Hulk Hogan is perhaps one of the most iconic professional wrestlers of our time. Born Terry Gene Bollea on August 11, 1953 in Augusta, Georgia, he was a bass player in different bars in Florida, when he first aspired to become a wrestler. With his physique, he was later convinced to wrestle and trained under top trainer Hiro Matsuda. In August 1977, he was booked for his professional debut in Fort Myers, Florida, where he eventually assumed the monicker “The Super Destroyer.”
In 1980, Hogan joined the World Wrestling Federation, where president Vince McMahon Sr. was impressed with his charisma and stature. It was here when he was given the last name Hogan. He then moved to the American Wrestling Association in 1981, where he became the league’s most-promoted wrestler, but he left and went back to the WWF after disagreements with the sharing of Hogan’s profits, especially with his fights in Japan.
His return to the WWF started the birth of “Hulkamania,” after he won the WWF Championship in 1984. He became popular among fans and audiences, and he became the centerpiece of WWF’s promotions, including The Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Connection on MTV. He essentially transformed wrestling from being just a sport for violence-seekers to a sports entertainment extravaganza drawing primetime audiences. In 1994, he moved to WWF’s rival World Championship Wrestling, after taking a break to focus on his television and film appearances. Here, he called himself Hollywood Hogan and becam,e a more villainous character than Hulk Hogan. He left in 2000 after internal conflicts with some of WCW’s management.
He returned to the WWF/WWE in 2002, where he made occasional appearances and was eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.
Hogan’s popularity led him to television and film appearances, such as in Rocky III, No Holds Barred, and Mr. Nanny. He starred in his own television series, Thunder in Paradise, in 1994. He recently hosted the returning edition of American Gladiators, and is part of the reality show Hogan Knows Best.
"It's like a fragile foreign car. People break a window, but I keep the car running with chiropractors and massages. My whole style changed from drinking a couple of beers and going out to going to the hotel room and getting in the Jacuzzi. It's not as easy as it used to be. I have to be more careful. I have to plan things out in more detail. Everything's a real calculated risk now.”