A Discussion about Hulk Hogan

[Marc the Smark]

Is it true that "Hulk Still Rules," and why or why not?

[HeartBreakMan2k]

No it is not. Reason being, that in order to still rule, that means that you have had to rule at a previous time.

[Goldbird]

But hey, hulk ruled before, but that was like 20 years ago?

He's no more than an old man who should retire and look after his pretty daughter.

[Marc the Smark]

Okay, so when somebody gets old we should pull the plug and forget about him? Ya know what I think? I think he's one of the greatest of all time. And I think he was a goldmine that only comes along about once in a millenium. He had charisma, mic skills, the look, and shitty wrestling skills (but was still a huge draw). It's true, Hogan wouldn't have been so big if it weren't for Vince and the WWF, but the WWF (and sports entertainment today) would not have become so big if it weren't for Hulk Hogan.

[HeartBreakMan2k]

I'll agree, WWE probably wouldn't be what if it were today without Hogan. Yes he was a huge draw, yes he had the mic skills. But to me that never meant he ruled. Honestly, even back when I was very little, Macho Man and Ricky The Dragon were my favorites. Along with guys like Dynamite and Bret. I always became extremely bored with interviews, and honestly enjoyed the wrestling first and foremost.

[Gone Mad]

Hulk still rules.. in sucking!! HAHA, I'm original! DX 4 life... sweeeat!!
Anyways, back to the question: no, he doesn't "still rule" and it is because people noticed.. that he sucked, compared to Eddie Guerrero,Kurt Angle,Jericho and anyone else you can think of that has some sort of credibility now.

[Marc the Smark]

Hulk still rules.. in sucking!! HAHA, I'm original! DX 4 life... sweeeat!!
Anyways, back to the question: no, he doesn't "still rule" and it is because people noticed.. that he sucked, compared to Eddie Guerrero,Kurt Angle,Jericho and anyone else you can think of that has some sort of credibility now.

Thank you, young child, for your intelligent contribution. Anyway, yes, compared to the workers you mentioned (at least their wrestling ability), Hogan was lacking. And yes, there were a number of talents back then who were better in the ring than Hogan (wrestling-wise). But who did more to put wrestling on the map than Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon? Nobody.

[PureHatred]

Okay, so when somebody gets old we should pull the plug and forget about him? Ya know what I think? I think he's one of the greatest of all time. And I think he was a goldmine that only comes along about once in a millenium. He had charisma, mic skills, the look, and shitty wrestling skills (but was still a huge draw). It's true, Hogan wouldn't have been so big if it weren't for Vince and the WWF, but the WWF (and sports entertainment today) would not have become so big if it weren't for Hulk Hogan.

You're absolutely correct about your assessment of Hogan's career and his contribution to the wrestling business. On my personal Top 10, he's #2 because of all that.

But there comes a time in every athlete's life where his profession passes him by. Wrestling isn't like most sports because the results are scripted. But it's simply not believable for guys like Ric Flair, Dust Rhodes, and yes, Hulk Hogan to be competing with guys a third their age. Flair makes it work because of his dirty tricks, but even he is a glorified jobber at this stage in his careeer. Would Hogan do that? Would his ego allow him to go anywhere without at least the promise of a main event run? As one half of a tag team ( how about Flair/Hogan as the underdog veterans to reinvigorate the tag division?) or as a manager, Hogan can still wrk and he is still a draw. But as anything else his time has passed and no amount of Hulkamania references can change that.

[Bad Company]

HULK STILL RULES

[Marc the Smark]

You're absolutely correct about your assessment of Hogan's career and his contribution to the wrestling business. On my personal Top 10, he's #2 because of all that.

But there comes a time in every athlete's life where his profession passes him by. Wrestling isn't like most sports because the results are scripted. But it's simply not believable for guys like Ric Flair, Dust Rhodes, and yes, Hulk Hogan to be competing with guys a third their age. Flair makes it work because of his dirty tricks, but even he is a glorified jobber at this stage in his careeer. Would Hogan do that? Would his ego allow him to go anywhere without at least the promise of a main event run? As one half of a tag team ( how about Flair/Hogan as the underdog veterans to reinvigorate the tag division?) or as a manager, Hogan can still wrk and he is still a draw. But as anything else his time has passed and no amount of Hulkamania references can change that.

Thanks for your thoughts! I enjoyed reading that. Regarding Flair and Hogan as an underdog tag team, that would be cool to see (even if just once), and it's a shame it will never happen. And yes, I'll agree with your statements about Hogan's swollen ego, but he isn't the only one with that problem. In fact, I'm sure some of the biggest talents today also have an ego. His time may have passed, because he can't physically work anymore, but I'd be willing to make he can still get a huge pop. Remember that long standing ovation he got on Smackdown? Well, he'd get it again.

Pretend for a moment he came back for a while. Suppose he shows up on Monday Night Raw. I know, it's a stretch, but hang on. How would most fans react if Hogan showed up? I would think it's very possible that they'd really be happy. Would I stick him on a ppv and make him the main event? Probably not, because I know he just can't work, but you know for a little while his return would create some interest (even if not for internet fans). The same people in these forums who say Hogan is past his prime would still "mark out" if he came back for a visit. And why? Because he's Hulk Hogan, dammit. :shifty: He's one of the biggest reasons we started watching in the first place, and we should still appreciate that.

[John la Rock]

Hulk Hogan is one of the best ever. Next to The Rock he's probly the most popular superstars of all time. He's a true icon and role model still to this day :y:

[PureHatred]

RHS, I really think his last WWE run was great and was everytihng a Hogan fan could hope for. His match with The Rock was electric, he got one more run as the world champion and he left the WWE after beating Vince in a streetfight that actually lived up to its billing. Athletes that retire then come back again and again....it just loses its meaning after a while. Look at George Foreman. Or Terry Funk. It just becomes a non-story after a while.

Hogan was great, but he should stay in the past. If he comes back, it should be as a manager or in a very limited wrestling capacity. Other than that, it just comes off as a cheap trick to recapture the very real mark out moments of Hogan's last run.

[Marc the Smark]

RHS, I really think his last WWE run was great and was everytihng a Hogan fan could hope for. His match with The Rock was electric, he got one more run as the world champion and he left the WWE after beating Vince in a streetfight that actually lived up to its billing. Athletes that retire then come back again and again....it just loses its meaning after a while. Look at George Foreman. Or Terry Funk. It just becomes a non-story after a while.

Hogan was great, but he should stay in the past. If he comes back, it should be as a manager or in a very limited wrestling capacity. Other than that, it just comes off as a cheap trick to recapture the very real mark out moments of Hogan's last run.

I don't completely disagree, but I was trying to make a point. If he ever does come back, which will probably not happen, he'll get another standing ovation. And why? Because if it weren't for him, a lot of us wouldn't be wrestling fans today. Hogan and McMahon put wrestling on the map, and I hope we will never forget that. "Hulk Still Rules."

[PureHatred]

Yea..people stil love Hulk. How can you not? He was the closest thing to a living breathing superhero for more than a decade. 'Real American,' Rock N' Wrestling, Thunderlips...hell go up in the streets to someone today and start flexing your muscles and tear your shirt off and they'll know you're doing a Hulk impression (and they'll call the cops).

He's a part of Americana and no amount of negativity about his ego or mat skills will ever change that.

[Marc the Smark]

Yea..people stil love Hulk. How can you not? He was the closest thing to a living breathing superhero for more than a decade. 'Real American,' Rock N' Wrestling, Thunderlips...hell go up in the streets to someone today and start flexing your muscles and tear your shirt off and they'll know you're doing a Hulk impression (and they'll call the cops).

He's a part of Americana and no amount of negativity about his ego or mat skills will ever change that.

Exactly! So see, "Hulk Still Rules," and it's foolish to say otherwise :y:

[Vastardikai]

The Rise of Hulkamania was simply standing on the shoulders of giants. The whole Rock 'n Wrestling bit was more or less invented by the Freebirds (which is part of the reason why they were among wrestling's biggest names in the late '70s, early '80s.), The whole Superhero bit was taken from Billy Graham, and the whole celebrity aspect of it was inspired by Jerry Lawler's work with Andy Kaufman.

All of that being said, he could pull it off. I don't think someone the likes of One Man Gang, Paul Orndorf, Honky Tonk Man, or even Randy Savage could pull it off as well as Hogan did. I intentionally mentioned mainly secondary stars for a reason: You couldn't put just take any schmuck off the street, put him in Red and Yellow, have him ramble on about "Training, Prayers, and Vitamins," and expect it to work. Hogan did as much to put himself over as McMahon did to make him a star.

Does "Hulk Still Rule?" The little kid in me still thinks so. But he was basically a gateway to open our eyes to some of the better folks in the business.

[Goldbird]

Dude, you gotta recognise the fact that it was VINCE MCMAHON who put WWE on the world map. Why do i say so?

Vince Mcmahon is the brain.
Hulk Hogan WAS the brawn.

Remind yourself, there's only 1 Vince Mcmahon, but there may be lots of other people who could have used hogan's gimmick in the 80's.

'Nuff said.

[Marc the Smark]

Remind yourself, there's only 1 Vince Mcmahon, but there may be lots of other people who could have used hogan's gimmick in the 80's.


Maybe, maybe not. Could other workers have done Hogan's gimmick? Guys other than Terry Bollea? Technically, yes. But how do we know they would have done it well? I don't think anyone else would have. The fact still remains: Hogan was given the ball and ran with it. For over 2 decades he packed buildings and thrilled crowds all over the world. A 6-time World Champion who headlined 10 WrestleManias. Some think Hogan is overrated, and in a sense that may be true, but it's not like the guy doesn't deserve the praise.

[Nark Order]

Dude, you gotta recognise the fact that it was VINCE MCMAHON who put WWE on the world map. Why do i say so?

Vince Mcmahon is the brain.
Hulk Hogan WAS the brawn.

Remind yourself, there's only 1 Vince Mcmahon, but there may be lots of other people who could have used hogan's gimmick in the 80's.

'Nuff said.

I hate you.

[HankScorpio]

Gillbird.. YOU SPEAK PURE UNCUT SEWER RAT ASS.

[Razor Rybek]

Hogan never ruled in my eyes, he bored me, I always prefered the under-card of the PPV's he headlined in the 80's/90's

[Pepsi Man]

Dude, you gotta recognise the fact that it was VINCE MCMAHON who put WWE on the world map. Why do i say so?

Vince Mcmahon is the brain.
Hulk Hogan WAS the brawn.

Remind yourself, there's only 1 Vince Mcmahon, but there may be lots of other people who could have used hogan's gimmick in the 80's.

'Nuff said.
Hey, there were a lot of other wrestling promoters in the 80's, but there was only one Hulk Hogan.

Actually, Hulk had some success in Japan before his WWF run...

bottom line is Hogan gets just as much credit as McMahon, in my opinion, if not more.

[Blue Demon]

I think Hulk certainly DID rule...not anymore. I still proudly don my Hulkamania shirt, but I'm a fan of his olderstuff, and some of his nWo stuff.

[Marc the Smark]

Dude, you gotta recognise the fact that it was VINCE MCMAHON who put WWE on the world map. Why do i say so?

Vince Mcmahon is the brain.
Hulk Hogan WAS the brawn.

McMahon is the brain, Hogan was the brawn. That doesn't mean one is better than the other, or that one made a bigger contribution. They both made wrestling popular, and they made it popular together.

[HankScorpio]

Hogan still rules, I'd never want to see him wrestle again though, WMXIX was the last time I was excited to see the guy in a match.

[Lamuella]

Screw hogan. He's an egomaniac baby who has never ever been able to wrestle.

[Gerard]

Screw hogan. He's an egomaniac baby who has never ever been able to wrestle.


Sounds like half the wwe roster..at least hogan drew..unlike half the wwe roster.

[Sephiroth]

His daughter rules.

[LK]

Hogan and McMahon the WWE and wrestling in general as big as it is today and put the company on the map. Hogan also participated in the nWo which, for a time until virtually the entire roster joined it, was possibly the best thing WCW did. The Hogan Rock match was great as was the Hogan McMahon street fight. So he definetly was the man but not anymore. I just don't miss him on tv and would prefer so many people in the WWE instead of him.

[Oxstar]

I will remember Hulk Hogan for my whole life

[Nowhere Man]

IMO, Hulk does not still rule, and never did. Yes, he was huge in the AWA, and he and McMahon launched one of the most successful eras in wrestling history, regularly selling out huge arenas and bringing in some of the highest rated matches of all time (The War to Settle the Score, Hogan/Andre 2, etc), but in the long run he's done a lot more harm than good.

-His unwillingness to share the spotlight has hindered the careers of countless wrestlers in the WWF and especially in WCW. After he left wrestling to make some of the most atrociously bad movies ever, WWF was left with a gigantic void in the main event scene, and suffered abysmal ratings until the Austin era. Since Hogan wouldn't let anyone else be the top dog, no one would buy anyone else in the top spot of the company, which was why Bret and Michaels, despite excellent matches, failed to save the ratings.

-His notorious backstage nepotism and cronyism nearly bankrupted WCW prior to the nWo invasion, burying longtime WCW talent in favor for his buddies.

-Speaking of the nWo, while they were wildly successful in their heyday, they killed backstage morale and did irreparable damage to WCW's name value. After watching the nWo stomp all over all of WCW's top names, the only thing people would buy that could stop them was another nWo, and by the time the angle was finally over, nobody cared. No one wanted to watch WCW after WCW had spent the past 3 years being made to look like a bunch of losers.

-Did anyone really want to see Hogan win the WWF Title AGAIN in 2002?

So yeah, while most people will remember Hogan as McMahon's golden boy, which Vince was a "genius" for pushing (bullshit, since all he did was take him from AWA, who were doing the same thing), he was also an egomaniac who is an integral part of why there is no more WCW, and why WWE's backstage has been in the gutter for years. Hogan and his ilk can go f</>uck themselves for all I care, just as long as they stay the hell away from another main event run.

[c4g2]

Watcha gonna do, when Hulkamania runs wild on you?

[Gerard]

-Did anyone really want to see Hogan win the WWF Title AGAIN in 2002?




Well since he was given the title and the crowd had been going buckshit for him months before i think thats pretty much a yes.

[Wildcat789]

Dude, you gotta recognise the fact that it was VINCE MCMAHON who put WWE on the world map. Why do i say so?

Vince Mcmahon is the brain.
Hulk Hogan WAS the brawn.

Remind yourself, there's only 1 Vince Mcmahon, but there may be lots of other people who could have used hogan's gimmick in the 80's.

'Nuff said.

What a completely assinine comment...

Sure anybody could've played Hogan's part, but anybody can play Kane's part, or HHH's part, or Foley's part for that matter. What's important is that the part got played in the first place.

Hogan made wrestling what it is today. I would back the guy if he returned 1000 more times, just not for a title run. That would be extremely selfish to guys that are deserving of it.

[The CyNick]

He was one of the top 3 guys in WWE history in terms of maing money for the comapny, so he must be some good.

I dont think he can ever be a viable weekly character, but bringing him in once a year or so, to shoot an angle, and maybe work a match, there's nothing wrong with that.