The end of Hulkamania: Inside the rise and fall of a wrestling superstar

The Advertiser

a day ago

Well let me tell you something, brother.
You might have been a kid the day Hulk Hogan dethroned the Iron Sheik, the day he headlined Wrestlemania I alongside Mr. T or the day he body slammed Andre The Giant.
Or maybe you were a kid left in disbelief the night Hogan turned his back on WCW to join Scott Hall and Kevin Nash in the New World Order and change the face of professional wrestling. Before long he was teaming with NBA star Dennis Rodman and turning wrestling into an edgier, mainstream product.
Or maybe you were a kid jumping off your seat - just like Adam Sandler inside the Staples Center - the moment you heard the opening chords of Rick Derringer's Real American to save the day during Wrestlemania 21.
The era you grew up in doesn't matter. Because it was so often Hogan's face on the VHS and DVD covers when you walked into Video Ezy.
Because "Hulkamania" was a phenomenon, running wild with a blonde handlebar moustache and arms he called 24-inch pythons, ripping off his singlet and reaching unprecedented levels of superstardom around the globe long before the dawn of pay television.
The professional wrestling industry is in mourning after Hogan - the heroic all-American wearing red and yellow - died aged 71 following a cardiac arrest.
Ask anyone for professional wrestling's Mount Rushmore and they'd be hard-pressed to leave Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, off the list.
"WWE would not be where it is today without the larger-than-life characters that compete in the ring ... and few, if any, loomed larger than Terry 'Hulk Hogan' Bollea," WWE chief content officer Paul Levesque - better known as Triple H - wrote on social media.
"He was the archetype of what it meant to be a 'Superstar' - a global sensation that inspired millions to work hard at whatever it was they wanted to accomplish and a look that made him recognisable to fans around the world.
"Hulk Hogan, clad in red and yellow or nWo black and white, was simply put, iconic. As a Real American or the leader of one of the industry's biggest factions, he transcended and elevated the entire business to heights never before seen - in every country and on every continent.
"There was no one like The Hulkster, and there very well may never be another."
Inside the squared circle, he was must-watch television during feuds with Randy Savage and The Rock. He hosted Saturday Night Live with Mr. T and featured in Rocky III alongside Sylvester Stallone. Even the Sydney Roosters handed him a custom jersey with "Roostermania" printed across the front during a promotional opportunity in 2009.
Yet on the outside, Hogan was one of the industry's most complex and controversial characters.
For years, Hogan stared down the barrel of a camera and told kids to eat their vitamins and say their prayers, but he was at the centre of a steroid scandal that rocked professional wrestling in the early 1990s.
WWE cut ties with Hogan in 2015 - and even removed him from its Hall of Fame before he was readmitted in 2018 - after he was recorded using a series of offensive slurs during a rant about his daughter dating black men.
In 2016, Hogan was awarded $174 million - before adding $37 million in punitive damages - in a sex tape lawsuit against Gawker Media. In 2012, Gawker had posted a video of Hogan having sex with his former best friend's wife.
Hogan had even emerged as a political figure during Donald Trump's run for United States president last year, declaring it was time to "let Trumpamania run wild, brother" during a Republican national convention.
"We lost a great friend today, the 'Hulkster.' Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way - Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart," Trump wrote on social media platform Truth Social.
"He gave an absolutely electric speech at the Republican National Convention, that was one of the highlights of the entire week. He entertained fans from all over the World, and the cultural impact he had was massive. To his wife, Sky, and family, we give our warmest best wishes and love. Hulk Hogan will be greatly missed!"
His final appearance on WWE television - during the company's Netflix debut in January - ended with Hogan being booed by a Los Angeles crowd.
Yet those who grew up with Hulkamania running wild, with the NWO and the Monday Night War, will likely reserve a place on wrestling's Mount Rushmore for Hogan's face.
And maybe even leave some room for those 24-inch pythons.
Well let me tell you something, brother.
You might have been a kid the day Hulk Hogan dethroned the Iron Sheik, the day he headlined Wrestlemania I alongside Mr. T or the day he body slammed Andre The Giant.
Or maybe you were a kid left in disbelief the night Hogan turned his back on WCW to join Scott Hall and Kevin Nash in the New World Order and change the face of professional wrestling. Before long he was teaming with NBA star Dennis Rodman and turning wrestling into an edgier, mainstream product.
Or maybe you were a kid jumping off your seat - just like Adam Sandler inside the Staples Center - the moment you heard the opening chords of Rick Derringer's Real American to save the day during Wrestlemania 21.
The era you grew up in doesn't matter. Because it was so often Hogan's face on the VHS and DVD covers when you walked into Video Ezy.
Because "Hulkamania" was a phenomenon, running wild with a blonde handlebar moustache and arms he called 24-inch pythons, ripping off his singlet and reaching unprecedented levels of superstardom around the globe long before the dawn of pay television.
The professional wrestling industry is in mourning after Hogan - the heroic all-American wearing red and yellow - died aged 71 following a cardiac arrest.
Ask anyone for professional wrestling's Mount Rushmore and they'd be hard-pressed to leave Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, off the list.
"WWE would not be where it is today without the larger-than-life characters that compete in the ring ... and few, if any, loomed larger than Terry 'Hulk Hogan' Bollea," WWE chief content officer Paul Levesque - better known as Triple H - wrote on social media.
"He was the archetype of what it meant to be a 'Superstar' - a global sensation that inspired millions to work hard at whatever it was they wanted to accomplish and a look that made him recognisable to fans around the world.
"Hulk Hogan, clad in red and yellow or nWo black and white, was simply put, iconic. As a Real American or the leader of one of the industry's biggest factions, he transcended and elevated the entire business to heights never before seen - in every country and on every continent.
"There was no one like The Hulkster, and there very well may never be another."
Inside the squared circle, he was must-watch television during feuds with Randy Savage and The Rock. He hosted Saturday Night Live with Mr. T and featured in Rocky III alongside Sylvester Stallone. Even the Sydney Roosters handed him a custom jersey with "Roostermania" printed across the front during a promotional opportunity in 2009.
Yet on the outside, Hogan was one of the industry's most complex and controversial characters.
For years, Hogan stared down the barrel of a camera and told kids to eat their vitamins and say their prayers, but he was at the centre of a steroid scandal that rocked professional wrestling in the early 1990s.
WWE cut ties with Hogan in 2015 - and even removed him from its Hall of Fame before he was readmitted in 2018 - after he was recorded using a series of offensive slurs during a rant about his daughter dating black men.
In 2016, Hogan was awarded $174 million - before adding $37 million in punitive damages - in a sex tape lawsuit against Gawker Media. In 2012, Gawker had posted a video of Hogan having sex with his former best friend's wife.
Hogan had even emerged as a political figure during Donald Trump's run for United States president last year, declaring it was time to "let Trumpamania run wild, brother" during a Republican national convention.
"We lost a great friend today, the 'Hulkster.' Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way - Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart," Trump wrote on social media platform Truth Social.
"He gave an absolutely electric speech at the Republican National Convention, that was one of the highlights of the entire week. He entertained fans from all over the World, and the cultural impact he had was massive. To his wife, Sky, and family, we give our warmest best wishes and love. Hulk Hogan will be greatly missed!"
His final appearance on WWE television - during the company's Netflix debut in January - ended with Hogan being booed by a Los Angeles crowd.
Yet those who grew up with Hulkamania running wild, with the NWO and the Monday Night War, will likely reserve a place on wrestling's Mount Rushmore for Hogan's face.
And maybe even leave some room for those 24-inch pythons.
Well let me tell you something, brother.
You might have been a kid the day Hulk Hogan dethroned the Iron Sheik, the day he headlined Wrestlemania I alongside Mr. T or the day he body slammed Andre The Giant.
Or maybe you were a kid left in disbelief the night Hogan turned his back on WCW to join Scott Hall and Kevin Nash in the New World Order and change the face of professional wrestling. Before long he was teaming with NBA star Dennis Rodman and turning wrestling into an edgier, mainstream product.
Or maybe you were a kid jumping off your seat - just like Adam Sandler inside the Staples Center - the moment you heard the opening chords of Rick Derringer's Real American to save the day during Wrestlemania 21.
The era you grew up in doesn't matter. Because it was so often Hogan's face on the VHS and DVD covers when you walked into Video Ezy.
Because "Hulkamania" was a phenomenon, running wild with a blonde handlebar moustache and arms he called 24-inch pythons, ripping off his singlet and reaching unprecedented levels of superstardom around the globe long before the dawn of pay television.
The professional wrestling industry is in mourning after Hogan - the heroic all-American wearing red and yellow - died aged 71 following a cardiac arrest.
Ask anyone for professional wrestling's Mount Rushmore and they'd be hard-pressed to leave Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, off the list.
"WWE would not be where it is today without the larger-than-life characters that compete in the ring ... and few, if any, loomed larger than Terry 'Hulk Hogan' Bollea," WWE chief content officer Paul Levesque - better known as Triple H - wrote on social media.
"He was the archetype of what it meant to be a 'Superstar' - a global sensation that inspired millions to work hard at whatever it was they wanted to accomplish and a look that made him recognisable to fans around the world.
"Hulk Hogan, clad in red and yellow or nWo black and white, was simply put, iconic. As a Real American or the leader of one of the industry's biggest factions, he transcended and elevated the entire business to heights never before seen - in every country and on every continent.
"There was no one like The Hulkster, and there very well may never be another."
Inside the squared circle, he was must-watch television during feuds with Randy Savage and The Rock. He hosted Saturday Night Live with Mr. T and featured in Rocky III alongside Sylvester Stallone. Even the Sydney Roosters handed him a custom jersey with "Roostermania" printed across the front during a promotional opportunity in 2009.
Yet on the outside, Hogan was one of the industry's most complex and controversial characters.
For years, Hogan stared down the barrel of a camera and told kids to eat their vitamins and say their prayers, but he was at the centre of a steroid scandal that rocked professional wrestling in the early 1990s.
WWE cut ties with Hogan in 2015 - and even removed him from its Hall of Fame before he was readmitted in 2018 - after he was recorded using a series of offensive slurs during a rant about his daughter dating black men.
In 2016, Hogan was awarded $174 million - before adding $37 million in punitive damages - in a sex tape lawsuit against Gawker Media. In 2012, Gawker had posted a video of Hogan having sex with his former best friend's wife.
Hogan had even emerged as a political figure during Donald Trump's run for United States president last year, declaring it was time to "let Trumpamania run wild, brother" during a Republican national convention.
"We lost a great friend today, the 'Hulkster.' Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way - Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart," Trump wrote on social media platform Truth Social.
"He gave an absolutely electric speech at the Republican National Convention, that was one of the highlights of the entire week. He entertained fans from all over the World, and the cultural impact he had was massive. To his wife, Sky, and family, we give our warmest best wishes and love. Hulk Hogan will be greatly missed!"
His final appearance on WWE television - during the company's Netflix debut in January - ended with Hogan being booed by a Los Angeles crowd.
Yet those who grew up with Hulkamania running wild, with the NWO and the Monday Night War, will likely reserve a place on wrestling's Mount Rushmore for Hogan's face.
And maybe even leave some room for those 24-inch pythons.
Well let me tell you something, brother.
You might have been a kid the day Hulk Hogan dethroned the Iron Sheik, the day he headlined Wrestlemania I alongside Mr. T or the day he body slammed Andre The Giant.
Or maybe you were a kid left in disbelief the night Hogan turned his back on WCW to join Scott Hall and Kevin Nash in the New World Order and change the face of professional wrestling. Before long he was teaming with NBA star Dennis Rodman and turning wrestling into an edgier, mainstream product.
Or maybe you were a kid jumping off your seat - just like Adam Sandler inside the Staples Center - the moment you heard the opening chords of Rick Derringer's Real American to save the day during Wrestlemania 21.
The era you grew up in doesn't matter. Because it was so often Hogan's face on the VHS and DVD covers when you walked into Video Ezy.
Because "Hulkamania" was a phenomenon, running wild with a blonde handlebar moustache and arms he called 24-inch pythons, ripping off his singlet and reaching unprecedented levels of superstardom around the globe long before the dawn of pay television.
The professional wrestling industry is in mourning after Hogan - the heroic all-American wearing red and yellow - died aged 71 following a cardiac arrest.
Ask anyone for professional wrestling's Mount Rushmore and they'd be hard-pressed to leave Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, off the list.
"WWE would not be where it is today without the larger-than-life characters that compete in the ring ... and few, if any, loomed larger than Terry 'Hulk Hogan' Bollea," WWE chief content officer Paul Levesque - better known as Triple H - wrote on social media.
"He was the archetype of what it meant to be a 'Superstar' - a global sensation that inspired millions to work hard at whatever it was they wanted to accomplish and a look that made him recognisable to fans around the world.
"Hulk Hogan, clad in red and yellow or nWo black and white, was simply put, iconic. As a Real American or the leader of one of the industry's biggest factions, he transcended and elevated the entire business to heights never before seen - in every country and on every continent.
"There was no one like The Hulkster, and there very well may never be another."
Inside the squared circle, he was must-watch television during feuds with Randy Savage and The Rock. He hosted Saturday Night Live with Mr. T and featured in Rocky III alongside Sylvester Stallone. Even the Sydney Roosters handed him a custom jersey with "Roostermania" printed across the front during a promotional opportunity in 2009.
Yet on the outside, Hogan was one of the industry's most complex and controversial characters.
For years, Hogan stared down the barrel of a camera and told kids to eat their vitamins and say their prayers, but he was at the centre of a steroid scandal that rocked professional wrestling in the early 1990s.
WWE cut ties with Hogan in 2015 - and even removed him from its Hall of Fame before he was readmitted in 2018 - after he was recorded using a series of offensive slurs during a rant about his daughter dating black men.
In 2016, Hogan was awarded $174 million - before adding $37 million in punitive damages - in a sex tape lawsuit against Gawker Media. In 2012, Gawker had posted a video of Hogan having sex with his former best friend's wife.
Hogan had even emerged as a political figure during Donald Trump's run for United States president last year, declaring it was time to "let Trumpamania run wild, brother" during a Republican national convention.
"We lost a great friend today, the 'Hulkster.' Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way - Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart," Trump wrote on social media platform Truth Social.
"He gave an absolutely electric speech at the Republican National Convention, that was one of the highlights of the entire week. He entertained fans from all over the World, and the cultural impact he had was massive. To his wife, Sky, and family, we give our warmest best wishes and love. Hulk Hogan will be greatly missed!"
His final appearance on WWE television - during the company's Netflix debut in January - ended with Hogan being booed by a Los Angeles crowd.
Yet those who grew up with Hulkamania running wild, with the NWO and the Monday Night War, will likely reserve a place on wrestling's Mount Rushmore for Hogan's face.
And maybe even leave some room for those 24-inch pythons.