7 Irrepressible "Bad Boys" of pro wrestling

#4 Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan

While on camera, Hogan may have played the part of the all American hero, but behind the scenes, he's been guilty of some unsavoury behavior.

Hulk Hogan was a bodybuilder and out of work guitarist in Florida when he came onto the radar of pro wrestling promoters. After an unpleasant incident in which his leg was broken by a jealous veteran, he returned to training and eventually wound up in the AWA as bad guy Sterling Golden.

Hogan would bounce around different promotions before eventually signing with the WWE in the early 1980s. His name was changed from Terry "The Hulk"Bollea to Hulk Hogan, and he was given red hair dye and told to pretend to be Irish. Hogan, fearing the hair dye would exacerbate his already receding hairline, poured the dye down a drain and kept what would become his trademark blonde locks.

Pushed as the ultimate 1980s action hero, Hogan defeated the Iron Sheik for the WWF world heavyweight championship in a move designed to stoke patriotism after the Iran hostage crisis. He would go on to hold the belt for over five years before losing it to Andre the Giant in controversial fashion. His career was revitalized by the advent of the Hollywood Hogan character, turning heel for the first time since his early years.

Hulk Hogan's bad boy credentials: Hogan has been accused of holding back younger talent, but most of his antics concern his reality show and the aftermath thereof. He once blamed a young man slain in an automobile accident for his own death, even though Hogan's son Nick was driving.

He also publicly sympathized with acquitted murder suspect OJ Simpson, indicating he was considering violence toward his wife. Then there were his racial epithets, filmed in a private moment that became all too public.