RIP HULK HOGAN

RIP Hulk Hogan

Finding out about the passing of Hulk Hogan yesterday morning left me with conflicted feelings. The same person I grew up listening say, "Train, Say Your Prayers, & take your Vitamins" went from that to calling his daughter's boyfriend an "N-Word" and "Hulking Up" for Trump during the Republican Convention. Whew!!! As polarizing as he was in the 80's and 90's for being the face of professional wrestling on a mainstream platform, the last 10 years of his life have been marred with mistruths, scandal, and outright nasty work so the real question is why are so many of us touched by his passing?

Wrestling Territory Map

I truly believe that if you're not 45 and up you probably won't see it. When I started watching wrestling in the early 80's, regional wresting or "territories" were King and you could watch wrestling from all over the country for the most part shot in local tv studios and occasionally in stadiums and arenas. Those territories gave us wrestlers like Tommy Rich, JYD, Jerry "The King" Lawler, Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, The Fabulous Freebirds, The Von Erich's, Bruiser Brody, Bruno Samartino, and many many more! The joy and delight of being in elementary school and waiting on Saturday mornings or Saturday evenings to watch these over the top characters! As some of these territories started losing money and talent they sold off to a young Vince McMahon and the WWWF soon became the WWF attracting stars from all over, with Hulk Hogan leading that charge after he beat The Iron Sheik for the title!

24 Inch Pythons

There wasn't anyone like him! 6'6 with 24 inch pythons, 325lbs, tanned as dark as I am, bright colors, all over the tv, and could hype you up with a simple, "let me tell you something brother"! To a child he was larger than life! I believed in what he said and showed us on camera! Later in the 80's when he faced Andre the Giant and slammed him, man look! That took him to another level amongst my friend group! The only time I was conflicted about him at that point of life was when he faced, The Ultimate Warrior! Although I was very sad for him to lose the title, Warrior had more electricity and looked like the times!

Hulking Up Against The Warrior

WCW Heavyweight Champ Hollywood Hulk Hogan

As time moved on so did the Hulkster following the steroid scandal in WWF. Hulk moved on to WCW eventually shedding the yellow and red scheme we'd come to love for the NWO black and white when he rebranded himself as Hollywood Hulk Hogan! What a time and the head quarters where in Atlanta, GA! So many memories and eventually him returing back to WWF and facing the Rock in 2002 at Wrestlemania X8!

Hulk Passing The Torch

Listen I don't condone many of the actions and words spoken by Terry Bollea, but Hulk Hogan provided me with many memories including allowing me to step into a wrestling ring with him! I'll will have my mother here with me to tell that story! I'm in no position to sit on a high horse and judge anyone. This is not throw stone day here, but I will celebrate the memory of someone that was the hero in the ring and that my friends is, Hulk Hogan!