“Absolutely reckless”: Richard Belzer Hulk Hogan video goes viral in wake of Law & Order star's death

Richard Belzer, the beloved actor and comedian, passed away on February 19, 2023, at the age of 78. The news of his demise was confirmed by his friend, writer Bill Scheft, in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter:

“He had lots of health issues, and his last words were, 'F*** you, mother****er.'”

Scheft also shared that Belzer took his last breath early Sunday at his home in Bozouls, southwest France.

In the wake of his demise, a video of Belzer being tackled by Hulk Hogan on live television went viral on social media, with fans dubbing the incident as “reckless.”

On March 27, 1985, Hulk Hogan and Mr. T appeared on the Richard Belzer show Hot Properties to promote WrestleMania. During a conversation about the authenticity of professional wrestling, Belzer insisted Mr. T and Hogan to demonstrate a move on him in front of a live audience.

While Mr. T denied the proposal, Hogan eventually agreed to show the move following an initial hesitation. Hogan placed Belzer in a front chin lock, one of his signature moves, and held him until Belzer passed out and fell down, with his head hitting the floor.

Following the demonstration, Mr. T said looked at a knocked out Belzer and said “he’s alright, he’s just sleeping” while Hogan slightly smacked the host and woke him up. Belzer quickly returned to hosting and cut to a commercial break.

However, fans were left shocked after they noticed blood oozing out from the back of Belzer’s head. The latter also filed a lawsuit against Hogan after the incident.

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Twitter reacts to old Richard Belzer x Hulk Hogan video

Netizens were left shocked as old Hulk Hogan and Richard Belzer clip surfaced online (Image via TrivWorks/Twitter)

In the aftermath of Richard Belzer’s demise, an old video of him being knocked out by Hulk Hogan during a 1985 TV show went viral on social media.

In the video, Hogan can be seen wrapping his arms Belzer’s neck putting him in a front chin lock and applying pressure while the latter can be seen passing out and falling to the ground.

As the clip resurfaced online, several social media users took to Twitter to react to the incident.

Reports suggest that Richard Belzer filed a lawsuit against Hulk Hogan following the incident and sued him for $5 million. During a follow-up episode of Hot Properties, Belzer also revealed that he had to get multiple stitches due to the severity of the injury.

The personal injury lawsuit was filed in the New York Supreme Court, but Belzer and Hogan reportedly settled the issue outside the courtroom. Belzer allegedly used the money he won on legal terms to buy a farmhouse in France and named the property Chez Hogan.

Following his initial days as a stand-up comedian, Richard Belzer rose to immense popularity as an actor, author and conspiracy theorist.

He is best remembered for portraying the character of BPD Detective, NYPD Detective/Sergeant, and DA Investigator John Munch on the NBC show Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Belzer played the role for 23 years from 1993 to 2016.