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underage drinking. Also he was charged with violating limits on blood alcohol levels while driving. He was arrested on November 7, 2007, and sent to jail. However, his parents released him on a $10,000 bond shortly thereafter. Nick’s friend, 22 year-old active-duty Marine John Graziano, is now on life support with serious brain injuries. It is now expected that the Iraq War veteran will require lifelong care, requiring him to spend the remainder of his life in a nursing home.[3] The Hogan family issued a statement on how they were saddened that criminal charges had been filed against Nick, and how John was unfortunately not wearing his seatbelt, but that Nick was.[4]

Nick Hogan is Hulk and Linda’s son, who is two years younger than Brooke. Nick is always up to his antics. Although Nick and Brooke have an amicable relationship overall, there are moments when they take pleasure in tattling and getting one another in trouble. Nick aspires to be a professional wrestler, though his father has encouraged him to take acting lessons in order to improve his sense of showmanship. Nick was involved as a professional drifter for Dodge until July 2007. He got his Formula-D license in 2006.

On November 24, 2007, it was announced that Linda filed for divorce from Hulk Hogan after 24 years of marriage. Hogan was uninformed of this until a reporter showed him the paperwork submitted by his wife. Linda had been away from him for three weeks in California when she submitted the paperwork.[5] In court papers, Linda states the marriage is “irretrievably broken.” In the court papers, she also addresses custody of their son, Nick (who is still a minor), asking for primary physical custody of him, while Hulk would receive “liberal visitation and access to the child.”[6] Linda is reportedly seeking half of the couple’s $9.5m in assets, including a stake in their Bellaire mansion in Florida.[7] In addition, Linda also asks for alimony, child support, and Hulk to pay for Nick’s health insurance and take out a life insurance policy to cover child support for Nick if necessary.[8] It is unknown how all these circumstances will affect the lighthearted reality show if it’s even to return, which is also unknown.[9] Hulk Hogan appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel Show on January 30, 2008 and said that Hogan Knows Best will continue, though the focus will shift to Brooke, now calling the show Brooke Knows Best.

Brooke Hogan is Hulk and Linda’s teen-age daughter, who produced a new song to kick off her career, and signed a $1.3 million contract when she turned eighteen.

Bollea released a music CD, Hulk Rules, as Hulk Hogan and The Wrestling Boot Band. Also, Green Jellÿ released a single, a duet with Hogan, performing Gary Glitter‘s classic song “I’m the Leader of the Gang (I Am)“. He has also made cameos in several music videos. From her self-named show, Dolly the music video for Dolly Parton‘s wrestling-themed love song “Headlock on my Heart” features Hogan as “Starlight Starbright”. In the music video “Pressure” by Belly ft. Ginuwine, Bollea and his daughter Brooke both made brief cameo appearances.

Bollea is a regular guest on Bubba the Love Sponge‘s radio show. He also served as the best man at Bubba’s January 2007 wedding.^[139] On Monday March 12, 2010, Bollea hosted his own radio show, titled Hogan Uncensored, on Sirius Satellite Radio‘s Howard 101.^[140]

After filming his scene for Rocky III, against McMahon’s wishes, Hogan made his debut in the American Wrestling Association (AWA), owned by Verne Gagne. Hogan started his AWA run as a heel, taking on “Luscious” Johnny Valiant as his manager, but AWA audiences loved the muscular and more charismatic Hogan, and soon the AWA’s bookers were compelled to turn Hogan face. Using “Eye of the Tiger” as his theme music, Hogan soon became the promotion’s top babyface, and throughout 1983, he engaged in a big feud against AWA World Champion Nick Bockwinkel and his manager Bobby Heenan. Gagne, however, continued to tease the AWA audience by booking numerous screwjobs meant to keep the championship with Bockwinkel, who was a veteran of the territory and had assumed the mantle of the organization’s centerpiece following Gagne’s retirement from active competition. Due to backstage politics at the time (Gagne had a talent-sharing agreement with All Japan Pro Wrestling while Hogan was a New Japan star; these two groups were in an intense rivalry at the time), Gagne would not let him be champion. On several occasions, Hogan defeated Bockwinkel to win the title, only to have the decision later reversed.^[15] Hogan himself also began to grow frustrated with Verne Gagne’s unwillingness to give Hogan a larger share of his merchandise sales. Eventually, Gagne was finally ready to book Hogan to win the AWA title; however, according to Hogan, Gagne wanted a piece of the large money Hogan was making from his frequent trips to Japan, more control over the bookings that Hogan took overseas. Hogan refused flatly, saying he didn’t need the AWA title at that point. Also according to Hogan in his autobiography, Verne wanted Hogan to be brought into the family by marriage before handing the AWA title over to him. Hogan, unwilling to give up his life as a bachelor just for the world title of the AWA, continued to turn down the belt. Shortly after these attempts to woo Hogan into giving Gagne more of a share of his profits and booking in Japan and attempts to bring him into the Gagne family, Hogan was lured back to the Northeast by Vincent K. McMahon, who had just recently purchased the WWF from his ailing father.

Over twenty years later, just prior to Hulk Hogan’s WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2005, the revived AWA, under the authority of owner Dale Gagne (real last name: Gagner), relented and acknowledged the legitimacy of Hogan’s two title wins over Nick Bockwinkel, making him a two-time AWA champion.^[16] This resolution, however, has been regarded as apocryphal to most as the resurrected AWA is generally regarded as an entirely different body than the Verne Gagne-owned AWA of old. As recently as the release of the DVD The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA, interviews between Hogan and the Gagnes show that there is still animosity between both parties, indicating the unlikelihood Hogan’s AWA title reign would have been retroactively instated under the original ownership. The WWE won a lawsuit against Dale Gagner, due to trademark infringement, which declared Gagne’s claims to ownership of the AWA false, and as such rendered the resolution moot, as WWE only recognizes twelve American world titles being attributed to Hulk Hogan, and the AWA World Title is not among that number.

After purchasing the World Wrestling Federation from his father in 1982, Vincent K. McMahon had plans to expand the territory into a nationwide promotion, and he handpicked Hulk Hogan to be the company’s showpiece attraction due to his charisma and name recognition. Hogan made his return to the WWF at a television taping in St. Louis, Missouri on December 27, 1983 defeating Bill Dixon.^[17] Initially, Hogan was a heel, once again allied with Blassie; however, this was short-lived.

On the January 7, 1984 edition of Championship Wrestling, Hogan turned face by saving Bob Backlund from a three-way assault.^[18] Hogan’s turn was explained simply by Backlund: “He’s changed his ways. He’s a great man. He’s told me he’s not gonna have Blassie around”. The storyline shortcut was necessary because less than three weeks later on January 23, Hogan won his first WWF Championship, pinning The Iron Sheik (who had Blassie in his corner) in Madison Square Garden.^[2][19] The storyline accompanying the victory was that Hogan was a “last minute” replacement for the Sheik’s original opponent Bob Backlund,^[4] and became the champion by way of being the first man to escape the camel clutch (the Iron Sheik’s signature move).^[20]

Immediately after the title win, commentator Gorilla Monsoon proclaimed “Hulkamania is here!” Hogan frequently referred to his fans as “Hulkamaniacs” in his interviews and introduced his three “demandments”: training, saying prayers, and eating vitamins. Eventually, a fourth demandment (believing in oneself) was added during his feud with Earthquake in the 1990s. Hogan’s ring gear developed a characteristic yellow-and-red color scheme; his ring entrances involved him ritualistically ripping his shirt off his body, flexing, and listening for audience cheers in an exaggerated manner. The majority of Hogan’s matches during this time involved him wrestling heels who had been booked as unstoppable monsters, using a format which became near-routine: Hogan would deliver steady offense, but eventually lose momentum, seemingly nearing defeat. He would then experience a sudden second wind, fighting back while “feeding” off the energy of the audience, becoming impervious to attack—a process described as “hulking up”. His signature maneuvers — pointing at the opponent, shaking his finger to scold him, three punches, an Irish Whip, the big boot and Atomic Leg Drop — would follow and ensure him a victory. That finishing sequence would occasionally change depending on the storyline and opponent; for instance, with larger wrestlers, the sequence might involve a body slam.

Over the next year, Hulk Hogan became the face of pro wrestling as McMahon pushed the WWF into a pop culture enterprise with The Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Connection on MTV, drawing record houses, pay-per-view buyrates, and television ratings in the process. The centerpiece attraction for the first WrestleMania on March 31, 1985, Hogan teamed with legit friend Mr. T to defeat his archrival “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff.^[2][21] On the first edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event, Hogan successfully defended the WWF title against Cowboy Bob Orton in a match which Hogan won by a disqualification.^[22]

Hogan was named the most requested celebrity of the 1980s for the Make-a-Wish Foundation children’s charity. He was featured on the covers of Sports Illustrated, TV Guide, and People magazines, while also appearing on The Tonight Show and having his own CBS Saturday morning cartoon titled Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling. Hogan went on to headline eight of the first nine WrestleMania events, and he also co-hosted Saturday Night Live on March 30, 1985 during this lucrative run. AT&T reported that his 900 number information line was the single biggest 900 number from 1991 to 1993. Hogan operated the 900 number through his stint in WWF and then recreated it when he joined World Championship Wrestling.^[23]

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1982	Rocky III	Thunderlips	(cameo)
1989	No Holds Barred	Rip
1990	Gremlins 2	Himself
1991	Suburban Commando	Shep Ramsey
1993	Mr. Nanny	Sean Armstrong
1993	Thunder in Paradise	Randolph J. Hurricane Spencer
1994	Thunder in Paradise II	Randolph J. Hurricane Spencer
1994	Thunder in Paradise (TV)	Randolph J. Hurricane Spencer	March 25, 1994 – November 27, 1994
1995	Thunder in Paradise III	Randolph J. Hurricane Spencer
1996	The Secret Agent Club	Ray Chase
1996	Spy Hard	Steele’s other Tag-Team Member (cameo)
1996	Santa with Muscles	Blake
1997	The Ultimate Weapon	Cutter
1997	Assault on Devil’s Island	Mike McBride
1998	McCinsey’s Island	Joe McGrai
1998	3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain	Dave Dragon
1999	Assault on Death Mountain	Mike McBride
1999	Muppets from Space	Himself
2001	Walker, Texas Ranger	Boomer Knight	TV episode: Division Street
2010	BlackRiver	Marcus Demchak	Pre-production

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • Axe Bomber^[1] (Crooked arm lariat)^[162]
  • Running jumping guillotine leg drop^[1][4]

• Signature moves
  • Atomic drop^[163]
  • Belly to back suplex
  • Big boot^[1]
  • Body slam^[1]
  • Clothesline^[1]
  • Corner foot choke
  • Military press slam
  • Multiple punches, with theatrics^[1]
  • Raking the opponent’s eyes or back^[1]
  • Reverse chinlock
  • Vertical suplex

• Managers
  • Brutus Beefcake / The Disciple
  • Eric Bischoff
  • “Classy” Freddie Blassie^[2]
  • Miss Elizabeth^[163]
  • “The Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart^[164]
  • “Luscious” Johnny Valiant

• Nicknames
  • “The Hulkster”^[1]
  • “The Hulk”^[1]
  • “The Immortal”^[1]
  • “Hollywood”^[1]

• Entrance themes
  • “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor (AWA / WWF; 1984–1986)
  • “Hulk Hogan’s Theme” by Jim Steinman (WWF; 1985)
  • “Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Philip Sousa (WWF; 1985)
  • “Real American” by Rick Derringer (WWF/E; 1986–1993, 2002, 2003, 2005–2007)
  • “American Made” by the The Wrestling Boot Band (WCW / XWF; 1994–1996, 1999–2000, 2001, 2007, 2009)
  • “Rockhouse” by Jimmy Hart and J. Helm (WCW; used while a part of the New World Order; 1996–1998, 2000, 2002)
  • “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” by The Jimi Hendrix Experience (WCW / WWF/E; 1997–1999, 2002–2003)
  • “Kevin Nash/Wolfpac Theme” (WCW; used while a part of the nWo wolfpac elite; 1999)
  • “nWo Original Theme” (Rockhouse remix) by Jimmy Hart (TNA; 2010)

Championships and accomplishments

• New Japan Pro Wrestling
  • IWGP League Tournament (1983)^[1][14]
  • MSG Tag League Tournament (1982, 1983) – with Antonio Inoki

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI Comeback of the Year (1994, 2002)
  • PWI Feud of the Year (1986) vs. Paul Orndorff
  • PWI Match of the Year (1985) with Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff at WrestleMania
  • PWI Match of the Year (1988) vs. André the Giant at The Main Event
  • PWI Match of the Year (1990) vs. The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VI
  • PWI Match of the Year (2002) vs. The Rock at WrestleMania X8
  • PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1996, 1998)
  • PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1983, 1999)^[165]
  • PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1985, 1989, 1990)
  • PWI Wrestler of the Year (1987, 1991, 1994)
  • PWI ranked him #1 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1991^[166]
  • PWI ranked him #1 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the “PWI Years” in 2003^[167]
  • PWI ranked him #57 of the Top 100 Tag Teams of the “PWI Years” with Randy Savage in 2003^[168]

• Southeastern Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (Northern Division) (1 time)^[1]
  • NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (Southern Division) (2 times)

• World Championship Wrestling
  • WCW World Heavyweight Championship (6 times)^[1][169]

• World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
  • WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Edge^[1][170]
  • WWF/E Championship (6 times)^[1][171]
  • Royal Rumble (1990, 1991)^[1][49]
  • WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2005)^[4]

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
  • Feud of the Year (1986) vs. Paul Orndorff
  • Most Charismatic (1985–1987, 1989–1991)
  • Most Overrated (1985–1987, 1989–1991)
  • Worst Worked Match of the Year (1987) vs. André the Giant at WrestleMania III
  • Worst Worked Match of the Year (1996) with Randy Savage vs. Arn Anderson, Meng, The Barbarian, Ric Flair, Kevin Sullivan, Z-Gangsta, and The Ultimate Solution in a Towers of Doom match at Uncensored
  • Worst Worked Match of the Year (1997) vs. Roddy Piper at SuperBrawl VII
  • Worst Worked Match of the Year (1998) vs. The Warrior at Halloween Havoc
  • Worst Feud of the Year (1991) vs. Sgt. Slaughter
  • Worst Feud of the Year (1995) vs. The Dungeon of Doom
  • Worst Feud of the Year (1998) vs. The Warrior
  • Worst Feud of the Year (2000) vs. Billy Kidman
  • Best Babyface (1982–1991)
  • Least Favorite Wrestler (1985, 1986, 1991, 1994–1999)
  • Worst Wrestler (1997)
  • Most Embarrassing Wrestler (1995, 1996, 1998–2000)