I gotta say your videos really transport me back to a simpler time in my life! I haven’t watched wrestling in probably 15 years but seeing all your videos brings back so many great memories of my brother and I during my childhood in the 90’s. My brother passed away in 2001 and watching your videos brings back so many memories with him so truly, from the bottom of my heart I thank you so much! I’ve watched since the Wrestling Lists days and I’m so pumped to see where your channel has gone and how it’s grown! Congratulation man!
Thanks man. It's really great that you can get some nostalgia from the videos and get taken back to better times. Thanks for supporting from the start!
I appreciate your story. My brother and I grew up watching WWF too. We couldn't afford PPV but we never missed a TV showing. My brother and I have grown apart now but I cherish those days together.
I grew up with Hulkamania running wild, all throughout my household - I had the wrestling buddy stuffed Hogan (and Ultimate Warrior) and I can still remember asking the ice cream man for the Hogan ice cream sandwich bar. He was larger than life in the late 80s to early 90s. Vince Jr really knew what he had when it came to Hogan...Vince Jr changed wrestling, forever. Last year, the Hulkster replied to one of my Instagram comments, it was surreal and although I understand that celebrities are just normal people, it was still pretty awesome to have a true superstar from my youth, reply to me. I have a screencap of it and yes, I did say "brother" in the comment and he said it back lmao
Kas58223 exactly. His legacy for pro wrestling can only ever hoped to be equaled, never will it be surpassed. And for the record i hate his baby face character and his ring work. It’s like the opposite of HBK, his legacy for outside of the ring will actually be largely negative but his ring work is so superb that he’s inspired every professional wrestler to come after him. Funny how they were so similar in their attitudes outside of the ring when they were at the top.
Juan Rivera+ yeah but actual wrestling and athleticism is part of it but storylines, characters and buildup of storylines, characters and feuds that really put asses in the seats why do you think guys like Hogan got acclaimed people like flair, Piper, Dusty Rhodes, Andre the giant and The Ultimate Warrior why do you think guys like Dean malenko never got to be big look at the biggest eras of wrestling it bcuz you had variety of characters not everybody looking the same wrestling acting the same and cutting the promos the same why do you think this era is not successful bcuz everything is the same
@@julezjohn5785 nobody would have done what Hogan did back then. Wrestling was getting exposed in 70s. The business would have been over in the 80s. Vince Himself wasn't successful till wrestlemania 1. Go do some research on that. But primarily without Hogan there would be no WWF, no Attitude era, no The Rock, no Stone cold, Undertaker, triple H etc. Hogan made wrestling popular at National level and then Global level. He turned heel and started the 2nd boom in the 96. That also made wrestling huge.
John Smith wrestling was experiencing a boom across the boars in the 80’s. Flair and this guy Magnum TA were doing great numbers in the NWA. Andre was a crossover star because of his size. Vince would have brought in someone similar to Hulkster and worked on an all american superhero type gimmick that was what Hulk was given when he came in. He had a lot of those traits in his character before wwf scooped him up, which is why Vince choosing Hogan was a no brainer. But without Hogan he would have picked up Kerry Von Erich and given him that kind of gimmick and a great speaking baby face manager and developed his promos while he had the manager doing a decent amount of his talking and promos with him/for him. If not Kerry he could have gone with Austin Idol or any number of muscular wrestlers with an all american look. If Snukka didn’t murder his girlfriend he was going to run with Snukka, i believe, because he was over like rover at the time.
I don’t know how you crank these out so fast and yet they are all done so well. Your researching skills are incredible and your screen grabs make it all gel. This was one of my favorite videos of yours. Great work!
@@countdooku2781 Shawn Michaels best technical wrestler I would agree with you-he was fantastic-Hogan for me is simply the most iconic person ever and the reason for all the success of the WWF/WWE that followed.
Shawn Michaels was nobody compared to Hogan. Michaels was a great wrestler but he didn't elevate the business. Hogan was a legitimate jerk but he brought wrestling into the mainstream.
The main thing to remember about how Hulk Hogan became a SUPER star is the name SYLVESTER STALLONE! He not only had Hogan make an appearance, Sly gave him a memorable 7 to 10 minute performance stage in Rocky 3, one of THE most popular movies in the summer of 1982;, remaining in the Top 10 well into the fall, allowing Hogan to be seen by more fans and potential fans than he would have been in any wrestling territory!
@@KQwest98 Facts are facts, Hulk Hogan became a super star OUTSIDE wrestling through his appearance in ROCKY 3, which was in the Top 10 movie blockbusters for the summer of 82. His exposure increased through his association with pop singer CYNDI LAUPER who invited Hogan to attend the Grammy's with her and her manager; and of course, her other appearances involving Hogan and LOU ALBANO which was eventually dubbed "The Rock and Wrestling Connection"! Facts, not WWE's version of what happened!
When i think of wrestling the first image in my mind is Hulk Hogan in the red and yellow. I've been following wrestling extremely close since the mid 80s. Love it.
Weirdest thing about Hogan when he wrestled in Japan was that he actually did more than three moves. In a match against the Great Muta he actually did an enzuigiri. It was nowhere near as good as Owen Hart's, but it was still a sight to see.
I lived in Minneapolis when Hogan wrestled there in the early 80s. If Verne Gagne had let Hogan win the title the AWA may never of gone out of business. The reason that Verne didn’t let Hogan win the title was that Verne wanted 75% of Hogan’s merchandising. Hogan refused. Verne Gagne built maybe the second best promotion of all time but he lost it all due to old fashioned stubbornness and greed.
alex kanyima When you consider the career of Hulk Hogan and his ego, there is no way Hogan would turn down a chance to be champion. The reason why Hogan went to the WWF was that Vince McMahon promised him the championship. After four matches in the WWF, Hogan was the champ. And wrestling changed forever.
Great as always. I would love to see you do a similar video about the early career of Ric Flair. I know almost nothing about his time pre plain crash and would love to hear your take on it. Whatever video you do I will never stop watching 😁
Hulk Hogan is one of the most underrated workers of all-time. I've watched matches he had in Japan, he was no Dynamite Kid but he could work a match and wrestling holds like a pro. His matches in WWF / WWE never showcased that, but he could have been known as a great worker if "Hulkamania" and leg drops didn't explode on their own. #Respect #HulkStillRules
Fun Fact: Hulk Hogan had an early finisher called the Axe Bomber, which was basically a big lariat. This existed only because in one match with Inoki, Hogan hit him so hard that it actually knocked Antonio out for a moment, and to save face, they dubbed that it was Hogan's new devastating finisher. So before the legendary Leg Drop, there was the Axe Bomber.
And before that, there was the Golden Squeeze (a bearhug) back before he was Hulk Hogan, and his style was much more like Superstar.....even using the judo thrust to the throat, too!
Still can't help but wonder how the landscape of wrestling would have been changed had Verne Gagne not been so blindingly stubborn and put the AWA Heavyweight Championship on Hulk Hogan.
It is the single biggest sliding door in wrestling history...what if Verne Gagne realizes just what he has in Hogan and figures out how to keep him and make him his top guy? Hogan doesn't become the mega mega mega star he does in New York, but maybe he helps the AWA become the biggest promotion in wrestling, their CBS deal that Greg Gagne has accurately stated was on the table with Hogan in the fold launches them to a higher spot, and the WWF doesn't become this national brand without the immediate impact of Hogan as the #1 guy. Plus, if Hogan stays, does Heenan stay? Does Santana stay? Does Ventura stay?
it may have saved JCP too. Then, Crockett wouldn't have been trying compete with Mcmahon.. maybe Crockett would have been content consolidating the east coast I'm from Philly and most people preferred JCP than the WWF from 85-88 Crockett could have stayed big from Florida through Philly
Hogan made wrestling. Vince Sr. & Verne Gagne's stubbornesses are mind-boggling. This guy was absolute gold and those fools let him go for stubborn old-school rules.
Great video! I was definitely a huge Hulkamaniac (literally & figuratively) when I was younger into my late teen years. I remember Wrestlemania 6, I was a Hulkamaniac (of course) and my sister was a huge Warrior fan. I cried when Hulk lost to the Warrior, lol! I grew up in Birmingham, AL. and remember riding my bike down to the Boutwell Auditorium (a couple of miles away from the housing projects in grew up in) and watching pro wrestling shows in the early 80's, before it got so big that they had to move it to the B.J.C.C. (Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center). Wrestling was a major love of my life growing up and I always tell the youger crowd that the wrestling today is NOTHING like the wrestling when I was growing up! Again great vids and thank you for making a trip down memory lane for fans of wrestling!
I was six or seven staying with my grandparents in the Netherlands who has cable tv. WWF came on and I kind of enjoyed it until Hulk Hogan appeared and then I was completely hooked. He was a phenomenon.
I think you did a good job illustrating how driven Hulk was to be successful, he’s made a lot happen with pretty average talent. He’s seen as selfish by many, but he knew how to make money, and that was by protecting his gimmick, and thinking big. Old timers like Heenan liked Hogan because his head was in the right place for business. Hogan brought Heenan and Mean Gene to WWF if I’m not mistaken, so he’s had a big hand in shaping the sport into the juggernaut it became in the mid 80’s, outside his own persona. Looking forward to part 2!
I'd also argue that he had WAY more ring talent than he's ever given credit for. The guy knew how to work and his time in Japan proved it. You don't learn from and work with the guys he did and not have any skills. He may have shaped his character as "Hulkamania" took off to have a more limited move set for the time (which by todays WWE standards would have made him look like Dean Malenko) but what moves he did regularly execute we're reasonably varied and well executed for the most part. And like the video points out, the man really knew how to work a crowd better than damn near anyone in that era (except maybe Flair).
chaosMonkeyPoo I agree that nobody could work a crowd like him, ever. I was more referring to his natural talent. he’s not a very gifted athlete and was quite limited in the ring, but worked his way into a hulking physique, and definitely paid his dues to be in the business, no discredit there whatsoever. He’s not a great actor but has been in several movies and tv shows. He has no musical talent as far as I’ve seen but was a musician in Florida? That’s a trip, too funny. Yes he was gifted with a big frame, but he out-dreamed and outhustled everyone else.
@@NickWeissMusic There was a video I had watched a good while ago that talked about how WWF didn't want Hogan to use a lot of moves like he did in Japan.
There is a lot of hate for hogan now with the younger wrestling fans but Unless you were watching wrestling and lived during this time you can never understand how he transcended superstardom to a height that no one had ever seen from a wrestler before. Being at live matches was like nothing I’ve seen before or since.
Nobody has ever transcended wrestling like Hogan did in the mid to late 1980s. I would even argue that Hogan relative to his 1980s apex was more culturally mainstream famous to even non wrestling fans than the Rock is today. It is just so hard to describe to people who were not there how famous Hogan was in the 1980s even outside of wrestling.
It totally refutes the concept that younger fans have that Vince Jr made Hogan from nothing. Hogan's WWE push was basically organic from the momentum that he had started in the AWA.
I became a hulkamaniac in 84 I remember him riding out on this Harley and it was the coolest thing ever he had it built by custom builder Arlen Ness from the Bay Area now the bike is in arlens museum at his shop in Dublin CA rip Arlen hulkamania lives on
just realize if hogan never lifted andre up at wrestlemania , wwe would've not made over 1000 promo packages on superstars saying that it was their favorite match of all time
It makes me wonder if the WWE would even exist today if Hogan never left AWA. Honestly I think the NWA would of given Hogan the championship and he would have been the new Ric Flair but I don't know if Vince would have found someone like Hogan. He is something else and for the time, the right guy for the job.
The name Hogan is prevalent in Ireland, one of the 100 most common surnames. It has a strong presence in Counties Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary, near Nenagh, where one of the ancient clan chiefs had a castle called Ardcrony.
Thanks for the videos my man. Your my favorite wrestling channel by far dude. Keep it up man and thanks again for the awesome informative videos. Your my hero
saw Hulk debut as Terry Boulder in Southeastern CW in Fall 1978 and watched his career ever since. He used to shave his chest in the shape of a nuclear cloud.
Love your stuff so much. Yeah AWA did Hulk and the fans real dirty. Hogan was a huge star and drawing huge crowds, Verne knew wrestling was choreographed. Ridiculous. He made himself champion forever as the promoter.
You're the only channel that I have all notifications on for, that's saying something. Keep up the awesome work, always looking forward to your videos.
I will never understand why Verne didn't put the AWA World Title on Hogan I watch Wrestling when I was 6 months old in August 1991 but now that I'm older I love reading up on Wrestling history
Verne was more into the mentality of pro wrestling looking more like a professional variation of amateur technical wrestling. He was less about gimmicks and entertainment and more about what could be perceived as looking like actual pure wrestling competition.
We got cable TV (MTV, Sky Channel with Transformers, He-Man and the lot) and pro wrestling at the same time in the little shitty Norwegian town I lived in when I was 9. Before that, we only had one national TV station with incredibly dull programming. Seeing Hulk Hogan coming into the ring with "Eye Of The Tiger" playing left an incredible impression on my young mind. The charisma, energy in the arena, the physicality, even the Hogan come back... Man, great memories.
Piper was my reason to tune in WWF with Rowdy Roddy Piper's trash talk to his guest on Piper's Pit.i was hooked until he retired in 97 to film in Hollywood.He then returned with Piper's pit with Loud mouth, Brother Love and Morton Downey jr as his guests,yet wasn't the best Piper's pit come back.
The reason for the Hogan name was indeed because Vinny boy wanted Hulk to he Irish, he also wanted him to dye his hair red, but as Hulk’s hair was... “thinning” at that time already Hogan responded to that request with “i can be blonde Irish!” Vince jr. was not AS traditional? Junior was the antithesis of traditional in the wrestling world. Favoring mountain sized cartoon characters who were great showmen and not afraid of being on a microphone over professional wrestlers who could... you know... wrestle well and make their matches and gimmicks realistic (as much as possible in professional wrestling’s carnival world.
Verne Gagne is a MEME of the wrestling world..........but humorously, he wasn't alone. Bob Backlund insisted that when he drop the title it would be to someone with legit Olympic wrestling credentials. And because Iron Sheik was a "Legit Wrestler" that's how it went down. Sheik in his prime was actually pretty impressive.
Just imagine if Verne hadn’t been so stubborn the AWA would not only still be around today but would probably be the biggest wrestling promotion on the planet today, not WWE.
Dont underestimate Rocky Stallone being only 5' 7" When Thunderlips and Rocky faced up to listen to the refs rules in their bout in Rocky 3 it was mindblowing how big Hogan looked.
I'm guessing Hogan doesn't want people to know he jobbed at the start of his career, in all seriousness I just started the video and I know I'm going to enjoy it.
I gotta say your videos really transport me back to a simpler time in my life! I haven’t watched wrestling in probably 15 years but seeing all your videos brings back so many great memories of my brother and I during my childhood in the 90’s. My brother passed away in 2001 and watching your videos brings back so many memories with him so truly, from the bottom of my heart I thank you so much! I’ve watched since the Wrestling Lists days and I’m so pumped to see where your channel has gone and how it’s grown! Congratulation man!
Thanks man. It's really great that you can get some nostalgia from the videos and get taken back to better times.
Thanks for supporting from the start!
@KusH FacE he was killed in an accident on a oil drilling rig up in Canada here.
I appreciate your story. My brother and I grew up watching WWF too. We couldn't afford PPV but we never missed a TV showing. My brother and I have grown apart now but I cherish those days together.
I grew up with Hulkamania running wild, all throughout my household - I had the wrestling buddy stuffed Hogan (and Ultimate Warrior) and I can still remember asking the ice cream man for the Hogan ice cream sandwich bar. He was larger than life in the late 80s to early 90s. Vince Jr really knew what he had when it came to Hogan...Vince Jr changed wrestling, forever.
Last year, the Hulkster replied to one of my Instagram comments, it was surreal and although I understand that celebrities are just normal people, it was still pretty awesome to have a true superstar from my youth, reply to me. I have a screencap of it and yes, I did say "brother" in the comment and he said it back lmao
Your a legend
That’s beautiful brother!
Till this day I say my prayers and take my vitamins!!!
Yeah broottthherrr
And like Hogan I went bald early so it does help brother
@@ii9714 It's ok, a warrior doesn't need to look pretty. Stay strong brother!!!
@@arturkarpinski164 Thanks brother
my first 2 English words were hulk hogan.. no lie.. he was even well known in the middle east .
Love him or hate him you can’t deny what Hulk Hogan has done for Wrestling
Kas58223 exactly. His legacy for pro wrestling can only ever hoped to be equaled, never will it be surpassed. And for the record i hate his baby face character and his ring work. It’s like the opposite of HBK, his legacy for outside of the ring will actually be largely negative but his ring work is so superb that he’s inspired every professional wrestler to come after him. Funny how they were so similar in their attitudes outside of the ring when they were at the top.
he done more damage to the industry then any wrestler in history he brought down wcw and tna so no he sucks and wasn't that great
steve holland don’t get me wrong I hated his politicking I knew the minute he went to TNA he was going ruin it and he did
Yes I can
Absolutely true!
I don't care what anyone's says Hulk Hogan is probably the main reason that a lot of us got into wrestling
Sad but true
That may be true, we fell for the flashiness, the big power moves but as we matured we appreciated actual wrestling and athleticism
Not me brother the phenom did it for me
Juan Rivera+ yeah but actual wrestling and athleticism is part of it but storylines, characters and buildup of storylines, characters and feuds that really put asses in the seats why do you think guys like Hogan got acclaimed people like flair, Piper, Dusty Rhodes, Andre the giant and The Ultimate Warrior why do you think guys like Dean malenko never got to be big look at the biggest eras of wrestling it bcuz you had variety of characters not everybody looking the same wrestling acting the same and cutting the promos the same why do you think this era is not successful bcuz everything is the same
Yep
Had there never been a Hulk Hogan, then there is indeed a very serious question as to whether or not wrestling would be as popular as it is today.
@@barryfields2964 I agree. Eventually someone would've come along and put the business on the map. Might have taken a little longer, that's all
@@julezjohn5785 nobody would have done what Hogan did back then. Wrestling was getting exposed in 70s. The business would have been over in the 80s. Vince Himself wasn't successful till wrestlemania 1. Go do some research on that. But primarily without Hogan there would be no WWF, no Attitude era, no The Rock, no Stone cold, Undertaker, triple H etc.
Hogan made wrestling popular at National level and then Global level. He turned heel and started the 2nd boom in the 96. That also made wrestling huge.
Who would Vince have pushed? Savage? DiBiase? Piper? Beefcake even?
Wrestling viewership today is in the toilet.
John Smith wrestling was experiencing a boom across the boars in the 80’s. Flair and this guy Magnum TA were doing great numbers in the NWA. Andre was a crossover star because of his size. Vince would have brought in someone similar to Hulkster and worked on an all american superhero type gimmick that was what Hulk was given when he came in. He had a lot of those traits in his character before wwf scooped him up, which is why Vince choosing Hogan was a no brainer. But without Hogan he would have picked up Kerry Von Erich and given him that kind of gimmick and a great speaking baby face manager and developed his promos while he had the manager doing a decent amount of his talking and promos with him/for him. If not Kerry he could have gone with Austin Idol or any number of muscular wrestlers with an all american look. If Snukka didn’t murder his girlfriend he was going to run with Snukka, i believe, because he was over like rover at the time.
I don’t know how you crank these out so fast and yet they are all done so well. Your researching skills are incredible and your screen grabs make it all gel. This was one of my favorite videos of yours. Great work!
Wikipedia
@@jdeckgaming3565 wiki is not a credible news site
Gamer jack is a hater
@@jdeckgaming3565 Wiki is like going to a voodoo doctor to get a spleen surgery.
@John Volken so the wwe network
Hulk has been old his whole life.
Hulk Hogan is a legend. He changed wrestling and became an icon. Everyone else will always pale in comparison. Hulk Rules as my t shirt says.
Banana Man Shawn Michaels best wrestler in my opinion 🤟🏽
@@countdooku2781 Shawn Michaels best technical wrestler I would agree with you-he was fantastic-Hogan for me is simply the most iconic person ever and the reason for all the success of the WWF/WWE that followed.
Shawn Michaels was nobody compared to Hogan. Michaels was a great wrestler but he didn't elevate the business. Hogan was a legitimate jerk but he brought wrestling into the mainstream.
Huck Fogan
You don't even have on a T shirt
You, mucker, are the only man on UA-cam who takes a serious, journalistic approach to Wrestling history, and the world will be very thankful.
Hulk in the 80s was why I watched WWF when I was a kid. So he was the reason I became a fan.
Piper, Hogan, Savage.....EPIC...WHEN WRESTLING WAS RASSLIN'
The main thing to remember about how Hulk Hogan became a SUPER star is the name SYLVESTER STALLONE! He not only had Hogan make an appearance, Sly gave him a memorable 7 to 10 minute performance stage in Rocky 3, one of THE most popular movies in the summer of 1982;, remaining in the Top 10 well into the fall, allowing Hogan to be seen by more fans and potential fans than he would have been in any wrestling territory!
Wrong. After he defeated Andrè the Giant in 1987 in front of 93,000 fans live and millions around the world
@@KQwest98 Facts are facts, Hulk Hogan became a super star OUTSIDE wrestling through his appearance in ROCKY 3, which was in the Top 10 movie blockbusters for the summer of 82. His exposure increased through his association with pop singer CYNDI LAUPER who invited Hogan to attend the Grammy's with her and her manager; and of course, her other appearances involving Hogan and LOU ALBANO which was eventually dubbed "The Rock and Wrestling Connection"! Facts, not WWE's version of what happened!
When i think of wrestling the first image in my mind is Hulk Hogan in the red and yellow. I've been following wrestling extremely close since the mid 80s. Love it.
Weirdest thing about Hogan when he wrestled in Japan was that he actually did more than three moves. In a match against the Great Muta he actually did an enzuigiri. It was nowhere near as good as Owen Hart's, but it was still a sight to see.
That was at Dontaku 1993 right?
I lived in Minneapolis when Hogan wrestled there in the early 80s. If Verne Gagne had let Hogan win the title the AWA may never of gone out of business. The reason that Verne didn’t let Hogan win the title was that Verne wanted 75% of Hogan’s merchandising. Hogan refused. Verne Gagne built maybe the second best promotion of all time but he lost it all due to old fashioned stubbornness and greed.
But it is Nick Bockwinkel pull the trigger
alex kanyima Bockwinkel took his orders from Gagne. If Gagne had told Bockwinkel to drop the belt to Hogan, he would have done it.
@@shackdaddy7106 maybe he does'nt want to put over
alex kanyima When you consider the career of Hulk Hogan and his ego, there is no way Hogan would turn down a chance to be champion. The reason why Hogan went to the WWF was that Vince McMahon promised him the championship. After four matches in the WWF, Hogan was the champ. And wrestling changed forever.
@@shackdaddy7106 it changed the business but i thought he could be the guy like to carry the company for a while but for a decade that was huge
Great as always.
I would love to see you do a similar video about the early career of Ric Flair. I know almost nothing about his time pre plain crash and would love to hear your take on it.
Whatever video you do I will never stop watching 😁
Its been 2 years and yeh, i would love to see a collection of Flair's career
Amazing job on the video.
You deserve all the respect in the world, you are doing these all by yourself.
Simply amazing, congratulations.
Like him or hate him Hulk Hogan made a lot of money for a lot of wrestlers
@Gene Bone Why censor the word "hate?"
They should definitely make a movie of Hogan's life.
Hulk Hogan is one of the most underrated workers of all-time. I've watched matches he had in Japan, he was no Dynamite Kid but he could work a match and wrestling holds like a pro. His matches in WWF / WWE never showcased that, but he could have been known as a great worker if "Hulkamania" and leg drops didn't explode on their own. #Respect #HulkStillRules
I saw him team with someone, I forget who, against the Road Warriors in Japan. It was the best match I ever saw from him
@@julezjohn5785 Yeah, Hogan could wrestle. He is underrated as a worker because in the WWF he focused more on working the crowd.
I've seen a few matches of Hulk in Japan. To be honest, it surprised me with how good he was.
This is a fact I wish more people we're aware of. You don't learn from and work with the people he did and get away with being a sloppy performer.
@@patrickj9061 Yep. And it turned out to be a good move in the long run. Look how long he lasted.
Fun Fact: Hulk Hogan had an early finisher called the Axe Bomber, which was basically a big lariat. This existed only because in one match with Inoki, Hogan hit him so hard that it actually knocked Antonio out for a moment, and to save face, they dubbed that it was Hogan's new devastating finisher. So before the legendary Leg Drop, there was the Axe Bomber.
And before that, there was the Golden Squeeze (a bearhug) back before he was Hulk Hogan, and his style was much more like Superstar.....even using the judo thrust to the throat, too!
Actually, the Axe Bomber as his finisher in Japan. He uses the Leg Drop in America.
you should do a bio on mr. wonderful Paul orndorff the one man that could go toe-to-toe with hulk Hogan
Got dam when did Dusty start in the industry never knew Hogan looked up to Dusty i would of thought they came into wrestling 2gether
Believe it or not Flair looked up to Dusty also.
Still can't help but wonder how the landscape of wrestling would have been changed had Verne Gagne not been so blindingly stubborn and put the AWA Heavyweight Championship on Hulk Hogan.
It makes you think how the business could've been if Verne Gagne had really wanted to put the AWA title on Hulk Hogan.
It is the single biggest sliding door in wrestling history...what if Verne Gagne realizes just what he has in Hogan and figures out how to keep him and make him his top guy? Hogan doesn't become the mega mega mega star he does in New York, but maybe he helps the AWA become the biggest promotion in wrestling, their CBS deal that Greg Gagne has accurately stated was on the table with Hogan in the fold launches them to a higher spot, and the WWF doesn't become this national brand without the immediate impact of Hogan as the #1 guy. Plus, if Hogan stays, does Heenan stay? Does Santana stay? Does Ventura stay?
@@manuginobilisbaldspot424 It's pro wrestling's biggest what-if ever, considering how huge and transcendent Hogan would become.
@@manuginobilisbaldspot424 Who cares where Santana went, it wouldn't make a difference.
it may have saved JCP too. Then, Crockett wouldn't have been trying compete with Mcmahon.. maybe Crockett would have been content consolidating the east coast
I'm from Philly and most people preferred JCP than the WWF from 85-88
Crockett could have stayed big from Florida through Philly
This guy is a gift from the You Tube Gods💪🏿👌🏿🤙🏾💯
Hogan was the biggest Wrestler. And it never will be a bigger star....you like him or not this is fakt.he is a legend
Hogan made wrestling.
Vince Sr. & Verne Gagne's stubbornesses are mind-boggling. This guy was absolute gold and those fools let him go for stubborn old-school rules.
I remember when he and Ed Leslie came to Memphis as the Boulder Brothers. Both had huge physiques back then.
Great video! I was definitely a huge Hulkamaniac (literally & figuratively) when I was younger into my late teen years. I remember Wrestlemania 6, I was a Hulkamaniac (of course) and my sister was a huge Warrior fan. I cried when Hulk lost to the Warrior, lol! I grew up in Birmingham, AL. and remember riding my bike down to the Boutwell Auditorium (a couple of miles away from the housing projects in grew up in) and watching pro wrestling shows in the early 80's, before it got so big that they had to move it to the B.J.C.C. (Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center). Wrestling was a major love of my life growing up and I always tell the youger crowd that the wrestling today is NOTHING like the wrestling when I was growing up! Again great vids and thank you for making a trip down memory lane for fans of wrestling!
Thank you for sharing your wrestling memories.
This has become one of my absolute favorite channels. Thanks for the content, man.
Great research. I stopped watching wrestling over 30 years. Thanks for the memories.
THE SUPERSTAR was a big influence on the Hulkster's style.
You just exposed Elon Musk for stealing the Tesla logo design from Hulk Hogan's chest hair!
Gene Bone funny because Hogan stole everything about his schtick from Billy Graham. Right down to the steroids and tie dye.
Boulder brother's.. sounds like an NES games
This video was uploaded on the 36th anniversary of Hogan beating the Iron Sheik for the WWF Title
It's really quite fascinating how many athletes fail out of their sport and fall into wrestling. Would love to see you do a video about all of them
I was six or seven staying with my grandparents in the Netherlands who has cable tv. WWF came on and I kind of enjoyed it until Hulk Hogan appeared and then I was completely hooked. He was a phenomenon.
I think you did a good job illustrating how driven Hulk was to be successful, he’s made a lot happen with pretty average talent. He’s seen as selfish by many, but he knew how to make money, and that was by protecting his gimmick, and thinking big. Old timers like Heenan liked Hogan because his head was in the right place for business. Hogan brought Heenan and Mean Gene to WWF if I’m not mistaken, so he’s had a big hand in shaping the sport into the juggernaut it became in the mid 80’s, outside his own persona. Looking forward to part 2!
I'd also argue that he had WAY more ring talent than he's ever given credit for. The guy knew how to work and his time in Japan proved it. You don't learn from and work with the guys he did and not have any skills. He may have shaped his character as "Hulkamania" took off to have a more limited move set for the time (which by todays WWE standards would have made him look like Dean Malenko) but what moves he did regularly execute we're reasonably varied and well executed for the most part. And like the video points out, the man really knew how to work a crowd better than damn near anyone in that era (except maybe Flair).
chaosMonkeyPoo I agree that nobody could work a crowd like him, ever. I was more referring to his natural talent. he’s not a very gifted athlete and was quite limited in the ring, but worked his way into a hulking physique, and definitely paid his dues to be in the business, no discredit there whatsoever. He’s not a great actor but has been in several movies and tv shows. He has no musical talent as far as I’ve seen but was a musician in Florida? That’s a trip, too funny. Yes he was gifted with a big frame, but he out-dreamed and outhustled everyone else.
@@NickWeissMusic There was a video I had watched a good while ago that talked about how WWF didn't want Hogan to use a lot of moves like he did in Japan.
There is a lot of hate for hogan now with the younger wrestling fans but Unless you were watching wrestling and lived during this time you can never understand how he transcended superstardom to a height that no one had ever seen from a wrestler before. Being at live matches was like nothing I’ve seen before or since.
No man is perfect neither is Hogan but hulk Hogan is the 🐐.
284774382838 flips in the ring doesn't make you a star.
Nobody has ever transcended wrestling like Hogan did in the mid to late 1980s. I would even argue that Hogan relative to his 1980s apex was more culturally mainstream famous to even non wrestling fans than the Rock is today. It is just so hard to describe to people who were not there how famous Hogan was in the 1980s even outside of wrestling.
What hulk Hogan was able to do in the AWA shows how much charisma he had
It totally refutes the concept that younger fans have that Vince Jr made Hogan from nothing. Hogan's WWE push was basically organic from the momentum that he had started in the AWA.
I became a hulkamaniac in 84 I remember him riding out on this Harley and it was the coolest thing ever he had it built by custom builder Arlen Ness from the Bay Area now the bike is in arlens museum at his shop in Dublin CA rip Arlen hulkamania lives on
Hogan is a common enough name around the south east of Ireland, I know quite a few personally.
Yep. Surprised wrestling bios didn't know. I'm from Dublin & Hogan is defo an Irish name
I know some Hogan’s as well. When our names became anglicized Hogan also became Hagan. Which I know both actually lol.
Its not his real last name though
Kckings31 don’t reproduce 🙂
This man has looked old since 19
just realize if hogan never lifted andre up at wrestlemania , wwe would've not made over 1000 promo packages on superstars saying that it was their favorite match of all time
Funny how wwe like to revise history mania wasn't the first time Hogan body slammed him wasn't even Hogan who did it first
I think Harley was the first to slam Andre.
@@OdintheGermanShepherd pretty sure it was Antonio inoki
@@kckingofpicklesaudis3151 Andre was.not as heavy when Harley and others did it
@@OdintheGermanShepherd Andre weighed less when others slamed him
Great to hear about his pre AWA days,new he was in Japan,but nice to put the pieces together! Fantastic vid! 😁
Finally - the truth is brought up about Verne. I always found it strange that he had all this talent, yet he put the belt on himself so many times.
The early years of Hulk Hogan was really interesting.
Brings back so many memories but makes me feel so old. I'm glad to have grown up during these golden days of wrestling.
Great video. Thank you!
I would just like to say I’ve waited for this video for ever from you lol. The man who made wrestling!
It makes me wonder if the WWE would even exist today if Hogan never left AWA. Honestly I think the NWA would of given Hogan the championship and he would have been the new Ric Flair but I don't know if Vince would have found someone like Hogan. He is something else and for the time, the right guy for the job.
Bret Hart
The name Hogan is prevalent in Ireland, one of the 100 most common surnames. It has a strong presence in Counties Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary, near Nenagh, where one of the ancient clan chiefs had a castle called Ardcrony.
The "hulk hogan" character was supposed to be an IRISH HERO, according to the older Vince mcmahon
Thanks for the videos my man. Your my favorite wrestling channel by far dude. Keep it up man and thanks again for the awesome informative videos. Your my hero
Steve Lombardi-Brooklyn Brawler bio soon!
JB J and Barry Horowitz
Super like for the brawler
Yes
Tiger chung lee
saw Hulk debut as Terry Boulder in Southeastern CW in Fall 1978 and watched his career ever since. He used to shave his chest in the shape of a nuclear cloud.
I never knew that I got to find a pic of that
Hulkamania is running wild on this video
Hulkamania lives forever, brother.
Thunderlips is here!
In the flesh babeh
Korean Jesus the ultimate male versus the ultimate meatball
Dionta Gillam hey mick, how much do you think he eats?
About 202 pounds
Korean Jesus “Weighing in at 202 lbs...”
Rocky- 😑😑
Dionta Gillam hahaha Mick always had the best one liners
You always do a tremendous job with these bios vids.
Wow how different wrestling might be had Verne Gagne given Hogan the belt.
He would have gone to the WWF
Crimson Mask the WWE might not be around. Think if WCW didn’t screw up the way they did
Love your stuff so much. Yeah AWA did Hulk and the fans real dirty. Hogan was a huge star and drawing huge crowds, Verne knew wrestling was choreographed. Ridiculous. He made himself champion forever as the promoter.
You're the only channel that I have all notifications on for, that's saying something. Keep up the awesome work, always looking forward to your videos.
When people say Hogan couldn't wrestle. I tell them to watch Hulk in NJPW. Hogan was no Gotch...but he wasn't a slouch.
Vince Jr and Hogan =Wrestling Royalty. That music around 10:30; dope!!!
Love the hulkster forever ❤️
The immortal one
Will be 70 years old this year oh my..
Changed wrestling forever..
Put it on the map..
Best wrestling channel on here by the way keeps me coming back each time!
Love this channel ❤️
Yet ANOTHER fantastic job, sir. I learned a few things about the Hulkster that I didn't know. 👍
I will never understand why Verne didn't put the AWA World Title on Hogan I watch Wrestling when I was 6 months old in August 1991 but now that I'm older I love reading up on Wrestling history
Verne was more into the mentality of pro wrestling looking more like a professional variation of amateur technical wrestling. He was less about gimmicks and entertainment and more about what could be perceived as looking like actual pure wrestling competition.
This bio series is awesome. Hats off to you for the hard work.
Dude it was great to find this Brother listening to it while driving Jack.
We got cable TV (MTV, Sky Channel with Transformers, He-Man and the lot) and pro wrestling at the same time in the little shitty Norwegian town I lived in when I was 9. Before that, we only had one national TV station with incredibly dull programming. Seeing Hulk Hogan coming into the ring with "Eye Of The Tiger" playing left an incredible impression on my young mind. The charisma, energy in the arena, the physicality, even the Hogan come back... Man, great memories.
Watching wrestling back then was truly a work of art almost like a play of sorts go back and watch wrestle mania 1 you’ll see what I mean
Piper was my reason to tune in WWF with Rowdy Roddy Piper's trash talk to his guest on Piper's Pit.i was hooked until he retired in 97 to film in Hollywood.He then returned with Piper's pit with Loud mouth, Brother Love and Morton Downey jr as his guests,yet wasn't the best Piper's pit come back.
Your videos on wrestling are the best.
Hulk has looked 50 years old since he was 7.
The reason for the Hogan name was indeed because Vinny boy wanted Hulk to he Irish, he also wanted him to dye his hair red, but as Hulk’s hair was... “thinning” at that time already Hogan responded to that request with “i can be blonde Irish!”
Vince jr. was not AS traditional? Junior was the antithesis of traditional in the wrestling world. Favoring mountain sized cartoon characters who were great showmen and not afraid of being on a microphone over professional wrestlers who could... you know... wrestle well and make their matches and gimmicks realistic (as much as possible in professional wrestling’s carnival world.
Absolutely fantastic channel. Found it a couple of weeks ago and can’t stop watching!!!
Love these videos
Verne Gagne is a MEME of the wrestling world..........but humorously, he wasn't alone. Bob Backlund insisted that when he drop the title it would be to someone with legit Olympic wrestling credentials. And because Iron Sheik was a "Legit Wrestler" that's how it went down. Sheik in his prime was actually pretty impressive.
Hulk Hogan is awesome always
Great documentary sir I learned a lot I am from Newfoundland Canada it is on my bucket list to visit the mother land Ireland
Hulk Hogan = 80's Americana
What if Verne Gagne had given Hulk a cut of his merch sales? All wrestling history could of changed. Fascinating.
11:39 I thought one arm was bigger than the other at first 😂
Thanks Vince...🤘🏼💯✔️
Just imagine if Verne hadn’t been so stubborn the AWA would not only still be around today but would probably be the biggest wrestling promotion on the planet today, not WWE.
I can understand why Vince Sr. didn’t want his guys in Rocky III, as the movie portrays wrestling as a work. They still kept kayfabe back then.
Exactly.
wow Hoan's been a losing his hair for a long ass time!
THANK YOU!!! another great video. Hulk Rules!!
Verne was probably irate when he saw Hogan surpassed his expectations.
Dont underestimate Rocky Stallone being only 5' 7" When Thunderlips and Rocky faced up to listen to the refs rules in their bout in Rocky 3 it was mindblowing how big Hogan looked.
Truly magnificent work putting this all together. Keep up the awesome work!
So good! Thanks! Brings back memories!!
I'm 41 now and Hogan help me get there. Hulkamania never dies brother!!
Your channel is one of my favs! Love the work you put in and the quality of the content! Thanks so much
Interesting stuff ! Thanks for the hard work in putting this together! 👍
You're the best and most entertaining wrestling bio channel on youtube
Im from Savannah Ga, where we have a large Irish community here, and the Hogan surname is common amongst them
Aaaaaaand , another classic well put together video. Good work sir!
HULKAMANIA 4 LIFE deal with it
Hiro Matsuda's daughter confirmed the leg break story.
I'm guessing Hogan doesn't want people to know he jobbed at the start of his career, in all seriousness I just started the video and I know I'm going to enjoy it.