Terrence Gene Bollea (born August 11, 1953), better
known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American actor, former rock
bassist and professional wrestler. He currently
stars on the VH1 reality show Hogan Knows Best and
will be the new host of American Gladiators in 2008 on NBC.
Hogan gained considerable mainstream popularity in the late 1980s as an all-American working-class hero character in the World
Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment), and was notable
in the late 1990s as an arrogant, strutting 'sell-out' character as "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan, in World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
Hogan entered the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005, and is officially a twelve-time world
champion: a six-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion and a six-time
WWE Champion. He was also the winner of the 1990 and 1991 Royal Rumbles.
Childhood
Hogan was born in Augusta, Georgia and was raised in Tampa, Florida. As a boy, Hogan was a pitcher in Little League
baseball. He was bullied and abused repeatedly and suffered from obesity,
weighing 195 pounds at the age of 12.[citation needed] He began watching professional events at 16 years old. While in high
school, he revered Dusty Rhodes, and he regularly attended cards at the
Tampa Sportatorium.
Hogan was also a skilled musician, spending ten years playing bass guitar in several
Florida-based rock bands, including Ruckus and Infinity's
End. Many of the wrestlers who competed in the Florida territory at that time visited the bars where Hogan was performing. He
then attended the University of South Florida, of which he later dropped
out, though he spent most of his time at a local gym, where he met pro wrestler Mike Graham,
who is the son of legendary wrestler and National Wrestling Alliance
president Eddie Graham. Hogan's physical stature also caught the attention of
Jack Brisco and his brother Gerald. Together, they
convinced Hogan to try wrestling. Having been a wrestling fan since childhood, Hogan agreed, and in 1976, Mike Graham introduced
Hogan to Hiro Matsuda, who was among the sport’s top trainers. According to Hogan,
during their first training session, Matsuda sarcastically asked him, "So you want to be a wrestler?" and, to instill respect,
purposefully broke Hogan's leg.[citation needed]
Career
Within a year, Matsuda had prepared him for his professional debut, in which Eddie Graham booked him against Brian Blair in Fort Myers, Florida on August 10 1977.[1] A short time later, Terry donned a mask and assumed the persona of "The Super Destroyer," a hooded
character first played by Don Jardine and subsequently used by several other wrestlers.
A few months later, he joined Louie Tillet’s Alabama territory, where he tag teamed with Ed
Leslie (later known as Brutus Beefcake) as Terry & Ed Boulder. During this time, he
appeared on a talk show, where he sat beside Lou Ferrigno, star of the TV series
The Incredible Hulk. The host commented how Terry, who stood 6 ft
5 in295 pounds with 24” biceps, actually dwarfed “the Hulk;” and as a result, Bollea began performing as Terry “the
Hulk” Boulder; though he also sometimes wrestled as “Sterling Golden.”
In June 1979, Bollea won his first wrestling championships, the NWA
Southeast Heavyweight Championship recognized in Alabama and Tennessee, respectively, when he defeated Ox Baker. In May 1979, Bollea had
an early shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, whose holder
was at the time generally recognized as the industry's best. Later that year, legendary wrestler and former NWA World Champion
Terry Funk introduced Bollea to World
Wrestling Federation chief Vince McMahon Sr., who was impressed with his
charisma and physical stature.
American Wrestling Association
After filming his scene for Rocky III, against McMahon's wishes, Hogan made his
debut in the AWA, owned by Verne
Gagne. Hogan started his AWA run as a heel, taking on "Luscious"
Johnny Valiant as his manager, but AWA audiences loved the muscular and more
charismatic Hogan, and soon the AWA's bookers were compelled to turn Hogan face.
Using “Eye of the Tiger” as his theme music, Hogan soon became the promotion’s top
babyface; and throughout 1983, he engaged in a big feud against AWA World Champion Nick
Bockwinkel and his manager Bobby Heenan. However, Gagne continued to tease the AWA
audience by booking numerous screwjobs meant to keep the championship
with Bockwinkel, who was a veteran of the territory and had assumed the mantle of the organization's centerpiece following
Gagne's retirement from active competition. On several occasions, Hogan defeated Bockwinkel to win the title, only to have the
decision later reversed, which increasingly drew the ire of the fans, so much so that on one occasion, according to Hogan's
autobiography and other books, one crowd nearly rioted until Hogan himself calmed the audience down. Hogan himself also began to
grow frustrated with Verne Gagne's unwillingness to give Hogan a larger share of his merchandise sales. Eventually, Gagne was
finally ready to book Hogan to win the AWA title, however according to Hogan, Gagne wanted a piece of the large money Hogan was
making from his frequent trips to Japan and Gagne wanted more control over the bookings that Hogan took out there and Hogan
refused flatly, saying he didn't need the AWA title at that point. Just then, he was lured back to the Northeast by
Vince McMahon Jr., who had just recently purchased the WWF from his ailing father.
Over twenty years later, just prior to Hulk Hogan's WWE Hall of Fame induction in
2005, the revived AWA, under the authority of owner Dale Gagne (real last name, Gagner), relented and acknowledged the legitimacy
of Hogan's two title wins over Nick Bockwinkel, making him a two-time AWA champion.[2] However, this resolution has been regarded as apocryphal to most as the resurrected AWA is generally
regarded as an entirely different body than the Verne Gagne-owned AWA of old. As recently as the release of the DVD
The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA, interviews between Hogan and
the Gagnes show that there is still animosity between both parties, indicating the unlikelihood Hogan's AWA title reign would
have been retroactively instated under the original ownership.
New Japan Pro Wrestling (1980-1983)
A great deal of Hogan's early success was achieved in New Japan Pro
Wrestling. Japanese wrestling fans were in awe of the gargantuan blond American, and nicknamed him "Ichiban" (which
translates to "Number One"). Hogan first appeared in Japan on May 13 1980, while he was still with the WWF. He toured the country from time to time over the next few years, facing a
wide variety of opponents ranging from Tatsumi Fujinami to Abdullah the Butcher. When competing in Japan, Hogan used a vastly different repertoire of
wrestling moves, relying on more technical, traditional wrestling holds and maneuvers as opposed to the power-based, brawling
style U.S. fans became accustomed to seeing from him. He also periodically left his feet while performing moves, like armbar
takedowns and the enzuigiri.[3] Another difference is that Hogan used a running forearm lariat (called the "Axe
Bomber") as his finisher in Japan, as opposed to the running leg drop that has been his traditional finisher in America.
On June 2 1983, Hogan became the first IWGP tournament winner, defeating Japanese wrestling icon Antonio
Inoki by knockout in the finals of a 10-man tournament featuring top talent from throughout the world. Hogan and Inoki
also worked as partners in Japan, winning the prestigious MSG Tag League tournament two years in a row, in 1982 and 1983. Hogan's
popularity in Japan was so great, he even recorded an album there - a forerunner to the World Wrestling Federation's "Rock' n'
Wrestlin' Connection" of the mid '80s.
World Wrestling Federation (Second run, 1983-1993)
1983
After purchasing the World Wrestling Federation from his father in 1982, the junior McMahon had designs of expanding the
territory into a nationwide promotion, and he handpicked Hulk Hogan to be the company’s showpiece attraction due to his charisma
and name recognition. Hogan made his return to the WWF at a TV taping in St. Louis,
Missouri on December 27,1983 defeating Bill Dixon.
1984
On January 3 1984, Hogan appeared at a TV taping in
Allentown, Pennsylvania, saving Bob
Backlund from a three way assault. Hogan's turn was explained simply by Backlund: "He's changed his ways. He's a great
man. He's told me he's not gonna have Blassie around". The storyline shortcut was necessary because less than three weeks later
on January 23, Hogan won the WWF Championship,
pinning The Iron Sheik in Madison Square
Garden. The storyline accompanying the victory was that Hogan was a "last minute" replacement for the Sheik's original
opponent, and became the champion by way of being the first man to escape the camel clutch (the Iron Sheik's signature move). He
became the first ever Southern-born WWF Champion in history. In Hogan's autobiography, he says that The Iron Sheik told him that
Verne Gagne, furious over Hogan's defection from the AWA, had offered the Sheik $100,000 to
break Hogan's leg during the title bout, but the Sheik correctly saw the potential for making millions working a feud with Hogan
and refused. Greg Gagne, the son of Verne, recently worked as a WWE road agent and refutes
the claim that such an offer was ever made. However, during his Hall of Fame induction speech, The Iron Sheik confirms that the
offer was made and that he turned Verne down.
Immediately after Hogan defeated the Iron Sheik and won the WWF Heavyweight Title, commentator Gorilla Monsoon officially proclaimed "Hulkamania is here!". Hogan frequently referred to his fans as
"Hulkamaniacs" in his interviews and introduced his three "demandments": training, saying your prayers, and eating your vitamins.
Eventually, a fourth demandment (believing in yourself) was added following his feud with Earthquake in the 1990s. The vitamins demandment has been parodied to mean
steroids in recent years due to Vince McMahon's problems with a steroid trial in the early
1990s.
1985
Over the next year, Hulk Hogan became the face of pro wrestling as McMahon pushed the WWF into a pop-culture enterprise with
the The Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection on MTV,
drawing record houses, PPV buyrates and TV ratings in the process. The centerpiece
attraction for the first WrestleMania on March 31
1985, Hogan teamed with real-life friend Mr. T to defeat his
arch-rival “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff; and
the WWF soon grew from a regional territory into a global promotion. In the process, Hogan was portrayed as a real-life superhero
while reaching out to young fans. The consummate role model, he was named the most requested celebrity of the 1980’s for the
Make-A-Wish Foundation children’s charity. As a result, Hogan single-handily
transformed the business from a fringe pastime for blue-collar violence-seekers into a sports entertainment spectacle that
appealed to prime-time audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Never before had the industry seen anything like Hulkamania, as
Hulk Hogan action figures and T-shirts began turning up in malls across the nation. Moreover, Hogan was featured on the covers of
Sports Illustrated, TV Guide, and People magazines, while also appearing on the Tonight Show and had his
own CBS Saturday morning cartoon titled
Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n Wrestling. Hogan went on to headline eight
of the first nine WrestleManias, and he also co-hosted Saturday Night Live on
March 30 1985 during this lucrative run. Hogan also owned another
money making machine in the early 1990s when AT&T cited that his 900
number information line was the single biggest 900 number in the industry from 1991 - 1993. Hogan operated the 900 number
through his stint in WWF and then recreated it when he joined WCW.[citation needed]
1986
In the fall of 1986, Hogan occasionally wrestled in tag matches with The Machines as Hulk Machine under a mask copied from New Japan Pro Wrestling character "Super Strong
Machine."
1987
However, it was at WrestleMania III in 1987 where Hogan cemented his status as the
greatest drawing card in wrestling history, as he was booked to defend the title against André
the Giant, who had been the sport’s premier and 'undefeated' star for the previous two decades. A new storyline was
introduced in early 1987: Hogan was presented a trophy for being the WWF Champion for three consecutive years. André the Giant, a
good friend came out to congratulate him. Shortly afterwards, André was presented a slightly smaller trophy for being "undefeated
in the WWF for 15 years."
In actuality, André had suffered a handful of countout and disqualification losses in the WWF, but had never been pinned in a
WWF ring. Hogan came out to congratulate André, but André walked out in the midst of Hogan's speech. Then, on an edition of
Piper's Pit, Hogan was confronted by Bobby
Heenan when Piper had invited Hogan and Jesse Ventura invited Heenan and André the
Giant. Heenan announced that André was his new protégé, and Andre challenged Hogan to a title match at WrestleMania III, ripping
the t-shirt and crucifix off Hogan.
At WrestleMania III, held on March 29 1987 before a reported
93,000 fans at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac,
Michigan, Hogan successfully defended the WWF World Heavyweight Championship against André the Giant. The match became the
most famous of Hogan's career and is often regarded as the biggest match in the history of the business, one which saw Hogan
bodyslam the 520-pound Frenchman before pinning his shoulders to the mat. André had physically
deteriorated by this time, which caused a mishap when Hogan initially tried to slam him. The attempt was unsuccessful (as was
planned), and André fell on top of Hogan. Hogan was almost pinned accidentally for the three count due to André's size and
inability to move off of Hogan quickly enough. The quick thinking ref's slow two and a half count allowed the match to continue.
The match was considered as being a "passing of the torch" between one of the biggest stars in wrestling of the 1970s, André, and
the biggest star in wrestling of the 1980s, Hogan. Years later, Hogan stated that André was so heavy, he felt more like
700 pounds, and that if he had lost his balance performing the slam, he was sure that André's weight would have seriously
injured him. Hogan also says that in bodyslamming the super heavyweight, he tore a shoulder muscle, which causes one side of his
back to be visibly smaller than the other. Hogan later asserted that no man in wrestling at the time could have ever defeated
André without him allowing it. The match continues to be universally hailed as the biggest wrestling event ever and the
industry’s all-time zenith in terms of mainstream popularity.
1988
Hogan remained WWF Champion for four years and 13 days, overcoming such additional challengers as Paul Orndorff, King Kong Bundy, Randy Savage, Big John Studd, Kamala, Bob Orton Jr., Harley
Race, Adrian Adonis, Killer Khan,
Greg Valentine, and many others.
However, in front of 33 million viewers, Hogan finally lost the belt to André on NBC's
"The Main Event" on February 5 1988, thanks to a convoluted scam involving "The Million Dollar Man" Ted
DiBiase and "evil" twin referee Earl Hebner (in place of the match's appointed
arbiter, his twin brother Dave Hebner). After André delivered a belly-to-belly suplex on Hogan, Hebner three-counted Hogan while his left shoulder was
clearly off the mat. After the match, André handed the title over to DiBiase to complete their storyline business deal. As a
result, the WWF Championship was vacated for the first time in its 25-year history, and all this in turn led to Hogan's on/off
friend "The Macho Man" Randy Savage taking the vacant title in a tournament at
WrestleMania IV a month later.
Together, Hogan, Savage, and manager Miss Elizabeth formed a partnership known as
The Mega Powers. Savage played an instrumental role in Hogan's character
development.
1989
However, the Mega Powers soon imploded from within in 1989, due to Savage's burgeoning jealousy
of Hogan and his paranoid suspicions that Hogan and Elizabeth were "more than friends." A feud between Hogan and Savage began,
which culminated in Hogan beating Savage for his second WWF Championship at
WrestleMania V on April 2 1989.
Hogan's second run lasted a year, during which time he starred in his first movie, No
Holds Barred. The movie was the inspiration of a feud with Hogan's co-star in "No Holds Barred," Tom Lister, Jr., who appeared at wrestling events as his movie character, Zeus. Zeus was a
monster heel who was "jealous" over Hogan's higher billing and now wanted
revenge. However, Hogan was easily able to defeat Zeus in a series of matches across the country during late 1989, beginning with
a tag team match at SummerSlam.
1990
Also during his second run, Hogan won the 1990 Royal Rumble Match, last
eliminating Mr. Perfect. He dropped the title to Intercontinental Champion The Ultimate
Warrior on April 1 1990 at WrestleMania VI. It was the first time in over seven years that Hogan suffered an uncontroversial
pinfall defeat. That title match was notable in that the two wrestlers were both faces, and Hogan graciously handed Warrior the
belt and hugged him at the conclusion of the match, remembered as one of the most sportsmanlike displays in WWF history. In later
years, and on the Hulk Still Rules DVD, Hogan said that after he presented the belt to the Warrior and headed back to the
dressing room, the crowd ignored the Warrior and watched him leave aboard the mini 'ring cart' used at large dome shows at the
time.
Hogan soon became embroiled in a heated feud with the 468-pound Earthquake, a mountain of
a man who gained infamy by crushing Hogan's ribs in a sneak attack on "The Brother Love
Show" in May 1990. On TV, announcers explained that Hogan's injuries and his WrestleMania VI loss to The Ultimate Warrior
both took such a huge toll on his fighting spirit that he wanted to retire. Viewers were asked to write letters to Hogan and send
postcards asking for his return (they got a postcard-sized picture in return, autographed by Hogan, as a "thank you"). Hogan
returned by SummerSlam 1990 and dominated Earthquake in a months-long series of
matches across the country. His defeat of this overwhelmingly large foe caused Hogan to add a fourth demandment: believing in
yourself. His name also changed: The Immortal Hulk Hogan. (In his AWA/WWWF days his name was The Incredible Hulk
Hogan).
1991
On March 24 1991, Hogan stood up for the USA against
Iraqi-sympathizer Sgt. Slaughter, defeating him for his
third WWF Championship at WrestleMania VII.
Hogan lost the title to The Undertaker at the Survivor Series 1991 on November 27 due to interference from
Ric Flair. Just six days later, Hogan regained the title in a match held on a special
pay-per-view named Tuesday in Texas, but due to the controversy surrounding both
matches, the title was again declared vacant.
1992
In the 1992 Royal Rumble, Hogan was eliminated by storyline friend
Sid Justice and failed to regain the championship. In the ensuing five months, Hulk Hogan
announced he was contemplating retirement from wrestling and would 'bow out' after his match against Sid at WrestleMania VIII on April 5. Hogan eventually won the match via
disqualification due to interference by Sid's manager Harvey Wippleman. Hogan then was
attacked by Papa Shango, who actually was supposed to cause the DQ but was
late and was saved by the returning Ultimate Warrior.
1993
Hogan returned to the WWF in January 1993, helping out his friend Brutus Beefcake in his feud with Money Inc.. Hogan scooped his fifth WWF Title on April 4 of that year,
overcoming Yokozuna in an impromptu bout at WrestleMania
IX only moments after Yokozuna's defeat of Bret Hart. At this point, everything was
looking good for Hogan; he had the World Wrestling Federation Championship and it
seemed like Hulkamania was back. However, this was not the case at all.
At the first annual King of the Ring pay per view, Hogan defended the championship
against the former champion, Yokozuna. It was Hogan's first title defense since he first defeated Yokozuna at WrestleMania IX.
During the course of the match, Yokozuna amazingly kicked out of Hogan's signature leg drop. The hard-fought bout came to its
close when a "Japanese photographer" (actually a disguised Harvey Wippleman) got on the apron and distracted Hogan, before
shooting some sort of fireball out of the camera and into Hogan's face. This was followed by Yokozuna hitting a leg drop on Hogan
for the pin. After his victory, Yokozuna proceeded to give Hogan a Banzai Drop amidst the crying children and cursing adults. As Yokozuna
celebrated, Hogan was helped back to the locker room by ringside officials, as he clutched his face. Hulkamania had seemingly
taken its final breath. After this, Hogan left the WWF.
In 1994, a steroids scandal threatened the WWF, and Hogan testified in court that he had used
steroids over a period of 12 years "to get big", and had also introduced WWF Chairman Vince McMahon to steroids during the
filming of No Holds Barred. Both men also had Pennsylvania doctor George Zahorian send
steroids to WWF's corporate office via Fed-Ex. However, Hogan never accused McMahon of distributing steroids himself, but Hogan
also testified that steroid use was rampant in the WWF. His testimony may have kept McMahon out of prison, but it definitely hurt
the WWF's public image -- and Hogan's.
World Championship Wrestling (1994-2000)
1994
Hogan signed with Ted Turner's World
Championship Wrestling (WCW) in June 1994 and began appearing on television the next month. McMahon held a very public
grudge against Hogan for several years, before (and even after) Hogan came home to the WWF. This scandal led to Vince McMahon
deciding to phase out large, muscular wrestlers such as Hogan and give the top spots to smaller, more technically sound wrestlers
such as Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. After Hogan left
the WWF in June 1993, he decided to take time off for about a year from professional wrestling to concentrate on movies, TV, and
his family.
Hogan won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in his debut
match, overcoming Ric Flair in a 'dream' match on July
17.
1995
After tussling with Flair, Vader, and the Dungeon of
Doom for the next eighteen months, Hogan dropped the belt and began to only appear occasionally on WCW shows. WCW fans
were clamoring for younger, more exciting international stars such as Chris Benoit and
Eddie Guerrero and were growing tired of seeing Hogan's "red-and-yellow good guy" persona
they had seen for ten years in the WWF. This led to one of the most talked about moments in wrestling history in the summer of
1996.
1996
The buildup began when Scott Hall and Kevin Nash both
left the WWF in early 1996 and returned to their old employer, WCW. They were portrayed as "Outsiders" and quickly announced their intent to "take over" WCW, with the help of an unnamed third
member of their team (initially rumored to be either Ultimate Warrior, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, or Sting). At Bash at the Beach on July 7 1996, Hall, Nash and their partner were scheduled to face the WCW trio of
Sting, Randy Savage, and Lex Luger. The third partner
did not begin the match, and, after Luger left the match due to an "injury", some assumed that he would be the "third man." After
Luger was taken out, Hall and Nash began to beat on Sting, neutralizing him on the outside and leaving Savage alone in the ring.
Almost immediately afterwards, Hogan came to the ring to a standing ovation from the fans, making his first appearance in several
weeks. Many expected him to replace Luger and attack Hall and Nash. However, in one of the most shocking moments in wrestling
history, Hogan leg dropped Randy Savage twice and declared himself to be Hall and Nash's partner. The match continued officially
for a few more seconds until Hogan whipped referee Randy Anderson out of the ring. Hogan legdropped Savage again, with Nash and
Hall counting him out. The three then stood in the ring with their arms raised high.
After Savage was "counted out" and a last ditch attempt to save the day by Sting was thwarted, the fans began throwing garbage
into the ring. One fan jumped the guardrail and attempted to attack Hogan, but was intercepted by Nash as he tried to enter the
ring. Hall and Nash stomped on the fan several times, and he was whisked away by WCW security. Moments later, with the trash
beginning to fill the ring, Gene Okerlund entered to conduct an interview with the now
vilified Hogan. Okerlund told Hogan that he and the fans around the world were sick to their stomachs about the whole situation,
and demanded an explanation. Hogan further cemented his turn by saying that he built wrestling up to what it was at that point,
and that he promised a lot of things when he came to WCW, and after all that he was bored. He went on to say that he had dealt
with the negative reactions from the fans for the last two years while holding his head high, and he had had enough and told the
fans to "stick it". He finally finished by saying that if it was not for him, none of the fans or wrestlers would be in the
arena, and then reiterated that the group of Hall, Nash, and Hogan was the New World Order of wrestling. After being threatened by Hogan, Okerlund left
the ring and the show concluded with Tony Schiavone closing the broadcast by telling Hogan he could "go to hell."
Hogan soon dyed his beard black, traded his red and yellow garb in for black clothing, renamed himself Hollywood Hogan,
and returned to WCW programming eight days after his heel turn. Hogan managed to redefine the heel character: rather than the
traditional "bad guy," Hollywood Hogan gave birth to a more realistic, street-smart villain,
with none of the usual wrestling gimmicks and devices.
After defeating The Giant at Hog Wild on
August 10 1996 by hitting him with the WCW title belt.
1997
Hogan held the WCW World Heavyweight Championship for most of 1997, save for a several day reign by Luger. He spray painted a
black "nWo" across the title belt as well and scribble across the nameplate and referred to the title as the "nWo title" during
this and any other time he held the title while in the nWo. During this period, Hogan grappled with Roddy Piper, Randy Savage,
and many more. The ever-expanding nWo gang concurrently became the hottest concept in wrestling, helping WCW to achieve 84
straight Monday night ratings victories over the WWF. The black-and-white nWo T-shirt
also became one of the highest-selling pieces of wrestling merchandise ever during 1997.
Hogan then lost the belt to Sting in a hugely-hyped, eighteen-months-in-the-making match at Starrcade in December 1997. The event was also the highest-drawing PPV in WCW's history. Wrestling fans and
pundits were disappointed in "The match of the decade" because the match's length and ending did not justify the buildup. WCW's
newly-contracted Bret Hart accused referee Nick Patrick of fast-counting a victory for Hogan and have the match restarted - with
himself as referee. Sting won by submission. This finish was executed at Starrcade, and after a rematch the following night on
WCW Monday Nitro, which saw Hogan win back the title in controversial fashion,
the title became vacant.
1998
Hogan and Sting wrestled again at SuperBrawl in February 1998, which Sting won. After
this, Hogan developed a rivalry with former friend (and recent nWo recruit) Randy Savage. The heat culminated into a steel cage
match at Uncensored 1998, which ended in a no contest. Savage took the world championship
from Sting at Spring Stampede in April, while Hogan's match at Stampede had him and
Kevin Nash taking on Roddy Piper and The Giant in the first-ever Bat
match. Marking the breakup of the original nWo, Hogan betrayed Nash by hitting him with the bat and then challenged Savage
the following night for his championship. This no disqualification match included two crucial points of interference: the first
came from Nash, who entered the ring and powerbombed Hogan as retribution for the attack at the previous nights PPV, and the
second from Bret Hart, who turned heel that night by jumping in to attack Savage and preserve the victory for Hogan, who regained
the WCW Championship.
Hogan defended the title until July of that year, when WCW booked him in a match against fast rising newcomer Bill Goldberg, who had yet to lose a match in the company. Hogan dominated most of the match, but became
cocky toward the end as he continued to legdrop the challenger. Eventually, his luck ran out, and Goldberg was able to take
control. After a final bit of interference by Curt Hennig was thwarted by Karl Malone at
ringside, Goldberg was able to perform a spear and a jackhammer on a distracted Hogan, and pinned him to gain his first and only WCW World Heavyweight Championship.
Hogan spent the rest of 1998 wrestling celebrity matches with buddies. His second tag team
match with Dennis Rodman pit them against Diamond
Dallas Page and Karl Malone at Bash at the Beach
1998, and at Road Wild '98, he and Bischoff lost
to Page and Jay Leno thanks to interference from Kevin
Eubanks, who leveled Bischoff with a Diamond Cutter. Hogan also had a highly hyped rematch with Ultimate Warrior (now
known simply as "Warrior") at Halloween Havoc, where his nephew Horace aided his victory. On the Thanksgiving episode
of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Hogan officially announced his
retirement from professional wrestling as well as his candidacy for President of
the United States. Campaign footage aired on Nitro of Hogan and Bischoff holding a press conference, making it
appear legit. In the long run, however, both announcements were false and merely done as a publicity stunt attempting to draw some of the hype of Jesse Ventura's Minnesota gubernatorial win back
to him.
After some time off from WCW, a still "retired" Hogan returned to Nitro to challenge Kevin Nash for the WCW title. He
controversially regained the WCW title in what was later dubbed the Fingerpoke of
Doom. This reformed the divided nWo branches -- nWo Hollywood and nWo Wolfpac -- which began feuding with Bill Goldberg and a ruthless Four
Horsemen.
1999
He was soon cheated out of the WCW Championship to Ric Flair at Uncensored 1999 in a Steel Cage
First Blood match. A heavily bleeding Flair won via pinfall
thanks to biased referee Charles Robinson. During that match,
however, Hogan began to show some signs that a face turn was imminent, showing off some old tactics like his "Hulking up"
no-sell. Hogan wrestled the following month in one more world title match, facing Flair, Sting, and Dallas Page in a fatal four
way match. Page won his first ever world championship, and Hogan was carried out of the ring injured and disappeared for several
months.
On July 12 1999, Hogan made his grand return as a full-fledged
face and accepted a challenge from Savage (who had gained the world title at Bash at the Beach the night before). Thanks to
interference from Nash (who had lost the title to Savage), Hogan became champion again. Gaining fan support, however, his nWo
look gradually receded through the shaving of his black beard and the removal of the red "nWo" from his title belt.
On August 9 1999, he started the night dressed in the typical
black and white, but after a backstage scene with his son, Hogan came out dressed in the traditional red and yellow for his
main-event 6-man tag team match. Injuries and frustrations were mounting up however, and he was absent from TV from October 1999
to February 2000. In his book Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Bollea said that he was asked to take time off by newly hired head of
creative booker Vince Russo
and was not told when he would be brought back at the time. Despite some reservations, he agreed to do so. On October 24 at Halloween Havoc 1999, Hogan was to face Sting for the
WCW World Heavyweight Championship (which he had lost to Sting at
Fall Brawl the previous month, when Sting beat Hogan by cheating and had turned heel in the
process). However, Hogan came to the ring in street clothes, laid down for the pin, and left the ring.
2000
Soon after his return to WCW TV in February 2000, Hogan began feuding with Lex Luger, Ric Flair, and Billy Kidman. Then, at Bash at the Beach 2000, Hogan was
involved in a controversial, real-life incident with Russo. Hogan was scheduled to wrestle Jeff
Jarrett for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.[4] Before the match, there was a dispute between Hogan and Russo.
Unbeknownst to Hogan, Russo told Jarrett to lie down in the middle of the ring and asked Hogan to pin him straight away. A
visibly confused Hogan complied with a foot on Jarrett's chest after getting on the microphone and telling Russo, "Is this
your idea, Russo...? That's why this company is in the damn shape it's in, because of bullshit like this!" Russo responded by
coming out and saying that "From day one, that I've been in WCW, I've done nothing... nothing... but deal with the bullshit of
the politics behind that curtain." Since Hogan refused to
