Language. [201] The following week on Impact Wrestling, after Ray saved Brooke from a kidnapping by the Aces & Eights, Brooke accepted his marriage proposal. Net Worth in 2022. [2] A WWE pre-debut push took place with mysterious Mr. America promos airing for weeks during SmackDown!. [207] Following Lockdown, Hogan blamed Sting for Ray winning the title as it was Sting who encouraged Hogan to give Ray the title shot. [citation needed]. He has starred in several films (including No Holds Barred, Suburban Commando and Mr. Nanny) and three television shows (Hogan Knows Best, Thunder in Paradise, and China, IL), as well as in Right Guard commercials and the video game, Hulk Hogan's Main Event. Box office. Early in his career Hogan played the part of Thunderlips in Rocky III (1982). Hogan started his AWA run as a villain, taking on "Luscious" Johnny Valiant as his manager. Birth City: Augusta. No way. He also appeared in No Holds Barred (1989), before starring in family films Suburban Commando (1991), Mr. Nanny (1993), Santa with Muscles (1996), and 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain (1998). in 2012. [86], Hogan soon became embroiled in a heated feud with the 468-pound Earthquake, who had crushed Hogan's ribs in a sneak attack on The Brother Love Show in May 1990. The epic storyline featuring Hulk Hogan, "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth that began at WrestleMania IV and culminated a year later is, undeniably, one of the greatest arcs ever devised by Vince McMahon. [319] Hogan considered committing suicide after the divorce and credits Laila Ali, his co-star on American Gladiators, with preventing him from doing so. That it came on the heels of a major flop only served as a reminder that Hogan's initial forayinto Hollywood blockbusters was an unmitigated failure. It has devastated me, I have never been this hurt". [192], During TNA's 2012 UK tour, on January 26 and 27, Hogan returned to the ring at house shows in Nottingham and Manchester, where he, James Storm and Sting defeated Bobby Roode, Bully Ray and Kurt Angle in a six-man tag team main event at both events, the latter of which was Hogan's final match. [195], In July, Hogan, alongside Sting, began feuding with a mysterious group of masked men, who had dubbed themselves the "Aces & Eights". [56], On Saturday Night's Main Event II, he successfully defended the title against Nikolai Volkoff in a flag match. He occasionally toured the country over the next few years, facing a wide variety of opponents ranging from Tatsumi Fujinami to Abdullah the Butcher. Hogan lost the WCW World Heavyweight Championship to Ric Flair at Uncensored in a steel cage First Blood match. Hogan also convinced Leslie, who had yet to become a wrestler, to come with him and promised to teach him everything he knew about the sport. He also introduced his "three demandments": training, saying prayers, and eating vitamins.. When he brought it up to Vince McMahon Sr, he was told he couldnt take the part. [73] As a result, the WWF World Heavyweight Championship was vacated for the first time in its 25-year history because then WWF President Jack Tunney decreed the championship could not be sold from one wrestler to another. While he fell to a People's Elbow, Hogan was the biggest winner of the night. The build-up to Hogan's Hall of Fame induction and preparation for his WrestleMania angle was shown on the first season of Hogan Knows Best. [262], On New Year's Eve 2012, Hogan opened a beachfront restaurant called "Hogan's Beach", located in the Tampa area. In May on WWF on NESN, Hogan retained the title by losing once again by count-out against Savage. Hogan defeated Curt Hennig in this match and felt healthy enough to accept an offer to return to the WWF in February 2002.[2]. He [has] got, like, legs stuck on his shoulders. From there, he explains that he requires the presence of good, strong tag-team partners to help him take down the heel cast of Rock n Wrestling: Big John Studd, the Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff and Rowdy Roddy Piper. Viewers were asked to write letters to Hogan and send postcards asking for his return (they got a postcard-sized picture in return, autographed by Hogan, as a "thank you"). [308][309] Also, on August 11, 2016, a Florida judge gave Hogan control of the assets of A.J. It was a booking decision that would unleash Hulkamania on an audience of unsuspecting fans and create a larger-than-life star capable of crossing over into mainstream media. In another interesting twist, the Iron Sheik, who was trained by Verne Gagne, alleges he was offered a cash bribe by Gagne to damage Hogans knee in the match and end his career. [2] Sting went on to win the vacant title against Hogan at SuperBrawl VIII,[116] and Hogan then developed a rivalry with former friend (and recent nWo recruit) Randy Savage, who had just cost Hogan the title match at SuperBrawl by hitting him with a spray can. [49][50] This extended to WCW, whose parent company Turner Broadcasting System merged with Time Warner in 1996 and became sister companies with Marvel rival DC Comics. [107] This led to a steel cage match between Hogan and The Giant at SuperBrawl VI, where Hogan won to end their feud. [78] The War Bonnet gimmick was revisited in the WWE's online comedy series Are You Serious? In 1980, Hogan began appearing in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) where Japanese wrestling fans nicknamed him "Ichiban" (, "Number One"). Later that night, Michaels and Hogan defeated Carlito and Angle in a tag team match; during the post-match celebration, Michaels performed the Sweet Chin Music on Hogan and walked off. In 1984, similarities between Hogan's character and that of The Incredible Hulk led to a quitclaim deal between Titan Sports, Marvel Comics and himself wherein Marvel obtained the trademarks "Hulk Hogan", "Hulkster" and "Hulkamania" for 20 years, and Titan agreed to no longer refer to him as "incredible" nor simply "Hulk" or ever dress him in purple or green. [149] The following week on Raw, Michaels appeared on Piper's Pit and challenged Hogan to face him one-on-one for the first time. "[223] Black wrestlers working in the WWE made different comments. [1][52] On Saturday Night's Main Event I, Hogan successfully defended the WWF World Heavyweight Championship against Orton in a match that Hogan won by disqualification. Later in the show, Hogan shared a moment with Mr. T, Paul Orndorff and Roddy Piper, with whom he main-evented the first WrestleMania. Slaughter, defeating him for his third WWF Championship, and then defeating him again in the rematch at United Kingdom-only pay-per-view UK Rampage at London Arena. [146] On the July 3 episode of SmackDown!, McMahon showed the footage of Mr. America unmasking as Hogan and "fired" him, although Hogan had already quit in real life. When the evil Mr. McMahon fired Hulk Hogan in 2003, the legendary competitor returned to television under the guise of Mr. America. When Hogan returned and beat Tenta at SummerSlam, he unleashed a new 4th demandment, "Believing in yourself." In early 1991, Hogan won his second consecutive Royal Rumble, the only man to do so, and at WrestleMania VII, he would defeat Sgt Slaughter for his 3rd WWF Championship. [105] Hogan's fifteen-month title reign (which is the longest WCW World Heavyweight Championship reign in the title history at 469 days) ended when he lost the WCW World Heavyweight Championship to The Giant at Halloween Havoc via disqualification.[106]. Instead, Hogan endorsed a blender, known as the Hulk Hogan Thunder Mixer. The main event of each show was a rematch between Hogan and Ric Flair the wrestler who defeated Hogan more times than any other. A leg drop and a three count later and Hogan had firmly, and undisputedly, established himself as the greatest Superstar of his generation. [106], On the August 4, 1997 episode of Nitro, Hogan lost the title to Lex Luger by submission. The fans loved him, cheered wildly with every familiar spot and genuinely wanted to see him win. [32], During his time in Memphis, Hogan appeared on a local talk show, where he sat beside Lou Ferrigno, star of the television series The Incredible Hulk. Winning the title from The Iron Sheik in 1984, his first 5 reigns as Champion saw him through 9 Wrestlemanias before finally bowing out and finishing the contiguous . After a year away from the spotlight, during which young and talented stars rose to the top of the promotion, Hogan trotted back in the door like a skullet-wearing thoroughbred and defeated Yokozuna to capture the WWE Championship. After the match, Eddie gave Terry his first gimmick, the masked persona of The Super Destroyer, with had previously been used by Don Jardine. During a Ruckus show in 1976, he met local wrestlers Gerald and Jack Brisco, Impressed by his look, they set him up with trainer Hiro Matsuda, and after some prodding, they got him to agree to try wrestling. [40] During his initial run as a villain in the WWF, Hogan was paired with "Classy" Freddie Blassie, a wrestler-turned-manager. At WrestleMania XXX in April, Hogan served as the host, coming out at the start of the show to hype up the crowd. [285] In July 2008, a spin-off entitled Brooke Knows Best premiered, which focused primarily on Hogan's daughter Brooke. [251][252], Fellow WWE Hall of Fame member Bret Hart has been repeatedly critical of Hogan's wrestling abilities, including in 2021 saying that he "didn't know a headlock from a headlamp", and that he was "very limited". He made an appearance at the end of the event, and turned heel by helping Jeff Hardy win the vacant TNA World Heavyweight Championship and aligning himself with Hardy, Bischoff, Abyss and Jarrett. Icon.". [224] Booker T said he was shocked and called the statements unfortunate. World League/MSG League/International Wrestling Grand Prix/World Cup Tournament/G1 Climax, MSG Tag/IWGP Tag Title/Japan Cup Tag/Super Grade Tag/G1 Tag/World Tag League, boom of mainstream professional wrestling, NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (Northern Division), early version of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, intentional infliction of emotional distress, International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, IWGP Heavyweight Championship (original version), Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (Southern Division), World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE, Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, "Hulk Hogan trying to bodyslam "Hulk" cereal ad", "Why WSX Died A Quick Death On MTV, High Energy, Punk In 2021 And More", https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/2111332/hogans-amended-complaint.pdf, "Bollea v. Gawker Media, LLC, Case No. . Hogan then joined Gawker in the ongoing action against Heather Clem in state court in Florida, alleging invasion of privacy, negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress and seeking $100 million in damages. In addition, the Laser Spine Institute used his name on their advertisements without his permission. [114] Hogan then lost the title to Sting in a match at Starrcade. from the audience), shaking his finger to scold him, three punches, an Irish whip, the big boot and running leg drop followed, ensuring victory. Meanwhile, Bischoff's and Hogan's new stable, now known as Immortal, formed an alliance with Ric Flair's Fortune. [124] After some time off from WCW, Hogan returned on the January 4, 1999, episode of Nitro to challenge Kevin Nash for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship which Hogan won for the fifth time, but many people found the title change to be "scandalous". Jarrets wife, Mary was amazed by how much larger Terry was than Ferrigno and soon after, he began working as Terry Hulk Boulder, though he sometimes also worked as Sterling Golden in Georgia. [152], Prior to WrestleMania 22 in April 2006, Hogan inducted friend and former announcer "Mean" Gene Okerlund into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2006. Because of the controversial ending caused once again by Flair at Uncensored, Hogan's feud with Vader culminated in a steel cage match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship at Bash at the Beach, where Hogan won by escaping the cage. [130], Soon after his return in February 2000, at Bash at the Beach on July 9, Hogan was involved in a controversial work with Vince Russo. [43], Hogan and Inoki also worked as partners in Japan, winning the MSG (Madison Square Garden) Tag League tournament two years in a row: in 1982 and 1983. Hulk Hogan Spits Vile Homophobic Slurs In Latest Rant From Leaked Audiotape The Last Straw For Fans? He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 1980s, as well as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. [194] On the March 29 episode of Impact Wrestling, Hogan returned and accepted Sting's offer to replace him as the new General Manager. Hogan easily beat Zeus in a series of matches across the country during late 1989, beginning with a tag team match at SummerSlam, in which Hogan and Brutus Beefcake topped Zeus and Savage. 1 contender to the championship. He is the star of The Ultimate Weapon (1997), in which Brutus Beefcake also appears in a cameo.[283]. [12] As a result, he became a major figure during the "Monday Night Wars", another boom of mainstream professional wrestling. Best Known For: Hulk Hogan was one of the most beloved figures in the WWE during . The set up to the main event at WrestleMania IV was ridiculous. Hogan was also a musician, spending a decade playing fretless bass guitar in several Florida-based rock bands. Hogan boarded a plane, filmed the movie, and signed a deal with Verne Gagnes American Wrestling Association (AWA) soon after. [22] Many of the wrestlers who were competing in the Florida region visited the bars where Ruckus was performing. [46] Hogan's turn was explained simply by Backlund: "He's changed his ways. During his initial run, he won the WWF Championship five times, with his first reign being the second-longest in the championship's history. He assaulted Hogan, and at SummerSlam, he teamed with Randy Savage to battle The Hulkster and Brutus Beefcake in a massive tag team spectacle. Terry Eugene Bollea was born August 11th, 1953 in Augusta, Georgia, but was spent the majority of his life in Port Tampa, Florida. Hulk Hogan is called Ichiban in the Far East, meaning Number One. On May 19 at Judgment Day, Hogan lost the WWE Undisputed Championship to The Undertaker. [20] Eventually, Hogan and two local musicians formed a band called Ruckus in 1976. Styles and Ric Flair when Abyss scored a pinfall over Styles. [260] His name and likeness were also applied to a line of microwavable hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and chicken sandwiches sold at Wal-Mart called "Hulkster Burgers". A tournament was held, which Hogan and Andre were both disqualified from, allowing Randy Macho Man Savage to defeat DiBiase (with Hogans interference) and become WWF Champion. [128] Nash turned on him the next week, and the two began a feud that lasted until Road Wild. This angle was cut short three weeks later, when Foley left the promotion. The WWF used Hogan's injury in a storyline that had DiBiase allegedly paying a group of thugs in a failed attempt to take Hogan out before WrestleMania. It was the first time Hogan had appeared in a WWE ring in North America since his 2015 firing. [125] As a result, the warring factions of the nWo reunited into one group, which began feuding with Goldberg and The Four Horsemen. The same is true of upright rows. In honor of The Hulkster and his many contributions to the sports entertainment industry, relive these best, worst and most outrageous moments that defined his WWE career. He dropped it in January 1980 to Bob Armstrong. On a Monday (again, why the hell was it on a Monday?!) During the match, Hogan hit a body slam on the 520-pound Andr (which was dubbed "the bodyslam heard around the world") and won the match after a leg drop. Send a Message. On August 9, 1999, Hogan started the night dressed in the typical black and white, but after a backstage scene with his son came out dressed in the traditional red and yellow for his main event six-man tag team match. I would like to introduce Hulk Hogans 4 demandments into Brodinism and nominate him for Sainthood as he was preaching the ways of Brodin for many years when it was looked down upon. Eventually, Whitey and Hogan became close friends, and opened a gym together; the gym became known as Whitey and Terry's Olympic gym. to compete with WWE's Raw (which featured the return of Bret Hart). Finally, Hogan advises Baby Hulksters like you that workout equipment shouldnt be confused with toys, and that you arent to goof around with training devices that were clearly specially designed (read: cobbled together from odds and ends left sitting around a Taiwanese factory). [90] Jack Tunney immediately granted Hogan a rematch at This Tuesday in Texas six days later, which he won. Almost always the baby-faced underdog fighting the unstoppable evil heel, Hogan stood for American resilience and a "never-say-die" attitude. The Andr the Giant-Hulk Hogan rivalry was a professional wrestling rivalry between wrestlers Andr the Giant and Hulk Hogan that took place in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). Hogan appeared on an episode of The Arsenio Hall Show to deny the allegations. He was lured back to the ring when he signed with rival promotion World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1994. Hogan went into the match sporting a cut above a black eye. A major part of WrestleMania 21 weekend, his enshrinement capped off a class seemingly dedicated to the Rock and Wrestling Era of Vince McMahon's company. He's told me he's not gonna have Blassie around". On July 10, 2005, VH1 premiered Hogan Knows Best a reality show which centered around Hogan, his then-wife Linda, and their children Brooke and Nick. Also at that time in Memphis, he won his first singles title when he defeated Bob Roop for the NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (Northern Division). The WWF was full of craziness like. He made a top 10 album, Hulk Hogan and the Wrestling Boot Band, and of course, had his own Saturday morning cartoon,Hulk Hogans Rock n Wrestling. McMahon, who wanted to use an Irish name, gave Hogan the last name Hogan, and also wanted him to dye his hair red. It was unacceptable for me to have used that offensive language; there is no excuse for it; and I apologize for having done it. [253] Hart had previously referred to Hogan as a "hero" to fans. At WrestleMania VIII, Hogan defeated Sid via disqualification due to interference by Sid's manager Harvey Wippleman. [134] The nWo feuded with both Austin and The Rock, and Hogan accepted The Rock's challenge to a match at WrestleMania X8, where Hogan asked Hall and Nash not to interfere, wanting to defeat The Rock by himself. [2] The feud continued through the month of May, with a singles match between Mr. America and Hogan's old rival Roddy Piper at Judgment Day, a match Mr. America won. Starting in March 1994, Hogan began making appearances on WCW television, as interviewer Gene Okerlundwho was now a WCW employeevisited him on the set of Thunder in Paradise episodes. He was the frontman for The Wrestling Boot Band, whose sole record, Hulk Rules, reached No. on Drive, Determination, Demandments: Hulk Hogan (Part 1), Every Kid Wanted this Hot Wheels Belt Buckle back in 1983, Hogan must sign and ironclad 5 year contract, Hogan must give up a substantial chunk of his Japanese income to Gagne, Hogan would have to split his merchandise sales 50-50 with Gagne, Hogan had to give up bachelor life and marry Gagnes eldest daughter. Under Review. [151] The match took place at SummerSlam, which Hogan won. Salary in 2022. Hogan's turn as a fan favorite came at the end of July 1981, when during a television taping that aired in August, Jerry Blackwell, after suffering a pinfall loss to Brad Rheingans, began beating down Rheingans and easily fighting off anyone who tried to run in for the save. You're the one that was jealous! Hogan was born in Augusta, Georgia on August 11, 1953,[2] the son of construction foreman Pietro "Peter" Bollea (December 6, 1913 December 18, 2001) of Italian descent and homemaker and dance teacher Ruth V. (ne Moody; 1922 January 1, 2011) Bollea of Scottish and French descent. [193] Hogan returned to Impact Wrestling on February 2, when he was revealed as Garett Bischoff's trainer.