We all know that Hulk Hogan has been a legendary figure in professional wrestling for over a quarter century. He’s had his share of ups and downs but for the most part Hogan has been at least somewhat relevant every year since the early 80s. Looking back on the last three decades what would you say was Hogan’s best year?
I think there are a few good answers. If it was obvious I wouldn’t have bothered with the thread. You could say 1982 when Hulk became mainstream with a breakout role in Rocky III. You could say 1984 when he won his first WWF title and became the face of the company as they marched forward with their national expansion. You could say 1987 when he headlined what many consider to be the biggest match in wrestling history as he and Andre The Giant drew over 90,000 fans to the Silverdome for WrestleMania III. You could say 1989 when he won his second world title and got the lead role in a movie for the first time. You could say 1994 when he resurrected his career and helped save the sinking ship that was WCW. You could say 1996 when he had a major hand in revolutionizing the business by turning heel and creating the nwo. You could say 2002 when he finally came home to the WWF and despite returning as a heel got the fans to believe in Hulkamania again. You could even say 2010 when he took on the challenge of trying to make TNA a respectable competitor to WWE. Maybe you even have another answer. I have another answer.
Despite the impressive list above I feel Hulk’s greatest year was 1985. I’m tempted to say 1984 as that was the year it all started for Hogan and the WWF. Even though he had pretty much instant success it usually takes a little bit of time before anything new hits its peak. As 1985 began Hogan was entering his second year as WWF champion and the national expansion was in full swing. He had become pretty much universally accepted as the most popular man in wrestling. In 1985 wrestling had become a big part of pop culture and Hulk was largely responsible. I’m sure I don’t need to go into detail about how Hulk headlined the first WrestleMania with television superstar Mr. T. In 1985 Hogan hosted Saturday Night Live, was on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and even got his own cartoon show. The seeds of Hulkamania were planted in 1984 and in 1985 Hogan was in full bloom.
Let’s hear your answers. If you don’t agree with my choice I’ve already gotten you started for an opposing viewpoint. What was the greatest year of Hulkamania?
I think there are a few good answers. If it was obvious I wouldn’t have bothered with the thread. You could say 1982 when Hulk became mainstream with a breakout role in Rocky III. You could say 1984 when he won his first WWF title and became the face of the company as they marched forward with their national expansion. You could say 1987 when he headlined what many consider to be the biggest match in wrestling history as he and Andre The Giant drew over 90,000 fans to the Silverdome for WrestleMania III. You could say 1989 when he won his second world title and got the lead role in a movie for the first time. You could say 1994 when he resurrected his career and helped save the sinking ship that was WCW. You could say 1996 when he had a major hand in revolutionizing the business by turning heel and creating the nwo. You could say 2002 when he finally came home to the WWF and despite returning as a heel got the fans to believe in Hulkamania again. You could even say 2010 when he took on the challenge of trying to make TNA a respectable competitor to WWE. Maybe you even have another answer. I have another answer.
Despite the impressive list above I feel Hulk’s greatest year was 1985. I’m tempted to say 1984 as that was the year it all started for Hogan and the WWF. Even though he had pretty much instant success it usually takes a little bit of time before anything new hits its peak. As 1985 began Hogan was entering his second year as WWF champion and the national expansion was in full swing. He had become pretty much universally accepted as the most popular man in wrestling. In 1985 wrestling had become a big part of pop culture and Hulk was largely responsible. I’m sure I don’t need to go into detail about how Hulk headlined the first WrestleMania with television superstar Mr. T. In 1985 Hogan hosted Saturday Night Live, was on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and even got his own cartoon show. The seeds of Hulkamania were planted in 1984 and in 1985 Hogan was in full bloom.
Let’s hear your answers. If you don’t agree with my choice I’ve already gotten you started for an opposing viewpoint. What was the greatest year of Hulkamania?