Well, I have been trying to write something at this site the last few days about training camp for the Bears. Unfortunately, not only did the news of Hulk’s passing come about. But also dealing with a friend who lost someone close to him recently. So yeah. I haven’t had a chance to pay much attention to how the Bears are going to fuck things up this year. I’ve already heard there were injuries to players before camp even started.
But that’s not why I called.
Yesterday, a huge part of my childhood as well as many other’s left this world. Politics aside, Hulk Hogan was an absolute legend. He’s one of the first memories I had as a kid that made me a wrestling fan. To this day, I still am a Hulkamaniac. It’s been a shitty week for celebrities.
He was bigger than wrestling. He had the mainstream appeal. I was a bit too young in the 80’s to even know I existed. But when the early 90’s came out, I started loving wrestling. From watching on Saturdays to playing the video games, it was there.
My first ever wrestling show I attended, he was back with the nWo in 2002. I am certain I mentioned it here before. But I was shown on television that night and it was one of the best nights of my wrestling fandom life. I put it up there with seeing the Bulls and Blackhawks winning those championships. I got to meet him in 2017 and while the dumb whore who took the picture couldn’t hold the damn thing still so it ended up blurry, I am glad I still have it. I really believed Hulk would be around forever.
“Say your prayers and eat your vitamins.”
Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.
Fire Ryan Poles | Fire Ben Johnson 
July 25, 2025 at 3:17 pm
Fro, my best memories of Hogan was back in the early 80’s during his run in Verne Gagne’s AWA. Verne wanted him to be a heel, and paired him with Johhny Valiant, and it didn’t even come close to working. As Bobby Heenan said, Valiant was pretty useless. The fans called bullshit on that, and shortly after he became the biggest babyface on the planet. His feud with Nick Bockwinkel was awesome. But Verne made the big mistake of not putting to title on him. And that wasn’t even Vernes biggest mistake! Hogan had a huge deal with New Japan Pro Wrestling and with Antonio Inoki. Verne went to Hogan and said he’s putting the belt on him and he’s getting 50% of Hogans Japan deal. Hogan said like hell, went to Japan, and never returned to the AWA. A month or two later and Hogan pins the Iron Sheik and wins the WWF title. Verne was the man who started Hulkamania, but in my opinion, and this strictly my opinion, Vince McMahon turned him into damn cartoon. Hogan became way over the top to the point he wasn’t even believable anymore. Hogan didn’t regain the believability until Bash at the Beach 96. That heel turn saved his career, because Hulkamania was getting so stale to the fans. During his matches with Flair, he was getting booed out of the building, and Flair was getting cheered. A change was needed, badly. Hollywood Hogan perhaps singlehandedly saved wrestling, and he definitely saved his career. He was definitely a legend in the world of professional wrestling and deserves all the accolades that come his way. But I must confess, I really lost a lot of respect for him when the sex tape materialized. Why in the fuck would anybody tape their sexcapades? And what little respect I may have had for him completely evaporated last year. Out of respect to you Fro, that’s as far as I’ll go with that, but I think you get the picture. That ended it for me. I’m a bit sad that a guy I remembered as bigger than life 40+ years ago, and really got me hooked forever on wrestling, is gone, but I’m also a bit disappointed in some of the choices he made. I just hope that you and anybody else who reads this understands.