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Remembering Hulk Hogan: His Most Iconic Wrestling Moments
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The professional wrestling world was shocked at the news that Hulk Hogan, real name Terry Gene Bollea, had sadly passed away at 71.
The 12-time World Champion had established himself as one of the most popular wrestlers of all-time and the biggest draws in the history of the business.
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While the Hulkster has fallen under controversy in recent years, there are still countless moments that established his legacy and pro wrestling as a whole.
Here are some of Hulk Hogan's most iconic moments across WWE and WCW.
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - March 27 1988: Hulk Hogan vs Andre the giant Wrestlemania Vl March 27 1988 at Historic Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey March 22 1988.
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - March 27 1988: Hulk Hogan vs Andre the giant Wrestlemania Vl March 27 1988 at Historic Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey March 22 The Iron Sheik for His First WWF Championship
While Hulk Hogan had a plethora of iconic rivalries throughout his career, one of his best was against The Iron Sheik.
A classic tale of All-American baby face vs. foreign heel, Hogan defeated The Iron Sheik to win his first World Championship, reversing the Camel Clutch into Hogan's now iconic Atomic Leg Drop.
This would swiftly catapult Hogan as the greatest hero in the then-WWF, taking the place of Bob Backlund.
Hogan would go on to hold the WWF/WWE Championship six times, reigning for a total of 2,185 days: the second most in WWE history.
Slamming André The Giant at WrestleMania III
In any sport, there is a moment when you can tell that things have changed, like Babe Ruth calling his shot or Michael Jordan's dunk from the free throw line. For professional wrestling, this was when Hulk Hogan slammed André The Giant at WrestleMania III.
A seemingly unbeatable villain, André The Giant was billed as 7-foot-four-inches tall and over 500 pounds. Fans had no idea what to expect when Hogan
To this day, Hogan slamming André remains the iconic image of professional wrestling.
The Formation (and Break Up) of The Mega Powers
While there are many names that are Synonymous with Hulk Hogan, the first one that comes to mind is easily "Macho Man" Randy Savage.
Easily the biggest baby faces of the era, the wrestling world was blown away when Savage and Hogan joined forces to become The Mega Powers.
However, two stars shining this bright could not remain near each other without imploding, and this would eventually happen after Savage grew jealous of Hogan's friendship with his wide, Miss Elizabeth.
This would eventually result in their iconic battles at WrestleMania V, which is widely considered one of the best matches in both wrestlers' illustrious careers.
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Joining The nWo
At WCW Bash at the Beach 1996, Hogan came to the ring as if he were going to help Randy Savage, Sting, and Lex Luger. Instead, he turned on the heroes, joining forces with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.
This shocking heel turn marked the creation of arguably the most famous and popular faction in professional wrestling history: The nWo. And their effect would be felt on professional wrestling throughout the decades for better and for worse.
The Fingerpoke of Doom
While The nWo was easily the most popular thing going on in WCW, it also marked the unfortunate destruction of the company due to various issues behind the scenes. And there was one single in-ring moment that truly marked this controversy.
In a highly-anticipated match between Nash and the now-named Hollywood Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. However, instead of a battle between two powerhouses, Hogan defeated Nash with a simple fingerpoke and pin.
To this day, the "Fingerpoke of Doom" is widely considered to be the turning point for the Monday Night Wars and the eventual demise of WCW.
Hulk Hogan's Face Off With The Rock
After WCW went bankrupt, Hogan eventually found his way back to WWE to varying levels of success. That being said, one moment stands out as not just the best moment of Hogan's career, but Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's as well.
Billed as an "Icon vs. Icon" match, this bout felt special from the moment the bell rang. As both Superstars faced each other, the crowd couldn't help but erupt in cheers and applause.
While the match itself would be a good one, this singular moment before it even started captured something special. To this day, it is considered one of the greatest moments in WrestleMania history.
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