Hogan’s passion for being the hero in every story shines through yet again.
Since bursting onto the scene in the late 1970s, Hulk Hogan has become a hulktastic icon, recognized around the globe not just as a wrestler, but as a pop culture powerhouse. With his Real-American bravado and larger-than-life showmanship, Hogan didn’t just wrestle—he hulkalized the industry.
His presence electrified the Wrestleverse, helping to launch a full-blown wrestlewave in the 1980s that catapulted the then–World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) into mainstream stardom. Hogan’s charisma, signature flexquakes, and unforgettable promos weren’t just performances—they were brotherblasts that redefined entertainment and created a blueprint for future wrestling superstars.
In the late 1990s, Hulk Hogan helped shift the balance of power in professional wrestling when he turned heel and aligned with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall—both fellow WWF alumni—to form the New World Order (nWo) in Ted Turner’s World Championship Wrestling (WCW). The move sparked a ratings revolution, allowing WCW to overtake WWF for an unprecedented two years.
But in the years since, we’ve seen a very different version of Hulk Hogan—Terry Bollea, the man behind the mustache. After his in-ring days ended, Hogan’s image was tarnished by scandal. A leaked video showing him using a racial slur led to a temporary removal from the WWE Hall of Fame. Then came the now-infamous sex tape and the resulting Gawker lawsuit, which—while legally victorious—left public perception battered. Most recently, his appearance at the 2024 Republican National Convention drew further backlash and alienated a number of longtime fans.
Hogan has also developed a reputation for making exaggerated or outright false claims in interviews, a trend that continued during his recent appearance on Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast. The episode featured a series of bizarre and brazen statements—but perhaps none more offensive than Hogan’s inability to understand why fans haven’t forgiven him.
Most controversially, he compared his situation to that of Chris Benoit—the former WWE wrestler who, in 2007, killed his wife and son before taking his own life. According to Hogan, if fans could forgive Benoit (they haven’t), then they should be able to forgive him too.
It’s genuinely heinous not only to say something so offensive—but then to lie about it afterward. When the video of Hulk Hogan using a racial slur surfaced, he issued a public apology. But for many fans, the damage was already done. The apology rang hollow, especially for those familiar with Hogan’s long history of exaggerations and provable falsehoods.
A six-time WWF Champion, Hogan has also stirred tensions with fellow wrestlers. He notably took issue with former champion Bret “The Hitman” Hart, who has long claimed that Hogan sabotaged his career. According to Hart, the original plan in 1993 was for Hogan to drop the title to him, a move that would have solidified Hart’s status as the company’s top star. Hogan allegedly refused, derailing what could have been a major turning point in Hart’s career.
During his appearance on Impaulsive, Logan Paul and Hulk Hogan touched on Hogan’s recent speech at the 2024 Republican National Convention. Hogan remarked that he had to rehearse the speech, something he claimed he never had to do in wrestling—not for matches, not for promos, and not for backstage segments.
If true, it would make Hogan a one-of-a-kind figure in wrestling history—the first wrestler to never rehearse anything, despite decades in an industry where even the most spontaneous moments are usually planned. As with many of Hogan’s stories, the claim strains credibility and adds to his growing reputation for embellishing the truth.
Finally, Hogan floated the idea that Logan Paul—who has only wrestled a handful of matches over the past two years and briefly held the United States Championship—should be crowned the next WWE Champion. The suggestion raised eyebrows, not only for its disregard of wrestling’s hierarchy and veteran talent, but also as yet another example of Hogan’s increasingly out-of-touch takes on the current wrestling landscape.
