They say that these celebrity deaths come in threes. This week we got Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Ozzy Osbourne and now Hulk Hogan.
Hulk Hogan (nee Terry Bollea) was, without a doubt, the most famous wrestler of the last 50 years; if not the most famous wrestler of all time
I’ve been a fan of professional wrestling for roughly 40 years. By the time I discovered the world wrestling Federation, the company had already shattered the traditional regional wrestling promotion rules, and had gone national. It happened, not coincidentally, with the explosion of cable television. In the 80s, Vince McMahon needed a top-tier, good guy, or “baby face” to use the pro wrestling jargon. His choice was Hulk Hogan.
Hogan was one of those rare entertainers, dare I call him athlete, who transcended his business. In his prime, he did for professional wrestling what Michael Jordan did for basketball and Tiger Woods did for golf. He got non-wrestling fans to watch wrestling; just so they could say they saw him wrestle. For decades, professional wrestling was the dirty little secret of the entertainment industry. But Hulk Hogan bright pro wrestling to the masses
It isn’t hyperbole to say that Hulk Hogan was for wrestling what Babe Ruth was for major-league baseball. Just as Ruth was the prototype for the modern sports superstar, Hogan became a pioneer for wrestlers parlaying their in-ring success into other ventures. Sure, No Holds Barred and Santa With Muscles weren’t exactly Shakespeare. But the truth is, without Hulk Hogan, we probably wouldn’t have success stories like John Cena or The Rock.
A complicated dude
Putting it mildly, Hulk Hogan was a complicated dude. Maybe more to the point, Terry Bollea was a complicated dude. Hogan made headlines exactly 10 years before his death recording of him making racist remarks in reference to his daughter’s boyfriend went public. For me personally, the thing that really grown my ears was seeing Hulk Hogan cut it wrestling style promo at the 2024 republican national convention. There’s loads of backstage stories about Hulk Hogan, using his political clout, or his “a stroke“ within the industry, refusing to lose matches, and helping his friends become more popular in the wrestling industry. To me, these are all just signs of Terry Bollea was a complicated, multifaceted human being. Hulk Hogan was the comic book character, the folk hero. But Terry Bollea the real person.
Pro wrestling has always been the redheaded stepchild of the entertainment industry. It pretends to be a sport, but it is in fact predetermined show. This doesn’t take away from the wrestlers themselves. They are essentially their own stuntman, performing a live theater in which they only get one take to get a stunt right. But pro wrestling has always gone out of its way to blur the lines between “kayfabe” or the script – and real-life. Hogan can be an extremely entertaining character, while Terry Bollea is a real pain in the ass.
As for me, Hulk Hogan was never “my hero”. But he was the world champion at the time when wrestling was at its peak, which made his matches must see viewing. But like anyone else in television or in movies, Hulk Hogan was the character. Terry Bollea was the real guy. As viewers we have to remember to separate the two. 
Love him or hate him, Hulk Hogan changed the professional wrestling industry. Twice. Once is the ultimate weight meet Babyface superhero Hulk Hogan; and then again as the evil “Hollywood Hogan“ nearly 10 years later. How many people can say that they’ve done the same in line of work once, little alone twice?
Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like, 👍 comment and subscribe to my blog below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media as well! Check out my most recent posts as well as some earlier, related posts:
- Rob’s Retro Movie Review: This is Spinal Tap (1984) – The Movie That Scaled to Eleven
- A Death in the Family (And My Disposable Income): My Life in Comics
- The Supporting Cast: Navigating the Eras of Male Friendship
- Life is What Happens: A Look Back at My Non-Existent 2025 Vision
- The Moment I Walked Inside a Hallmark Movie
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