Right about now, the only person talking about Hulk Hogan (other than me, of course), would be Hulk Hogan. In the 80s and early 90s, Hogan took the wrestling world by storm. Hogan was to wrestling fans what Mickey Mouse is to the Disney fans – an iconic figure that was synonymous with professional wrestling. The way Hogan urged the kids to say their prayers and drink their milk made lives of millions of parents around the world easier.
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As a kid, I remember having at least one Hulk Hogan poster. While I never saw him in WWE in the 90s, and caught glimpses of Hogan and NWO on primetime TNT, Hogan made professional wrestling what it is today. No one can take away the fact that without Hulk Hogan, there might not have been WWE as we know it. However, throughout the years, Hogan has also managed to tarnish his own legacy.
From the racist rants to irresponsible behavior, to doing things without repercussions, Hogan managed to lower himself in the eyes of his fans. However, the biggest complaint that people have about Hogan is his ability to stretch the truth, and make audacious claims.
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Today, we take a look at five such instances when Hulk Hogan managed to raise quite a few eyebrows with his version of truth.
5). Hulk Hogan on Chris Benoit’s wife being a Satanist
The Benoit Family tragedy is easily the most devastating news that shook the wrestling industry. From the late 80s through early 2000s, Chris Benoit earned a reputation as one of the greatest wrestlers on the planet. Benoit was compared to the legendary Dynamite Kid, and was hailed as the greatest technical wrestler of all time. Chris Benoit’s Royal Rumble win, and later his victory at WrestleMania 20 were seen as those rare occasions when WWE puts the title on fan favorites to appease the fans.
In 2007, the Benoit double murder - suicide turned the professional wrestling industry upside down. Most of the former professional wrestlers turned actors/ chose other profession ran away from the topic, while the veterans of the industry defended the business. It was probably the darkest period the business has ever witnessed, and it was then that Hulk Hogan went on TV and claimed that Chris Benoit’s wife, Nancy Benoit was a “Devil worshipper”.
What Hogan implied from what he said is up to interpretation, but what the Hulkster tried to achieve by accusing Nancy is horrendous to say the least. Well, as it turns out, Hogan said much worse about others later in his life.
4). Hulk Hogan on him patching things up with Warrior days before his death
Hulk Hogan has been one of those individuals who try to get all the attention during an incident which doesn’t even involve them. In 2014, WWE patched things up with The Ultimate Warrior and inducted him into the WWE Hall of Fame. For nearly two decades, Vince McMahon and The Ultimate Warrior were locked in a real life rivalry, which stemmed from a dispute in the early 90s regarding Warrior’s payment.
While Vince proceeded to fire Warrior right after his match at SummerSlam ’91, WWE would later come out with the “Self destruction of The Ultimate Warrior” DVD in early 2000s. However, Warrior and WWE buried the hatchet in 2014 and Warrior was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Warrior would make his return to Monday Night RAW after nearly two decades, when he delivered a heartfelt message, thanking his fans. As fate would have it, Warrior soon passed away, as tributes poured in from around the world.
Hogan and Warrior were embroiled in a personal rivalry, with Warrior mocking Hogan for being a selfish person. Immediately following Warrior’s death, Hogan then revealed that he and Warrior put their differences aside as well. However, Warrior’s wife later claimed that while Warrior received support from around the world, the one person he never talked to, or called after Warrior’s demise was Hulk Hogan.
3). Hulk Hogan on breaking his ribs at WrestleMania 18
Hogan is often known to either build up the severity of the situation, or completely make up his own version of truth. From wrestling 400 days a year to saying Mike Tyson was afraid of him, Hulk Hogan constructed quite a few head scratching lies during his time. One of such instances came during WrestleMania X8, when Hogan took on The Rock in a once – in – a – lifetime encounter, as both the icons went head to head at the grandest stage.
Hogan later claimed that it was while receiving The Rock’s “Rock Bottom” that he suffered broken ribs. Hogan was seen holding his ribs after the match, which wasn’t very suspicious considering wrestlers often “sell” their opponent’s move. However, Hogan would later go on Bill Simmons’ podcast, and told him that he broke his ribs during a house show while wrestling Rikishi even before WrestleMania X8. Leave it up to Hogan to play up a simple injury.
2). Hulk Hogan on his bust up with Randy Savage
During the late 80s, Hogan and Randy Savage teamed up to form “The Mega Powers” – perhaps the greatest tag team ever formed in WWE. However, with two gigantic egos battling for superiority, the only glue holding the team together was Miss Elizabeth. Tensions started to escalate between Hogan and Savage, and in ’89 during the Saturday Night Main Event, Savage officially turned heel and attacked Hulk Hogan in the locker room area.
However, according to Hogan, Savage and Hogan were involved in a real life altercation, while the WWE cameras “happened” to catch them in the act. Not to mention the very clear (and somewhat bad) acting by Hogan, even telling the producer to tell him once Savage arrives, one has to wonder just how The Hulkster believes anyone can be so easily fooled, especially when everyone knows that professional wrestling is scripted.
1). Hulk Hogan on breaking his back while body slamming Andre the Giant
The icing on the cake has to go to the lie Hogan has carried for over two decades. No matter when or where you ask Hogan, his stories eventually will lead to that famous night at WrestleMania 3 inside the Pontiac Silverdome, when Hogan and Andre main evented for the coveted WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
While Andre reportedly weighed in at 450 pounds, he was billed to be around 520 – 550 pounds (depending how big WWE wanted him to look), but Hogan will swear on his life, saying he weighed anywhere between 600 – 650 pounds. During the closing sequence at WrestleMania 3, Hogan body slammed Andre, and has maintained that he tore every muscle in his back.
What’s more? Hogan also claimed that while he tore his back, he never missed a single day of work. Isn’t that something we can all relate with?
