Picture Credit: Hulk Hogan’s Instagram
Content Overview
Hulk Hogan revolutionized the landscape of professional wrestling in the 1980s, turning the business into a mainstream show. Following the signing in 1983, The Hulkamania wave grew stronger each year with unmatched energy. A young Hulk Hogan quickly became the poster boy for the formerly Vince McMahon-owned company.
Carrying his legacy, Hulk Hogan worked for different promotions throughout his wrestling career. While he primarily worked for WWE in the initial years of his career, becoming a megastar, he eventually switched his loyalty to WCW. Backed by his fame, Hogan turned WCW into a serious competition against WWE during Monday Night Wars. Additionally, Hogan worked for TNA in the later days of his professional wrestling career.
While Hogan has had grand success in the squared circle throughout his career, he tried and tested different things in the early part of his life. Take a look at some interesting facts about The Hulkster from his early life.
1) Hulk Hogan Was Once A Musician
Professional wrestling has had musician gimmicks, even for wrestlers who were never noteworthy musicians in real life. The Hulkster had the American Hero gimmick as the biggest babyface in the 1980s. However, he never played a musician or took a guitar like Jeff Jarrett, The Rock, or Elias.
A young Hulk Hogan played guitar for a decade before making it big in the squared circle. He wasn’t just another guitarist. Based in Florida, the former WWE Champion played for different bands throughout the state.
After getting into college, Hulk and two other local talents started new music band. Calling it Ruckus, they embarked on the journey in 1976. The three-man band rose to prominence in Tampa Bay, Florida, but Ruckus didn’t get nationwide recognition before he altered his profession.
2) Wrestlers Attending Ruckus Shows Suggested Him To Be A Professional Wrestler
As Hulk Hogan’s band, Ruckus, started becoming a prominent name in Tampa Bay, a handful of wrestlers from the 70s began attending their shows. Once Florida-based tag team wrestlers, Gerald Brisco and Jack Brisco were among spectators of the band.
Seeing Hogan’s strong build in his youth, the Brisco Brothers pitched the idea to turn him into a professional wrestler. The six-time WWE Champion eventually quit his music profession, pursuing to be a wrestler.
3) Hulk Hogan’s Wrestling Inspirations Were Dusty Rhodes And Superstar Billy Graham
When Hulk Hogan was growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, professional wrestling didn’t have the mainstream appeal. WWE wasn’t enormous back then, nor did Vince McMahon take charge. There were area-based nationwide wrestling promotions in Hogan’s early life. He was athletic growing up, playing baseball in school.
As a teenager, he developed an interest in following professional wrestling. While he loved the charisma and character work of the American Dream and Cody Rhodes’s father Dusty Rhodes, he admired Superstar Billy Graham’s well-defined muscular physique, which was considered one of the best bodies in old-school professional wrestling.
With 22 inches of arms, Billy Graham had the honor of having the biggest biceps in the WWE or professional wrestling‘s old-school days. A young Hulk Hogan was inspired by Billy’s athleticism and physique, vowing to look like him. When he became a wrestler, he not only had an incredible body but also biceps bigger than his idol, referring to them as 24 inches of pythons.
4) Hulk Hogan’s Older Brother Died At An Early Age
Similar to a majority of professional wrestlers, Hulk Hogan is the stage name of the legendary WWE Hall of Famer. His real name is Terry Bollea, born to parents with French and Scottish backgrounds. Even though he was originally born in Georgia, his family later relocated to Florida when The Hulkster was still a toddler.
Meanwhile, Hogan had a brother, who was six years older than him. Allan Bollea’, Hulk Hogan’s older brother, passed away in 1986 at the young age of 38. He reportedly succumbed to death due to substance abuse.
5) Hulk Hogan Broke His Leg In His First Wrestling Training
After listening to the advice of the Brisco Brothers, Hulk Hogan persuaded his lifelong dream to be a professional wrestler. The Brisco Brothers introduced Hogan to CWF, where aspiring individuals trained to become wrestlers. Distinguished wrestling personality of old-school wrestling, Hiro Matsuda was the primary trainer there.
A 23-year-old young Hulk Hogan quit Ruckus to seriously chase the dream of becoming a professional wrestler. During his maiden training with Hiro Matsuda at CWF, he walked out with a broken leg, giving a tough start to his wrestling journey. After being sidelined for ten weeks, he returned to training once again and never looked back.
6) Hulk Hogan Starred In A Hollywood Movie Before The WWE Stardom
Hulk Hogan hit the peak of his stardom in 1984 following his win over Iron Sheik, from whom he captured the WWE Championship. After winning the WWE Championship, he solidified as the company’s poster boy and the biggest icon. While The Hulkster acted in various Hollywood movies after becoming one of the most popular wrestlers of all time, he made his Hollywood debut before fame.
Hulk Hogan, at the age of 28, played a special cameo in the blockbuster movie ‘Rocky III’, released in 1982. Hogan played a character called Thunderlips, a professional wrestler and a world champion.
Thunderlips battled Rocky in a boxer vs wrestler exhibition match in the movie. Despite their size difference, Rocky, portrayed by Sylvester Stallone defeated Thunderlips or Hogan in the movie. The movie role gave Hogan a big spotlight, opening up exciting future opportunities for him.
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Avik Das is an English Literature graduate with an experience of over six years as a professional writer. He has written for renowned publications such as The Sportster, Sportskeeda, Pinkvilla, and The Things
