The death of WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has seen the passing of one of professional wrestling all time greats, even if his final years were remembered for all the wrong reasons.
On July 24, news broke that Hulk Hogan had passed away at the age of 71. The news was especially shocking to some as numerous close sources to Hogan stated that the wrestling icon was actually in good health, despite there being reports about his decline over the past few weeks. Following the news breaking, the biggest names in pro wrestling, along with actor Sylvester Stallone and even President Donald Trump all paying tribute to the late wrestler. When it came to Hogan, it can’t be denied just how influential he was to wrestling and pop culture despite the fact that the legacy was tarnished for the best part of a decade.
Ask anyone in the street to name the biggest pro wrestler of all time, there is a strong chance that they will respond with Hogan, and with good reason. An icon of the 80s, an integral part of the success of WrestleMania and with a larger than life look and personality, Hogan was built for the squared circle. Walking to the ring as Rick Derringer’s Real American rang through arenas, long blond-haired, tanned, muscled, a patriot and telling the fans to “say your prayers, eat your vitamins”, Hogan personified the American hero in the 80s. Recognising Hogan as the golden goose of the then WWF, Vince McMahon chose Hogan to be the centrepiece of his brand by headlining the first show alongside actor Mr. T to take on Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff. Has McMahon chosen a different wrestler for the role, it could be argued that the show would not have been a success and wrestling as we know it today would have never existed. Hogan wasn’t just a wrestler, he was literally wrestling personified to the point that if you asked AI to draw an 80s wrestler, there would no doubt be some resemblance to The Immortal One.
Although Hulkamania began in 1984 when he defeated The Iron Sheik to win the World Title at Madison Square Garden, it was at the same venue a year later where Hogan was catapulted into the stratosphere and never looked back. Although Hogan didn’t exactly have the match of the night, especially when the likes of Ricky Steamboat, Ric Flair and Randy Savage were also on the card, the thousands of Hulkamaniacs in attendance wanting to see their hero prevail ensured that The Hulkster was always the main event. With this came one of the biggest criticisms of the Hogan era, that he always triumphed over his adversary. With Hogan often being the one getting his hand raised, there was a point where fans were starting to grow tired of The Hulkster as other rising stars struggled when being matches up with him. So much so that even today when some of the top stars are pushed strong they are given the Hogan nickname by fans, with Becky Lynch and Rhea Ripley being recent examples.
According to multiple interviews and reports that have taken place over the past 4 deacdes, the reason for Hogan being booked strongly was due to his actions behind the scenes and having an abundance of creative control. From the infamous ending to WrestleMania 9 to what happened at Starrcade 1997 to not wanting to put Shawn Michaels over at SummerSlam 2005, the latter of which saw Michaels make a mockery of the match, there have been multiple instances where creative plans have been derailed and the finger was pointed at Hogan.
While some of the wrestlers and a portion of the fanbase took issue with Hogan always prevailing, it did little to affect his popularity. Always receiving a positive reaction no matter where he went, gaining more and more fans from his appearances in the acting world and a household name, the Hall of Famer remained the wrestler to many throughout the late 80s and early 90s. However, as the popularity began to decline in the 90s in favour of newer stars, Hogan took drastic action.
Hulk Hogan Has Betrayed WCW
Following his shock defection to WCW in the 90s, Hogan was initially brought in once again as the all-American hero, complete with a ticker tape parade. Just as it appeared that there would be a copy-paste story, Bash at the Beach 1996 saw the unthinkable happen, Hogan turning heel. Attacking Randy Savage on behalf of Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, the New World Order was born. Still regarded as one of the most important heel turns in wrestling, Hogan was once again able to make himself the most important thing in wrestling thanks to his unique blend of charisma and promo style that saw the popularity of the cool heel rise. With merch selling by the truckload and the nWo spiking Nitro’s ratings, Hogan had made himself into one of the greatest good guys and bad guy in pro wrestling history. Although the nWo became watered down with more members being added over the next few years, Hogan was always on top, once again due to his creative control clause. Ironically, this was one of the things that eventually led to WCW suffering as more and more young stars struggle to get over after being held down by the veterans. Seeking pastures new in WWF, the tide once again turned in favour of McMahon’s promotion.
One year after WCW folded in March 2001, the nWo returned to set up one of the hottest matches in Mania history. Billed as icon vs. icon, Hogan took on The Rock at WrestleMania X8 in front of an extremely hot crowd in Toronto, Canada. Despite the fact that Hogan was the heel, fans cheered The Hulkster en masse in what took many by surprise, including those in the ring. With The Rock prevailing over Hogan in a torch-passing moment, Hogan turned face that night by attacking the nWo after the match in what is still believed to be one of the all-time great Mania matches all these years later, and one that should have definitely gone on last.
With another world title run in 2002 and a member of the SmackDown roster, Hogan went on to defeat Mr. McMahon at WrestleMania 19 and continued to receive great reactions from the fans. In 2005, Hogan was recognised for his industry-defining contributions by being inducted into the Hall of Fame. The next night at Mania 21, Hogan received a thunderous ovation as he saved Eugene from being attacked by Muhammad Hassan in what was an all-American moment during the height of the Middle East conflict.
After the aforementioned match with Shawn Michaels at SummerSlam 2005, Hogan returned to the event one year later to defeat Randy Orton in what would be his final WWE match. Not content with retiring at that point, Hogan never got his official send-off as an in-ring performer. Instead, the Hall of Famer once again defected to the competition, this time TNA.
Hulk Hogan Leaves WWE [Again]
From 2009 to 2013, Hogan was a part of TNA, even if he was somewhat reluctant to promote the brand during media appearances. Predominantly an authority figure and onscreen personality, Hogan did have 5 matches in the promotion, 3 of which were televised. Unfortunately for Hogan and his fans, the final hurrah did not come at WrestleMania, or even at TNA’s equivalent, Bound For Glory. Instead, The Hulkster stepped inside the ring one final time as part of a 6-man tag match at a UK house show in Manchester. Behind the scenes, Hogan and Eric Bischoff were allegedly responsible for some of the more infamous TNA decisions at the time, including wanting to go head-to-head with WWE on Monday nights and scrapping the signature 6-sided ring. Losing a lot of goodwill with fans, Hogan and co damaged the brand to the point that it took more than a decade to recover from. However, with TNA not exactly being a major brand at that point, Hogan’s damage was not widely covered and the pro wrestler remained popular among fans, until 2015 that is.
The Hogan Controversy He Never Recovered From
Along with a sex tape of the Hall of Famer being leaked online, Hogan was caught on audio using racial slurs as part of a rant concerning who his daughter Brooke was dating. At the centre of controversy, Hogan was removed from the Hall of Fame for 3 years and talked about much less on TV, a sign that he had been shunned from the company that made him into an icon of the world of sports and entertainment. Things didn’t get much better for Hogan when his “apology” was more about being caught as opposed to the language he used. Never truly atoning for what he said, Hogan’s actions left many in the locker room and the wider fanbase to see their opinions change for good.
From there, Hogan continued to hit the headlines for a lot of the wrong reasons. Often stretching the truth in interviews about his accomplishments and being one of Trump’s biggest supporters, Hogan became the punchline for many in the wrestling world and saw his legacy diminish with every story published. Although millions remembered Hogan as the man behind Mania, the present quickly eclipsed the past.
Used on TV much more sparingly, Hogan generally appeared via video as opposed to in front of fans, with exceptions being the 30th anniversary of Raw and as part of a tribute to the late interviewer “Mean” Gene Okerlund. Hogan’s final WWE appearance was a PR nightmare for the company, as he was booed out of the building during the Raw on Netflix premiere, which was also the segment that generated the most headlines in what should have been a celebration of wrestling to usher in a new era. With the “loud booing” subtitle becoming a meme, it was clear that fans of today did not want to give Hogan that same love he once felt.
How To Remember WWE Icon Hulk Hogan
Hogan’s death is arguably the biggest loss from wrestling ever. With any wrestlers and WWE likely not in the same place were it not for Hogan, there will never be another like him and his influence will live on for decades. If Hogan had gracefully rode off into the sunset, or at least tried to atone for his mistakes, the wrestling world may have looked upon Hogan’s later years much more favourably, and there could have been an opportunity for one last hurrah. Unfortunately for Hogan, fans are not quick to forget and can see through Hogan more than ever before. He was a hero to many no doubt, and the biggest reason wrestling is the juggernaut it is today, but it’s hard to ignore what happened and how it was handled. For many, Hogan’s life can be summarised in the iconic quote from The Dark Knight:
“You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain”
Featured image: WWE
