The Complicated Legacy of Hulk Hogan

It was my fifth birthday in 1985. I was opening presents like all five-year-olds do. My great-grandma, who raised her children through the Great Depression, often shopped at the Goodwill for presents. She handed me a bag, and inside was an LJN Hulk Hogan rubber figure. It was already opened, paint was already rubbing off, and it was missing its title belt. But I did not care. My hero was in my hands. I saw on TV, children holding this very LJN figure in the WWF crowd, and now I have one. It was one of the greatest presents I ever received

Throughout my childhood, I was drawn to the Hulkster. When I was being bullied by White kids at my school, who called me racist names, I would envision Hulk Hogan saying, “Be a Real American.” What does being a Real American mean, while fighting for what’s right, and to me, what was right was not being called names like Wetback or Beaner. I saw Andre the Giant rip the cross off Hulk Hogan’s neck, and Hogan would never stand for being bullied; he’d fight back. So that’s exactly what I did.

Well, after crying at home and telling my dad what had happened. For my dad,  that night, he taught me how to fight. After yelling how he’s going to find that kid’s father and kick his butt for raising his kid to be a racist, he realized that I had to fight my own battles, so to my room we go. And I tell this story first to show the complexity of Hulk Hogan’s legacy. He inspired a young, poor Mexican/Native American kid to stand up to racist bullies, but we all know how it all goes.

I Have to Get This Out of My System (skip ahead for more positive Hulk writing)

I had a friend who was openly racist toward minorities. How was he my friend? I don’t know. But somewhere deep in there, there was a good person, a person who by 15 years old proudly said, “I’m not racist anymore.” And he opened his worldview, eventually became a mechanic, and though I haven’t heard from him since the 90s, he was in a very good place with all people.

In an interview in 2014, Terry Bollea stated that Hulk Hogan made him a better person. I think over time, I have come to realize, the person I saw on TV slamming giants, defending America, protecting women, that was Hulk Hogan. And Hulk Hogan was my hero. But the person behind the scenes, the one who held people down, politicked to get ahead, killing unions, buried anyone who threatened him, that was Terry Bollea.

But for years, I thought of Hulk and Terry as the same. Hulk endorsed Obama; he seemed pretty cool in his TV show Hogan Knows Best. Who Terry was had never crossed my mind until the Gawker tapes were released. I was floored. A little part of my childhood innocence died. I wished with every fiber in my body, I’d get to turn on the TV and Hogan would be in an interview, telling us, “I’m not racist anymore.” That he would admit his mistakes. But sadly, after today, that day will never come. He’s justified his comments, saying he was raised in the racist South. Even saying he doesn’t think like that. But he’s never taken ownership of his comment, his actions, and the impact that tape had once released. Terry Bollea just wished they never leaked, and not that he’s sorry he said it.

The Most Important Wrestler in History

I wouldn’t have been this invested in Hulk Hogan if there hadn’t been one fact that remained. Hulk Hogan is the most important wrestler in the business’s history. The stars were alligned perfectly, the strong, charismatic blond All-American bodybuilder with a tan body chiseled in stone, partnered with the greatest promoter in wrestling history, it was magic. When I got the Hulk Hogan figure from my great grandma, WWF Championship Wrestling was on Fox 11 every Saturday at noon, right after Saturday morning cartoons. The Rock’N’Wrestling cartoon would start to air only 1 month later, and I was hooked. For my first day of school, I had a WWF belt buckle that my dad got from a guy at work, I got WWF-themed shoes at K-Mart, and a Hulk Hogan lunch box that my mom filled with Mexican food.

I wasn’t the only one; the WWF was talked about more on the playground than baseball and the NFL. This would be evident when, in 1988, the most watched wrestling program of all time happened: The Main Event. This would be on a Friday night, which Hulk Hogan fought Andre the Giant in a rematch. Thirty-three million people would turn in to see Hogan get screwed by Andre, which is a record for wrestling. And to compare to other sports events of 1988, the NBA Finals averaged 21 million viewers (but had 37 million for game 7), and the World Series averaged 34 million viewers. WWF was on par with the other major sports, if only for one night, thanks to Hulk Hogan.

Let’s Play the Hit

I wouldn’t be a wrestling fan without Hulk Hogan. Each Saturday afternoon, Hulk Hogan was in the intro to the show. And even though he didn’t wrestle, he had a promo talking about coming to Los Angeles to battle Kamala or Killer Khan. One Saturday night, my dad let me stay up until midnight, so I could watch Hulk battle Hercules, or Sika. Yes, I would like different wrestlers, Jake the Snake, Tito Santana, and Junkyard Dog. But the main wrestler who drew me in was Hulk Hogan. Without Hulk Hogan, wrestling would not have become as large as it is.

There was always the thought that Vince McMahon could have put anyone in that spot, and it would have still worked. But what people forget is that what made Hogan special was his drive. He wanted that spot more than anyone else. In 1981, when calls for the role of Thunderlips went out, Hogan answered the call. Hogan could have stayed in New York and battled Andre for years, drawing huge money. But he took a risk very few wrestlers would have taken, being fired by Vince McMahon Sr. By stepping out, Hulk would star in Rocky III, and even appear on the Tonight Show.

Fast forward, he grew his name in Japan, then the AWA, refining the Hulk Hogan character. He was willing to travel everywhere to wrestle. Hogan put his whole body on the line to promote his character, and in turn, his character was driving the wrestling business. He grew to be more than a wrestler who can draw many; he grew into Americana itself.

The Times He Changed Wrestling – Rock’N’Wrestling

It’s be remise to mention that many, many wrestlers of that era put their bodies on the line. But with Hulk, it felt different. It had to be him who changed wrestling in 1984, because to be honest, so many of the other wrestlers were too real. You look at Austin Idol, the Von Erichs, Dusty Rhodes, none of them could have been that star, as Vince McMahon didn’t just make Hogan a superstar; he made Hulk Hogan into wrestling’s Superman. Not only did he look like he was ripped out of the pages of DC Comics, but he also acted like a character from the comics. It was only fitting that, along with WWF being shown after Saturday morning cartoons, but also had his own cartoon show.

It was clear that Vince McMahon realized that the main market to target was children. The children of the ’80s are still powering WWE’s main fanbase. To do this, many great wrestlers became cartoon versions of themselves. From Iron Sheik going from a real amateur wrestler to an evil Iranian, to Andre the Giant becoming the mean, nasty giant, Hulk Hogan and the cast around him felt like creations of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee more than territorial wrestling. It could have only happened with Hogan leading the way, seeing the vision Vince McMahon had

The Times He Changed Wrestling – Why He Needed to Turn Heel

In the early ’90s, it was clear times were changing. The 80s were filled with patriotism, Rocky battling Russians, Christopher Reeve’s Superman, and Hulk Hogan beating Iranians, Russians, and French giants. But by 1991, Rocky was fighting in the streets instead of the ring, Superman’s comics weren’t in the top 10 of comic book sales, and Hulkamania was winding down. People traded in Superman for Wolverine and Spawn, and wrestling fans were tiring of the Hulk Hogan act. Eventually, he’d join WCW, where he’d start getting boos within a year of his debut.

Famously, Eric Bischoff asked Hulk to switch to heel. But Hulk didn’t want to. He was not interested in a heel turn, as he had seen the kids who idolize him. Hogan knew his choices didn’t just affect him, but the whole industry. He was labeled the Golden Goose for a reason. But in an industry where wrestlers once counted on ticket sales for their pay, WCW was giving away guarantees, which means Alex Wright gets paid the same no matter what. So with pressure from society, a changing attitude of wrestlers backstage, and a red-hot angle brewing with the Outsiders, Hulk Hogan became Hollywood Hogan.

Adaption

If a wrestler doesn’t change, their career can only last so long. While Jake the Snake Roberts was great as a face with a python, he was even cooler as an evil heel with a cobra. The Undertaker started as a zombie villain, but when he turned face, the crowd was ready to cheer him. In some ways, when he took Hogan’s spot as the top drawing babyface in the WWF, he represented the anti-hero character, like Spawn, to Hogan’s Superman. So as the world changed, Hogan had to change, or see himself lose relevance. And what would you know, once Hogan changed, the industry changed with him.

Neither company could quite crack the 90s. WWF was still trying to use over-the-top gimmicks to attract children, but they were losing their core fans of the young kids born in the 80s who were now maturing. WCW was using Hulk Hogan to run cartoonish-type storylines with the Dungeon of Doom. Both promotions kept running Superman when the audience wanted Spawn. The WWF did have the Undertaker, but WCW was still looking. But once they hit it, things changed forever.

You see, wrestling as a whole took a hit during the Vince McMahon steroid trial. Business was down for both companies. WCW is struggling to make even a dollar of profit, and WWF is even removing water coolers to save money. But when Hulk Hogan dropped that leg on his best friend, Macho Man Randy Savage, only Hogan turning heel could save wrestling. There was no other wrestler who could have had that big of an impact.

Enter Hollywood

In many ways, I think Hollywood is Terry Bollea turned up. Behind Hulk Hogan, there is Terry Bollea, the ultimate wrestling politician. And it is this version of the now Hollywood Hogan who drove wrestling in the 90s. By joining Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, wrestling fans tuned in each Monday to see what the New World Order (nWo) would do. Hogan became the wrestling version of the anti-hero; he became the cool heel. Hogan’s now older fan base (And by older, I mean teens to mid-20s) was no longer the little kids taking vitamins. Instead, they were cheering Hogan as he cheated his way to another victory.

This change gave Hogan new life, but it also gave wrestling new life. Eric Bischoff joined Hogan and became the evil heel in charge. WWF soon countered WCW programming with less cartoonish characters, like Stone Cold Steve Austin, Degeneration X, and  Mankind. Eventually, Vince McMahon turned heel and became the evil heel in charge. The business had completely changed and went to new heights thanks to Hollywood Hogan. WCW even beat WWF for 83 consecutive weeks every Monday night from 1996 to 1998, because of the nWo angle and Hogan’s heel turn

It’s Complicated (putting things in perspective)

There is a reason many in the business from Hogan’s generation still talk highly of him. Terry Bollea is a professional wrestler. But not just any wrestler, THE wrestler. Sure, The Rock is more famous now, thanks in large part to his role in Hollywood. But Dwayne Johnson isn’t the Rock, of Terry Bollea doesn’t drop the leg on the Iron Sheik, and the Rock knows this. The industry is built on Hulk Hogan’s back. Wrestling as a whole is built on the backs of carnies, alcoholics, womanizers, drug addicts, and racists. We want to have a purity test in today’s world; we want to feel good about the people we cheer for. But honestly, wrestling from Hogan’s era and before is really and all a heel program.

The great people from Hogan’s era are all flawed. Hogan’s partner, Vince McMahon, is deeply troubled and weirdly obsessed with his daughter. Hogan’s rivals, like Roddy Piper and the Iron Sheik, both had trouble with drugs; the same with his best friend, Brutus Beefcake. Going back, the previous big star in the WWF, Jimmy Snuka, was charged with killing his girlfriend. Other territorial stars from the same era, Ric Flair has been accused multiple times of sexual harassment; when you graduate high school, you might be too old for Jerry Lawler; and the Von Erich family stayed in constant turmoil. Being a wrestling fan for so long, I have come to accept that the men I cheered for were not good men. But I prayed that in life they found their way, and may God forgive them.

What I’ll Take Away

In January of 2015, my wife and I went to Florida. It was my first trip, and we went to the Hulk Hogan store in Orlando. I walked away with quite a few Hogan shirts, mugs, and a couple of toys for my children. Little did I know, in six months, the Gawker tapes would be released. I found it hard to wear the shirts I just bought. They stay in my closet now. I wasn’t mad, so I couldn’t get rid of them, but I felt ashamed that my hero could have said those things. Especially with how I used him to inspire me to fight racism

But that’s exactly what I’ll take away, not the words that were said, but how the character of Hulk Hogan inspired me. How a little skinny Mexican boy in Southern California saw a big, real-life comic superhero, and decided he’d fight back. I can’t get rid of all the shirts and mugs I have; those are the things when I see them, still spark the six-year-old in me. That six, seven, eight-year-old boy still gets rushes of nostalgia when Eye of the Tiger or Real American are played.

I just know as an adult, Terry Bollea had his demons, as did all my wrestling heroes of the 80s, including Vince McMahon himself. My conclusion is that I will take inspiration from Hulk Hogan, draw from him what I always do. And now I pray for the soul of Terry Bollea, that he rest peacefully. He brought Hulk Hogan to life, and the good of that action outweighs the bad.