lump in his throat and the suggestion of a tear in his eye. Hogan spoke of how he found religion in a stronger way and was reminded of his faith during this period.
He also explained how when he was at his most grave, he was brought back from the brink of death by a rather unexpected friend.
That woman would turn out to be Laila Ali, daughter of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, a woman who had worked briefly with Hogan on a television segment, just happened to be the one who reached out to Hogan and who is credited by the Hulk for saving his life.
“I haven’t talked to him since that whole story broke. We didn’t have a big relationship, but I’m saying if you’re going to say it publicly you should’ve maybe said something to me because I had no idea he was about to say anything. But it’s not a big deal, what can I say? I can’t say much, I’m glad I saved his life. Love you Hulk!” Laila Ali
2008
By September of 2008, Terry Bollea was facing financial ruin. His drawn-out divorce proceedings paired with an extravagant lifestyle meant that many of his financial reserves had all but dried up. Over the past twenty years, Hogan estimates that he had spent, lost and wasted over 100 million dollars and was looking for a way to fix his monetary predicament.
This is when the chance of a lifetime arose. When, the visionary director Darren Aronofsky approached Bollea to star in the leading role in his upcoming film. A realistic and unsettling look at the realities of being an over-the-hill performer in a young man’s world.
The role was seemingly the perfect fit for Hogan, who through the offered role, would not directly be playing an autobiographical look at himself, but would be able to none the less bring with him his years of first hand knowledge, successes and hardships to the performance.
However, after much personal debate and introspection, Bollea declined the role in the upcoming film, stating that "he didn't deserve it", showing that perhaps those endless pools of confidence has finally ran out for Hogan.
This led to the film being hindered from the start, with production faltering at every step and a no name actor being brought in to fill Hogan’s role. The film released to little critical or public fan fair and was quickly forgotten on the pile of other countless forgettable wrestling movies.
But, we all know. That isn’t what happened. Darren Aronofsky’s the Wrestler, starred Mickey Rourke in the performance of a lifetime. The film received huge praise for it’s approach to telling the real story behind the scenes of the independent wrestling business and was heralded for it’s cinematographic beauty and subtleties. Being considered by many, including myself, the single greatest representation of pro wrestling ever committed to celluloid.
And also. Hogan was never approached for the role. Seriously. According to the director, he was never even considered. “We never mentioned Hulk Hogan, nor any other wrestlers. We just wanted to keep the fiction alive, and not pull people out of it.”
When asked directly, Aronofsky has categorically denied Hogan’s lies on several occasions.
LEAVING & POST WWE
So perhaps, Hogan’s one final chance at success on the silver screen was a failure, or more likely, simply just another on of his lies. It was around this time that Hogan continued in his search of financial security with his reintroduction to the wrestling world. And at this point, it went just about as badly as you would have guessed. He fluttered around at the end of his career in promotions such as TNA, but I really don’t like to relive that nightmare period in wrestling. TNA was so good and Hogan was so shit.
LOVE AFFAIR WITH KEVIN OWENS
By 2016, Hogan had done just about everything it was p[possible to do for a successful wrestlewr and showbiz personality. He had won every major wrestling championship and main evented just abot every major show. He had made and lost hundreds of millions of dollars, become a movie star and even run for president. But he still had more feathers on his preverbial cap. This was evident when he flexed his talent promoting and searching credentials. Putting a claim to be the man who first recognised the potential of one of independent wrestlings most influencials stars.
"I watched him work on an NXT match and he was just grinding old school like a heel," Hogan said. "He was getting the heat, staying on a guy, letting a guy sell, walking away, going back to the dance, keeping his heat. Then I watched the baby face try to come up several times at the wrong time and Kevin had enough instincts to cut him off. And when he did let him come up, he was backpedaling like a Pat Patterson or a Hollywood Hogan or a real big chicken s--- heel and he was over so well as a heel. I told Triple H, 'If you get this guy up and running, he can turn into one of your greatest baby faces,'" Hogan claimed.
Hogan claims he's the one who first noticed Kevin Owens's potential. "Well, I hate to brag about it, but I’m the first one to point the finger at Kevin Owens." Which is remarkable. A real way to see just how good of an eye Hogan had for spotting talent. Nobody else had even heard of Kevin Owens at this point. Except for the countless fans who has cheered and booed Kevin Owens under his former name of Kevin Steen, during a decade of solid work in the indies and time as NXT Champion within WWE itself. Nice one Terry.
CAREER SUMMARY & POSITIVES
And now. After all of that. Through ever single one of Hogan’s triumph’s and failures, successes and scandals, you cannot deny his accomplishments.
Hogan is a thirteen-time world champion: a one-time IWGP Heavyweight Championship in its early version, a six-time WWF World Heavyweight Champion/WWF Champion (with his last reign being as Undisputed WWF/WWE Champion) and a six-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion.
His first WCW World Heavyweight Championship reign is the longest in history, while his first WWF Championship reign is the third-longest ever (and the longest of the 1980s).
Hogan was the first wrestler to win consecutive Royal Rumbles, in 1990 and 1991, and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2005.
A key component in the early history of Wrestlemania. Hulk Hogan headlined the 7 out of the first 8 Wrestlemanias. You thought Cena was pushed too hard? You’re sick of Roman Reigns’ Wrestlemania main event dominance? Mr. Terry would like a word.
“Hulk Hogan is one of the most requested celebrities for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and has granted over 200 wishes for children with critical illnesses. He’s among only a few celebrities to grant over 200 wishes.”
But it’s easy for me to sit here, pointing my chubby fingers and spilling coffee onto my keyboard, spraying Doritos into my microphone with rage. I’ve never stepped into the ring, I don’t think my short legs allow me the required verticality to perform particularly well in the squared circle. I’m out of breath just trying to come up with this script. So, why should you listen to me and take on board my opinion?
You shouldn’t. Thanks for watching.
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