Revealed: What Hulk Hogan thought of the UK... and Trump - as WWE icon dies aged 71

Daily Mail​

3 days ago

Hulk Hogan once said British fans were the 'craziest in Europe' and 'even more intense than fans in the US'.
The WWE icon also revealed he was a regular visitor and a 'HUGE fan' of the UK.
Hogan also revealed he was a fan of Donald Trump in the early days of his political career.
His thoughts come from an interview the wrestling legend did in 2015 - in a 60 seconds interview ahead of a tour of the UK.
MailOnline dug it out amid the news of his death aged 71 after it was announced Hogan had passed away at his Clearwater, Florida home.
Medics were dispatched to his home early Thursday morning. Operators stated the call at 9.51am was in relation to a 'cardiac arrest.'
Hogan, real name Terry Gene Bollea, was one of the biggest names in wrestling in the 1980s and was one of the driving forces behind the WWE's rise to become an international brand.
Hogan is survived by his third wife Sky, who he wed in 2023, children Brooke, 37, and Nick, 34, who he shared with first wife Linda Claridge, and two grandchildren.
Hogan was interviewed ahead of a tour of the UK in October 2015. Asked about why he was visiting Britain, the wrestler replied 'I need to get back to see all my UK Hulkamaniacs.
He added: 'I was advertised with the WWE and then I never came back for the tour, so I'm really excited to see all the fans that were waiting to see me.
'There's going to be an autograph, there's gonna be an autograph session, there's gonna be photo ops so we can get photos together, and then I'm gonna have a question-and-answer session - kind of like, 'Hulk Hogan Uncensored'.
He was asked about whether he was a fan of the UK ahead of his visit and revealed he had been a regular visitor over the years.
Hogan also praised his British fans, saying they were some of the 'craziest' in Europe and said they were even more intense than his fans in the US.
He told Metro: 'I'm a HUGE fan of the UK. I've had many great matches there. I've been coming to the UK off and on for about 25 years and the UK Hulkamaniacs are without a doubt the wildest and craziest over in Europe.
'Whenever I was in the UK I always knew I was gonna have a good match because the fans were so electric, their energy transferred into the ring.
'In the United States we got a coupla hotbeds where the fans are really crazy: Madison Square Garden, Boston, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Milwaukee, The British fans are like that everywhere.
'Everywhere I go, the British fans are up on their seats. Whenever I have a match they never sit down and they're just really excited to see me, like it's the first time they've ever seen me. So they are more intense, the British fans are much more intense.
Hogan also offered some advice to young British fans who were interested in taking up wrestling themselves.
He said: 'First things first, get your education of course.
'Then if you're going to get into wrestling go to a professional trainer somewhere like the WWE performance centre or something comparable in the UK.
'Because you can get hurt very easily in the ring - safety is the number one priority. Make sure you get in the best shape you can get in before you get into the ring.'
Last year Hulk Hogan became a celebrity endorser for Donald Trump's presidential campaign in the US.
In an interview with Fox News, he ripped off his shirt to unveil another T-shirt with 'Trumpmania' written on it.
In November last year he hinted that there may be a future spot for him in the Trump administration.
However at the time of the interview, Donald Trump was still just a primary candidate and had not even become leader of the Republican Party.
Hogan was asked about Trump and who he wanted as US President for the 2016 election.
He said: 'I'm not sure yet. Trump's got some momentum. I know we can't have another Obama clone otherwise the party will be over.
'I'm gonna kind of wait a little while a while on this one before I make a decision.
'Trump has some interesting options, he just wants to blow everything up and start over and fix everything, which kind of seems like the better choice right now but I don't know if that's feasible.'
The wrestling star also shared some of his career highlights.
He said: 'Those are easy. The highlights of my wrestling career were the night I beat The Sheikh at Madison Square Garden, wrestling Andre the Giant at Shea Stadium and Wrestlemania XIX, getting to really beat Vince McMahon at WrestleMania XIX - and also this last time I came back to the WWE.
'The huge reception the fans gave me this last round with the WWE was quite amazing.'
Hogan´s public persona transcended the ring, making him a household name. He appeared in numerous movies - including the third Rocky film in 1982, where he played wrestler Thunderlips, who took on Stallone's protagonist
Hulk Hogan's representative, Linda Bose, confirmed his death to CBS NEWS, saying: 'Unfortunately we must confirm that Terry Bollea, aka Hulk Hogan passed away this morning.
'We are heartbroken. He was such a great human being and friend.'
Hogan's shock death comes just weeks after his wife Sky denied rumors he was on his deathbed in a coma - and claimed his heart was 'strong' after he underwent a routine neck surgery.
He was one of the most popular and successful babyfaces of all-time, main eventing eight of the first nine events.
Hogan kickstarted 'Hulkamania' after defeating the Iron Sheik for the World Heavyweight Championship in 1984.
He won at least six WWE championships and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.
Hogan was the main draw for the first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a fixture for years, facing everyone from Andre The Giant and Randy Savage to The Rock and even company chairman Vince McMahon.
Hogan was also a celebrity outside the wrestling world, appearing in numerous movies and television shows, including a reality show about his life on VH1, Hogan Knows Best.
Hogan's public persona transcended the ring, making him a household name. He appeared in numerous movies - including the third Rocky film in 1982, where he played wrestler Thunderlips, who took on Stallone's protagonist.
Tributes from the sports world poured in for the man who transcended wrestling to become a 1980s pop culture icon.
Donald Trump Jr posted to X, 'R.I.P to a legend' and added a selfie of himself with the wrestling star.
Fellow wrestling icon Ric Flair wrote, 'I Am Absolutely Shocked To Hear About The Passing Of My Close Friend @HulkHogan! Hulk Has Been By My Side Since We Started In The Wrestling Business. An Incredible Athlete, Talent, Friend, And Father! Our Friendship Has Meant The World To Me.
'He Was Always There For Me Even When I Didn't Ask For Him To Be. He Was One Of The First To Visit Me When I Was In The Hospital With A 2% Chance Of Living, And He Prayed By My Bedside. Hulk Also Lent Me Money When Reid Was Sick. Hulkster, No One Will Ever Compare To You! Rest In Peace My Friend!'
Former MLB pitcher John Rocker posted, 'A patriot, and a true American. RIP Hulk Hogan.'
The official X account from the WWE said, 'WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away. One of pop culture's most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan's family, friends, and fans.'
Ric's daughter, former WWE women's world champion Charlotte Flair also posted a tribute: 'When I nearly lost my dad 8 years ago, one of the few people who was there for all of it was Hulk Hogan. My heart breaks for Nick and Brooke. Rest in peace, brother.'
The WWE said it was 'saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away. One of pop culture's most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan's family, friends, and fans.'
Former MLB pitcher John Rocker posted, 'A patriot, and a true American. RIP Hulk Hogan.'