The Rise Of Hulkamania And WWE’s Mainstream Success During The 1980s

No Wrestler Could Compare To Hulk Hogan In Terms Of Pop Culture Appeal

If it hadn’t been for Hulk Hogan, WWE arguably would not be in the position it is today regarding business success and cultural relevance. Because of Hulk Hogan’s charisma and larger-than-life presence, the professional wrestling genre thrived during the 1980s and early 1990s due to his all-American superhero-like persona. Hulk Hogan’s massive success in the professional wrestling business made him among the top entertainment figures in the 1980s, instantly establishing himself as WWE’s greatest asset during the prime of his career.

While some people may try to doubt Hogan’s wrestling ability, one can’t deny that he had all the tools to be a marketable superstar for any wrestling promotion, especially promotions that emphasize sports entertainment. When Hogan first returned to WWE in 1983 for his second run in the company, his career took off to tremendous heights. He soon won his first WWE Championship from the Iron Sheik at the infamous January 1984 MSG event, later racking up many more world champion reigns, and ended up headlining eight out of the first nine WrestleMania PPV events.

Hulk Hogan First Departed WWE In 1992

Hulk Hogan Tried To Make It In Hollywood

Hulk Hogan was the definitive face of WWE from the mid-1980s to early 1990s, but the winds of change were in the air at the turn of the decade. The film No Holds Barred dropped in 1989, denoting the first push for The Hulkster to crossover from wrestling megastar to the movies. Though critics slammed the film, it nonetheless broke even financially on the back of WWE’s popularity at the time and spawned other Hogan vehicles, including Suburban Commando and Mr. Nanny.

By 1992, a slight downturn in popularity for WWE, the early rumblings around steroid abuse attached to the company, and an aging Hogan eyeing a full-time acting career all led to his first departure from the company. Hogan worked a farewell match to much fanfare at WrestleMania 8 and rode off into the sunset as far as wrestling fans were concerned, leaving Randy Savage and The Ultimate Warrior to carry the main event babyface torch in the meantime, before Bret Hart and a newer cast of top stars started taking up the mantle toward the end of that year.

Why Hulk Hogan Departed From WWE In 1993

Hulk Hogan Wasn’t Seen In WWE For Nine Years

Hulk Hogan continued his run as WWE’s main attraction during the early 1990s. However, around the time when the steroid scandal hit WWE hard regarding its image, Hogan decided to take a long time off from wrestling after his win over Sid Justice at WrestleMania 8. And even though he’d return to WWE in early 1993, where he won the WWE Championship at the following WrestleMania 9, it was clear that his wrestling career in WWE was on its last legs.

After wrestling his final televised match at the King of the Ring 1993 PPV, defending the WWE Championship against Yokozuna, Hulk Hogan officially departed from WWE to transition to acting. With Hogan’s name value in pop culture during the 1980s, one would’ve thought that he had the potential to break out as a Hollywood celebrity, especially with his larger-than-life presence and charisma.

Hogan’s transition from professional wrestling to acting didn’t last very long, as his acting career didn’t take off. Hulk Hogan, starring in the 1994 action series, Thunder in Paradise, nor his movie ventures succeeded in launching an acting career at near the level The Rock or John Cena would achieve in the decades to follow.

Hulk Hogan Had A Tremendous Impact On WCW’s Business In The Mid-1990s

It was only a matter of time before Hulk Hogan returned to his professional wrestling roots. In 1994, Hulk Hogan signed with Ted Turner’s World Championship Wrestling and instantly became the top star in that company, winning his first WCW World Heavyweight Championship in a dream match against Ric Flair at the Bash at the Beach 1994 PPV.

A few years later, Hogan once again lit the professional wrestling world on fire when he shockingly turned heel at the Bash at the Beach 1996 PPV, forming the New World Order faction with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash and causing a professional wrestling renaissance during the late 1990s. Hogan’s NWO became one of the best groups in professional wrestling history while also being responsible for pushing WWE to its limits by unleashing the Attitude Era in 1997. Because of these events, Hulk Hogan’s lack of success in Hollywood was a win for wrestling fans, as his return to professional wrestling helped kick off the exciting Monday Night Wars that lasted for many years.

Hulk Hogan’s Reinvention As A Nostalgia Act In WWE

Hulk Hogan’s Final Defining Run Would Come As A Nostalgic Hero For Longtime Wrestling Fans

Whereas Hulk Hogan had worn out his welcome with WWE fans in 1993, it was a very different story when he returned to the company in 2002 after his time in WCW and after having reinvigorated his career via his heel persona leading the New World Order. Indeed, when Hogan came back to WWE, he played that most famous version of himself from his WCW run, leading Scott Hall and Kevin Nash in declaring war on WWE.

A funny thing happened at WrestleMania 18, though, when despite playing the heel and facing one of WWE’s top babyfaces, the stadium crowd got behind The Hulkster in a big way. By the end of the match, Hogan was essentially a babyface again–a point reinforced when he joined The Rock in fending off Hall and Nash in the aftermath.

That moment set up one of the most profound nostalgic runs in wrestling history, as Hogan was right up there with Rock, Steve Austin, and Triple H as one of the top good guys once again and won his final WWE Championship. There’s a real case to be made that the success of this run set a template for what returning legends like Goldberg would do in the years to follow, leaning into the fond memories fans had of them from the past and placing them in protected situations to capitalize on what they could still do in the ring.

Hulk Hogan’s Fall From Grace

Time Has Not Been Kind To The Hulkster’s Legacy

Hulk Hogan was a name synonymous with pro wrestling across decades, but a combination of choices he has made and information that has come to light have really taken their toll on his public reputation. Some of the earliest blemishes on Hogan’s record arose with the popularization of the Internet Wrestling Community, alongside tell-all books about wrestling, documentaries that even WWE itself produced, and podcasts taking what had once been a niche market for wrestling shoot interviews and bringing backstage stories into the mainstream. In this process, stories of Hogan politicking, going into business for himself, or otherwise not being the nicest guy behind the scenes took a toll on fans’ perceptions of him.

From there, the last decade has been especially tough, with the leak of Hogan’s sex tape and the release of an audio recording of him using racist epithets. Add to that his polarizing political comments, including speaking at the Republican National Convention, and he has left a lot of disillusioned Hulkamaniacs in his wake.

In some ways, Hogan’s lukewarm WWE run in 1993 was a harbinger of what was to come, including mediocre beginnings to his WCW run, a heel turn fans were all too ready for, and his widely criticized time both on screen and behind the scenes with TNA.

Hulk Hogan leaving WWE in 1993 worked out exactly as it needed to, setting him up to transform in WCW, then return to WWE a decade later and thrive in his old persona. Hogan proved himself able to adapt to the changing times multiple times over, influencing the history of the business in different ways across a solid two-decade span.