Has Hulk Hogan's Legacy Been Tarnished?

[The Crock]

Simple question, really. What do you think, has Hulk Hogan's legacy been tarnished? Do you view him in a different light now or do you still love him as much as you ever did?

I definitely think his legacy has been tarnished by his actions over the last 10 years. First he started trouble with Vince Russo in WCW, then some years later had a falling out with the WWE, then the way he handled his Hall of Fame Induction, the Hulkamania Tour, and finally joining TNA. It just seems to me that Hogan can't let go of the spotlight. He's an egomaniac who must always be the center of attention. His time was up years ago, yet he still refused to retire, to leave. After countless surgeries he still goes out there and puts on these embarrassingly bad matches, it's just plain stupid. I want to remember Hogan for what he was in his glory days, not this.... But he's makng it harder and harder to think highly of him. You know, Hogan was a megastar, he was the man. The fans loved him even when he came back for his final WWE run, where he certainly showed his age, but now... Even the fans are sick of it. I don't want to see his legacy get tarnished anymore.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I think it may have been tarnished slightly, but only with fans who watch wrestling today. Most people who are just casual viewers probably dont even know Hogan is in TNA and do not really care what goes on behind the scenes in the wrestling business.

They just remember Hogan in his heyday and were probably Hulkamaniacs back in the day. If you mention the name Hulk Hogan to anyone they all admit he is the most famous wrestler of all time, most still think of him as the best, and TNA is still so far under most casual WWE fans radar that they dont really care.

To me, I think Hogan needs to step out of the spotlight, appearing in a small company like TNA is not what the Hulkster is about. For all his impact on the wrestling business he should have retired at a Wrestlemania is a blaze of glory and then left. Or perhaps been a GM in WWE, it is a bit pathetic that he keeps going and going trying to be relevant now, when he clearly isnt.

 

[ted sheckler]

I think I agree with you. I believe both Hogan and Flair everyday seem to be chipping away at their legacies. Flair had been doing his legacy no service by staying an active wrestler long after he should have been retired. WWE actually managed to repair most of it with his final program and his amazing sendoff. But since I really think he's flushed that away and gone back to his very very sub par matches. I think Hogan did the same to an extent.. He continues the same tired act that he's been doing for 30 years and even in TNA tries to make it "all about him". Hogan is an icon for sure but I think at this point his "not in prime years" are starting to equal his "prime years"

 

[TUFFY54]

I have a bit of a unique view on this. If you had asked me five years ago I would of said absolutly. However, as I've gotten older and into the working world, my thoughts have changed. To answer the question, yeah, its tarnished a little. The fact is Hogan needed some money. I belive everyone in the world can understand that. He's lucky enough to still get paid to do what he loves on a limited basis. Most people aren't that lucky. Ill give you an example: there are lots of huge music groups from the seventies and eighties that are still playing music. There not selling out 30,000 seat arenas anymore but people still enjoy hearing them play. Why should they stop doing what they enjoy just because they arent at the top of the charts anymore. Hogan has another big thing going for him. Not to knock TNA, but the average person has no idea he still wrestles. He's a celelbrity, and our hero, but hes not so mainstream that average joe knows he's working for a small company right now. On top of that, if Vince called he could walk into the WWE, give one pose, and get a bigger reacion than half the roster combined.

P.S. Love the name Ted Sheckler. When are you going to open a wrestling post emporium?

 

[In & Out]

quite simply no....

a legacy is the story of the legend

unless he does something in real life that is in the realm of a chris benoit or oj simpson or have child molestation charges against him.....his legacy is pretty much intact forever.

A legacy supercedes the opinions of true fans.....a legacy entails the views of hardcore fans, casual fans, & non fans alike.

There are people who don't know a thing about wrestling ......but they know hulk hogan.

 

[Rasha]

Did Michael Jordan's years with the Wizards ruin his legacy? Nah, he's still the GOAT and just made the cover of a video game almost ten years after retiring. Have all of Brett Favre's issues the last few years stopped commentators from gushing with love whenever they call his games? Not once.

Legacies are only truly tarnished when someone does something that either taints how they reached their greatest accomplishments (e.g. Barry Bonds) or they just do something so awful that it becomes the biggest story of their lives (e.g. OJ Simpson). But as long as the majority's ultimate impression of the person is based on their highest highs then the legacy is preserved.

I'd say Hogan fits that "preserved" category.

 

[darbare]

this is something alot of you guys continually fail to realize.....he is a pro wrestler....he has made the most money probably out of any wrestler in the history of the company easily...HE WANTS TO MAKE MONEY...in the Hulkamania era HE MADE MONEY, LOTS OF IT....why not continue doing something that has a lot job security for especially with his name? legacy? thats only for storytelling and kids...the man wants money and so do the rest of us.....he's been sued over the years and has to pay his stupid ex wife money for shopping....who cares about a legacy when you could make millions...look at Flair, he came back....Bret even came back for the money...get over it

 

[harrythem]

Hulk Hogan can never tarnish his legacy. Whatever he does now can't take away from the impact he has had on wrestling. No-one ever had it before and no-one can ever make that kind of industry changing impact again.

If you'd asked has Hogan tarnished his public image then, yes, very much so. Every day Hogan goes out there and we're reminded of the numerous surgeries he's had. Seeming him on crutches and still hogging the spotlight from the true players (like Jeff Hardy). Not to mention that horrid reality tv show and all the stupid shit involving his family, and it has turned him into a laughing stock. I can't look at Hogan the same way I used and have deffo lost a ton of respect for him but, that'll never change his legacy in wrestling.

 

[ultraviolence]

Tarnished, that's putting it nicely. I know way more about Hulk Hogan than I wish I did. His kids, his ex-wife, uhhh enough! It makes sense that he was doing reality tv and rent-a-center commercials because he is getting older, but why the hell is he still involved in wrestling, dude can barely walk to ring much less get in it. (If they didn't have that old man walking plank entrance to the ring I doubt he could get in.)

Hogan was legendary, and I loved him like everyone else. Even his NWO come back on WWE was good, in fact it was fun, I think even his last run in WWE wasn't bad either, way better than Brett Harts, but seriously, dude, he should have called it quits already. His legacy now lays in RUINS because of this bullshit run in TNA.

 

[neildittmar]

It's quite difficult for any star that is so established and well known to tarnish his or her legacy. How many fights did Tyson have past his prime that people still paid $49.95 on a PPV to see? How many albums has Ozzy put out since becoming utterly and completely unintelligible? Same thing here with Hogan.

The quality of Hogan's performances is almost inconsequential at this stage in the game. He is still synonomous with professional wrestling and will always be a draw for any organization that has him. Regardless of what he does, short of murdering somebody or committing some other extremely heinous crime, Hogan will always be remembered for the phenomenon that he was rather than for the years he continued to go when everybody else said no.

That is, until the generations that embraced him so heartily have passed on and there are fewer and fewer people around to talk about how big of a legend he actually is/was.

P.S. Love the name Ted Sheckler. When are you going to open a wrestling post emporium?

It might take awhile before you get a reply. Ted's currently merging his stone etching and carrier pigeon training emporiums with the wrestling post emporium for better efficiency. That post above? Ted was actually replying to a "Hogan now in TNA" thread from 11 months ago. The young lad sent to deliver it to the server farm by motorized scooter was found only recently eating candy and playing video games with Ted's Uncle Paul.

You could say that he got tied up... eh heh, eh heh, eh heh

 

[CH David]

Hulk Hogan still goes down in the record books as the greatest professional wrestler ever. He changed the business twice, took the WWF into the stratosphere in the '80s and turned WCW edgy with the nWo in '96. Austin brought attitude at his time at the top, but that was just WWF and one time. Hogan did it twice.

His acts now are just a man who can't let go of the spotlight. It's not tarnishing a legacy, it's just an ego that can't simply let go. Simple as that.

 

[Tech N9ne]

Nothing has hurt his legacy as a wrestler at all. He is and will always be considered the biggest star. Even over The Rock and Austin and whoever comes after those 2. Even though they were better than Hogan. Hogan was huge and came first, so when someone mentions wrestling, the first name usually thought of or mentioned, is Hogan's.

But I think his legacy as a man has been tarnished. No one can take away his slam on Andre. No one can take away the 80s. No one can take away The NWO. No matter what anyone says, that is what defines Hulk Hogan.

His family life, divorce and other things behind the scenes of wrestling that have come out, make Hogan alot less desirable to today's fans. I think a lot of people that loved him back in the day, will continue to love him now. They still see the red and yellow, BROTHER.

I guess a part of who he is as a man, could tarnish his wrestling legacy a bit. But not like what most people think. If it was a situation like Benoit's, then sure. But his records, matches, and impact can never be overshadowed or replaced.

He might not be the man we all thought he was. But he is still the wrestler we all thought he was. People can say whatever they want. I'll tell you this, I would bet my life that if he left TNA tomorrow and went to WWE for a job. They would not hesitate at all to sign Hogan to a deal. Right this second they might say they wouldn't, but when and if that time came, THEY WOULD!

 

[Big Sexy]

Nothing that happened in WWE or WCW has tarnished his legacy. The only thing that may have tarnished it slightly is his time so far in TNA but when looking at the big picture even that doesn't do much but nothing about his legacy revolves around TNA. Hogan made the biggest name for himself and had the majority of his success in WWE and WCW. Nothing that he did in those companies, even in the later years, really affected how most people viewed him.

Hulk Hogan is and always will be a legend. Hulk Hogan is and always will be seen as one of, if not the best professional wrestler that this business has ever seen. A lackluster run in TNA won't change anything.

 

[doubles87]

Why does everyone hate his run in TNA. He's there to give the brand recognition. That's why he was brought in. I think he is doing that. If anyone here is a fan of TNA I think we can agree that at least since they began the "they" storyline it became more interesting. Makes you want to know what will happen next week. It also made people like Abyss, Pope, Jay Lethal, and especially Kazarian more relevant rather than just undeveloped characters that were founded by the brand.

Sure they aren't perfect but I wouldn't say wwe is either.

 

[PhD]

Does a bear shit in the woods? I don't see the point in all the semantic quibbling over what it means to "tarnish" a "legacy." The fact of the matter is that Hogan hasn't done a damn thing for the business of wrestling in the last 10-plus years. He hasn't put anyone over, he hasn't worked any good or meaningful matches, and he hasn't contributed really anything of value, entertainment or otherwise, to anyone who works in, watches, or gives a shit about professional wrestling.

What has Hogan done then you may ask? Had an ugly divorce that makes pro wrestling look like a completely white-trash enterprise, shown that he has idiotically squandered the greatest fortune ever amassed by a single wrestling performer, made himself and his family look like a bunch of jackasses on his absurd reality show, and nearly permanently crippled himself by continuing to milk his legacy for every last penny.

While acknowledging what he's meant to the business in his long career, it would be foolish to argue that his twilight years have not tainted his public persona at least moderately. Regardless of what the man on the street thinks about Hogan, wrestling has always been a marginal enterprise, and esteem among the hardcore community actually does matter. Do you think the fact that most people don't know Stone Cold was a wife-beater doens't tarnish his legacy?

 

[Rasha]

The fact of the matter is that Hogan hasn't done a damn thing for the business of wrestling in the last 10-plus years. He hasn't put anyone over, he hasn't worked any good or meaningful matches, and he hasn't contributed really anything of value, entertainment or otherwise, to anyone who works in, watches, or gives a shit about professional wrestling.

Funny that you started your post with a comment about animal shit, because that's how I felt about most of it.

And really, check your facts. "10-plus years?" WM 18 was in 2002. I'm pretty sure that Hogan-Rock is still remembered as a good, meaningful, valuable, and entertaining match to the majority of wrestling rans.

If you're gonna' spout off, at least be accurate.

 

[CuddleBuns84]

No, Hogan hasn't destroyed his legacy. I don't think he has tarnished it either. Hell, TNA hired him, or he bought into the company, however, TNA management believes he is the ratings guy. So they send him on TV every night. I mean, TNA should have given him an office job, and let him make decisions behind a desk. But, both Hogan and TNA agreed he is what's best for TNA.

Just because him and HBK had a goofy match at Summerslam, doesn't mean he left WWE on bad terms. If I recall he came back next year and wrestled Orton. Then had an appearance or two with the company after that.

Hell, at WM 21, when he came out, and whooped Muhammad Muslin I marked out huge. It was just bad ass. He made another amazing run after that.

In fact I feel bad for the guy... to an extent. I mean, his wife needed almost every cent of his cash. She needed his house, and she went on some sex romps with some 20 year old. In his house. I mean, he had to go back to work. So if anything, maybe we should start a thread about how Hogan's wife is trailer trash. That's just my opinion.

 

[TheBWO]

He's no longer a draw....let's face it. The kids that paid money (or their parents paid money) are all grown up and have moved on with life, or admired newer wrestlers, and have had kids of their own who admire Cena, Morrison, etc....or...if you're like me....find OTHER things to watch from time to time.

His legacy is there....his name will always be synonomous with wrestling...not Hogan Knows best, not Rent-a-Center, not anything else. Now...which affiliation he may be connected to may be a small bit of a blur. Of course he put the WWE on the map back in the 80's, and had one of the biggest turns in wrestling history in the 90's....and I honestly think if Hogan worked the backstage as a curtain jerker and NOT someone who has to constantly be in the spotlight I think would help. If he's so concerned with TNA, and helping them get over, shouldn't he doing that behind the scenes? How can he put someone over in TNA when there is a 35 year age difference in some cases? Trust me Terry Bollea, no one has forgotten you....I just think you need to find a nice pasture to graze from and allow other people have their turn. You could go eight weeks without gracing the face of my flatscreen TV and it would be a nice change for awhile. You're in the HOF, ...not many people make that ....please let others make their run.

 

[ITrippedTheShockmaster]

I agree with some of the earlier posts that Hogan's wrestling legacy has not been tarnished by his current run in TNA.

I was a fan of Hogan growing up back in the 80s and 90s. He is the face of pro wrestling, period. He brought pro wrestling to the forefront of pop culture not once (Rock n Wrestling in the 80s), but twice (nWo in the 90s). You'll never be able to tarnish that. His name will forever be linked to pro wrestling, no matter what. His late years in WWE and current run in TNA are just another phase of his career.

Has his personal image been tarnished? In a way, yes. He hasn't done anything to the extent of Benoit, but he's not the Hulkster we all grew up watching.

Plus, with the way the word of pro wrestling is now in terms of "breaking the fourth wall" with the IWC and dirt sheets, the mythos of any character is now diluted. Hogan's no longer the larger-than-life American icon he was 20 years ago. He's human, and has faults. In today's National Enquirer world of reality TV, social media and "have-to-know-now" mentality, he dediced to make his life a lot more public than it has to be. He has been through a lot in recent years, but it's as much his fault for trying to keep hold of fame than it is ours for continuing to want to know. Seeing the fall of someone who was once a revered icon does tarnish public opinion.

Personally, I can't stand the guy. IMO, he's become a shill and is all about the money. He's basically the KISS of pro wrestling - made a big impact a long time ago, raking in the cash and still hanging around and working the gimmick way after his prime. I believe he needs to step aside and let the next generation (or next next generation, actually) make their mark on pro wrestling. But, I do respect what Hogan has done for the industry.

 

[PsychoBlack]

Hogans legacy has not been tarnished. Even if it was tarnished he is so far and away better than all of the other wrestlers that it wouldn't matter. All wrestlers have their down points. Austin's Heel turn, Flair's titties etc. Hogan has never had this type of stupidity associated with something that he is leading so i would say that he's long overdue and the fact that he went this long without having it says quite a bit.

 

[candy girl]

so he didn't contribute anything to the business huh phd? i'd say he contributed alot seeing as how the wwe is a fixture on very DAMN television set in america, not to mention mcmahon fat ass is sitting pretty as a billionaire thanks to all of the blood sweat and tears given by hogan......... as far as his legacy being runied is concern, to some yes to me no!! i don't look at him any different than i did all those years ago, he's still hulk hogan the ICON to me, losing his fortune? whatever it's material things, while it's good to have the big fancy house, the cars, the money, at the end of the day it doesn't bring happiness..... you think that all of these celebs that have millions/ or billions of dollars wake up of morning smiling say to themselves it's so good to be me! oh let me jump into my mercedes, my bmw, and go for a nice ride lalalalal? HELL NO!!! the first thing that happens to them when they wake up in the morning is...... is shit!!! i have to go get out of bed do my publicity work all the while there's a bunch of paparazzi with cameras following my every move asking me dumb ass questions. i can't fatom what it must be like to have my every move followed like that while trying to live up to some fake image that's not really there. as a fan will continue to support him. and pray for him in hopes that he does find some happiness in his life.

 

[PhD]

Funny that you started your post with a comment about animal shit, because that's how I felt about most of it.

And really, check your facts. "10-plus years?" WM 18 was in 2002. I'm pretty sure that Hogan-Rock is still remembered as a good, meaningful, valuable, and entertaining match to the majority of wrestling rans.

If you're gonna' spout off, at least be accurate.

Thanks for sharing your feelings. In 2002, Hogan wrestled a match against the guy who was already the company's top draw, and would retire 2 years later. So let's set the bar at 8-plus years; can you tell me what Hogan has done since then?

Beyond the things I've already mentioned, which apparently you find it beneath you to address, we have Hogan's stint in TNA. At least Ric Flair, while having wrestled far past the point he should have, is able to contribute in a significant way to producing something of value for wrestling fans by cutting great promos and giving the rub to up-and-comers. What has Hogan given us? Abyssamania.

Hogan is not some kind of sympathetic figure, and it's beyond me why anyone would make him out to be one. The guy routinely screwed over his fellow wrestlers, and took for himself without concern for how it would affect those around him. Hell, we could look no further than Wrestlemania 2 or 3, I forget exactly which it was, when Jesse Ventura tried to unionize all the guys backstage before the event, and Hogan basically said 'no dice.' The guy has always been out for himself, and his recent exploits have made that glaringly apparent.

 

[animal_strength]

Hogan's legacy was tarnished a long time ago. He is well known in the business as a self-absorbed prick who thinks the wrestling world and the media revolve around him. He refused to put anyone over- and when he did, it was he who made the offer. He honestly thought him joining TNA publicly would create a strong shift in viewership. He is a jerk and does not even deserve to have a legacy.

I think that pretty much sums it up.

 

[TheHitMark-SirJoseOle]

Hogan's legacy was tarnished a long time ago. He is well known in the business as a self-absorbed prick who thinks the wrestling world and the media revolve around him. He refused to put anyone over- and when he did, it was he who made the offer. He honestly thought him joining TNA publicly would create a strong shift in viewership. He is a jerk and does not even deserve to have a legacy.

I think that pretty much sums it up.

Like Hogan being a self absorbed prick should shock any of us, he's not the only one who's been subject to that speculation, period. Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels have had their share of controversies, in fact I don't remember Hogan walking out on the company twice within a calendar year, like Austin did, that's if the whole thing with Austin's breaks from WWF/E are true. If the "I lost my smile" schtick is as true as they say it is, Hogan pales by comparison to those two, as much as I like them as wrestlers in addition to Hogan. Some people might counteract with claims like "Well Hogan, refused to drop the title to Bret Hart" or he did this and he did that, which I don't deny is a VERY good possibility, again you and I and everyone else can only say it's a possibility and not fact in regards to the backstage behavior of these people. Because none of us were there to know for sure, and I am not saying Hogan's ever been not guilty of some of the charges that people like you have levied on him, but for one thing, he doesn't have exclusive use of that disposition and number 2, guys like Hogan if they wanted to with all their star power could've gotten their way a LOT more when you think about it. But despite all that, I don't think anything takes away from who he is as a star in the business, was he rather formulaic on many occasions...yes, but do I believe that he paid his dues to get to where he was during his heyday and beyond...hell yeah. Even in TNA where most have thought of him to be a traitor to Vince and Co. because he didn't want to return to WWE, that's his business and I am sure he had his reasons, and despite what most people think, the fact that he has not won the World Title or any other championship there when he had the chance to has said something that most armchair experts don't have enough open mindedness to admit.

Face it dude, Hogan accomplished something that guys like you and I can't lay claim to, he redefined an artform and took it to the next level. Hogan's personal life while a circus and something I could give two shits about to the degree that most do, does not change who he is as a performer and a name in the business. What you people seem to bitch about more is Terry Bollea the name that his bill collectors call instead of his Hulk Hogan Persona. With the nature of pro wrestling, personas and real lives tend to commingle more often than not. Other entertainment media and performance arts like TV and movies tend not to have that same effect on the perception of fans, but that probably has much to do with the fact of wrestling's status as the sports-entertainment hybrid that we've grown accustomed to using when referring to the business. Just the same though, no one should act surprised about any skeletons Hogan has in his closet, athletes and entertainers the world over are prone to this sad fact. After all, who knows how you or I would be if we have his level of success.

If we really want to character assassinate, let's talk about Steve Austin who has a rather interesting past in regards to spousal abuse, ended up lancing himself some probation time. And here most people are pissing and moaning about Hogan's media ****ing and the fact that he had a parental faux pas, granted I wouldn't say we'd commend the Hulkster with father of the year, but a lot of moronic idiots tend to leave out the fact that the passenger of Hogan's son was a 22 year old Marine reservist who should have god damn known better than to go and get wasted with an underage youth and put himself in that danger. Being a former Marine myself, I can tell you that military authority would have thrown the book at John Graziano had he not been put into a vegetative state from that accident. Sharing alcohol wih a minor and being in a car under the influence even as a passenger is conduct unbecoming of a United States Marine, but the media doesn't bother to want to tell you that, and most idiots which you probably fall into that group would tend to subscribe to that same thought.

By no means should we nominate Hulk Hogan or any other entertainment figure in my view for sainthood. However, there was more to the story with his family's meltdown than most want to believe. But keep it in perspective, most of us are fans of these people without remembering that behind the personas are individuals that we may very well not like should we ever get to know them as people. But that should not stop anyone from being entertained by what they do.

 

[CuddleBuns84]

Thanks for sharing your feelings. In 2002, Hogan wrestled a match against the guy who was already the company's top draw, and would retire 2 years later. So let's set the bar at 8-plus years; can you tell me what Hogan has done since then?

Beyond the things I've already mentioned, which apparently you find it beneath you to address, we have Hogan's stint in TNA. At least Ric Flair, while having wrestled far past the point he should have, is able to contribute in a significant way to producing something of value for wrestling fans by cutting great promos and giving the rub to up-and-comers. What has Hogan given us? Abyssamania.

Hogan is not some kind of sympathetic figure, and it's beyond me why anyone would make him out to be one. The guy routinely screwed over his fellow wrestlers, and took for himself without concern for how it would affect those around him. Hell, we could look no further than Wrestlemania 2 or 3, I forget exactly which it was, when Jesse Ventura tried to unionize all the guys backstage before the event, and Hogan basically said 'no dice.' The guy has always been out for himself, and his recent exploits have made that glaringly apparent.

He also wrestled HBK and Orton. He even had some cameos or surprise appearances. Hell I was pumped when he walked down the aisle at WM21.

Overall, what has Hogan done in the last 3 years would be a better question. Right now, the guy is working a small company hoping it will pan out, and he came make some money again, since his wife took him to the cleaners.

Now, with the whole backstage politics thing going on. He did make wrestling a big thing in both the 80s and 90s. He was your bread winner. Ask Bischoff. So he had some say in the manner of went on.

Is it really his fault that no one would step in, and tell him "NO!" We are doing in this way. Do I blame the guy for not wanting to job to Jeff Jarrett? Hell, I don't think Doink the Clown should of jobbed to Jarrett.

Hogan knew wrestling, and yes his backstage crap did get out of hand at times, but, he was pretty much the boss at WCW. If it didn't fly with him, he wouldn't allow it. I mean, they didn't have any managers or executives step in, saying this is the direction we want to go. No, they signed the big money contract and said "Do that thing you do so well!" When you have that kind of authority your going to get that. I mean, hell, anyone that has that kind of authority will do that. Can't Blame the guy for using his power that was granted to him.