Hulkamania is still running wild. In the '80s, the wrestler with 24" pythons told his young fans to train, say their prayers and eat their vitamins. In the '90s, he tried being a bad guy but everybody still loved Hulk Hogan. Now we know the intimate details of his family and divorce, thanks to VH1's Hogan Knows Best.
You never needed to follow wrestling to know who Hulk Hogan was. The persona of the red and gold bandana, tearing his shirt off in the ring and holding his hand to his ear to hear the applause wowed stadium crowds and television audiences. Hulkamania was a bigger phenomenon though, extending to movies, animated series and action figures.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling just signed Hogan to join their league, the only remaining threat to Vince McMahon's WWE empire. Hogan is a business partner with TNA owner Dixie Carter, but in wrestling, nobody is behind the scenes. He appears on camera for televised events and he's got big plans for TNA. He even spoke out against McMahon's stable in a press conference to the Television Critics Association.
"My philosophy is different than the WWE model where Vince McMahon will ride someone until they drop," Hogan siad. "He will shoot him and eat him. What I believe is if you can bring someone older to the table that has wisdom, that's established, that the young guys can get the rub off, there's no reason just to shoot them and eat them. Keep them around. Make them work. Make the transition. It's got to be a graceful transition. Nothing has to be edgy and personal and pull the carpet out from under people. There's a way to make all of this work, but the focus has to be on the future, and that's one of the things that has to happen. That's the biggest mistake that Vince McMahon made."
Hogan can work an audience of one as expertly as he can a conference of hundreds or a crowd of thousands. Walking down the hallway of Pasadena's Langham hotel, the still buff muscles of Hogan filled up considerably more than half the hall space. He kept his shirt on, and it was a black tank top instead of the old school gold one, but when he wrapped one of those guns around this reporter, it was Hulk's ultimate blessing of comfort and power.
Suicide Girls: You're not afraid to say what you really think of Vince.
Hulk Hogan: Oh, nothing but good things.
SG: But about how he's run things. You took a stand.
HH: I'm very opinionated about it because I was there so long, we've always been at odds. I never thought, like The Big Boss Man, a policeman character should be a bad guy. I never thought that a clown should be evil. I just don't believe that going against the grain is always the right way to go.
SG: What about the Gobledy Gooker? What was up with that?
HH: Dude, I don't know. I don't want to go there, brother.
SG: How do you think TNA has survived the domain that Vince McMahon's had on wrestling?
HH: I think they've got everything they need. They've got great talents. That ring that they have has provided a quick look see for people that weren't ready for that kind of really fast paced over the top robotic action. I think they've done a great job with storylines. They've survived, under all odds, and they've made a statement. They're here to stay so I just think they do a lot of things right with a lot of talent.
SG: What are your thoughts on TNA's hexagon shaped ring?
HH: I just want to destroy it and get rid of it. Wrestling was meant to be in a squared circle, brother. Not in an oversized playpen.
SG: Is this the new black shirt Hulk Hogan? Is red and gold gone forever?
HH: Nah, brother, it's not gone forever. This is just to let people know I made the transition. I'm a businessman now and I'm not going to do the ear thing and jump in the ring, tear the shirt and wrestle. I want everybody to know that I'm very, very serious about doing business so it's kind of like the black tie look for Hulk Hogan.
SG: It means so much to me that you call me brother. How do you maintain that sincerity when you call everybody brother?
HH: I'm horrible with names. I can never remember anybody's name so I give everybody nicknames like brother. Or Kevin Kay the head man [of Spike TV] I call Kev.
SG: Are you still about prayers, training and eating vitamins?
HH: Oh yeah, yeah. That stuff works. It's been proven over a period of time that all those positive things attract more positive things. It's like misery loves company. Whatever level you're vibrating on, you attract the same so why wouldn't you want to be training, saying your prayers and eating your vitamins.
SG: Where are you in your spiritual journey now?
HH: Probably more intense than I've been in a long time because the ultimate goal is to totally clean up all your thoughts. You have that little ping pong game between a lot of great thoughts and every once in a while you'll get a worry, fear thought. I'm really working on that but it's proved to be the only law to live by.
SG: Have you adopted any new teachings to help you on your path?
HH: No, I'm pretty much on the same line, working with the same set of rules, staying positive, just attracting other good stuff.
SG: Has your family adopted it with you?
HH: Yes, Brooke and Nick are way on the team.
SG: How are they all doing?
HH: Good, good. Brooke's back with me in Florida and I spent most of the day with Nick yesterday, but I had to get him a Z-Pak. He's getting really sick, kind of like the flu, so he's having fun in California but he wants to come back to Florida too. Everything's going great with my family.
SG: We're seeing new Mark McGwire stories. Why are steroids still an issue? Doesn't everybody know better?
HH: It seems like they would. Common sense usually goes a long way. Now that all these guys have been reeducated, it seems like they would have kind of gotten it. I know I feel better being down to my ninth grade weight, 285 lbs, than being 320-330 lbs. I don't know why they are still debating over yes or no.
SG: You got here early to do press. Did you have time to work out this morning?
HH: Mm-mm. I'm going back over to Santa Monica to meet Nick, and my son and I are going to go work out because we didn't train yesterday because he's really sick.
SG: Well, you have to give your body time to heal.
HH: Especially at my age.
SG: You've done movies, American Gladiators and reality TV, but have you found wrestling is really where you belong?
HH: It's instinct. It's in my blood. It's what I know. After the last couple years where there was such an upheaval in my life, I didn't know what was going to happen or what I was going to do, it kind of feels good to get back to the dance.
SG: Even though you're a businessman, in wrestling that's still part of the story, isn't it?
HH: Oh, of course. Of course, but it's also what's really going on with this company and with me and my contribution is I am participating on a business level so it's the real deal.
SG: What storylines are you excited about for TNA?
HH: The ones I'm going to make you watch because I'm not going to tell you because you'll tell everybody.
SG: What did you think of the movie The Wrestler?
HH: I thought Mickey Rourke did a great job. I think it was kind of taken out of context because it's just representative of a very small percentage of just a couple guys in the business because most of the guys that I know that are in the twilight of their career that are working high schools on the weekends are making $3000-4000 a weekend doing great. They're not diving to their death at the end of the match.
SG: What was interesting was how it showed all the camaraderie and respect, even between performers who were antagonists in the ring.
HH: Yeah, well, when you trust someone else with your body, you give me your body and trust me not to spike or break your neck, there's a certain amount of camaraderie that goes along with the trust.
SG: But you would never take a staple to the chest?
HH: Oh, of course I would. They told me it didn't hurt. I don't know if I believe them or not.
TNA Impact airs Thursdays at 9 on Spike TV.
You never needed to follow wrestling to know who Hulk Hogan was. The persona of the red and gold bandana, tearing his shirt off in the ring and holding his hand to his ear to hear the applause wowed stadium crowds and television audiences. Hulkamania was a bigger phenomenon though, extending to movies, animated series and action figures.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling just signed Hogan to join their league, the only remaining threat to Vince McMahon's WWE empire. Hogan is a business partner with TNA owner Dixie Carter, but in wrestling, nobody is behind the scenes. He appears on camera for televised events and he's got big plans for TNA. He even spoke out against McMahon's stable in a press conference to the Television Critics Association.
"My philosophy is different than the WWE model where Vince McMahon will ride someone until they drop," Hogan siad. "He will shoot him and eat him. What I believe is if you can bring someone older to the table that has wisdom, that's established, that the young guys can get the rub off, there's no reason just to shoot them and eat them. Keep them around. Make them work. Make the transition. It's got to be a graceful transition. Nothing has to be edgy and personal and pull the carpet out from under people. There's a way to make all of this work, but the focus has to be on the future, and that's one of the things that has to happen. That's the biggest mistake that Vince McMahon made."
Hogan can work an audience of one as expertly as he can a conference of hundreds or a crowd of thousands. Walking down the hallway of Pasadena's Langham hotel, the still buff muscles of Hogan filled up considerably more than half the hall space. He kept his shirt on, and it was a black tank top instead of the old school gold one, but when he wrapped one of those guns around this reporter, it was Hulk's ultimate blessing of comfort and power.
Suicide Girls: You're not afraid to say what you really think of Vince.
Hulk Hogan: Oh, nothing but good things.
SG: But about how he's run things. You took a stand.
HH: I'm very opinionated about it because I was there so long, we've always been at odds. I never thought, like The Big Boss Man, a policeman character should be a bad guy. I never thought that a clown should be evil. I just don't believe that going against the grain is always the right way to go.
SG: What about the Gobledy Gooker? What was up with that?
HH: Dude, I don't know. I don't want to go there, brother.
SG: How do you think TNA has survived the domain that Vince McMahon's had on wrestling?
HH: I think they've got everything they need. They've got great talents. That ring that they have has provided a quick look see for people that weren't ready for that kind of really fast paced over the top robotic action. I think they've done a great job with storylines. They've survived, under all odds, and they've made a statement. They're here to stay so I just think they do a lot of things right with a lot of talent.
SG: What are your thoughts on TNA's hexagon shaped ring?
HH: I just want to destroy it and get rid of it. Wrestling was meant to be in a squared circle, brother. Not in an oversized playpen.
SG: Is this the new black shirt Hulk Hogan? Is red and gold gone forever?
HH: Nah, brother, it's not gone forever. This is just to let people know I made the transition. I'm a businessman now and I'm not going to do the ear thing and jump in the ring, tear the shirt and wrestle. I want everybody to know that I'm very, very serious about doing business so it's kind of like the black tie look for Hulk Hogan.
SG: It means so much to me that you call me brother. How do you maintain that sincerity when you call everybody brother?
HH: I'm horrible with names. I can never remember anybody's name so I give everybody nicknames like brother. Or Kevin Kay the head man [of Spike TV] I call Kev.
SG: Are you still about prayers, training and eating vitamins?
HH: Oh yeah, yeah. That stuff works. It's been proven over a period of time that all those positive things attract more positive things. It's like misery loves company. Whatever level you're vibrating on, you attract the same so why wouldn't you want to be training, saying your prayers and eating your vitamins.
SG: Where are you in your spiritual journey now?
HH: Probably more intense than I've been in a long time because the ultimate goal is to totally clean up all your thoughts. You have that little ping pong game between a lot of great thoughts and every once in a while you'll get a worry, fear thought. I'm really working on that but it's proved to be the only law to live by.
SG: Have you adopted any new teachings to help you on your path?
HH: No, I'm pretty much on the same line, working with the same set of rules, staying positive, just attracting other good stuff.
SG: Has your family adopted it with you?
HH: Yes, Brooke and Nick are way on the team.
SG: How are they all doing?
HH: Good, good. Brooke's back with me in Florida and I spent most of the day with Nick yesterday, but I had to get him a Z-Pak. He's getting really sick, kind of like the flu, so he's having fun in California but he wants to come back to Florida too. Everything's going great with my family.
SG: We're seeing new Mark McGwire stories. Why are steroids still an issue? Doesn't everybody know better?
HH: It seems like they would. Common sense usually goes a long way. Now that all these guys have been reeducated, it seems like they would have kind of gotten it. I know I feel better being down to my ninth grade weight, 285 lbs, than being 320-330 lbs. I don't know why they are still debating over yes or no.
SG: You got here early to do press. Did you have time to work out this morning?
HH: Mm-mm. I'm going back over to Santa Monica to meet Nick, and my son and I are going to go work out because we didn't train yesterday because he's really sick.
SG: Well, you have to give your body time to heal.
HH: Especially at my age.
SG: You've done movies, American Gladiators and reality TV, but have you found wrestling is really where you belong?
HH: It's instinct. It's in my blood. It's what I know. After the last couple years where there was such an upheaval in my life, I didn't know what was going to happen or what I was going to do, it kind of feels good to get back to the dance.
SG: Even though you're a businessman, in wrestling that's still part of the story, isn't it?
HH: Oh, of course. Of course, but it's also what's really going on with this company and with me and my contribution is I am participating on a business level so it's the real deal.
SG: What storylines are you excited about for TNA?
HH: The ones I'm going to make you watch because I'm not going to tell you because you'll tell everybody.
SG: What did you think of the movie The Wrestler?
HH: I thought Mickey Rourke did a great job. I think it was kind of taken out of context because it's just representative of a very small percentage of just a couple guys in the business because most of the guys that I know that are in the twilight of their career that are working high schools on the weekends are making $3000-4000 a weekend doing great. They're not diving to their death at the end of the match.
SG: What was interesting was how it showed all the camaraderie and respect, even between performers who were antagonists in the ring.
HH: Yeah, well, when you trust someone else with your body, you give me your body and trust me not to spike or break your neck, there's a certain amount of camaraderie that goes along with the trust.
SG: But you would never take a staple to the chest?
HH: Oh, of course I would. They told me it didn't hurt. I don't know if I believe them or not.
TNA Impact airs Thursdays at 9 on Spike TV.