First of all, I like to thank Stefan for posting the memoriam on both Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Ozzy Osbourne. Their passing were quick and sudden, since they were icons in their own right, with Malcolm being best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, and Ozzy, being one of the pioneers of Heavy Metal rock, not just being the front man of Black Sabbath, but also in his own solo career. Iron Man, Crazy Train and No More Tears are my go-to Ozzy tunes. That being said, no death is that heartbreaking than that of arguably the greatest professional wrestler in any generation, and that is Hulk Hogan.
Born Terry Gene Bollea, Hogan was known for not only his professional wrestling career, but also changing forever the entertainment portion of the sport itself. His talent expands beyond wrestling, for he was one of the first wrestlers to transcends into Hollywood before the likes of The Rock and John Cena, starting all the way back as Thunderlips in Rocky III in 1982, among other things.
As far as being a wrestler goes, the Hulkster was known for being a larger than life character. A strong, confident, and heroic character, known for encouraging his legions of little Hulksters to train hard, take your vitamins, and saying your prayers. In the ring, no matter how much the heel wants to end him and Hulkamania, the Hulkster always gets his second wind, when he no sells a finishing move and Hulks-up, feeding off the power of every, single Hulkamanic, resulting a move set now referred to as the 5 Moves of Doom, or in Hogan's case, multiple punches, the big boot and lowering the boom, so to speak, with the Atomic Leg Drop, and that's all she wrote. Hogan's persona in the ring inspire us to be the best versions of ourselves.
However, the price of fame, always has its drawbacks. Outside the ring, Hogan isn't exactly the same heroic character he portrayed in real life. The Hulkster has a laundry list of controversy, but I won't mentioned them here, so you have to look up his Wikipedia page for more info. Anyway, his ego in real life is as big as the Hoover Dam, especially when all the choices he made, not just in wrestling, but in real life, too, so I will leave it at that. Hogan, like some celebrities and some famous people, is the definition to the phrase, "Never meet your heroes". Not every famous person is noble and kind as their fictional counterparts.
The last time Hogan appeared in a wrestling show was on RAW when it premiered on Netflix, which he was heavily booed and jeered, all because of his controversial choices, among other things. That, and his new wrestling promotion failed miserably.
With all that being said, do I hate Hulk Hogan, you ask? No, I feel sorry for the guy, I really do. With all the success he made as a wrestler, he could've done more for the wrestling business, but in a more positive light, putting his ego aside and helping out the less fortunate, just like his time when Hulkamania and the Rock 'n Roll Connection were a thing.
So, let me close this by saying this, let us not remember Hulk Hogan for his questionable actions outside the ring. Let's us remember him for who he was in the wrestling business, a larger than life character who stood up for what's right, encouraging others to be their best versions of themselves, and rising up to the occasion against whoever tried to destroy Hulkamania.
Wherever he is now in the afterlife, at least he ain't suffering no more. Godspeed, Hulkster. Although I will never meet you (and give you a piece of my mind, just to set you straight), but for the time you were around wrestling, if it weren't for you, there would be no profession wrestling. Thanks for the memories.
Be a peace, brother.
Terry Gene Bollea (Hulk Hogan)
August 11th, 1953 - July 24th, 2025
This has been a Retro Rebellion Special Report.
