Celebrate Hulk Hogan’s Birthday With 10 Memorable Moments
From body slamming Andre the Giant to wrestling The Rock.
The greatest wrestler to ever don a pair of tights turns 63 today. In parts of five different decades, Hulk Hogan provided some of sports entertainment’s most memorable moments.
Here, ten iconic highlights from Hogan’s legendary career:
1. Forming the Mega Powers
For a brief time in 1988 and 1989, two of the most iconic wrestlers to ever enter the squared circle teamed up and called themselves The Mega Powers. Alone Hulk Hogan is a force of nature, but with Randy Savage by his side these two guys are out of this goddamn world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw62C1MBKJc
2. Wrestling Goldberg on Monday Nitro
For a brief spell in the 90s, the Monday night wars escalated to such a fever pitch that matches typically reserved for pay-per-view cards were taking place on free TV. This one nearly caused the Georgiadome to explode.
3. Losing to Jay Leno
The sign of a true professional is a hearing your boss say you’re going to lose to Jay Leno and not quitting on the spot.
4. Launching Wrestlemania
The main event at the first Show of Shows pitted Hogan and Mr. T against Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff and helped make Wrestlemania a household name. Also on hand were Yankees manager Billy Martin as guest ring announcer, Liberace as guest time keeper and Muhammad Ali as guest ref. What a time to be alive.
5. Starring in Suburban Comando
Pay no mind to its 18 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this movie is a classic for anyone who was still drinking juice boxes in 1991.
6. Going head-to-head with the Ultimate Warrior
So many of wrestling’s great moments are made not by the wrestlers themselves, but by the build up of action and the release of the crowd. The Royal Rumble in 1990 had one of those moments when Hogan and Ultimate Warrior came face-to-face after emptying out the ring.
7. Forming the New World Order
It took 15 years, but at 1996’s “Bash at the Beach” Hogan finally went bad, teaming up with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall to form the New World Order.
8. Wrestling The Rock
When the WCW went belly up and Vince McMahon bought its assets, Hogan returned to the WWF after a nine year hiatus. His first big moment back was a match against The Rock, which he lost, at Wrestlemania X8.
9. Playing Thunderlips
Prior to his role Rocky III, Hogan was a wrestling star who hadn’t crossed over into pop culture. That changed after he threw Sylvester Stallone around a ring and called him a “meatball.”
10. Body slamming Andre the Giant
Though this move permanently screwed up his back, Hogan’s body slam of the 500-pound beer-swilling behemoth is still the best thing that ever happened to him. After this magical moment at Wrestlemania III, Hogan and professional wrestling would never be the same.