Hulk Hogan's reality TV journey: From Hogan Knows Best to Thunder in Paradise and more
Hogan, whose real name was Terry Gene Bollea, was born on August 11, 1953, in Augusta, Georgia. He began his professional wrestling career in 1977 and joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1983. The WWF's name was later changed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
He became highly popular for his handlebar mustache and larger-than-life personality in the WWE, headlining several of its pay-per-view events for several years. The February 1988 match between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant continues to be one of the most-watched wrestling matches, garnering nearly 33 million views, as per Forbes.
Also Read: Legendary WWE wrestler Hulk Hogan dies at 71
Hulk Hogan's life beyond the ring
During the early 1990s, when he remained a prominent name in the wrestling universe, Hogan made the decision to step away from the ring. Thereafter, he went on to grab multiple opportunities both on TV and in movies. In 1982, Hogan appeared as Thunderlips opposite Sylvester Stallone in the highly successful Rocky III.
He also portrayed various types of roles in movies, including No Holds Barred, Suburban Commando, Mr. Nanny, Spy Hard, Santa with Muscles, as well as 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain. Apart from acting credits, Hogan lent his voice to projects like Gnomeo and Juliet and Robot Chicken.
Hulk Hogan's TV journey
Also Read: Hulk Hogan cause of death: Amid questions about neck surgery, new 'brain dead' claim surfaces
A major highlight from Hulk Hogan's early appearances on TV was the leading role in the action-adventure series Thunder in Paradise, which came out in 1994. His fans got a closer look at his personal life in the docuseries, Hogan Knows Best, which featured him alongside his former partner Linda Claridge and their two children from 2005 to 2007.
At that time, the show premiered as the top-rated series on VH1. Due to its major success, it eventually came back with a spin-off, titled Brooke Knows Best. Centered around Hogan's family, especially his daughter, the spin-off ran from 2008 until 2009. During this time, Hogan hosted American Gladiators on NBC along with Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling. Hogan again gave a closer look at his personal life with the TV special Finding Hulk Hogan in 2010.
FAQs:
When and where was Hulk Hogan born?
He was born on August 11, 1953, in Augusta.
What is Hulk Hogan's real name?
Hogan's real name was Terry Gene Bollea.
How many times did Hulk Hogan win the WWE Championship?
He won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship six times during his wrestling career.
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Mint
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Hulk Hogan descended upon American culture at exactly the time it was ready for him: the 1980s
The opening chords of Rick Derringer's hard-rock guitar would play over the arena sound system. Instantly, 20,000 Hulkamaniacs — and many more as wrestling's popularity and stadium size exploded — rose to their feet in a frenzy to catch a glimpse of Hulk Hogan storming toward the ring. His T-shirt half-ripped, his bandanna gripped in his teeth, Hogan faced 'em all in the 1980s — the bad guys from Russia and Iran and any other wrestler from a country that seemed to pose a threat to both his WWF championship and, of course, could bring harm to the red, white and blue. His 24-inch pythons slicked in oil, glistening under the house lights, Hogan would point to his next foe — say 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper or Jake 'The Snake' Roberts (rule of thumb: In the 80s, the more quote marks in a name, the meaner the wrestler) — all to the strain of Derringer's patriotic 'Real American.' In Ronald Reagan's 1980s slice of wishful-thinking Americana, no one embodied the vision of a 'real American' like Hulk Hogan. 'We had Gorgeous George and we had Buddy Rogers and we had Bruno Sammartino,' WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter said Friday. 'But nobody compared at that time compared to Hulk Hogan. His whole desire was to be a star and be somebody that nobody every forgot. He pretty much did that.' Hogan, who died Thursday in Florida at age 71, portrayed himself as an all-American hero, a term that itself implies a stereotype. He was Sylvester Stallone meets John Wayne in tights — only fans could actually touch him and smell the sweat if the WWF came to town. Hogan presented as virtuous. He waved the American flag, never cheated to win, made sure 'good' always triumphed over 'evil.' He implored kids around the world: 'Train, say your prayers, eat your vitamins." Hogan did it all, hosting 'Saturday Night Live,' making movies, granting Make-A-Wish visits, even as he often strayed far from the advice that made him a 6-foot-8, 300-plus pound cash cow and one of the world's most recognizable entertainers. His muscles looked like basketballs, his promos electrified audiences — why was he yelling!?! — and he fabricated and embellished stories from his personal life all as he morphed into the personification of the 80s and 80s culture and excess. In the not-so-real world of professional wrestling, Hulk Hogan banked on fans believing in his authenticity. That belief made him the biggest star the genre has ever known. Outside the ring, the man born Terry Gene Bollea wrestled with his own good guy/bad guy dynamic, a messy life that eventually bled beyond the curtain, spilled into tabloid fodder and polluted the final years of his life. Hogan — who teamed with actor Mr. T in the first WrestleMania — was branded a racist. He was embroiled in a sex-tape scandal. He claimed he once contemplated suicide. All this came well after he admitted he burst into wrestling stardom not on a strict diet of workouts and vitamins, but of performance-enhancing drugs, notably steroids. The punches, the training, the grueling around-the-world travel were all real (the outcomes, of course, were not). So was the pain that followed Hogan as he was temporarily banished from WWE in his later years. He was the flawed hero of a flawed sport, and eventually not even wrestling fans, like a bad referee, could turn a blind eye to Hogan's discretions. Hogan's final WWE appearance came this past January at the company's debut episode on Netflix. Hogan arrived months after he appeared at the Republican National Convention and gave a rousing speech -- not unlike his best 1980s promos -- in support of Donald Trump. Just a pair of the 1980s icons, who used tough talk and the perceived notion they could both 'tell it like it is,' to rise to the top. Only wrestling fans, especially one in the home of the Los Angeles event, had enough of Hogan. 'He was full-throated, it wasn't subtle, his support for Donald Trump,' said ESPN writer Marc Raimondi, who wrote the wrestling book 'Say Hello to the Bad Guys." 'I think that absolutely hurt him.' He didn't appear for an exercise in nostalgia or a vow that if he could just lace up the boots one more time, he could take down today's heels. No, Hogan came to promote his beer. Beer loosely coded as right-wing beer. No song was going to save him this time. Fed up with his perceived MAGA ties and divisive views, his racist past and a string of bad decisions that made some of today's stars also publicly turn on him, Hogan was about booed out of the building. This wasn't the good kind of wrestling booing, like what he wanted to hear when he got a second act in the 1990s as 'Hollywood' Hulk Hogan when controversy equaled cash. This was go-away heat. 'I think the politics had a whole lot to do with it,' Hogan said on 'The Pat McAfee Show' in February. Hogan always envisioned himself as the Babe Ruth of wrestling. On the back of Vince McMahon, now entangled in his own sordid sex scandal, Hogan turned a staid one-hour Saturday morning show into the land of NFL arenas, cable TV, pay-per-view blockbusters, and eventually, billon-dollar streaming deals. Once raised to the loftiest perch in sports and entertainment by fans who ate up everything the Hulkster had to say, his final, dismal appearance showed that even Hulk Hogan could take a loss. 'The guy who had been the master at getting what he wanted from the crowd for decades, he lost his touch,' Raimondi said. 'Very likely because of the things he did in his personal and professional life.' But there was a time when Hogan had it all. The fame. The championships. Riches and endorsements. All of it not from being himself, but by being Hulk Hogan. 'There's people in this business that become legends," Sgt. Slaughter said. 'But Hulk became legendary.'
Time of India
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Did Hulk Hogan have an affair with his daughter Brooke's best friend Christiane Plante? Inside the controversy that rocked his marriage
Hulk Hogan's first marriage ended after his ex wife had accused him of infidelity.(Image via Julio Aguilar/Getty) Hulk Hogan, the WWE legend, unfortunately, breathed his last recently and his death has left a gaping hole in the community. Hulk Hogan was 71 years old but never let his age get to his fitness and strength. While his ex wife, Linda Hogan, has expressed her sadness at the death of Hulk Hogan, in 2009, things became controversial when she had accused him of having an affair with their daughter's friend. Did Hulk Hogan have an affair with his daughter, Brooke Hogan's best friend, Christiane Plante ? Hulk Hogan tied the knot with his ex wife, Linda Hogan, in 1983 and the two became parents to two children. The couple were known for their love for each other at one time but in 2009, their divorce sent shockwaves across the communtiy. Hulk Hogan: Feeling Lost at the Height of Fame | Praise on TBN However, things quickly became worse when Linda Hogan accused Hulk Hogan of sleeping with their daughter, Brooke Hogan's close friend, Christiane Plante. As per E! News, a source had revealed that, "When Linda discovered Hulk had [an affair] with Brooke's best friend, Christiane Plante, she made the decision to call it quits on the marriage.' The source added, "Almost every statement that comes out of Hulk's mouth is a diversionary tactic to deflect attention away from the real reason Linda filed for divorce: two words: HULK'S CHEATING!" However, Hulk Hogan's lawyer had issued a controversial statement responding to Linda Hogan's accusations. The Complicated Family Life of Hulk Hogan At that time, Hulk Hogan's lawyer David Houston said, "It is unfortunate Linda Hogan will do virtually anything to keep herself in the public spotlight..." Christiane Plante had admitted to having an affair with Hulk Hogan As per the National Enquirer, at that time, Brooke Hogan's friend Christiane Plante had admitted to having an affair with the WWE legend, Hulk Hogan. This had caused a number of issues between Brooke Hogan and her father, Hulk Hogan, and she had cut off contact with her parents later. However, after Hulk Hogan divorced Linda Hogan, he did not get married to Christiane Plante. In 2010, Hulk Hogan tied the knot with Jennifer McDaniel and divorced her in 2021. FAQs How old was Hulk Hogan when he breathed his last? Hulk Hogan was 71 years old How many times did Hulk Hogan get married? Hulk Hogan got married 3 times. Also Read: When Hulk Hogan's son-in-law Steven Oleksy tried to reach out but never heard back days after Hogan's ex-wife called him a "s*x addict" For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Time of India
3 hours ago
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How tall was Hulk Hogan? Exploring the physical marvel that was The Hulkster
Hulk Hogan (Image via WWE) Terry Bollea, known to the whole wide world as Hulk Hogan , was one of the biggest stars the world of wrestling ever saw, sometimes quite literally. At his prime, standing at a massive height of 6 ft 7 in, which is roughly around 201 cm tall, he was one of the tallest stars in the in-ring game who was a regular participant for decades. While he retired in 2012 from being an active wrestler, Hogan was still a part of the WWE until his last day. Unfortunately, the veteran star passed away in the morning of July 24, bidding goodbye to the world of wrestling forever. Hulk Hogan was a giant in his prime years Hulk Hogan was one of the tallest stars who played an active part in the world of wrestling. While not the tallest ever, that spot definitely belongs to Giant Gonzalez, who stood at a monstrous height of 8 ft, he was still up there. At 6 ft 7 in, Hogan was one of the tallest stars with a long-standing career, despite his hulking physique. In his prime, he even hulked over Lou Ferrigno , star of the 1970s television series, The Incredible Hulk. Allegedly, when Hulk was working the wrestling circuit in Memphis, he appeared on a local talk show alongside Ferrigno, who was 6 ft 5 in or 196 cm tall. Side by side, Hulk Hogan easily dwarfed the man who was supposed to be playing the biggest Avenger at the time. Weighing 295 pounds (134 kg) with 24-inch (61 cm) biceps, his physique was a true marvel that had fans all over the world cheering for him. With such an expansive career, he was regarded as the most recognized wrestler in the world. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Hulk Hogan's multiple injuries affected him physically Several injuries and surgeries led to Hulk Hogan losing a few inches later in life. Being one of the biggest stars in wrestling meant working a lot over the years, which unfortunately, led to many health issues for the Hulkster. He had over 25 surgeries in his lifetime, and even lost a couple of inches because of problems in his spine. Hogan has had over a dozen back surgeries, neck surgeries, and knee surgeries. Also, rumor has it that 3 or so of his vertebrae shrank because of multiple injuries, which led to his losing a few inches of height. And of course, with age too, he was bound to lose some. At the end of the line, it was assumed that he was around 6 ft 4 in. Also Read: Hulk Hogan's car collection was just like him - muscly and loud - adding to his impressive net worth For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
