Terry Gene Bollea, better-known by his stage name Hulk Hogan, is one of the most iconic wrestlers in the history of the sport. He’s also led something of a controversial life and has been involved in many lawsuits over his career. Here are some of the most notable highlights!
Early Life
Hogan was born on August 11, 1953, in Augusta, Georgia. His parents, Pietro Bollea and Ruth Bollea, moved him and his older brother, Allan, to Port Tampa, Florida when he was still a year old. There, he took an interest in baseball and became a pitcher in Little League.
Early Interest in Wrestling
At 16, Hogan became interested in professional wrestling after watching Dusty Rhodes compete. He started attending matches around Tampa, including at the Tampa Sportatorium, and became aware of Superstar Billy Graham, who inspired Hogan to pursue his extremely buff and absurd physique.
Interest in Music
As many fans of Hogan’s know, he also played fretless bass guitar as a youngster. He played in several rock bands in Florida as a teenager and has claimed on occasion that both The Rolling Stones and Metallica wanted him to play bass for them. These claims are disputed by the bands.
Ruckus
Hogan dropped out of the University of South Florida to pursue his musical career, joining with two other local musicians to form a band called Ruckus. Ruckus performed in the Tampa Bay area, playing gigs in local bars. During this time, Hogan was still interested in weightlifting and bodybuilding and was spending a lot of time hitting the gym.
Discovery
Jack and Gerald Brisco, a popular tag team duo in Florida, noticed Hogan’s physique while Ruckus was performing in a bar one night. The brothers asked trainer Hiro Matsuda to take Hogan on as a student to help make him into a professional wrestler. Hogan quit the band and tried to get into CWF (Championship Wrestling from Florida) but encountered some roadblocks.
Early Setbacks
CWF promoter Eddie Graham’s son, Mike Graham, knew Hogan from high school and reportedly disliked him. As such, he initially barred Hogan from competing. However, he eventually relented to the Brisco Brothers’ requests to have him join up. Shortly after Matsuda started training Hogan, Matsuda allegedly purposefully broke Hogan’s leg while testing him.
Return to the Gym
After ten weeks of recovery, Hogan returned to train with Matsuda again and blocked a second attempt to break his leg. Thus, having passed Matsuda’s initial test, his real training as a professional wrestler could start.
Early Career
Hogan debuted in the middle of 1977 after over a year of training with Matsuda. His first professional match was against Brian Blair in Fort Myers, Florida on August 10, 1977. Shortly after his first match, Hogan started using a gimmick, calling himself “The Super Destroyer” and wearing a mask in the ring.
Quitting Wrestling
Believe it or not, Hogan actually briefly quit wrestling after he left CWF to manage The Anchor Club in Cocoa Beach, Florida. The club’s owner, Whitey Bridges, ended up taking a liking to Hogan and the two opened a gym together. Around this time, Hogan’s buddy Ed Leslie started helping him manage the gym and the social club. Hogan desired to return to wrestling and called up his hero, Superstar Billy Graham, who got him a job in Alabama.
Back in the Ring
Hogan returned to the ring with Leslie as a tag team duo called “the Boulder Brothers.” Around this time, Hogan appeared on a talk show alongside Lou Ferrigno, and the host pointed out that Hogan was actually bigger than the bodybuilder who portrayed the Hulk. This name stuck, and the upstart wrestler started performing as Terry “The Hulk” Boulder.
Meeting Vince McMahon Sr.
Hogan met Vince McMahon Sr. in the fall of 1979 after being introduced to him by Terry Funk. McMahon was impressed with Hogan’s charisma and physique and gave him his now-iconic last name, wanting his new wrestler to have an “Irish-sounding” last name. “Hulk Hogan” debuted on the November 17, 1979 episode of Championship Wrestling.
Feud with Andre the Giant
One of the earliest angles Hogan worked in the WWF was a long-running feud with Andre the Giant. Interestingly, despite Hogan’s immense stature, Andre was even bigger. This made for a fun dynamic for fans, as the large, soft-spoken Andre face off against the brash, charismatic newcomer.
Breaking with the WWF
Hogan appeared in the film Rocky III as a world wrestling champion, which upset Vince McMahon Sr. He then went to the American Wrestling Association promotion, where he first became billed as a heroic wrestler due to fans’ admiration for his over-the-top presence in the ring.
Return to WWF
Hogan returned to the WWF in 1983 just as Vincent K. McMahon purchased the company from his father and planned to take the promotion nationwide. McMahon handpicked Hogan as his main attraction, stating the huge wrestler’s personality would make him a perfect primary draw for fans
Hulkamania
The first use of the term “Hulkamania” came in 1984, when Hogan won his first WWF World Heavyweight Championship by defeating the Iron Sheik. He escaped the Sheik’s iconic “camel clutch” and bested him, with commentator Gorilla Monsoon shouting “Hulkamania is here!” After this, Hogan took the term for himself and started to refer to his fans as “Hulkamaniacs.”
Superhero Image
In the mid-80s, Hogan established an all-American image for himself to become a good role model for kids. He developed three “demandments” for his fans, insisting they train, say their prayers, and eat their vitamins. He added a fourth in 1990 during a storyline where he feuded with Earthquake, adding that Hulkamaniacs should believe in themselves.
First WrestleMania
As Vince McMahon grew the WWF into a pop culture phenomenon, the first WrestleMania event became a massively hyped endeavor. Hulk appeared alongside his real-life friend Mr. T in a huge tag team match against “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff. From there, Hogan’s popularity skyrocketed immensely.
International Star
Hogan became a widely-recognized superstar, becoming the first professional wrestler to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated and appearing in numerous national talk shows. He also became one of the most-requested celebrities for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, a job Hogan reportedly took very seriously.
The Mega Powers
A 1988 storyline saw Hogan team up with fan-favorite heel Randy Savage and his promoter/girlfriend Miss Elizabeth. The trio became known as the Mega Powers, and, naturally, their storyline included jealousy over Hogan’s perceived relationship with Miss Elizabeth. The inevitable dissolution of the Mega Powers led to an ongoing feud between Savage and Hogan.
New World Order
Hogan returned to wrestling for WCW in the 90s as part of a team called New World Order. He turned heel for the first time in 15 years when he attacked Randy Savage during a six-man tag team match in 1996. This was the start of a huge heel turn for the once-heroic wrestler and marked the end of the classic era for Hogan.
Read More: The 15 Best Superhero Shows of All Time
2000s to Now
Hogan made several return appearances in the WWE and other promotions throughout the 2000s. A series of personal scandals in 2015, including allegations of racism in an anti-Black rant he was recorded saying, rocked the world’s perception of Hogan. He was eventually reinstated after a lengthy public apology tour and still occasionally appears in WWE programs, often as a host.
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