Celebrity Deaths
Quote: AZDuffmanTerry Bollea 71
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Had to look that one up. RIP Hulk Hogan
Hogan had a rare charisma that overcame his lack of technical skill, and he took wrestling to heights undreamed of. Unfortunately, he bought into his own hype.
Terry's last appearance with the WWE didn't go as planned.
He'd been banished for a few years as a result of several tapes that surfaced, but the WWE thought it was time to bring him back into the fold. He was given a chance to open RAW, and the plan was to bring him back for a second segment later in the show. However, the audience reaction was so negative that they shelved any future plans.
A huge sports bar is about to open in NYC, called Hulk Hogan's Slam. I'm not sure if he is an owner or just licensed his name.
Rest in peace, and thanks for many great memories. His NWO was the greatest faction in rassling history.
Quote: ThatDonGuy
1. Sondra, Denise, Theo, Vanessa, Rudy
3. Theo
5. A Different World (on black'ish, Dre suggested to his wife that they watch this show, but starting with season 2, when it started showing what an HBCU was really like)
6. Olivia, played by Raven-Symone
7. Eldin
8. Doctor
9. Lawyer
11. Rudy's goldfish
12. Stevie Wonder
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I agree, except I think you spelled #7 incorrectly.
As to your questions, I don't know any of them.
Quote: gordonm888Had to look that one up. RIP Hulk Hogan
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I met his son at the Cheba Hut in Las Vegas once. Did magic tricks for him and who I presume was his g/f. He was a very fun and outgoing guy. Perfect audience for magic tricks. He brought up the fact about being Hulk Hogan's son.
In the early 1980s, wrestling was still divided into various territories, with no one promotion having national coverage. The AWA was based ount of the Twin cities, but owned Milwaukee, Chicago, San Frsa ncisco and Las Vegas. Where the other promotions were content with working with a rotating cast of characters as they worked their way across the promotions, the AWA attempted to make their own stars. No young wrestler was more highly regarded than Hogan and it seemed like he would soon assume the AWA Championship.
In those days, the Champion was expected to tour constantly and wrestle at least 280 dates a year. In return, the Champ received 10% of the gate and a portion of all merchandise sales from any card they appeared on
The AWa champion at the time was a journeyman named Nick Bockwinkle. He'd been a pro since the early 1950s and was a typical veteran of the ring. When Hogan was set to fight him on the biggest card of the year, it seemed like a changing of the guard was in order. Hogan was hugely popular and seemed like the man to take the AWA to the next level. The week before the fight, the AWa approached Hogan and requested changes to his deal. They wanted him to take 8% of the gate instead of 10%, and insisted on Hogan sharing his company-paid hotel rooms. Hogan disagreed with the new terms, but the fight went on anyway.
Hogan dominated the match and pinned Bockwinkle, winning the title. A huge celbration broke out, and the thousands in attendance were loving it, when it was announced that Hogan had accidently hit Bockwinkle illegally earlier in the fight and was disqualified. Hogan wasn't the champion. A week later, Hogan left the AWA and with Bobbhy Heenan join ed the WWE. Within a few months, Heenan brought in his many clients- Sargent Slaughter, Rick Martel, Jessie Ventura, The Road Warriors and more.
With Hogan selling out arenas, many venues began booking the WWE instead of AWA and the money the WWE was making off it's live shows allowed the McMahons to buy new talent, as well as buy television time.
Within a few years, the WWE had three weekly national cable shows, and had a monthly show on NBC. The AWA kept developing new stars, but was unable to keep them and it barely survived the 80s before declaring bankruptcy.
Just for that, I'd give him significant recognition.
Quote: rxwineI see that Hulk Hogan picked up and gave Andre the Giant a body slam.
Just for that, I'd give him significant recognition.
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When Hogan was a heel in his first run with the WWE, he body slammed Andre on several occasions, but never was able to pin him. When he became a face, his earlier feud with Andre was forgotten. When Hogan slammed Andre at Wrestlemania a few years later, Andre must have been 75 pounds heavier, and could barely move. He was famous for being one of the very few wrestlers capable of stepping over the ropes, but at WrestleMania, he was driven to the ring, and someone helped him through the ropes, not over them.
If you watch the match where The Iron Sheik won the title then when he lost it is amazing how the one still had scientific wrestling moves but barely 3 weeks later no actual "wrestling" took place. Hogan had the look and the mic skills, but he was no worker.
To this day I wonder if the last-minute substitution of Hogan in that match was planned or Vince saw he was getting over very fast and moved the title change up a month.
Its doubtful that the AWA would have survived had Hogan stayed. Maybe for a little longer, but Vern was running his promotion like the 70s in the 80s. He missed getting good cable slots and UHF slots in new markets. He would never have used Hogan right even with the belt.
I got bored of Hogan matches after about 6 months as it was the same match over and over.
That was a golden age of wrestling even as we did not know it then. You totally had to have lived thru it.
Hopefully he gets a 10 bell salute on RAW.
That's three big names within a few days.
(Two days of calls (so far!), waiting on hold, callbacks, and I still can't get a workable appointment.)
Quote: DieterI can only assume that this spate of celebrity heart attacks has inspired people to clog up the cardiology department's scheduling line, trying to satisfy their most recent health kick.
(Two days of calls (so far!), waiting on hold, callbacks, and I still can't get a workable appointment.)
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National Fast Food Day was last week. I'd expect a smalll bump.
Quote: DieterI can only assume that this spate of celebrity heart attacks has inspired people to clog up the cardiology department's scheduling line, trying to satisfy their most recent health kick.
(Two days of calls (so far!), waiting on hold, callbacks, and I still can't get a workable appointment.)
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Not myself. I don't see lasting to age 70 and get fussed at by family for not wanting to see the doctor.
Quote: AZDuffmanA few thoughts on Hogan and that era.
If you watch the match where The Iron Sheik won the title then when he lost it is amazing how the one still had scientific wrestling moves but barely 3 weeks later no actual "wrestling" took place. Hogan had the look and the mic skills, but he was no worker.
To this day I wonder if the last-minute substitution of Hogan in that match was planned or Vince saw he was getting over very fast and moved the title change up a month.
Its doubtful that the AWA would have survived had Hogan stayed. Maybe for a little longer, but Vern was running his promotion like the 70s in the 80s. He missed getting good cable slots and UHF slots in new markets. He would never have used Hogan right even with the belt.
I got bored of Hogan matches after about 6 months as it was the same match over and over.
That was a golden age of wrestling even as we did not know it then. You totally had to have lived thru it.
Hopefully he gets a 10 bell salute on RAW.
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Vince poached Hogan from the AWA specifically to put him over as champion. The whole title change from Backlund to Shiek to Hogan was all planned. At the time Bob Backlund, an accomplished amateur wrestler and technical worker, had been champion for several years. Vince wanted to put the title on a big strapping guy with personality, but Backlund refused to lose to anyone but a great working like himself, which incidentally ticked Hogan off since they liked each other from their AWA days. So Backlund dropped the title to The Iron Shiek, an accomplished worker and amateur. After a few squash matches against jobbers, The Iron Shiek dropped the strap to Hogan. The rest is history.
Those who watched Hogan in Japan said he was a much better technical wrestler in Japan than in the states. Why the disparity, we'll never know.
The AWA would've survived longer if Vern ran it like a true promotion, and not a fiefdom to be milked. Vern also demanded a cut of Hogan's Japan revenue. Rumor has it he wanted to pay The Iron Shiek $25,000 to break Hogan's leg in a match. The Shiek refused, since he know he could make more money being Hogan's and Vince's heel than with Vern.
Quote: AZDuffmanQuote: DieterI can only assume that this spate of celebrity heart attacks has inspired people to clog up the cardiology department's scheduling line, trying to satisfy their most recent health kick.
(Two days of calls (so far!), waiting on hold, callbacks, and I still can't get a workable appointment.)
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Not myself. I don't see lasting to age 70 and get fussed at by family for not wanting to see the doctor.
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Thanks for not tying up the phone. ;)
Sadly, it's a mandatory prerequisite for the annual work physical, so.. I expect another 4 hours of phone tag tomorrow.
Quote: GenoDRPh
Vince poached Hogan from the AWA specifically to put him over as champion. The whole title change from Backlund to Shiek to Hogan was all planned. At the time Bob Backlund, an accomplished amateur wrestler and technical worker, had been champion for several years. Vince wanted to put the title on a big strapping guy with personality, but Backlund refused to lose to anyone but a great working like himself, which incidentally ticked Hogan off since they liked each other from their AWA days. So Backlund dropped the title to The Iron Shiek, an accomplished worker and amateur. After a few squash matches against jobbers, The Iron Shiek dropped the strap to Hogan. The rest is history.
I actually got to see the Sheik as champion at a house show in Pittsburgh, had to be less than 1 of 20 such matches. Don't ask me who he defended against. I just wonder of Vince moved up the date. Before the Mania Era wrestling acted a little like boxing where the former champion got a shot to regain before a different guy got a run. Backlund was on the card to challenge Sheik that night but was a last minute scratch.
Quote:Those who watched Hogan in Japan said he was a much better technical wrestler in Japan than in the states. Why the disparity, we'll never know.
Japan always had a weird way with professional wrestling. After WWII it like baseball was an American thing the country really took to. I forget the match and am too lazy to look it up but in the 50s some match had like 80% of Japanese watching, usually in groups as TVs were not common yet. Even in the 80s Japanese loved "big Americans" and loved watching them lose to Japanese. A nice tour for Americans especially ones who needed to "cool off" after some big territory storyline they lost.
Quote:The AWA would've survived longer if Vern ran it like a true promotion, and not a fiefdom to be milked. Vern also demanded a cut of Hogan's Japan revenue. Rumor has it he wanted to pay The Iron Shiek $25,000 to break Hogan's leg in a match. The Shiek refused, since he know he could make more money being Hogan's and Vince's heel than with Vern.
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Vince had NYC which was the biggest market. The AWA had the whole western USA they could have made a conquest of. But Vince moved first and better.
Hogan was a mediocre wrestler, but his charisma and size took him to the top of his chosen profession and kept him there for more than thirty years. He starred in the first WrestleMania, and his NWO faction may be the best arc in wrestling history.
I remember the first time I saw him on tv. He came out wearing a cape and was a very big man, but then he spread his arms and revealed his body. Back then, he shaved his body hair in a V, and had his now-famous tan. He took on three jobbers and didn't break a sweat.
Established rules of the WWF were the title could only change through a pin or submission. If you watch the match Backlund didn't submit. How manager threw in the towel forcing a submission.
I mean since when do managers submit for their wrestlers? Backlund was quite capable of submitting himself. He had survived Sgt Slaughter's Cobra Clutch, the Animal Steele's arm lock and Big John Studds back breaker just to name a few.
Supposedly that was why he became invisible in the WWF history for a decade or two. Having held the world championship for 6 years you wouldn't have known he ever existed back in the late 80's.
Vince McMahon was pissed at him.
Quote: darkozI understand Backlund refused to lose.
Established rules of the WWF were the title could only change through a pin or submission. If you watch the match Backlund didn't submit. How manager threw in the towel forcing a submission.
I mean since when do managers submit for their wrestlers? Backlund was quite capable of submitting himself. He had survived Sgt Slaughter's Cobra Clutch, the Animal Steele's arm lock and Big John Studds back breaker just to name a few.
Supposedly that was why he became invisible in the WWF history for a decade or two. Having held the world championship for 6 years you wouldn't have known he ever existed back in the late 80's.
Vince McMahon was pissed at him.
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He refused to lose to Hogan. He agreed to lose to The Iron Shiek. As for whether or not Arnold Skaaland throwing in the towel was planned or not, IDK. But the fact that Backlund didn't lose by pin or submission was a story line when Backlund made his comeback. IDK the dynamic between Backlund-Hogan-Shiek, but all three worked in the AWA.
Quote: billryanThe WWWF being in NYC and the North East was actually a huge disadvantage to them. Local television time was super expensive and only available at off-beat hours. The AWa and NWA territorys had much better television coverage, which were really just hour l;on g ads for their house shows. In 1973, Gordon Sole's Championship Wrestling was on Channel 47 twice a week, while NWA California had three hours every week on Channel 41, and showed week-old feature matches from the LA Forum. The WWWF had a Saturday night at midnight slot with almost all walk lovers. Vince Sr didn't understand television and its possibilities.
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Not correct. Back then the key was filling the arenas. The TV made little money on its own. MSG not only sold out most months but they had that overflow, Belt Forum or something they called it, that also filled up. Plus he had Boston and Philly. They also did shows in places as small as HS Gyms. This is why they were able to leave the NWA.
Quote: GenoDRPhQuote: darkozI understand Backlund refused to lose.
Established rules of the WWF were the title could only change through a pin or submission. If you watch the match Backlund didn't submit. How manager threw in the towel forcing a submission.
I mean since when do managers submit for their wrestlers? Backlund was quite capable of submitting himself. He had survived Sgt Slaughter's Cobra Clutch, the Animal Steele's arm lock and Big John Studds back breaker just to name a few.
Supposedly that was why he became invisible in the WWF history for a decade or two. Having held the world championship for 6 years you wouldn't have known he ever existed back in the late 80's.
Vince McMahon was pissed at him.
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He refused to lose to Hogan. He agreed to lose to The Iron Shiek. As for whether or not Arnold Skaaland throwing in the towel was planned or not, IDK. But the fact that Backlund didn't lose by pin or submission was a story line when Backlund made his comeback. IDK the dynamic between Backlund-Hogan-Shiek, but all three worked in the AWA.
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Vince wanted him to make a heel-turn and then lose to Hogan. Backlund wanted no parts of that. The towel thing was for sure planned, so he could forever say he never submitted. Top of card guy loses clean it is the end of being at the top of the card. In the old days he would only do so when leaving the territory.
Quote: darkozI understand Backlund refused to lose.
Established rules of the WWF were the title could only change through a pin or submission. If you watch the match Backlund didn't submit. How manager threw in the towel forcing a submission.
I mean since when do managers submit for their wrestlers? Backlund was quite capable of submitting himself. He had survived Sgt Slaughter's Cobra Clutch, the Animal Steele's arm lock and Big John Studds back breaker just to name a few.
Supposedly that was why he became invisible in the WWF history for a decade or two. Having held the world championship for 6 years you wouldn't have known he ever existed back in the late 80's.
Vince McMahon was pissed at him.
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The last time I met Backlund, it was at a political party fundraiser when he was running for Congress in Connecticut.
But I worked out with the wrestlers, back when I lived in Connecticut, as I went to a gym owned by Dr D David Schultz, which was a powerlifting gym open to the public but was also a school for professional wrestlers. There was a ring set up in there where they practiced and I just barely overcame the temptation to tag in and get in on the action! That was way back when, when I was kind of like them except for the steroids, which they all used, and which usually leads to an abbreviated life.
There was a bar in the hotel and the wrestlers would come down afterwards for drinks and to hang out. Someone being friendly after the show told me and invited me along to meet the wrestlers.
There wasn't anything private about the bar. Anyone could walk in from the street. They generally didn't let in minors of course but that night security would let you slide with a warning not to be caught with any liquor.
So for about two years I got to pal with most of the it guys from the WWF after each MSG event. Some even knew my name after awhile.
For some reason neither Backlund nor Hogan ever hung out even once but I got to shake Andre the Giants finger (his hand was so massive he extended his finger so you weren't daunted.. His hand would have swallowed half your arm. I couldn't even get my whole hand around his finger and I was staring literally at his belt buckle. A nice guy but scary).
Snuka ignored everyone and wouldn't talk to you. Just kept looking past you even when being spoken to
Sgt Slaughter would talk to me if he won, and ignore me if he lost. This is when he was still a heel.
I would hang at the bar feeling like someone with a big secret I got to indulge every month (even though there were about 20 or so of us that knew it) hanging until around 2am when the bar started emptying and I would catch the train home, a geeky teenager.
Hulk body slams Andre the Giant in Wrestlemania___________and then pins him after a leg drop - Andre's pain after the pin looks pretty real
Andre was reported to weigh 520 pounds and his height was stated as 7'4"
I think this was a pretty big moment in his career
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the link is the story of when Hulk turned bad guy and went to the NWO (New World Order) - he said:
“For two years I held my head high,” Hogan said. “I did everything for the charities. I did everything for the kids. And the reception I got when I came out here, you fans can stick it, brother.”
This kind of radical shift for a character was unusual. Hogan began to wear black and white instead of red and yellow. Jeremiah James, a theater director and a writer of a pro wrestling play called “The Last Match,” described it as a “shock to the system.”
“The phone lines lit up for weeks afterward” as parents called to complain “because Hulk had turned heel,” he said. It crushed children.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/arts/hulk-hogan-nwo-heel.html
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Quote: AZDuffmanQuote: billryanThe WWWF being in NYC and the North East was actually a huge disadvantage to them. Local television time was super expensive and only available at off-beat hours. The AWa and NWA territorys had much better television coverage, which were really just hour l;on g ads for their house shows. In 1973, Gordon Sole's Championship Wrestling was on Channel 47 twice a week, while NWA California had three hours every week on Channel 41, and showed week-old feature matches from the LA Forum. The WWWF had a Saturday night at midnight slot with almost all walk lovers. Vince Sr didn't understand television and its possibilities.
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Not correct. Back then the key was filling the arenas. The TV made little money on its own. MSG not only sold out most months but they had that overflow, Belt Forum or something they called it, that also filled up. Plus he had Boston and Philly. They also did shows in places as small as HS Gyms. This is why they were able to leave the NWA.
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Thats because Vince Sr. didn't understand television. Vince Jr understood its power and vigorously pursued it. Junior also understood that selling a ticket was just the first step, not the final step.
Vince Sr. actually had a no one under 14 admitted policy for almost all of the WWWF live shows. Jr recognized that television and merchandising would bring in more revenue than the traditional ticket based model. Sr. was a hack who was content with two or three big gates a month and who relied on a bunch of independent contractors to produce his product. Lou Albano would bring in a heel on a 90 day contract. He'd run roughshod over everyone and after 85 days he'd finally meet Bruno at the Garden. Then at the Boston Garden and maybe a week or two of house shows, and then the guy disappeared. Albano would find someone new and repeat the cycle.
The WWWF didn't sell out MSG regularly. My first MSG show featured Bruno against Spiros Arion and the place was packed to the rafters. A few months later, I attended the card where he fought Bugsy McGraw and it was two thirds full. I never bought tickets in advance and only once was I stuck in the Felt Forum
Sr. succeeded in the business because he worked with two dozen other promoters who all did the same thing.
Senior didn't pay his wrestlers well, and many WWWF wrestlers had day jobs since they couldn't afford to wrestle full-time. Junior created new revenue streams and shared a portion of the profit with the workers. He paid more and attracted better talent
Sr. left the NWA because he realized it was better to have his own champion, who'd fight for him alone instead of sharing one man with 26 other promoters. Instead of having Buddy Rogers headline three or four shows a year as the traveling champ, he was able to have Bruno headline several shows a month. Even then, Sr still paid NWA dues for many years, as he imported many of their workers on short term deals.
Vince Sr sold the company to his son for about a million dollars, and pocketed less than $200,000 after he paid off his debts. Vince Jr turned it into a two Billion dollar operation, and Hogan had an awful lot to do with the company's growth.
Quote: AutomaticMonkey
But I worked out with the wrestlers, back when I lived in Connecticut, as I went to a gym owned by Dr D David Schultz, which was a powerlifting gym open to the public but was also a school for professional wrestlers. There was a ring set up in there where they practiced and I just barely overcame the temptation to tag in and get in on the action! That was way back when, when I was kind of like them except for the steroids, which they all used, and which usually leads to an abbreviated life.
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Back in my cab company days in the late 80s they had wrestling tournaments in the city and one time I took three of those guys from their hotel to the airport, about a 20 minute ride. They were truly frightening because of their size. But even more frightening because of their demeanor, they were absolutely confident about themselves and had an attitude like if you give me any crap I'm going to kill you. Don't get me wrong, they weren't unfriendly at all, they were quite friendly in fact. But they exuded this attitude of don't screw with me. I've never forgotten it. These guys might hold staged fights, but that has nothing to do with their actual ability.
At one point, Marvel comics got royalites for the use of the word Hulk, which is why he was Hollywood Hogan in the WCW, as they refused to license the name Hulk
Quote: lilredrooster.
Hulk body slams Andre the Giant in Wrestlemania___________and then pins him after a leg drop - Andre's pain after the pin looks pretty real
Andre was reported to weigh 520 pounds and his height was stated as 7'4"
I think this was a pretty big moment in his career
.
the link is the story of when Hulk turned bad guy and went to the NWO (New World Order) - he said:
“For two years I held my head high,” Hogan said. “I did everything for the charities. I did everything for the kids. And the reception I got when I came out here, you fans can stick it, brother.” If memory serves,in that match Hogan went to body slam Andre and Andre shift his weight and got a near pin at the start of the match. Bobby the brain heenan was very adamant aboit it maybe should have been a pin. It was very close.
This kind of radical shift for a character was unusual. Hogan began to wear black and white instead of red and yellow. Jeremiah James, a theater director and a writer of a pro wrestling play called “The Last Match,” described it as a “shock to the system.”
“The phone lines lit up for weeks afterward” as parents called to complain “because Hulk had turned heel,” he said. It crushed children.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/arts/hulk-hogan-nwo-heel.html
.
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Quote: billryanAn internet rumour is that AEW wanted to do a short tribute to Hogan last night but the WWE owns the trademark "Hulk Hogan" and all his likeness's and refused permission.
At one point, Marvel comics got royalites for the use of the word Hulk, which is why he was Hollywood Hogan in the WCW, as they refused to license the name Hulk
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Sounds false. Should fall under "fair use" for at least the name. Additionally, Hogan would have owned that trademark himself. He was too big to just give it to Vince when he signed.
Quote: AZDuffmanQuote: billryanAn internet rumour is that AEW wanted to do a short tribute to Hogan last night but the WWE owns the trademark "Hulk Hogan" and all his likeness's and refused permission.
At one point, Marvel comics got royalites for the use of the word Hulk, which is why he was Hollywood Hogan in the WCW, as they refused to license the name Hulk
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Sounds false. Should fall under "fair use" for at least the name. Additionally, Hogan would have owned that trademark himself. He was too big to just give it to Vince when he signed.
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Marvel and the WWWF reached an agreement around 1985ish that allowed Hogan to use the term Hulk Hogan for wrestling purposes, but not The Hulk or The Incredible Hulk Hogan. Marvel received a payment of $100 for any fight or public appearance. When Hogan went to the WCW, the WWE still had the rights to it so WCW called him the Hulkster and finally Hollywood Hogan. When the 20-year agreement expired in the early 2000s, Hogan bought the rights to the name from Marvel, but not the term "Incredible Hulk"
Any WWF product that has Hogan in it- videos, toys, ect, from the Hulkamania days is trademarked by Marvel.
The only difference between Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Bill Cosby is that Cosby and his sperm could swim in one's SLEEP.
