I'm gonna have to agree with this. Hogan didn't go out of his way to put himself over with the fans like other greats did (Austin, Rock). Vince literally put him at the top and seeing how at the time it was a huge transition for wrestling, the fans bought into it and rode along. I think it's very arguably that at that point in time, Vince could've choose anyone and they could've been what Hogan was.
What bullcrap this posting is, are you serious? Hogan didn't go out of his way to put himself over with the fans?
Well, last I remembered Hogan was one of the most prevalent examples of a wrestler using theme music back before EVERYONE had theme music. I won't be so blind and biased in saying that he was the FIRST, because that would be a little inaccurate of me to just assume. Hogan was also doing his whole Hulkamania shirt deal before going back to the WWF when Vince, Jr. bought the joint. I mean again maybe this was just something that Vince made up for the AWA DVD since Hogan's business relationship with Vince at the time of the DVD release was active. But considering that Hogan was having mainstream attention and profile by being in Rocky III during the time, and he was an incredibly over face in the AWA, I am going to say that Hogan was something special at the time and like him or not is one of a kind. Pardon the markdom here but I'm sticking to my guns on this one.
This isn't to take credit away from Vince McMahon's business savvy, but all Vince did in the way of the Hulk Hogan persona was give it a bigger, and better platform to run on. Which I will admit is just as good as creating the Hulkamania persona, but let's not take credit away from what the performer behind that persona actually did when you consider the first couple years of this iconic character started elsewhere and not in the World Wrestling Federation.
I have to laugh so hard I might fell out of my chair when I read posters like yourself say that anyone could have done what Hogan did in wrestling at the time it was huge. Now I don't deny there were several other greats in wrestling at the time Flair, Savage, Jake Roberts, Curt Hennig, Bret Hart and os many others. But bottom line is this, Hulk Hogan had a ten year run as the WWF's focal point be it as the WWF Champion or not. For as great as the above mentioned performers were (they're amongst my top favorites of all time) they weren't going to take Hogan's spot.
Plus, we saw how much of a bust it was when Vince tried doing something else in the way of a new "standard bearer", The Ultimate Warrior, I'm sure you remember that guy right, you know the dude that used to paint his face and shake the ring ropes? Most of his matches would end before his ring music even finished? Yeah, that guy. Basically, if ANYONE could have done what Hogan did like you claim, then someone would've stepped up and done so but the Warrior fucked that one up didn't he?
Sorry to break this to you chap but like Sammartino and Backlund (and I can't even stand Backlund's character but I gotta admit he was a top favorite) before him, Hogan had an IT factor with the fans and was the people's choice for quite a long time. I might be wallowing in Hogan's bias and have my nose figuratively up his ass but fuck it, there's solid proof that whether you liked Hogan or not, during his 1983-1993 tenure in the WWF no one could live up to his image and when it was attempted it didn't last. And with that even said I'll still concede that I am sure Hogan power played his way into his spot or at least to maintain it, but Hogan still had the fan support at that time to back it up, and things worked out for the best that way.
Anyway to expand on Rayne's points (which as usual are very accurate, pardon my ass kissing there dud) Vince's creation is indeed the expansion of the business. The dissolving of the territories while depressing in some ways also gives us the business in how we know it today. In a business sense it was a great move, it's just too bad that the territories still don't exist as a wrestling version of the minor leagues of wrestling, sure you can consider FCW to fill that role to a point but that's just one region. But when you look at what Vince has done over the past thirty years even if I can't stand several facets of his business model, he's still created something rather effective.
Especially when he brought WCW (formerly Jim Crockett Promotions) 11 years ago, when Vince bought the biggest competitor (the last hold out from the territorial dissolving) that he had he was able to firmly establish himself even more as the kingpin of the business. While TNA gets slammed on a critical basis, which don't get me wrong isn't completely unwarranted. I believe that one of TNA's biggest obstacles is the fact that WWE is just bigger, better and badder (pardon the horrible pun). Whether on the internet or on television WWE has several programming outlets and shows, and for the past ten years, WWE's just not going to be an easy promotion to challenge. Even if TNA was the best wrestling on the planet, it would take more than that to match what WWE has since it has history and an established brand on its side. So beyond the simple and most obvious answers like WrestleMania, Austin 3:16, and Hulkamania (which the latter two still require someone who can carry the responsibility of getting phenomena like that over and were both started elsewhere and not in the WWF) it really is Vince's changing of the WWF/E's business model over the years and his ability to create his brand as THE brand of choice.
