[Charzhino]

Because he made you feel like he was fighting for you. Same way The Rock had a connection with the people .

 

[The Quintessential Mark]

Watch Hogan in any segment particularly the 80's or 90's and you'll get your real answer.

 

[Jets4Life2]

What needs to be remembered about Hulkamania and Hulk Hogan is that he wasn’t a Vince McMahon creation. He was a fully formed and arguably superior character during his final AWA run.

Watch his match against all-time great Nick Bockwinkle on Super Sunday.

Unlike the drug-addled Optimus Prime character of his WWF run, he wasn’t just a poorly endowed super hero in a yellow speedo. He was an almost Stone Cold Steve Austin style ass kicker who was bigger than the infernal heels and happened to be on the side of the fans.

Hogan got over in Japan, with the AWA, as a vain young monster heel, as a powerhouse baby face chasing the title, as a Super Hero and as a cagey selfish old heel champ. He is not my favorite wrestler of all time. As a child, I vociferously cheered for Orndorf, Hennig, Savage, Muraco etc (not Bundy because he looked like a stupid toe)- a stance that put me in a very very distinct minority among 5th graders.

And as a kid, they all looked like old men.

This.

Hogan was insanely popular in the Midwest USA and Canada (Manitoba at least) in the early 80s. He began as a bad-ass heel, only to morph into the most over wrestler in the promotion by far and away when Rocky 3 came out. By 1983, he was most likely the most popular wrestler in the World, and a huge draw in Japan.

The misconception is that the territories were held in smoke-filled bingo halls, until McMahon brought the industry mainstream, which is revisionist bullshit. Starrcade preceded WM by two years, Super Sunday broke all kinds of box office records in 83, and the Von Erich Memorial Show at the cotton bowl set a attendance record that was not broken for over two years.

In fact, when Hogan returned to his previous AWA stomping grounds in 85-86, the crowds were virtually standing room only in places like Minneapolis, Winnipeg, Milwaukee, and Kansas City. At the time, Hogan got huge, after filming Rocky 3, he still was a relatively youthful 29, who despite not being the fastest or most technical wrestler, he certainly did not look like an old man in his 40s.

The peak of Hulkamania was obviously 1987, during the buildup to his match with Andre the Giant, but Hogan had been massive for at least 5 years at this point.

 

[Jets4Life2]

What are you talking about bro? If the WWE gave Johnny Gargano or Adam Cole Hulk Hogans booking, they'd have been twice as big.

lol...no they would not have.

 

[The XL 2]

lol...no they would not have.

No kidding brother. Thought my sarcasm was obvious enough. Those guys could get superman booking and they'd still have been less over than the Paul Romas or even Jerry Flynns of the world.

 

[The XL 2]

This.

Hogan was insanely popular in the Midwest USA and Canada (Manitoba at least) in the early 80s. He began as a bad-ass heel, only to morph into the most over wrestler in the promotion by far and away when Rocky 3 came out. By 1983, he was most likely the most popular wrestler in the World, and a huge draw in Japan.

The misconception is that the territories were held in smoke-filled bingo halls, until McMahon brought the industry mainstream, which is revisionist bullshit. Starrcade preceded WM by two years, Super Sunday broke all kinds of box office records in 83, and the Von Erich Memorial Show at the cotton bowl set a attendance record that was not broken for over two years.

In fact, when Hogan returned to his previous AWA stomping grounds in 85-86, the crowds were virtually standing room only in places like Minneapolis, Winnipeg, Milwaukee, and Kansas City. At the time, Hogan got huge, after filming Rocky 3, he still was a relatively youthful 29, who despite not being the fastest or most technical wrestler, he certainly did not look like an old man in his 40s.

The peak of Hulkamania was obviously 1987, during the buildup to his match with Andre the Giant, but Hogan had been massive for at least 5 years at this point.

Right. Hogan was the most popular wrestler in the world while he was in the AWA and NJPW. Obviously McMahon and his national expansion took Hogan to greater heights, but Hogan was the biggest star in the world before that, bigger than Flair, Von Erich, Dusty, Baba, Inoki, Andre, etc.

 

[RainmakerV2]

Because people didnt overanalyze the show back then. Hogan was the hero. They liked Hogan. It was simple. Back in those days people used wrestling as an escape. Even if they knew it wasn't "real" they invested themselves into the characters and they actually cared whether they won or lost. If their favorite wrestler lost it wasn't "damn, I wish he would have won but they put on an awesome match, i wonder what Meltzer will rate it?" It was, "fuck, why did my guy have to lose?" You didnt sit and watch the show and go "Oh, hes kinda bald, cant really "work" that well, yellow is a dumb color". It was just fun. Wrestling has lost its fun.

 

[the_flock]

What are you talking about bro? If the WWE gave Johnny Gargano or Adam Cole Hulk Hogans booking, they'd have been twice as big.

No they really wouldn't.

 

[Hotdiggity11]

Hogan is the GOAT. Just watch his stuff in the 80s. Dude was wrestling. Only guy I can think of outside of Andre the Giant that was a mega star in pretty much every company he entered, while being the top draw in AWA/WWF/WCW and hell even popped a rating for TNA for a while even if it ended badly.



When he was green, he got over on his look and being a heel that had a manager. When it was time for him to get pushed to the moon in AWA/WWF, he had already learned how to do promos that appealed to the audience. At no point was he ever a jabroni in any notable promotion. He already found a way to appeal to a multitude of difference audiences in different parts of the country and even in Japan.

 

[Rick Sanchez]

God-like charisma.

 

[Dickhead1990]

I always thought that he looked like an old man too! With that said, it was a very iconic look at that.

I feel The Butcher has the same sort of look about him too of being old before his time. Mind you, he looks like he's genuinely an extra out of the cast of Peaky Blinders.

 

[The Golden Shovel]

It’s funny because when I started watching around 92/93-onward, I always viewed guys like him, Flair, Arn Anderson, Macho Man (and a lot of other, mostly WCW, guys) as being “too old”. Which is funny because a lot off them weren’t much older than guys like AJ Styles are today.

Macho Man singlehandedly kept the tie dye industry afloat in the 90's....even if he did look like that dodgy guy in the ice cream van who rocked up in October.

 

[Lancaster_Wyatt]

Because of the hokey 80's culture. It would never work today.

 

[FelixTheStonerCat]

I was NEVER a hulk Hogan fan.

 

[Schwartzxz]

Can you imagine if a wrestler debuted today who was bald on top with dyed blonde horseshoe hair and a village people moustache? he'd probably end up a laughed at jobber.

can you imagine a guy like Daniel Bryan winning the WWE title in the 80s?

 

[The Definition of Technician]

Boomers suck and have terrible taste, what else do you need to know?

 

[jpickens]

It was all about personality, charisma and being in the right place at the right time

 

[jroc72191]

Hulk Hogan Power Up in Wrestlemania X8 (18) - YouTube

watch this clip and see how much Hogan has the crowd in the palm of his hand

 

[jroc72191]

What are you talking about bro? If the WWE gave Johnny Gargano or Adam Cole Hulk Hogans booking, they'd have been twice as big.

i wish i could slap you for saying something so fucking stupid... this may be the dumbest wrestling opinion ive ever seen, and i used to post on R/SquaredCircle!

 

[The XL 2]

Boomers suck and have terrible taste, what else do you need to know?

Word. Who are the make a wish kids in your avatar, by the way?