Hulk Hogan’s Impact On Professional Wrestling

Despite this, Hogan was the sport’s first global superstar. In the ilk of Pele for football and Michael Jordan for basketball, Hogan transcended his industry like no wrestler before him.

The 24-inch pythons, the blonde mustache, and the red and yellow gear were cartoonishly unique. The plethora of catch phrases, the inevitable no-sell comeback, and the common occurrence of victory flexing. The character of Hulk Hogan was a real-life superhero to many in the ’80s.

No WWE superstar has ever understood the importance of being a Superstar as much as Hogan did.

Hulk Hogan’s Importance to the WWE

When Vince McMahon took over his father’s company, he needed a face to assist with his global takeover. Names such as Dusty Rhodes were shortlisted; however, it was ultimately Hogan who took that mantle in 1984.

Hogan starred in Rocky 3 two years prior, despite being given an ultimatum by Vince McMahon Sr. to not act. Hogan defied McMahon Sr and left the WWF in 1981 to participate in the motion picture.

Upon his return to the territory, he was almost immediately rewarded with the WWF Championship. A title he won from the Iron Sheikh inside Madison Square Garden and held for 1474 days.

The future success of the WWF’s plan for global expansion was dependent on the inaugural WrestleMania, an event for which Hogan was the main attraction. He teamed with A-Team star Mr. T and had his hand raised by the great Muhammad Ali.

Famed pro wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer stated, “You can’t overemphasise the importance of Hulk Hogan. You take Hulk Hogan out of the equation, and I think Vince fails in his expansion. I’m relatively certain he fails in his expansion.”

Hogan was the centerpiece of the WWF and headlined eight of the first nine editions of WrestleMania. His battles with Randy Savage and Ultimate Warrior were legendary. His body slam to Andre the Giant at WrestleMania 3 is arguably the company’s most iconic moment.

He definitely wore out his welcome by the start of the ’90s, and his impromptu championship win at WrestleMania 9 is remembered negatively. He would leave shortly after losing the title at King of the Ring. The WWF sorely felt his loss over the next few years, until they eventually replaced his star power with Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Hulk Hogan Was On The Frontline For The Competition Twice!

After being enticed by Eric Bischoff, Hogan returned to the ring in 1994 and signed with Ted Turner’s World Championship Wrestling. He immediately beat Ric Flair for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship at Bash at the Beach 1994. A match that fans believe should have main-evented WrestleMania 8.

Hulkamania ran wild until the unforeseeable occurred. In 1996, Hogan reinvented himself by turning heel. He aligned himself with the Outsiders, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall, forming the New World Order.

Billed as Hollywood Hogan, the red and yellow were traded for black and white. Cool shades were worn, beard stubble accompanied the stache, and iconic guitar riffs from Jimi Hendrix’s Voodoo Child serenaded Hogan down the ramp.

In an interview for the Mr. McMahon Netflix documentary, former WWE Champion Cody Rhodes reflected on WCW while the NWO were in their heyday. Rhodes said, “During that period of time, WCW was cool. It had the cool factor going on. I started to see WWE as ‘less than.'”

This was reflected in American TV ratings. WCW Nitro beat WWF Raw in viewership for 83 consecutive weeks in what was known as the Monday Night Wars. The NWO was, in large part, responsible for that domination.

Although WCW’s demise was inevitable due to financial mismanagement and poor booking, there is no denying that Hogan’s run in the Georgia-based promotion was memorable. This is despite the lows.

A highly anticipated encounter with Sting at Starrcade 1997 killed WCW’s momentum due to its weird finish. The finger poke of doom was a mockery to the industry, and Hogan’s final appearance for the brand was sour as real-life issues with Vince Russo were made apparent at Bash at the Beach 2000.

Ironically, Hogan finished his tenure with WCW the same way he started. Winning the World Heavyweight Championship.

WCW would not be the only time Hogan would rival McMahon. The Immortal Hogan joined Total Nonstop Action in 2009 and would last four years with the promotion. A second attempt at another Monday Night Wars failed miserably.

Hulk Hogan’s Stardom was Undeniable

When WCW was purchased by Vince McMahon in 2001, a whole host of talented WCW performers made the switch to McMahon’s federation. Hogan would return to the WWF in 2002 with the intent of having a WrestleMania dream match with The Rock.

That match at the Sky Dome in Toronto is one of the greatest matches in the promotion’s history. It was billed as Icon vs. Icon, and most definitely delivered.

In a surprise turn of events, the heel Hogan was cheered, and the babyface Rock was booed. This quickly affected the direction of Hogan’s run as he would abandon his NWO stablemates.

The Hulkamaniacs yearning to see Hogan in his original form got their wish as Hollywood Hogan would become a hybrid of two different eras. Whilst he did keep Voodoo Child and the beard stubble, the red and yellow gear would make a comeback.

Hogan’s popularity was rewarded when he famously won a sixth WWF championship soon after his face turn. His four-week run between Backlash and Judgement Day coincided with the WWF’s transition to become the WWE.

Hogan was a WWE Champion at 48 years old. For perspective, the current WWE champion, John Cena, is currently 48 years of age. The incarnation of the belt that Hogan won was also worn by names such as Eddie Guerrero, Brock Lesnar, and a young Cena.

A rivalry with McMahon and a few matches with the likes of Shawn Michaels and Randy Orton would be the highlight of Hogan over the following years. A potential showdown with Cena at WrestleMania 25 never came to fruition.

Although it was short-lived, Hogan found a new lease of life when he returned in 2002 due to the plethora of nostalgia that exuded from his presence. Fans wanted him to be the Hogan who made them fall in love with the sport.

Final Words

Whilst his popularity had nosedived over the last decade for justified reasons, it is hard to deny his accomplishments and greatness regarding professional wrestling. He spearheaded a territorial promotion into a mainstream juggernaut.

No wrestler has done more for the growth of the business. To this day, WWE is a synonym for wrestling when being discussed by casual fans.

Was he the best technical wrestler? Definitely not. Was he the best on the microphone? Probably not, due to his promos being formulaic.

Did he connect with the audience that he was in front of? Better than almost anyone who has ever stepped foot in a squared circle. That is the most defining metric when discussing the Greatest of All Time.

Rest in Peace to the Immortal Hulk Hogan.