Sometimes....you just need a Hero

[Twiztid Rodimus]

I'm 28, and like most of us around that age, we grew up with Hogan in the 80s, in his prime, and when Wrestling was the worlds entertainment. I really miss the innocence, I miss the days when people weren't so spoiled and act like Rogert Ebert when it comes to enjoying wrestling

When it was clean, wholesome, and fun. Before the 'Tude era, Hogan was considered the end all be all. Back when we didn't know the words Smart Mark and that crap, Pop, Heel, face, or anything that has desensitized us from the magic of Wrestling itself, the illusion that drew us in, and even the music we had ringing in our ears.

The cartoons, the movies. Hogan was everywhere. This may seem extremely random, but I write this in tribute to the Hulkster, the one that we felt was our hero, BEFORE we understood his selfishness, BEFORE we knew of his backstabbing and such. Just when he was our Hero, the Immortal one.

[youtube]jPSra3AccE0[/youtube]
[youtube]zda8dVkfYPM&feature=related[/youtube]
[youtube]05F_TN6jG1Y[/youtube]
[youtube]3QiSsQL-1W8[/youtube]
[youtube]988Z9I8FiIY[/youtube]
[youtube]SIvhCqKQBU0[/youtube]

 

[UFOcalling]

You're right, man. There's so much negativity in these threads (ESPECIALLY those concerning Hogan in TNA), and it's nice to finally read something written in a positive-light.

To be 100% honest, I wasn't a huge wrestling fan in the 80s (I was born in '79)...but I had a lot of friends who were huge WWF fans. I still watched Superstars occasionally on Saturday morning, and I remember watching the WWF Saturday morning cartoon as well. Although, the only episode I can remember (and it's a hazy memory) is the one where the wrestlers are somehow "magically" turned into little kids.

Since you & I are roughly the same age (I'll turn 32 this year), I completely understand your nostalgia for "the good old days"...before the steroid allegations, before WWF came out and said wrestling was "fake", and DEFINITELY before we became members of the IWC (before the internet was even a glimmer in Al Gore's eye! LOL!).

Although the "magic" of wrestling goes away a bit when you stop being a kid, I also yearn for those days. Even though I wasn't a big fan back then, all these characters seemed like - well, real-life "superheroes" to me. They all seemed like they could beat up ANYONE they wanted. The storylines weren't done to death, everything felt fresh & exciting, and a feud between two wrestlers could last a year (possibly even longer than that).

Every once in a while though, I try to turn off my brain and just enjoy what I'm watching. I, like a lot of IWC members, have become jaded & cynical when it comes to today's pro-wrestling product. You made a good point, when you compared the IWC to Roger Ebert...we are all guilty of being over-critical (at least some of the time), and for what reason? To impress each other? It's not like our posts are being read by anyone that matters...a lot of our posts just come across as whiny. "Why don't they do it like this?", "that episode of (insert "show title" here) was horrible.", "if I was booking that show, I'd do it this way instead", etc.

I agree with you, it's great to step out of your brain once in a while and remember when you thought wrestling was quasi-real. We could all benefit from trying to do that once in a while, I'm definitely going to try my hardest to just watch the shows...without picking apart every detail for my own amusement.

 

[nerd4life]

LOLOLOLOLOL

a tribute to the hulkster eh


heres to hulk....for ruining many peoples lives including his own familys.

hulk is a terrible human being. Just because he was made to be the guy doesnt mean we should forget that.

this hulk tribute would have been nice 10 years ago not now dumbass.

 

[Schwing]

LOLOLOLOLOL

a tribute to the hulkster eh


heres to hulk....for ruining many peoples lives including his own familys.

hulk is a terrible human being. Just because he was made to be the guy doesnt mean we should forget that.

this hulk tribute would have been nice 10 years ago not now dumbass.

Twiztid Essex, This is the type of poster that means we can't do exactly what you said you want. How nice would it be to go back to the times when we didn't care for spoilers and understanding how and why certain things were happening. Wouldn't it be great to go back to a time where we thought the story lines we got were terrific and never could be better but sadly, people like the poster above dominate the internet.

If you're anything like me, and you sound like you are, you were probably really excited, 10 years or so ago, at the idea of Wrestling News Websites and Discussion forums where we could talk and reminisce like this. Sadly, that idea was our last act of naivety when it comes to anything Pro Wrestling. Instead it's full of people who think they know better, think they are better and are just generally bitter and full of hate for those of us who still can remember the days where we could watch wrestling in blissful innocence without fear of being labelled a mark.

I was never a fan of Hulk Hogan. I was never a fan of those wrestlers who flew the flag, not just for America but when The British Bulldog did it, I always cringed, but the point is still the same. The Ultimate Warrior, Macho Man, The Undertaker... All these people have nostalgic value to me and it's sad to see how Warrior has turned out when, to me, he was always a hero. It's sad that other heroes like Savage and Bulldog are no longer with us. Back in the 90's, we'd never have known the true manner of guys like Hogan or Warrior. We'd never have known the cause of Bulldog's death. We could still remember them fondly. Sadly, posts like the one above will always try to tarnish that and it's great to see you post something like this to overcome that.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

LOLOLOLOLOL

a tribute to the hulkster eh


heres to hulk....for ruining many peoples lives including his own familys.

hulk is a terrible human being. Just because he was made to be the guy doesnt mean we should forget that.

this hulk tribute would have been nice 10 years ago not now dumbass.

Get a grip, your post is absolutely ridiculous.

The OP is not making this thread as a tribute to the Hogan of today, he is remembering his childhood and stating how great it was back then to have Hulk Hogan as his hero.

Hogan is not a terrible human being. Yes, he has faults, some quite large faults but I think you are completely overreacting in your useless post, and to call the OP a dumbass for posting a thread about one of his childhood heroes is pathetic.

Hulk Hogan in the 1980s was a genuine hero and inspirational figure to so many people. They believed in him, he fought for the everyday man and was the superhero type figure that people loved. He meant so much to so many people and that is what the OP is trying to get across in his post. He remembers the time when we watched wrestling through innocent eyes, without having to pick the show apart and wonder about who is going over, the lack of a push for certain wrestlers or knowing that someone has lost because they are about to be suspended for a violation of the wellness policy. He is saying how great it was to just watch the show, cheer for your heroes and boo the people you didnt like.

I am obviously too young to have seen Hogan in his prime in the 1980s although I expect I would have been a bona-fide Hulkamaniac myself if I was a child at the time. I din't really have a wrestling "HERO" of my own growing up. There were many I was a huge fan of, like The Rock, Austin, The Hardyz etc but none were the be all and end all, the ICONIC figure of my childhood like Hogan was for so many.

I kinda wish I had believed in a hero like that, it would have made wrestling even better than it was. Great thread from the OP.

 

[Shawn]

Finally a thread to simply praise wrestling for what it is. I'm am still very young. 16 to be exact. And i started watching wrestling in 2006. Now i've watched and studied all types of old school wrestling, so please dont just treat me as a kid who doesnt know what hes talking about lol. Anyways, most of the people on this site grew up watching hulk hogan, or Rock or Steve Austin. However i've grown up in the Cena era. And i am a Cena fan. now i do agree with must things said on this site about Cena in the main event a little to much but i'm still a die hard Cenafan.my favorite year of wrestling is 2007. Because thats when i was in to wrestling the most i've ever been.

The reason? Because i wasnt worryin bout spoilers, or who was cheatin who, WWE trying to make money or backstage news. I was worying bout the storylines. That was the only part of the buisness i knew. And when i did see Hulk Hogan..i dint see him as the homewrecker, egotistical, conceded jerk, i saw him as a legend a wrestling hero. I saw John Cena as the Champ. And would tune in every monday to see if he was still Champ. i was just intrested in wrestling and appreciating it for what it was. So that was the best time as a wrestling fan for me. Around 2009, i started digging deeper into wrestling and then found sites such as these. Which kinda took away the illusion that Wrestling tried to make for us. And thats one reason why i think it is easier for us to criticize because we think we know whats best, when most of the time we dont. Also you usally already know whats goin to happen because of spoilers. So the shock factor is kinda eliminated for folks like us lol.

So there is a view on this topic from a guy from the present generation. lol

 

[BrahmaBrog321]

I respect where you guys are coming from. I've been a fan for 13 years now, and just like the previous poster, my favorite year was my first. Everything was brand-new, and I could care less about anything other than story-lines and what Stone Cold would do to Vince McMahon next.

I just watched "The True Story of WrestleMania" video today, and it reminded me that behind the shows we criticize are human beings who are doing the best they can to entertain millions of people. It made me think of being less critical, and to simply enjoy the ride again.

For those of you interested in having frequent discussions on the positive of pro wrestling, check out my blog at positiveprowrestling.wordpress.com. It should be running my Monday.

Take care everyone.

 

[Twiztid Rodimus]

LOLOLOLOLOL

a tribute to the hulkster eh


heres to hulk....for ruining many peoples lives including his own familys.

hulk is a terrible human being. Just because he was made to be the guy doesnt mean we should forget that.

this hulk tribute would have been nice 10 years ago not now dumbass.

To show how wrong this is, You do realize all the supposed wrongs you claim to know so much about, Happened before his time in 2001, where you claim this tribute would have been more apt. So, before you decided to sound off like a very cliche, typical, know it all but know very little fan, Do some research.

And as stated by many of the SENSIBLE posters above, beyond yourself obviously. My post wasn't necessarily about Hogan, it was about the feeling, the mental draw that we shared with the characters, the way the younger ones do now with Cena, yet, so many of us just trash Cena since he's not our pick, or he doesn't put on 60 minute clinics that we ALL know we wouldn't have enjoyed when we were 5, when Hogan was telling stories with his performance. Imagine, if as a child, we heard most of the crowd booing Hogan in his prime while he was portrayed as our Hero? It would be terrible

I do not wish to insult you, though you chose to come to my thread and do so, I will simply ask this, Grow up, or at least learn, as an adult, to respect others opinions, you don't have to agree.

But you sound like someone who knows little to nothing about the golden era of wrestling, So, I refuse to comment further.

To those who have maturely responded, I'm glad to see others that agree, and understand, Young and Older, it matters not. Its all about the feeling.

 

[tcannon2007]

I've been watching wrestling most of my life and I am 27 years old. I have vague memories of Hulk Hogan in his prime. I do remember we rarely saw him on national tv. There wasn't a "Raw" or "Nitro" back then. We did have Prime Time Wrestling in the late 80's early 90's. Of course we had Superstars and Wrestling Challenge and SNME. However to see Hulk Hogan you more than likely had to order a PPV. I miss those times. I miss when Real American used to blare through the arena and the fans went crazy. As the OP stated .I miss when Wrestling was wholesome and fun

 

[Marzyk]

Growing up in Memphis during the Jerry Lawler USWA days I was lucky as a child fan. At a fair show that they did I snuck back to the trailer as a kid and met the wrestlers. Instead of kicking by little bad ass out they hung out and chatted with me. After that I was actaully recognizable to the guys and would be allowed backstage sometimes. Years later, as a teenager I would go to gym and see Sid Vicious and he would recognize me and speak to me before I even spoke to him. That was awesome and it made a lot of great memories.

But I say that to emphasize that even with all of access one of my biggest memories was when I was around eight years old and went to a WWF house show. I was the lucky kid that got the real five from Hogan, as he walked to the ring... You know the one where he graps the kids hand, points at him, looks him in the eye and says YEAH... lol... That one look from that herioc figure made a lifetime memory for an eight year old me. And that says a lot about the iconic status of guys back then. I find it strange that people were kids when The Rock and Stone Cold were big say that they were fans but did not exactly look up to those guys... That's a shame. Kid's need that.

 

[Headman]

LOLOLOLOLOL

a tribute to the hulkster eh


heres to hulk....for ruining many peoples lives including his own familys.

hulk is a terrible human being. Just because he was made to be the guy doesnt mean we should forget that.

this hulk tribute would have been nice 10 years ago not now dumbass.

Come on man, this is like saying you can't watch Brave Heart without separating Mel Gibson with William Wallace. There's nothing wrong with idolizing the Hulk Hogan character (Pre-nWo anyway). What he stood for was good. The man who portrayed him may be flawed, but the OP is right... sometimes people need a hero.

 

[sTyLnK]

I personally hated watching him in the 80's/90's. He bugged me and I don't know why. Maybe because he was so popular? Heck I was a kid so I can't really remember why. All I know is I don't care for Hogan now and I don't want to get into it.

As a kid I loved the Ultimate Warrior. Maybe I was just a fruit and loved the colorful tassels. lol. Nah that was one of the reasons, but I just loved how intense he was. That made him "cool" in my eyes.

 

[P. Nut Butters]

I started watching right before the Attitude Era was ushered in, when I was about five years old. It wasn't until 2002 when I realized that there were dirtsheets and wrestling "news" websites. I agree with what people have already said about it truly ruining alot of the art in wrestling.

I love going back in wrestling history and seeing matches with Hulk and Flair and whomever else you might want to consider and suspending my reality for that short period of time, regardless of the fact that the 80's is getting around the 30+ years mark. When that audience errupted, it was because of no other reason than THAT was the guy you paid to see kick 'so-and-so's' ass...

You could feel it and believe it and think that you were a part of it and that's why Hulkamania in particular was so big.

Not to rain on anybody's parade, but I think the internet (for all the advantages it does have), has sucked the life out of so many things. It's plasticized the small joys and just dulled life down in so many ways... and don't think I'm somebody who just isn't down with the times, because I haven't even hit 20 yet. But I honestly don't think something like Hulkamania would work today.

To me, guys like Hogan captivated everybody; Men, women and children. Billy Bob Joe down the road and Uncle Phill twice-removed. As the original poster said, it used to be that form of entertainment. Even when I was growing up, all my friends would come around and we'd stay up way past our bedtime to see if Austin would win the Royal Rumble or something - despite the fact that WWF used to be on a two-week tape-delay to my country. It didn't matter and the suspense was still there because that "innocence" about wrestling had not yet been raped and plundered by the marvels of the internet.

My point in saying all of this is that in wrestling, you do need your heroes. Hulk Hogan in my opinion was wrestling's last biggest hero that had everybody on board. Today, heroes only really live in the hearts of the little kids (whom unfairly seem to be one of the IWC's biggest targets, since they just enjoy the show instead of bitching about it). As kids are grasping the internet at increasingly younger ages, I wonder what will eventually become of wrestling's true hero figure?

 

[coleminer4life]

I love this thread!

I was born in 1983, and i've literally been watching wwe since i was 5 years old. I've watched every pay per view since then, and i have never missed and episode of raw or smackdown(i dvr them if i have to work). I watched every episode of Nitro and Thunder, so i've been watching wrestling pretty much my whole life. I remember the 1st match that i saw, Warrior vs. Herculies, and shortly thereafter, Hogan became my hero. As many little kids in every era do, i cheered for the good guy, and booed the bad guys. I got engulfed in the wrestling world. When i became a teen, i started cheering for the wrestlers that i liked, heel or face(Bret, The Rock, Mr Perfect, the list goes on!) Even though i knew that it was fake, whenever my friends and i would watch, we let ourselves get lost in the storylines and pretended to be kids again! I would remember my best friend was a die hard Austin fan, and the Rock was my fave, and we would talk so much smack during that rivalry.

Now at 27, I still enjoy it as much as i used too. My roommates and I always treat wrestling nights like a big deal. We have raw and smackdown parties every week, and we bbq for every ppv. Even though we know all the backstage politics and what not, we never talk about it much. We all have so much stuff that we're going through in the "real world" that we love having something that lets us act like kids again. We watch every week and we cheer the hell out of our faves like it was a football game lol. We still have our heroes(mine our CM Punk and The Miz at the moment). We never read the Smackdown or Raw spoilers so we could be surprised. I've never read a spoiler in my life. True wrestling fans would let themselves be surprised.

Sorry that was so long, but i just had to get that off my chest! I long for when i was a kid watching my heroes as well, but you don't have to let yourself stray away from the kid inside, no matter how much you grow up(my roommates gf's older than i am, but she just started watching it with us 3 years ago, so she's like a little kid watching it every week lol)

 

[Pedigree1]

I have been following wrestling since i was like 6 years old!! I am now 35 i absoutely remember Hulkster!! I miss the old days i do. The old days when fans didnt know what the term face heel meant all this negative shit that goes on these boaryou know!! Who besides Cena do the kids look up to? I really cant think of anyone besides cena who the kids consider them their hero... Sure Hulk has his faults as we all do i just watched the 1990 royal rumble the one where hulk and warrior meet face to face for the first time!! Watching that was like seeing it for the first time again!! Is wrestling fun and wholesome not so much anymore like it was back in the day!! Now its not cool to be a wrestling fan i cant tell you how many times i defend myself against people who hate wrestling, but these are the same people who watch stupid shit like Real World and Jersey Shore!! Hulk Hogan tribute should happened 10 years ago but better late is better than never!!1