I will give Hulk Hogan his flowers. He revolutionized the appeal of professional wrestling. He was a larger than life character in a sport full of larger than life characters. He had charisma in buckets. He was marketable like no one would believe. He could sell out an arena in nothing flat. For over twenty years, Hulk Hogan WAS synonymous with professional wrestling.
But if you’re expecting a blog post full of hagiography, look elsewhere.
Because Hulk Hogan was many things. And not all of them were honorable.
When wrestlers tried to band together to form a union and bargain for better wages and travel and treatment, Hulk Hogan went behind their backs and snitched them all out, effectively crippling any unionization plans.
Hulk Hogan abused steroids. That’s as plain as day.
Hulk Hogan treated his family like disposable parts. Yes, he participated in a few seasons of arality TV show with his family, but in later years he essentially disowned his daughter.
Hulk Hogan used his creative control like a cudgel. The stories of him vetoing a wrestling storyline by saying, in effect, “That don’t work for me, bruddah,” are legendary.
Hulk Hogan was also a racist. He used the N word in radio interviews, which actions got him suspended from WWE’s Hall of Fame for a time.
Hulk Hogan is a MAGA chud. I’m betting Donald Trump might order the nation’s flags to fly at half-mast upon Hogan’s death.
Hulk Hogan made a sex tape with a radio show host’s wife.
Hulk Hogan dumped his wife for a woman young enough to be his daughter.
In his final years, Hulk Hogan shilled for his own custom beer brand. Say your prayers and take your vitamins, for sure.
Let’s just put it this way. Hulk Hogan in the wrestling ring was as straightforward as a highway.
It’s just that outside of the ring … that highway had more off-ramps than the Garden State Parkway.
And it’s true, there are so many people who grew up watching professional wrestling and could name those moments when they saw Hulk Hogan defeat Andre the Giant / Yokozuna / Macho Man Randy Savage like it was nothing.
But Hulk Hogan the wrestler didn’t fill the same idolatry as Terry Bollea.
And that, my friends, is where the hagiography ends.
As I said before … Hulk Hogan was professional wrestling.
All the good in it … and, unfortunately, a lot of the bad.
Chuck The Writer 
Professional wrestling is a circus and the wrestlers are the clowns. I never understood the appeal after 7th grade.
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Paint him as you will, TDS brush and all. But the guy played well to his young audience for decades, and excelled at his trade.
And via his court victory / $140 million award, he single-handedly body slammed and pulverized a shameless, unscrupulous blog for invading his privacy. Gawker is history.
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