Hulk Hogan Was An American Icon, The Greatest Wrestler Of All-Time | Bobby Burack

One cannot accurately tell the history of American entertainment without Hulk Hogan. His name is etched into its very fabric.

The icon, whose real name was Terry Bollea, passed away on Thursday at the age of 71. In the 1980s, he transformed professional wrestling from a gritty, regional carnival act into a monocultural juggernaut. He transcended the genre when he bodyslammed the 520-pound Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III in front of 78,000 fans at the Pontiac Silverdome. 

He reinvented himself in the mid-’90s, turning heel and introducing the villainous "Hollywood" Hogan persona. With swagger and menace, he led WCW’s New World Order (NWO) in a storyline coup d’état – wrestling’s most iconic plotline — propelling WCW to an unprecedented 83-week ratings streak over WWF/E and forever altering the business of pro wrestling.

Yes, the storylines were kayfabe and Hogan was a scripted character. Yet take a closer look, and you’ll see professional wrestling’s fingerprints all over modern culture. Nowhere is that more evident than in American politics. The over-dramatization, the pettiness, the taunts, the promos, the heels – it's all pro wrestling. 

Without Hogan, WWE wouldn't be valued at $9.2 billion. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson wouldn't be Hollywood's biggest star if Hogan had not mainstreamed wrestling in an era before him. WrestleMania wouldn't be the largest annual live sporting event, aside from the Super Bowl, without Hogan main-eventing the first three.

Hulk Hogan was a real-life superhero for over 20 years. Some kids had Batman collections or G.I. Joes. Others had Hulk Hogan action figures and merchandise. He was Captain America meets Popeye the Sailor Man. He sold out arenas across the globe, and millions of fans reenacted his catchphrase and moves at home.

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 24:  Hulk Hogan rips his shirt prior to the bout against Ric Flair during his Hulkamania Tour at the Burswood Dome on November 24, 2009 in Perth, Australia.  (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Hogan was the definition of an American icon.

"Hulk Hogan was America. Our country shifted as his characters shifted, from being a 'Real American' during the Cold War, his epic ‘Hollywood Hogan’ heel turn as we embraced a darker, edgier anti-hero society to his vocal speech at the RNC ushering in a new anti-Woke era to America. We lost a part of our DNA, a part of our collective selves today," Patrick Hatten, producer of Fox News' "Will Cain Country," explained to OutKick.

For years, detractors have tried to muddle his legacy. That continued in the moments after his death was announced. "Bracing for the 'complicated legacy' stories when Hulk Hogan’s legacy is actually very straightforward," CBS reporter Jonathan Jones said on X.

For background, WWE temporarily distanced itself from Hogan in 2015 after a leaked audio recording in which he jokingly used racial slurs after learning his daughter was dating a black man. He apologized and returned to the company three years later.

However, no one escapes nearly 50 years in the limelight unscathed. And let's be honest: Hogan's legacy is subject to controversy only today, the day he passed, because he spent his final years advocating for President Donald Trump.

Notably, the last time Hogan appeared in character was at the July Republican National Convention, during which he endorsed Trump for office:

As Fox News analyst Lisa Boothe said on Thursday, "It took courage for someone of his stature, this legendary figure that was beloved by so many Americans, by the way of both political parties, to take the stage and declare ‘I’m with President Trump.'"

Hogan was also a key figure in our industry, the media. On the "Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show" on Thursday, Bill O'Reilly argued that Hogan's greatest accomplishment was bankrupting the stalkerish, vile vultures at Gawker and Deadspin.

"He took them down single-handedly," O'Reilly told Travis. "That's what I will remember him for, as a journalist."

In 2013, Hogan sued Gawker after the publication ran a secretly recorded sex tape of him and Heather Clem. The lawsuit ended with the rag outlet filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, after which it never harassed any subject again.

Thank you, Hogan.

"[Hogan] was a trailblazer, the first performer who transitioned from being a wrestling star into a global phenomenon," former WWE chairman Vince McMahon said in a statement on X. 

"His grit and unbridled thirst for success were unparalleled - and made him the consummate performer. He gave everything he had to the audience whom he appreciated, respected and loved. He leaves us with one of his favorite expressions, ‘Train, take your vitamins and say your prayers.’ Today, we pray for him."

When it comes to the greatest of all-time, every corner of entertainment has its debate. But in the world of professional wrestling, the answer is almost unanimous.

Hulk Hogan was the greatest of all-time.