WWE and TNA: In Defense of Hulk Hogan

"Hulk Hogan just slammed Andre the Giant to retain the WWF Championship!" an imaginary commentator bellows out as Hulk Hogan defeats Andre the Giant at Wrestlemania III.

Wrestling reached its pinnacle on that fateful dayMarch 29, 1987, at the Pontiac Silverdome outside Detroit.

Fast forward 24 years ahead.  Hogan was headlining Bound for Glory against his old foe, Sting.  Surprisingly, he put on a good performance given his obvious limitations.

After losing to Sting, Hogan did his trademark shirt-ripping move and turned on his group, Immortal.  The Philadelphia fans went nuts for Hogan.

The real Hulk Hogan was back.

It all started when he won his first WWF Championship from the Iron Sheik at Madison Square Garden in Jan. 1984.  The crowd reaction was simply incredible.

A new star was born.

Hogan has been a polarizing figure in the wrestling industry for decades.  He is undoubtedly one of the top five greatest wrestlers of all time.

With all that said, Hogan has had his fair share of criticism over the years.  He is noted for politicking backstage.  He is also notorious for not putting people over (Bret Hart comes to mind).

My defense of Hogan won't address any specific rumors about his backstage shenanigans, and it won't delve into his personal life.

I will defend Hogan with three specific points.

1. Hulk Hogan is a legitimate celebrity

Along with The Rock, Ric Flair, Andre the Giant and Macho Man Randy Savage, Hogan is the most recognized wrestler outside of the wrestling world.

The Rock’s acting career, along with his trademark mannerisms, made him famous outside of wrestling.

Ric Flair is the most famous pure wrestler out there; he is not known for movies or commercials.

Macho Man was made famous for promoting Slim Jim, while Andre was famous for his size and roles in various movies.

Hogan’s dominance in the '80s made him famous.  His charisma, mic skills, and incredible stage presence made Hogan the ideal wrestler for Vince McMahon to build his empire around.

McMahon’s decision to push Hogan to the moon ultimately paid off.  His vision of shattering the boundaries of the territorial wrestling system came true, rendering the regional promotions unable to compete with the WWF.

As a result, Hogan became a national celebrity.  He appeared in Rocky III as Thunderlips.

Thunderlips was the best wrestler, while Rocky was the best boxer.  People were very interested in a theoretical wrestler vs. boxer match up.  Keep in mind, this was before MMA took off.

And remember, this was before fans realized wrestling was scripted.

2. Hulk Hogan revolutionized the wrestling business twice

Hogan's trademark red and yellow was synonymous with the WWF of the '80s. 

His larger-than-life character fit the social and political needs perfectly.  America was searching for a superhero to thwart the threat of the Soviet Union.

Right man.  Right circumstances.  Right time.

No other wrestler could have replicated the success of Hulkamania.  The only man who could have come close to Hogan’s success was Savage.

Hogan revolutionized the wrestling business from just pure wrasslin' to sports entertainment.  Not only did kids cheer for him, but adults too.

But by the time the early '90s rolled around, Hulkamania had become as stale as two-month-old bread.  Hogan was getting cheered when he lost.

Sound familiar?

Hogan understood he had to change.

Hogan's image took a major hit when he admitted using steroids.  The revelation came during his testimony in Vince McMahon's indictment for distributing steroids to wrestlers, including Hogan.

With all this in mind, Hogan turned heel in 1996's Bash at the Beach.

EVERYONE was shocked.

The red and yellow became black and white.  Steve Austin became straight edge.  Captain America joined the Russians. 

Hell had frozen over.

Hogan’s creation of the New World Order caused the Monday Night Wars.  The nWo was the hottest thing in wrestling.  Hollywood Hogan gave new life to Hulk Hogan’s dying career.

For those keeping score, Hogan revolutionized the wrestling business twice.  Only a handful of wrestlers revolutionized the business once.

3. Hulk Hogan never had to be a great technical wrestler

Here is an aspect of Hogan's work that has historically come under fire.  He is not exactly known as a great in-ring worker.

But he knows how to tell a story in the ring.  For proof, just watch the whole match (parts 1, 2, and 3) with Andre the Giant at Wrestlemania III.

It was a terrible match by modern standards.  But the match quality didn't matter as much as the moments of the match.

Hogan slamming Andre the Giant is perhaps the most iconic moment in wrestling history.

Ironically, the second most iconic moment is when Hogan leg-dropped Savage during Bash at the Beach.

It was never about Hogan's in-ring ability.  It was always about his ability to make memorable moments.

McMahon understood this principle.  This is what his vision of wrestling is all about.

Again, I am not saying Hogan was a great technical wrestler.  He was not.

I am saying he didn't have to be because McMahon wanted him to focus on creating spectacular moments within a match.

Technically, the best match at Wrestlemania III was between Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat and Savage.

Addressing Hogan’s biggest problems

Does Hogan have an ego issue?  Yes.  But who in his position wouldn’t?  All the great entertainers have big egos.

Is he working for TNA for the money?  Yes.  No sane person would turn down seven figures.

Does he put people over?  Not always.

I will admit Hogan doesn’t put people over at times.  His refusal to put over Bret Hart in the early '90s is not surprising; Hogan still wanted to maintain his spot as top dog.

But give him credit for putting over the Ultimate Warrior at Wrestlemania VI.  Give him credit for putting over Goldberg at WCW.  And don't forget, he put over The Rock at Wrestlemania XVIII.

Hogan did an excellent job of promoting this year’s Bound for Glory.  Give him credit for giving the spotlight to the younger guys.  He even took himself off television on the last two Impacts so the younger guys could be featured.

Conclusion

If it weren’t for Hogan, none of us would be talking about wrestling.  The Monday Night Wars and the Attitude Era wouldn't even exist.

I will admit that Hogan is not a backstage saint, and that he wasn't the greatest technical wrestler out there.

But I will never admit that Hogan did not make a huge impact on the wrestling business as a whole.

Follow me on twitter.