Matt Loede
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He’s the most recognizable sports entertainer in the history of pro wrestling, and today Hulk Hogan celebrates his 68th birthday.
Happy birthday to @WWE Legend, @HulkHogan! ❤️ 💛 pic.twitter.com/AZDPBtKAJc
— WWE (@WWE) August 11, 2021
Hogan, born Terry Bollea on August 11th, 1953, is a massive reason for the wrestling boom that took over the country in the 1980s .
He’s the only wrestler in history to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine.
The shining moment of his wrestling career came back in March of 1987 when in front of over 93,000 fans at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, he wrestled, body slammed, and defeated the late legendary superstar Andre the Giant, cementing his place in wrestling history.
Things for Hogan have not always been easy. In the last 15 years, the superstar found himself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons several times.
He and longtime wife Linda divorced in November of 2007, and that same year, he used racial slurs on a phone call with his son Nick, who was serving time in prison. During this phone call, Hogan ranted about his daughter sleeping with a black man and liberally used the “N” word to embellish his point of view.
Hogan was fired by WWE soon after tapes of the racially-charged rant were released, but he was brought back to the company in July 2018. He has since made a few appearances on WWE television, including opening both nights of WrestleMania 37 this past year.
I thought he died
People must not have experienced or maybe they have forgotten the peak of Hulkamania back in the day. Nothing remotely approaches it in wrestling history. To be crystal clear Hulk Hogan is “the” reason wrestling got as big as it did in the 80s-90s, and he’s “the” reason it’s still a big business now. He’s the biggest wrestling star of all time clearly. What you see today was built on his shoulders. They called him “the franchise” in the locker room among other wrestlers for a reason. He’s the man. Hulk wasn’t the most amazingly skilled wrestler ever, but no one could fill stadiums or sell tickets like him. Love him or hate him, gotta respect the GOAT. Now, there’s a proper happy birthday for the Hulkster.
I’m with you John. Growing up in the 80’s, Hulk Hogan made wrestling. After getting into it, Ric Flair became my favorite, but I don’t know if I would have ever come across Ric Flair if Hulk Hogan didn’t bring me to the TV. When the WWF came to town, you’d hope that one day Hogan would come (He did make it to South Bend at least twice in the 80’s). He made lots of people rich in the business.