More sad news reaches us this afternoon, and who better than long time Outposter and big time wrestling fan Tubby Walters to give us his view.
R.I.P. Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan, born Terry Bollea, has left us at the age of 71, reportedly of cardiac arrest.
Whether you are a wrestling fan or not, you undoubtedly know his name and what it stood for as he was, on two separate occasions first in the mid to late 1980’s and second in 1996, the biggest name in professional wrestling.
Regarding his first era of superstardom,I was either not around or was too young to understand the full impact Hogan had on the wrestling industry, everything I know from taking the then-WWF to new pop culture heights is in hindsight, much of which I have indeed seen since it happened.
Hogan defeating the Iron Sheik to capture his first WWF World Heavyweight Championship, the infamous body-slam of the 500+ lb Andre the Giant at Wrestlemania III, the formation of the Mega Powers and the subsequent rivalry with the Macho Man Randy Savage, the fantastic hero vs. hero match with the Ultimate Warrior at Wrestlemania VI, with his battles with archnemesis Bobby “The Brain” Heenan peppered in-between.
The list goes on.
Hogan was likely the closest thing we ever had to a real-life superhero in the mainstream. A man with a deep, raspy voice but spoke for the children and always told you to do good, take your vitamins, say your prayers, etc., while calling everyone “Brother”. Hogan was a proud American, and was never afraid to let anyone know it.
However, like many things, the people soured on Hogan and his clean cut imagery and gimmick. The mid-1990’s saw the rise of grunge, angst, and rebellion.
This is the era I started watching professional wrestling, and while I did start “up north” with WWF, I quickly discovered WCW, based out of Georgia, and this is where Hogan made his second impact: making villainy cool.
I won’t give a thesis on the nWo or go into the entire origins on the matter but I will say without Hulk Hogan, here now known as Hollywood Hogan with the nWo, it would not have worked.
Hogan had become so stale as a babyface (top good guy) there was only one thing left to do, shock the world and join with the Outsiders (Scott Hall and Kevin Nash) to destroy the WCW talent.
It was the turn of the century and no one could have pulled it off except Hogan, thus hooking me in my impressionable youth and remaining a lifelong fan to this day, nearly 30 years later.
Hogan made wrestling cool again and for a time WCW was the big shot in town in the wrestling industry.
Eventually, WCW went under, bought out by WWF, and Hogan returned home and had memorable feuds with The Rock, Brock Lesnar, and Vince McMahon. He would have later stints in an Orlando, Florida promotion known as TNA Wrestling before eventually retiring.
Hogan did indeed have an acting career as well, a very memorable role as Thunderlips in Rocky III and a WWF production known as No Holds Barred, a fantastic example of a movie so bad, it’s good.
This is indeed sad news, even in an industry notorious for wrestlers passing early.
The man who put pro-wrestling on the pop culture map. The man who made it cool to be a bad guy. The man who gave us a plethora of catch phrases from “WHATCHA GONNA DO…” to “IT”S DOOKIE!”
Terry was not without his fair share of controversy, but I’m not going to get into all that here. Now isn’t the time. It’s the time to remember one of the most legendary characters to come out of that whacky, fictional world of wrestling.
RIP to one of the all-time greats, a real American, the IMMORTAL Hulk Hogan.
Share some of your favorite memories below! And don’t lie, you’re shedding tears drinking a beer listening to REAL AMERICAN right now.
Tubby Walters
