The Best Wrestler of All Time

[Leo656]

"Hogan = Overrated"
So's your opinion. When you get paid 5 million bucks a year to do ANYthing, then you can call people overrated.

Does anyone know how Hogan came onto the scene?! (Cracks knuckles) Ah, gather 'round my son, and I shall tell you a tale, one that began in sunny Florida back in the mid-1970s...

Terry Bollea was a lifelong wrestling fan. He was, through all of high school and for some time after, bass player in several rock and roll bands. His bands played at several clubs in the Tampa area, many of which were frequented by some of the local wrestlers. So he knew people. Eventually, he got it into his head that he might make some money as a wrestler. He was recommended to pro wrestler and trainer Hiro Matsuda, known as one of the toughest trainers around at that point. Hogan's first day was basically as follows: The trainers had him run drills until he was ready to throw up, then Matsuda dragged him into the ring and snapped his ankle.

Back then, not just anybody could come off the street and be a wrestler. There was no garbage like "Tough Enough". You had to be respected by the other wrestlers if you even wanted to have a shot, and to earn their respect you had to be tough. Matsuda wanted to see how dedicated Terry was. Terry came back once his ankle healed, earning him the respect of his trainers, but things didn't get much easier. For the next six months, Hogan was barely allowed one offensive move as the trainers put him in submission hold after submission hold. The way they taught back then was "If a guy leaves his arm open, break it. If you get a guy in a headlock, put the bone of your wrist into his temple and squeeze..." In short, they taught people how to hurt people *for real*. For a year, all Hogan learned was how to break bones and gouge eyes. Then, when they thought he was "ready", they let him in that wrestling was staged. The point of their training him the way they did was two-fold. First off, they wanted him to be able to handle himself in any situation in the ring, and secondly, they wanted him to be so unstoppable physically that nobody could pin him unless he wanted them to.

Once his training was finished, Hogan bounced around several territories and ended up in Memphis as Terry Boulder. Back then, "The Incredible Hulk" tv show with Lou Ferrigno was popular, and someone who saw Hogan commented that he "looked bigger than The Hulk". So he became Terry "The Hulk" Boulder. After a while in Memphis and a few trips to Japan, he eventually ended up in the WWF, then owned by Vince McMahon Sr., who gave him the name Hulk Hogan. He hung around for about a year in 1980 as a heel (bad guy) and had a couple big feuds with Andre the Giant and Bob Backlund. He left the WWF when he got a call to be in Rocky 3. McMahon didn't want Hogan to take the role, but Hogan was insistent, so McMahon fired him. Hogan played Thunderlips in Rocky 3 and became pretty much a celebrity right there.

As with any big movie, Rocky 3 created quite a buzz, and a lot of that Buzz was on Hogan. His name reached the ear of Verne Gagne in Minnesota, owner of the AWA. He brought Hogan in as a face (good guy) and had him feud with Nick Bockwinkle over the AWA Title. The AWA was where "Hulkamania" and all its catchphrases and t-shirts started, they just didn't have a logo yet as Hogan made the shirts himself. Hogan became more and more popular, especially after Rocky 3 came out, but he never ended up with the Title. Politics in wrestling were a big deal back then, and Gagne wanted his son Greg (who was not very talented) to win the Title. Hogan got fed up with it, and when he got an offer from Vince McMahon Jr. to return to the WWF in 1983, he took it. In his final AWA match, he appeared to beat Bockwinkle for the belt, only to have the desicion reversed on a bogus technicality. The fans in the arena rioted.

Hogan took another trip to Japan in 1983 before he went back to the WWF and took part in the first ever International Wrestling Grand Prix Tournament. Hogan was already much-loved in Japan and had recorded an album there. The IWGP Title is basically Japan's version of the World Title, and in fact is more respected throughout the world than the WWF/WWE World Title. Hogan himself has said on many occasions (most notably in 1993, when his words got him in trouble with Vince) that the IWGP Title is the "Real World's Title" and that the WWF Title is "a toy." Hogan beat the legendary Antonio Inoki in the finals, knocking him out of the ring and unconscious with the Axe Bomber to become the first ever IWGP Champion.

After that, he went back to the WWF and beat The Iron Sheik on January 24, 1984 at Madison Square Garden to become the WWF Champion, and the rest is pretty much history.

Anything else you'd like to know?

[Ninja Turtles Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by Benvenuto

Hey, I was just wondering: How EXACTLY did Hogan come onto the wrestling scene, especially WWF?

It's like he was just there, and got popular.

Goes anyone know?

There is an A&E Biography on Hulk Hogan that can give you those answers (and more), but I'll see if I can remember.

He was part of a band and wanted to be in the music business first. But then, for some reason, he went down to where wrestlers train and was coaxed into the ring. A wrestler promptly snapped his leg like a twig . . . and Hogan was hooked.

When he was first in the WWF, he was a heel. He wore white trunks, and he had chest hair. But then, just like what happens to so many wrestlers, the fans started cheering him. And then when he beat the Iron Sheik for the title in 1984, Hulkamania was born.

I know I'm skipping a lot of details, but that's the gist of how he got into the business.

"What'cha gonna do?" - Hulk Hogan

[Ninja Turtles Cartoon Fan]

Whoops. Looks like Leo656 beat me to the punch. And his story is far more thorough.

"I came here to train, say my prayers, then kick your ass!" - Hulk Hogan, on one edition of Monday Nitro in 1999, after he was back in the red and gold.

[Leo656]

Heh I neglected to mention Hogan's heart-shaped chest hair on purpose. That was so horrible.

He also used the name "Sterling Golden" very briefly. Thankfully.

[Ninja Turtles Cartoon Fan]

There was a quote in this thread about how Hogan doesn't know any wrestling holds.

I remember when he wrestled Bret Hart on Monday Nitro in 1998, and he actually pulled off two incredibly technical moves. I don't think even the announcers knew he was going to do that. One of them said something along the lines of, "It's not that we didn't think he could mat wrestle, it's just that we didn't think he would."

Hogan knew what he was doing in the ring. And he was a legend far ahead of his time. And, no matter what anyone says, Hogan was the one who brought wrestling into the mainstream. I think wrestling might have made it eventually, but Hogan certainly fast-forwarded the movement by a decade or so.

"Yeeesssss!" - Hulk Hogan, when Roddy Piper asked him if he's take on Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III.

[Ninja Turtles Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by InsaneZane

I say Hogan, but Randy Savage should be on that list

Randy Savage was a great wrestler (some of his WWF matches are still considered ground-breaking to this day), but I don't think he ever was as good as he could have been.

He was always second fiddle to Hogan (even when he was the champion), and by the time Hogan was gone, the WWF wouldn't let him wrestle anymore, claiming he was too old.

WCW could have done more with him, and they used him well upon his arrival. But then he got saddled into the nWo, and his career tanked.

Randy Savage could have been one of the legends; but as it stands, he's just a really good wrestler.

"Oh, yeah!" - Randy Savage

[Leo656]

I have that Hogan/Bret match on tape. I loved how he basically controlled the entire match with *wrestling* and not brawling. He always did tend to use a few more technical moves against guys like Bret, Flair and DiBiase than he did against guys like Andre and Nash. Which makes sense. He wrestled against wrestlers and brawled against brawlers.

Oh, and I forgot to add "Side Russian Leg Sweep" to Hogan's list of moves.

As for Savage, I'll give the guy his due. He IS a legend. He was there, just like Piper and DiBiase and Snuka and all those others who were "greats" but fell just short of being "the BEST". He never really cut loose like he could have, but it sure wasn't for lack of trying. I personally think it was his mental instability, the fact that Randy Savage the character and Randy Poffo the person are basically the exact same guy, was what hurt him in the long run.

But I disagree that the nWo killed his career. In fact, I think joining the nWo was the best thing he could have done. He had already been smacked around by them for 6 months, he really had nothing else to do. And when he joined them, he had some of his best matches in years, especially his classic feud with Diamond Dallas Page, the feud Page claims made his career. His Wolfpac phase was a wash, but his return in 1999 after ACL surgery was pretty good. He was at his best as the wild, unpredictable heel instead of the hand-slapping "good guy".

I think he'd still be around somewhere if he hadn't priced himself out of the market. Savage's biggest problem is his attitude and his perception. He thinks he's AS big as Hogan... and he's not.

[That Matt Guy]

Lodi.

[Reznorite420]

Where's Mick Foley???????

[Shellfox]

appently the hardcore ledgend doesn't warrent a mention, which sucks cause his Hell in a Cell is the thing of ledgends, not to mention he married a model. And had naked elves running around in his book

And Al Snow should get a nod for having his toy pulled from Walmart for having a decapitaed womans head

And Once More

Where is Andre the giant

[That Matt Guy]

And why did Van Hammer get left off that list?

[Reznorite420]

Come on, nothing can beat one man having three seperate alter-egos/gimmicks in his career, some of them overlapping once in a while.

What makes Dude Love special is that he debuted IN MY HOMETOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*begins the Dude Love "knee-dance"*

[Leo656]

I respect Mick Foley, but I really don't think he honestly comes anywhere close to being one of the "greatest wrestlers of all time". He even goes into detail in his books about how he was never particularly talented, he just had a high threshold for pain. His biggest contribution to wrestling was falling off the Cell and almost getting killed, and retiring at 33 with brain damage.

If you call that being one of the greatest wrestlers ever, that's your opinion, but I personally don't see it. I respect him, but one of the greatest ever? I'd be hard-pressed to agree.

[Ninja Turtles Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by Shellfox

appently the hardcore ledgend doesn't warrent a mention, which sucks cause his Hell in a Cell is the thing of ledgends, not to mention he married a model. And had naked elves running around in his book

And Al Snow should get a nod for having his toy pulled from Walmart for having a decapitaed womans head

And Once More

Where is Andre the giant

I tried to enter a slew of names, but my poll got cut off at Steve Austin.

"Everybody's got a price!" - Ted Dibiase

[That Matt Guy]

I was surprised to see no WCW wrestlers on there.

[Leo656]

ANd yet you left on Kama, "The Supreme Fighting Machine"?

I would have liked to see an actual serious "Greatest Wrestler" poll and a "Craziest Gimmick" poll. In fact, I might just do that one myself.

[Leo656]

Originally Posted by Matthew138

I was surprised to see no WCW wrestlers on there.

Ric Flair was WCW's top star for most of his career. Aside from him, I'd say Sting deserved to be on the list.

[TMNTGUY4EVER]

well i think if were talkin best mat ability its got to be hogan but for strenght i have to say andre the giant but i think all around hogan is the best wrestler of all time. I think there should be more names on that such as mankind taker austin rock ect

[Ninja Turtles Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by Leo656

As for Savage, I'll give the guy his due. He IS a legend. He was there, just like Piper and DiBiase and Snuka and all those others who were "greats" but fell just short of being "the BEST". He never really cut loose like he could have, but it sure wasn't for lack of trying. I personally think it was his mental instability, the fact that Randy Savage the character and Randy Poffo the person are basically the exact same guy, was what hurt him in the long run.

But I disagree that the nWo killed his career. In fact, I think joining the nWo was the best thing he could have done. He had already been smacked around by them for 6 months, he really had nothing else to do. And when he joined them, he had some of his best matches in years, especially his classic feud with Diamond Dallas Page, the feud Page claims made his career. His Wolfpac phase was a wash, but his return in 1999 after ACL surgery was pretty good. He was at his best as the wild, unpredictable heel instead of the hand-slapping "good guy".

I think he'd still be around somewhere if he hadn't priced himself out of the market. Savage's biggest problem is his attitude and his perception. He thinks he's AS big as Hogan... and he's not.

It just seemed that when Randy Savage joined the nWo, he got lost in the shuffle. He was just "one more guy" in the overly-saturated group. And he was in Hogan's shadow. Again.

Savage never got his just due in wrestling.

"There's nothin' like WWF action!" - Bobby Heenan

[Ninja Turtles Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by Leo656

ANd yet you left on Kama, "The Supreme Fighting Machine"?

I would have liked to see an actual serious "Greatest Wrestler" poll and a "Craziest Gimmick" poll. In fact, I might just do that one myself.

I left names like Doink the Clown and Kama on the list as jokes. Because their characters were a joke.

I was glad when they got rid of the race car drivers, garbage men, and clowns and stopped treating the audience like 10-year-olds.

"Take a look at the Bad Guy!" - Razor Ramon