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00:00:00When Hulk Hogan was inducted into the Hall of Fame 20 years ago, it was a perfect moment.
00:00:07His family in the front row with tears in their eyes.
00:00:10The crowd on their feet, chanting so loud and so long that he barely got to make his speech.
00:00:18Now because they've inducted me into the Hall of Fame, Hulkamania will be immortal.
00:00:25Hulkamania will live forever.
00:00:26But what followed was a long and painful journey from the top to the bottom and back again.
00:00:35You know, I've been through a lot of highs and lows.
00:00:39Ten years after his induction, the WWE rescinded his Hall of Fame status.
00:00:44Ten years later to the day, Hulk Hogan died at the age of 71.
00:00:49Today we want to honor his career and look back on the controversial but undeniably immortal one.
00:00:57Hulk Hogan.
00:00:59You know something mean Gene, you don't have to remind me and my Hulkamaniacs.
00:01:04The power of the pythons, drinking my own sweat to survive.
00:01:12Oh yeah, I'd do it all over again.
00:01:14Terry Belaya grew up in a small home in Tampa.
00:01:27His parents didn't have much.
00:01:29In school, Terry was bullied.
00:01:31I got teased because I was fat and my head was so big.
00:01:36I didn't fit in.
00:01:38When he came home from school, he would distract himself by watching wrestling.
00:01:43I was a huge fan.
00:01:44I mean, I just loved it.
00:01:45I grew up watching it.
00:01:47This visceral type of entertainment took him far away from his everyday troubles.
00:01:52He looked up to the American dream Dusty Rhodes and was inspired by the physique of superstar Billy Graham.
00:01:58When Terry dropped out of college to pursue music, his parents were very disappointed.
00:02:04When he decided to become a wrestler, even more so.
00:02:08Hogan said in his autobiography that his Japanese wrestling trainer, Hiro Matsuda,
00:02:13intentionally broke his leg on his very first day of training to test Hogan's commitment to the sport.
00:02:20It's very physical.
00:02:21I've still got my teeth marks on my finger.
00:02:24Teeth marks of people trying to bite my fingers.
00:02:25Oh my God.
00:02:26I didn't get the memo about the fake wrestling.
00:02:28Yeah, I missed that part, you know.
00:02:31Ladies and gentlemen, Hulk Hogan.
00:02:35In 1979, he made it to the WWF, which at that time wasn't much of an achievement.
00:02:41Vince McMahon Sr. came up with his iconic ring name, Hulk Hogan.
00:02:46But Terry's parents were still disappointed in him.
00:02:50In 1981, Sylvester Stallone personally approached Hogan and offered him a role in the movie Rocky III.
00:02:57Hogan wasn't a big star yet, but Stallone thought his size and charisma would make him the perfect opponent for the underdog Rocky Balboa.
00:03:06During the shoot for Rocky III, Hogan broke Stallone's collarbone and hospitalized two stuntmen.
00:03:12He was too enthusiastic and simply didn't know his own strength.
00:03:16No one can believe the superhuman strength.
00:03:20Up from the lips.
00:03:21Out of the mouth.
00:03:23Hulk Hogan was actually fired from the WWF because of Rocky III.
00:03:27His boss, Vince McMahon Sr., didn't want his wrestlers to star in feature films.
00:03:33But the movie went on to become a mainstream success.
00:03:37In the meantime, Vince McMahon Jr. bought his father's wrestling company on one condition.
00:03:43If he missed a single payment, the company would revert back into the hands of Vince Sr.
00:03:48But the gamble paid off because of one man.
00:03:52Hulk Hogan.
00:03:54Returning to the company, he got his big breakthrough and became WWF champion.
00:04:00He held the title for 1,474 days.
00:04:05A record that even Roman Reigns couldn't break.
00:04:08Now that he was successful, Terry's parents came back into his life.
00:04:13He bought them a condo and a Cadillac.
00:04:15At age 30, Hulk Hogan was rich.
00:04:18His parents were proud of him.
00:04:20And children across America looked up to him as their hero.
00:04:25This thing's catching on, man.
00:04:26It's like the fever.
00:04:27And there are thousands and thousands of Hulkamaniacs around.
00:04:30But his enormous success did not come without controversy.
00:04:35In 1985, Hogan made an appearance on the talk show Hot Properties.
00:04:40Where host Richard Belzer asked Hogan to demonstrate how real wrestling really was.
00:04:47Hogan then proceeded to choke him out.
00:04:51He let me drop to the floor.
00:04:53And I was unconscious.
00:04:55Went to the floor.
00:04:56Hit the back of my head.
00:04:57Blood gushing out.
00:04:58Only four days later, Hogan competed in the main event of the first ever Wrestlemania.
00:05:05Thanks to his immense following, he went on to become the biggest star the wrestling world has ever seen.
00:05:12Even though he wasn't exactly the most popular guy backstage.
00:05:15In 1986, wrestler Jesse Ventura made plans to form a wrestler's union.
00:05:23For better pay, health insurance, and retirement benefits.
00:05:28You know, because there's strength in numbers.
00:05:30What about all the guys I've seen that give 30 years to this business and in the end they ain't got a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of?
00:05:38Jesse Ventura organized a massive strike around Wrestlemania 2.
00:05:43But most of his colleagues felt that the union could not succeed without the support of Hulk Hogan.
00:05:50He betrayed me.
00:05:54Hogan turned his back on Ventura and told his boss Vince McMahon about the unionization efforts.
00:06:00Effectively burying an idea that could have revolutionized the industry.
00:06:04While Hulkamania was still picking up speed, Terry faced significant challenges in his personal life.
00:06:12Even 30 years later, the death of his brother still affected him.
00:06:17He got married to an older lady and passed away quite young.
00:06:23In the summer of 1986, Terry's brother Alan took his own life after his wife had been murdered.
00:06:29Alan's four children were orphaned and Terry became the primary caretaker for three of them.
00:06:37He and his wife Linda took them in and raised them.
00:06:41Linda was left with most of the work at home since Terry was the main breadwinner, always on the road to support them financially.
00:06:49I've been through a lot of highs and lows.
00:06:52Three years into his Wrestlemania main event streak, Hulk Hogan shook the world with the largest moment in wrestling history.
00:07:03Professional life lead in the world today.
00:07:05Look at this.
00:07:06He's laughing.
00:07:08Hogan says he tore both biceps slamming Andre the Giant.
00:07:12But a look at the records reveals he did not take time off to recover.
00:07:16And wrestling with such an injury would have been impossible.
00:07:19Andre actually pushed off of Hogan's thigh with his right hand to make it easier for Hogan to slam him.
00:07:28I wasn't the greatest technical wrestler, but I had enough that I knew how to create emotion, how to create excitement, and to tell a good story when I was in there.
00:07:39Hulk Hogan became larger than life.
00:07:41As an unstoppable comic book superhero, he transformed the WWF into a national entertainment powerhouse.
00:07:50But his star wasn't just shining in the world of wrestling.
00:07:54Hulk Hogan became bigger than the company that employed him.
00:07:58He was a pop culture icon.
00:08:00He ushered in a new, larger than life, almost cartoonish era of professional wrestling.
00:08:09Really reeled the kids in, and of course, they went to the parents to buy merchandise, and Vince just went crazy with it because everything sold, everything worked.
00:08:17We didn't realize that once Vince pushed that button, the rockets were launched, that we were going to the moon.
00:08:22Hulk Hogan had many great matches and rivalries over the years, but one stands out.
00:08:30The only space should put the luck up here.
00:08:33To you, Hulk Hogan!
00:08:35What's your idea?
00:08:37To live forever.
00:08:39At WrestleMania VI, he passed the torch to another larger than life comic book hero, the Ultimate Warrior.
00:08:47For Hogan to do what Hogan did for Ultimate Warrior, it's a miracle.
00:08:54Hogan was notorious for protecting his standing as the biggest star and using his backstage influence to avoid losing.
00:09:02But not this time.
00:09:04One match was enough for Hulk Hogan to carry the Ultimate Warrior to immortality.
00:09:09He then set his sights on Hollywood to see how far he could penetrate into the mainstream.
00:09:17He blazed the trail for the likes of John Cena and Dwayne The Rock Johnson
00:09:27and shaped the childhood of millions of young Americans starring in various family movies in the early 90s.
00:09:35Meanwhile, his personal life was falling apart.
00:09:39Now he's about to face the toughest fight of all.
00:09:43Kids.
00:09:44On top of the enormous pressure of being Hulk Hogan, came the added responsibility of being a father.
00:09:51Terry didn't do a very good job of facing up to his responsibilities.
00:09:56On screen, he played the hero.
00:09:59But he rarely took time off to face the challenges awaiting him at home.
00:10:03Something that has haunted him in his later life.
00:10:06During this time, there was still a clear distinction between Terry Bollea, the person, and Hulk Hogan, the wrestler.
00:10:16But the line separating them got blurred over the years.
00:10:21He drank before and after matches, but still pretended on TV that he was a role model.
00:10:27Train.
00:10:27Say your prayers.
00:10:28Eat your vitamins.
00:10:29Be true to yourself.
00:10:30True to your country.
00:10:32Be a real American.
00:10:34In July 1994, Hogan appeared as a key witness for the prosecution in the steroid trial against Vince McMahon.
00:10:43The prosecution thought he would implicate McMahon in the illegal distribution of steroids.
00:10:48This could have been the end for WWE.
00:10:53But Hogan didn't say a word.
00:10:55His testimony potentially saved his former employer up to 17 years in prison.
00:11:01And by extension, changed the course of wrestling history.
00:11:06Vince McMahon learned a crucial lesson here.
00:11:09Twice Hulk Hogan had saved him.
00:11:11But if he had supported Ventura's wrestlers union,
00:11:14or provided damning testimony against him during the steroid trial,
00:11:19Hogan could have single-handedly torn down a wrestling empire.
00:11:23Vince learned that he couldn't build his entire brand around one person.
00:11:27So he established a new generation of wrestling superstars.
00:11:32With Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, The Rock, and Steve Austin.
00:11:38Hogan and Vince had fallen out over creative differences.
00:11:40So Hogan signed with another wrestling company, WCW,
00:11:45where he would be the major star.
00:11:48He came in with a splash, beating Ric Flair for the World Heavyweight Championship.
00:11:54With his amazing charisma, Hulk Hogan carried the company for over a year.
00:11:58But his popularity was waning.
00:12:01People were getting tired of the same old comic book hero.
00:12:05Then, in 1996, the unthinkable happened.
00:12:09In the mall of America, brother,
00:12:12with Hulk Hogan,
00:12:13pasta mania,
00:12:14and all my pasta maniacs run wild on you.
00:12:21The new world order of wrestling, brother.
00:12:26Hogan turned heel.
00:12:27Joining the NWO, he left the red and yellow behind,
00:12:30played air guitar to Voodoo Child,
00:12:33and sprayed the three most infamous letters in pro wrestling onto his opponent's backs.
00:12:38It's often cited as the best heel turn of all time.
00:12:43Something the fans never thought could happen,
00:12:46executed to perfection.
00:12:48All the training, the prayers, the vitamins,
00:12:51all the stuff I did for the kids,
00:12:52I did it for the money.
00:12:54I'm thinking this is either going to be
00:12:56bigger than Hulkamania taking off,
00:12:58or it's going to destroy my career.
00:13:00With Hogan at the top of the most popular faction,
00:13:04Nitro was able to surpass Raw's TV ratings in the Monday Night War.
00:13:09WWE was invading the WCW,
00:13:12and the weirdest thing was,
00:13:14the nastier we got,
00:13:15and the more bottom feeders we became,
00:13:18the more the fans cheered for us.
00:13:20The whole NWO run changed the business completely.
00:13:23The NWO mirrored the corruption of innocence
00:13:26that defined the zeitgeist of the late 90s,
00:13:29celebrating a new kind of realism.
00:13:32Comic book heroes were burned at the stake,
00:13:35conventional good guys buried
00:13:37by the New World Order under Hollywood Hogan.
00:13:40Sometimes you get bigger than the company,
00:13:42and that can be a problem.
00:13:44In the end,
00:13:45Hogan's selfish backstage politicking
00:13:47contributed to the downfall of WCW.
00:13:49But it was the NWO that lit a fire under Vince McMahon
00:13:54that fueled the competition
00:13:56that led both promotions to excel.
00:14:01Hulk Hogan built WWF
00:14:03into the biggest entertainment brand in the world.
00:14:07Then he went and oversaw
00:14:08the rise and fall of another wrestling empire
00:14:10in the WCW.
00:14:13Now, he returned to his roots,
00:14:15with renewed popularity and high-profile feuds.
00:14:19At WrestleMania 18,
00:14:21we saw one of the most unique matches ever.
00:14:24Rock vs. Hogan,
00:14:25Icon vs. Icon.
00:14:27The biggest stars of two generations
00:14:29clash in the ring
00:14:30on the grandest stage of them all.
00:14:33It was an incredible match,
00:14:34and it was a real lesson in ring psychology for me.
00:14:37It was one of the first big matches
00:14:39where the roles were reversed.
00:14:42Hogan was supposed to get booed,
00:14:43but the fans cheered louder for him
00:14:45than for anyone else that night.
00:14:47A few weeks later,
00:14:49he became the last WWF undisputed world heavyweight champion,
00:14:53shortly before the company changed their name to WWE.
00:14:58In 2003,
00:14:59he left the company again
00:15:00to have a long overdue knee surgery
00:15:02and allow his body to heal.
00:15:04The Immortal Hulk Hogan!
00:15:10I'm back, boys!
00:15:12In 2005,
00:15:14the now Hall of Famer returned for one last run,
00:15:17where he won every single match.
00:15:19Well, on camera, brother,
00:15:20I'm a great guy!
00:15:22But when that camera goes off, brother,
00:15:23it's a different story, brother.
00:15:26Shawn Michaels was frustrated
00:15:28because Hogan refused to lose even once,
00:15:31which led to their iconic match
00:15:33at SummerSlam 2005.
00:15:35Let me tell you something, brother!
00:15:37This is a dream match, brother!
00:15:39But I got news for you!
00:15:40I'll be 102 years old, brother,
00:15:42by the time I step into the ring!
00:15:44Brother!
00:15:45Shawn Michaels sold everything Hogan did
00:15:47like it was an atom bomb.
00:15:49None of it was scripted,
00:15:51which is what made it so good.
00:15:56Following his retirement,
00:15:58Hogan's life took a sharp turn for the worse.
00:16:02His family was on the brink of collapse.
00:16:05And I thought that maybe if we did a reality show,
00:16:07everybody would get busy,
00:16:09have a huge net worth,
00:16:10feel great about themselves.
00:16:12But his family didn't get the same thrill
00:16:15out of the sudden spotlight that Terry did.
00:16:18The Hogan family broke apart,
00:16:20and it was all caught on camera.
00:16:22I can't live like this, Terry!
00:16:24Every day, it's drama.
00:16:26It's just ridiculous.
00:16:27In case you can't tell,
00:16:28I've had it, okay?
00:16:29I'm spent.
00:16:30It was especially hard for their children,
00:16:33Brooke and Nick.
00:16:35I think it took them out of the rhythm
00:16:36of that normal friendship
00:16:38with their friends and the camaraderie
00:16:40and going to school and being on the schedule.
00:16:42Homeschooling,
00:16:42and you've got to film every day
00:16:43and you've got to have a mic on you
00:16:45at 8 in the morning.
00:16:46It doesn't come off till midnight sometimes.
00:16:47I think it was too fast, too much.
00:16:50By 2006,
00:16:51Hogan had invested several million dollars
00:16:53into his daughter Brooke's music career.
00:16:57But without much success,
00:16:59on the show,
00:17:00Hogan criticized Brooke's choice of boyfriends
00:17:02and even placed a GPS tracker on her car.
00:17:06Then,
00:17:07his son Nick
00:17:07got into a serious car accident.
00:17:09When I pushed past the cop,
00:17:12actually,
00:17:13I reached in and I pushed the seatbelt
00:17:15and as everybody grabbed me,
00:17:16he just crawled out from under the steering wheel.
00:17:19Nick came out of the accident
00:17:20with severe injuries.
00:17:22His passenger was left permanently paralyzed.
00:17:25The reality show was canceled
00:17:28and Nick spent eight months in jail.
00:17:31Three months later,
00:17:33Linda filed for divorce.
00:17:35Hogan had slept with his daughter's friend,
00:17:37Christiane Plant,
00:17:39who was significantly younger.
00:17:41Linda called him a sex addict
00:17:43and a complete liar.
00:17:46Brooke later said
00:17:47she suffered extreme emotional damage
00:17:49from verbal
00:17:50and even physical abuse
00:17:52as a child.
00:17:53Being hurt again by her father
00:17:55in such a senseless way
00:17:56was the last straw.
00:17:59She distanced herself from her father
00:18:01and later cut contact altogether.
00:18:04Hulk Hogan never made an effort to reconnect
00:18:06and he never got to meet his grandchildren.
00:18:09The divorce was an extremely difficult time for Terry.
00:18:15He went back to the bottle
00:18:16and drank heavily,
00:18:18staring at himself in the mirror,
00:18:20refusing to believe
00:18:22that this was the life he had built.
00:18:25He remarried in 2010.
00:18:28Hogan says meeting his second wife
00:18:30changed his perspective on life.
00:18:32I had been my whole life
00:18:34around such a negative situation,
00:18:36you know,
00:18:37and the cussing and the screaming
00:18:38and the yelling
00:18:39that one of the first things I did
00:18:41after meeting Jennifer
00:18:42was I went to both of my kids
00:18:44and I apologized to my children.
00:18:46And I said,
00:18:47God, please forgive me.
00:18:48I'm so sorry for
00:18:49what you witnessed.
00:18:53In 2012,
00:18:55the gossip and news blog Gawker Media
00:18:57leaked a sex tape
00:18:59that showed Hulk Hogan sleeping
00:19:01with his best friend's wife.
00:19:03The tape was filmed during his divorce
00:19:05and everything was consensual,
00:19:08except for the recording.
00:19:10Hogan sued the media company
00:19:12and after taxes,
00:19:14received around $10 million in damages.
00:19:18Three years later,
00:19:19Hogan faced severe backlash
00:19:20as an audio clip of the tape was leaked
00:19:22where he repeatedly used racial slurs.
00:19:25WWE fired him immediately
00:19:34and officially removed him
00:19:36from the Hall of Fame.
00:19:39It was tough, you know.
00:19:40It hit me hard.
00:19:43When you look at a 40-year career,
00:19:47just gone.
00:19:49I don't think people realize
00:19:51how many people it really affects
00:19:52when you lash out and say something,
00:19:54number one, that's not true,
00:19:55hateful, and that discriminates
00:19:57against people.
00:19:59In an interview with TMZ,
00:20:01Terry joked about becoming
00:20:02Donald Trump's running mate
00:20:04in his 2016 candidacy.
00:20:07It wasn't about how good you were
00:20:09for the job,
00:20:09it was almost like how popular you were.
00:20:12The controversies around Terry Bollea
00:20:15have alienated many fans of Hulk Hogan.
00:20:18Others argue that he genuinely
00:20:20tried to redeem himself.
00:20:21He openly admitted to many lies
00:20:24and mistakes he made in his career
00:20:26and actually begged for forgiveness
00:20:28when he saw his own legacy unravel.
00:20:32I don't agree with any of the stuff I did.
00:20:36I mean, like I said,
00:20:38I can make a million excuses for it.
00:20:40I'm accountable.
00:20:41I did that.
00:20:42It's not fun to talk about.
00:20:44It's very embarrassing.
00:20:50He was reinstated into the Hall of Fame in 2018
00:20:54and became a two-time Hall of Famer
00:20:56with the induction of the NWO stable
00:20:59in 2020.
00:21:01In 2022, a personal milestone,
00:21:06Hulk Hogan stopped drinking alcohol.
00:21:08In January 2024,
00:21:10his son Nick was arrested
00:21:12for driving under the influence.
00:21:15A couple of months later,
00:21:16Hogan launched his brand
00:21:17of Real American Beer.
00:21:20He pursued various ventures
00:21:22outside the WWE
00:21:24and always found something new to do.
00:21:27But wrestling remained
00:21:28his number one passion.
00:21:29Would you come back if they asked?
00:21:35I've got a new tag team partner right now.
00:21:38I got Hulk Hogan's
00:21:39Real American Beer
00:21:41that I teamed up.
00:21:45Hogan's last appearance
00:21:46in the WWE was embarrassing.
00:21:49There was no fan support.
00:21:51Wrestling legends laughed at him.
00:21:54But his death
00:21:55seven months later
00:21:56changed that.
00:21:57What Will Remain
00:21:59of Hulk Hogan?
00:22:03I know what kind of liar you are on.
00:22:05I know what kind of lying
00:22:07you're capable of.
00:22:09Two of Hogan's biggest rivals
00:22:10in wrestling,
00:22:12Macho Man Randy Savage
00:22:13and The Ultimate Warrior,
00:22:15were also some of his biggest enemies
00:22:17in real life.
00:22:19In the early 2000s,
00:22:21Hogan and a friend of his
00:22:22repeatedly insulted Savage
00:22:24on a radio show.
00:22:26They mocked him,
00:22:26his career
00:22:27and
00:22:28his mental health.
00:22:30Buddy here in Tampa
00:22:31had a local radio show
00:22:32and we just blasted him
00:22:33every morning,
00:22:34drove him crazy.
00:22:35He disrespected me and my family.
00:22:37He's a wuss.
00:22:38When Randy Savage
00:22:40passed away in 2011,
00:22:42Hogan claimed
00:22:43that they had met
00:22:44in a hospital
00:22:45and made peace
00:22:46shortly before his death.
00:22:48The Ultimate Warrior,
00:22:49who was a good friend
00:22:50of the Macho Man,
00:22:51vehemently attacked Hogan.
00:22:53He believed that Savage
00:22:55and Hogan never reconciled
00:22:56and that it was wrong
00:22:58to tell a lie
00:22:59about someone
00:22:59who recently passed away.
00:23:02Thanks, brother.
00:23:04Just a pitiful,
00:23:06absolute wreck of a man.
00:23:08When Warrior was inducted
00:23:10into the Hall of Fame
00:23:11in 2014,
00:23:13he and Hogan seemingly buried
00:23:14the hatchet
00:23:15of an intense,
00:23:16multi-year feud
00:23:17within just a few moments.
00:23:20The Ultimate Warrior
00:23:21died just a few days
00:23:22after their last exchange.
00:23:25Whether their mutual forgiveness
00:23:26was only a good story
00:23:27to tell the fans
00:23:28or if it was genuine
00:23:30is anyone's guess.
00:23:32Hogan claims he felt
00:23:33as if God was present
00:23:35in that moment.
00:23:36It's my absolute honor
00:23:38and privilege
00:23:39to induct my good friend,
00:23:40someone that I really loved,
00:23:42the Macho Man,
00:23:43Randy Savage.
00:23:44Terry got the chance
00:23:46to turn his life around,
00:23:48whether he used it
00:23:49or not.
00:23:51He got the chance
00:23:52to experience forgiveness,
00:23:54whether it was truly deserved
00:23:55or not.
00:24:00In his later interviews,
00:24:01he seems happy.
00:24:03Faith became a big part
00:24:04of his life
00:24:05and he and his wife
00:24:06got baptized in 2023.
00:24:09That set me free.
00:24:12I wasn't that perfect vessel
00:24:13that I should be
00:24:14or should have been.
00:24:15I didn't call myself a hero.
00:24:18I didn't call myself
00:24:19a role model.
00:24:20My fans did.
00:24:22It felt almost like
00:24:23Hulk Hogan would live forever.
00:24:26But his body was weary,
00:24:28destroyed from over
00:24:29three decades in the ring.
00:24:32The knees are fake,
00:24:33the hips are fake,
00:24:35the back's full of metal.
00:24:37He gave everything
00:24:38to the business.
00:24:39A lot of times,
00:24:41he was the business.
00:24:42Without Hulk Hogan,
00:24:44none of us
00:24:45would be wrestling fans today.
00:24:47He was without a doubt
00:24:48the most important wrestler
00:24:50of all time.
00:24:51And for that,
00:24:53he will be remembered.
00:24:55The guy that started it all.
00:24:56The guy that put
00:24:57our business on the map.
00:24:59I think Hogan will always be a part
00:25:01of World Wrestling Entertainment
00:25:02legacy.
00:25:03And he should be.
00:25:04He deserves it.
00:25:05But Terry Bollea did not live up
00:25:07to the challenges placed
00:25:09in his personal life.
00:25:10Every idol has a responsibility
00:25:12to be a good role model.
00:25:14Hogan often placed his own needs
00:25:16above that responsibility.
00:25:19He stands as a reminder
00:25:20that no one deserves
00:25:21to be celebrated blindly
00:25:23for a role they play
00:25:24or for a lie they tell.
00:25:27And yet,
00:25:28in the end,
00:25:29it's never too late
00:25:30to seek forgiveness
00:25:31and to forgive
00:25:32when others do.
00:25:34I'm just very grateful,
00:25:36you know,
00:25:37for everything.
00:25:39This beautiful life,
00:25:41you know,
00:25:41for my friends and my family,
00:25:42my kids being healthy.
00:25:44I'm just so grateful
00:25:45to be alive.
00:25:48Hulkamania shall live forever,
00:25:50long after I'm gone.
00:25:54Richard Belzer's body
00:26:10collapses lifelessly
00:26:11to the ground.
00:26:13His head thuds against the stage
00:26:15of the television studio.
00:26:16A shocked murmur rises
00:26:18from the audience.
00:26:20Towering over Belzer
00:26:21is the hulking star
00:26:23of the World Wrestling Federation.
00:26:26Hulk.
00:26:27Hogan.
00:26:28He watches as a pool
00:26:29of blood forms
00:26:30around the host's head,
00:26:32staining the studio's
00:26:33glossy black floor,
00:26:35a deep dark red.
00:26:37Hogan gives Belzer
00:26:38a couple of light slaps
00:26:39on the cheek
00:26:40before he regains consciousness.
00:26:43Just days before
00:26:44his big match
00:26:45at the inaugural
00:26:45Wrestlemania,
00:26:47Hulk Hogan
00:26:48had almost doomed
00:26:49the WWF's gigantic show
00:26:51before its debut.
00:26:53Even today,
00:26:55Hogan remains one of the biggest stars
00:26:57in wrestling history.
00:26:59But behind the facade
00:27:00of the invincible
00:27:01crowd favorite
00:27:02lies an unseemly character.
00:27:05He disrespected me
00:27:06and my family.
00:27:07He's a wuss.
00:27:08Do I like Hulk Hogan?
00:27:09No, I don't.
00:27:10I think he's a phony piece of shit.
00:27:13Sex, drugs,
00:27:15violence,
00:27:16and legal troubles.
00:27:17This is the dark side
00:27:19of Terry Bollea,
00:27:21the man behind the role
00:27:22of Hulk Hogan.
00:27:26At the age of 16,
00:27:28the American began
00:27:29watching wrestling.
00:27:31During his high school years,
00:27:32he particularly admired
00:27:34the skills of American dream,
00:27:36Dusty Rhodes.
00:27:37He started regularly
00:27:38attending wrestling shows
00:27:40in Tampa, Florida,
00:27:41where his family had lived
00:27:43ever since he was
00:27:44two years old.
00:27:45Later,
00:27:46WWF champion Billy Graham
00:27:48became his idol,
00:27:49especially due
00:27:50to his impressive physique.
00:27:53However,
00:27:54Hogan had a greater passion
00:27:55alongside his love
00:27:56for wrestling,
00:27:57music.
00:27:59For over 10 years,
00:28:00he tried his hand
00:28:00as a bassist
00:28:01in various rock bands
00:28:03during his school years.
00:28:04To find more time
00:28:06for music,
00:28:07he even dropped out
00:28:08of the University
00:28:08of South Florida.
00:28:10Parallel to his music career,
00:28:12he began building
00:28:13his muscles in the gym.
00:28:15In a short time,
00:28:17he made impressive progress,
00:28:19which did not go unnoticed
00:28:20by those around him.
00:28:22After a performance
00:28:23in a bar,
00:28:24Hogan was approached
00:28:25about his muscular physique
00:28:27and received an invitation
00:28:28for a trial
00:28:29as a wrestler.
00:28:32But the first training session
00:28:33was a shock.
00:28:35His trainer,
00:28:36Japanese wrestler
00:28:37Hiro Matsuda,
00:28:39broke his leg
00:28:40during their first session.
00:28:42Hogan had to pause
00:28:43for over two months
00:28:44before he could step back
00:28:45into the ring
00:28:45with Matsuda.
00:28:47He was challenged
00:28:47and tormented,
00:28:49but improved steadily.
00:28:50After a year of training,
00:28:52he got his first match
00:28:53in August 1977
00:28:55at a championship wrestling
00:28:57from Florida show.
00:28:58But he quickly turned
00:28:59his back on the league.
00:29:01He simply could not get along
00:29:02with his domineering trainer,
00:29:05Matsuda.
00:29:07Hogan paused his in-ring career
00:29:08and instead entered
00:29:10the nightlife scene.
00:29:12He initially worked
00:29:13as a bouncer
00:29:14at the Anchor Club
00:29:15and eventually became
00:29:16its manager.
00:29:18He got along well
00:29:19with the club's owner
00:29:20and together they opened
00:29:22their own gym,
00:29:23where Hogan continued
00:29:24to work on his physique.
00:29:26But he longed
00:29:27to return to the ring
00:29:29and got another chance.
00:29:31His idol from earlier years,
00:29:33Billy Graham,
00:29:34secured him a job
00:29:36at a wrestling league
00:29:37in Alabama.
00:29:39Hogan impressed
00:29:39and subsequently fought
00:29:41in Tennessee and Georgia.
00:29:42His reputation preceded him.
00:29:47In the fall of 1979,
00:29:50he managed to join
00:29:50the World Wrestling Federation
00:29:52under the leadership
00:29:53of Vince McMahon Sr.
00:29:56McMahon was quickly impressed
00:29:58by the young American's physique
00:29:59and charisma
00:30:00and gave him
00:30:01the now world-famous ring name
00:30:03Hulk Hogan.
00:30:05However,
00:30:06his major breakthrough
00:30:07in the USA
00:30:08did not happen immediately.
00:30:10Simultaneously,
00:30:11he made a name for himself
00:30:13at New Japan Pro Wrestling,
00:30:15defeating the future
00:30:16WWE Hall of Famer
00:30:18Antonio Inoki
00:30:19in 1983.
00:30:22In December 1983,
00:30:25Hogan was set
00:30:25for a major leap.
00:30:27A year earlier,
00:30:28a new figure
00:30:28had entered
00:30:29the wrestling world map,
00:30:30Vincent Kennedy McMahon.
00:30:32He bought
00:30:32the World Wrestling Federation
00:30:34from his father
00:30:35and pursued
00:30:36an ambitious plan.
00:30:37He wanted to transform
00:30:38the WWF
00:30:39from a regional territory
00:30:40into a nationwide attraction,
00:30:43choosing Hulk Hogan
00:30:45as his flagship.
00:30:46Hogan returned
00:30:47to the World Wrestling Federation
00:30:49and quickly became
00:30:51the league's
00:30:51biggest fan favorite.
00:30:53Just a few weeks later,
00:30:55he won the WWF Championship
00:30:57in a match
00:30:58against the Iron Sheik.
00:31:00The legend of Hulkamania
00:31:01and his fans,
00:31:03the Hulkamaniacs,
00:31:05was born.
00:31:05Hogan became the anticipated
00:31:09audience magnet
00:31:10and was slated
00:31:11as the main attraction
00:31:12for the first
00:31:13WrestleMania
00:31:14in March 1985.
00:31:17However,
00:31:17a TV appearance
00:31:18shortly before
00:31:19his big match
00:31:20would put a dent
00:31:22in his hero image.
00:31:25A few days before
00:31:26their tag team match,
00:31:27Hogan and actor
00:31:28Mr. T
00:31:29appeared on comedian
00:31:30Richard Belz's TV show
00:31:32Hot Properties
00:31:33As part of a nationwide
00:31:35media tour,
00:31:36the WWF stars
00:31:37were promoting
00:31:38their WrestleMania match.
00:31:40During the show,
00:31:41Belzer talked about
00:31:42Hogan's abilities
00:31:43and asked him
00:31:45to demonstrate
00:31:45his best move.
00:31:47But Hogan tried to pacify
00:31:48the overzealous comedian.
00:31:51I have to stick
00:31:51to the basics here.
00:31:53The floor is quite hard
00:31:54and I don't want
00:31:55to hurt you.
00:31:56Instead of a throw,
00:31:57Hogan applied
00:31:58a front chokehold.
00:32:00Within seconds,
00:32:01Belzer lost consciousness.
00:32:03Hogan dropped
00:32:04the limp body
00:32:04to the floor.
00:32:06The comedian
00:32:06hit the back
00:32:07of his head hard
00:32:08and sustained
00:32:08a laceration.
00:32:10He quickly lay
00:32:10on the studio floor
00:32:11in a pool
00:32:12of his own blood.
00:32:13Fortunately,
00:32:14he regained consciousness
00:32:15after a few seconds
00:32:16and still in shock,
00:32:18announced a commercial break.
00:32:21This incident
00:32:22would not go
00:32:22without consequences
00:32:24for Hogan.
00:32:26In the next episode
00:32:27of his show,
00:32:28Belzer replayed
00:32:29the clip
00:32:29where Hogan injured him.
00:32:31He repeatedly emphasized
00:32:33that the incident
00:32:34was not planned
00:32:35and he had no idea
00:32:37what was going to happen.
00:32:39To demonstrate
00:32:40the seriousness
00:32:41of his injury,
00:32:43he showed a close-up
00:32:44of his laceration,
00:32:46which required
00:32:47nine stitches
00:32:48at the hospital.
00:32:49He made me unconscious
00:32:51in his arm
00:32:51and then he let me go.
00:32:53He let me drop
00:32:54to the floor
00:32:55and I was unconscious,
00:32:57went to the floor,
00:32:58hit the back of my head,
00:32:59blood gushing out.
00:33:00The comedian
00:33:01took the matter
00:33:02to court
00:33:02and sued
00:33:03the wrestling star
00:33:04for $5 million
00:33:05in damages.
00:33:06The case eventually
00:33:07reached the New York
00:33:08Supreme Court,
00:33:09but both parties
00:33:10settled out of court
00:33:11before a verdict
00:33:12was reached.
00:33:13Belzer received
00:33:14$400,000
00:33:15and Hogan avoided
00:33:16further negative publicity.
00:33:18Belzer later stated
00:33:19that he used the money
00:33:20to buy a house
00:33:21in France.
00:33:22Until Belzer's death
00:33:23in February 2023,
00:33:25the two never spoke again.
00:33:26WrestleMania 1
00:33:30was not negatively affected
00:33:31by Hogan's scandal.
00:33:32On the contrary,
00:33:34the event garnered
00:33:34even more media attention
00:33:36and Hogan remained
00:33:37in the spotlight
00:33:38of the WWF.
00:33:40His match
00:33:41alongside Mr. T
00:33:42was the first
00:33:43of seven main events
00:33:44Hogan would compete in
00:33:46during the first
00:33:47eight years
00:33:48of WrestleMania history.
00:33:50In the following years,
00:33:52he became
00:33:53an international superstar.
00:33:55Various shows
00:33:56invited him as a guest
00:33:57and he graced the covers
00:33:59of numerous
00:34:00prominent magazines.
00:34:02After over three years
00:34:03as champion,
00:34:04a rivalry developed
00:34:05before WrestleMania 3
00:34:07between Hogan
00:34:08and the French legend
00:34:10Andre the Giant.
00:34:12The title holder
00:34:13achieved the unthinkable.
00:34:15He lifted the giant
00:34:17off his feet
00:34:17and slammed him
00:34:19onto the mat.
00:34:20The leg drop
00:34:21sealed the challenger's defeat.
00:34:23Providing fans
00:34:24with one of the greatest
00:34:25moments in wrestling history,
00:34:27Hogan did not lose
00:34:28the WWF championship
00:34:30until 1989.
00:34:33Ironically,
00:34:34to his arch-rival
00:34:35Andre.
00:34:37In several high-profile rivalries
00:34:39with Macho Man,
00:34:41Randy Savage
00:34:42and The Ultimate Warrior,
00:34:43he achieved
00:34:44further title victories.
00:34:47However,
00:34:48in the early 1990s,
00:34:49Hogan was again
00:34:50in the media spotlight
00:34:52outside the ring
00:34:53while also facing
00:34:54internal criticism.
00:34:58You know,
00:34:59Hogan was a great person
00:35:00in the ring,
00:35:01but we didn't like
00:35:02his outside activities
00:35:03and thought that
00:35:05he wasn't a very good
00:35:06representation
00:35:06or a very good model
00:35:09for young people
00:35:10to be able to
00:35:11be looking up to.
00:35:13He didn't walk the walk.
00:35:15In 1991,
00:35:18initial reports emerged
00:35:19that Hogan's
00:35:19personal physician,
00:35:21Dr. George Zahorian III,
00:35:23in his role
00:35:23as a doctor
00:35:24for the Pennsylvania
00:35:25State Athletic Commission,
00:35:27had illegally sold steroids
00:35:28to several wrestlers.
00:35:30This practice
00:35:31had been illegal
00:35:32since 1988.
00:35:34Hogan was also
00:35:34implicated
00:35:35in the process,
00:35:37but the World Wrestling
00:35:38Federation's lawyers
00:35:39managed to avert
00:35:41disaster.
00:35:43Hogan was slated
00:35:44to testify
00:35:45in the trial
00:35:45against Zahorian.
00:35:47However,
00:35:47the WWF's lawyers
00:35:49managed to keep Hogan
00:35:50out of the line of fire
00:35:51to protect his career
00:35:53and reputation.
00:35:55A possible testimony
00:35:56never occurred.
00:35:57Instead,
00:35:58the defendant's attorney
00:35:59made a sweeping statement
00:36:01on the last day,
00:36:03openly declaring
00:36:03that Vince McMahon
00:36:04and Hulk Hogan
00:36:05had definitely acquired
00:36:07steroids from his client.
00:36:08For Zahorian's conviction,
00:36:11this statement
00:36:11was irrelevant.
00:36:13The doctor was sentenced
00:36:14to three years in prison
00:36:15in June 1991.
00:36:19Hogan came under
00:36:21further scrutiny
00:36:22and tried to clear
00:36:23his name
00:36:23during an appearance
00:36:24on the
00:36:25Arsenio Hall show.
00:36:27There,
00:36:28he stated that
00:36:29there had been
00:36:29a wave of misinformation
00:36:30accusing him
00:36:31of illegal steroid use.
00:36:34He firmly denied
00:36:35the allegations of abuse.
00:36:38I've trained 20 years,
00:36:40two hours a day
00:36:40to look like I do.
00:36:42But the things
00:36:43that I am not
00:36:43is I'm not
00:36:44a steroid abuser
00:36:46and I do not use steroids.
00:36:49He also explained
00:36:50that he had only used steroids
00:36:52three times in his career.
00:36:54When he tore his bicep
00:36:55in 1983,
00:36:56his doctor prescribed
00:36:57a medication
00:36:58that acted similarly
00:36:59to a steroid
00:37:00and improved healing.
00:37:02Despite his appearance,
00:37:03the allegations
00:37:04of steroid use
00:37:05in the WWF
00:37:06and Hogan
00:37:07did not subside.
00:37:10I myself personally
00:37:12have injected Hulk Hogan
00:37:13with anabolic steroids.
00:37:17After WrestleMania VIII
00:37:18in the spring of 1992,
00:37:20Vince McMahon
00:37:21pulled the plug.
00:37:22Hogan did not appear
00:37:23in the ring
00:37:24for almost a year
00:37:25and was thus taken
00:37:26out of the line of fire.
00:37:28His return to the cameras
00:37:29was short-lived.
00:37:31Just a few months
00:37:31after his comeback,
00:37:33he left the WWF
00:37:34to pursue his acting career.
00:37:37During the same period,
00:37:38the league began experiencing
00:37:40the most challenging time
00:37:41in its history.
00:37:44In 1993,
00:37:46Vince McMahon
00:37:46was put on trial
00:37:47in New York.
00:37:48The owner of
00:37:49the World Wrestling Federation
00:37:50was accused
00:37:51of distributing steroids
00:37:52to his wrestlers
00:37:53and forcing them
00:37:55to take them,
00:37:56thus violating the law.
00:37:58Eleven active
00:37:59or former WWF wrestlers
00:38:01were called to testify
00:38:03against McMahon.
00:38:04Particularly notable,
00:38:06Hulk Hogan
00:38:06was also to testify
00:38:07against his former employer.
00:38:10The superstar
00:38:10was already under contract
00:38:12with the rival WCW
00:38:14and had entered
00:38:15into an intriguing deal
00:38:16with the prosecution.
00:38:18To secure his testimony,
00:38:20Hogan was promised
00:38:21full immunity
00:38:22regarding his own
00:38:23steroid offenses.
00:38:25McMahon's defenders
00:38:26feared a vendetta
00:38:27from Hogan
00:38:28who might seek revenge
00:38:29on his former boss
00:38:31and ruin the league
00:38:32with damning testimony.
00:38:36But Hogan surprised everyone.
00:38:38He admitted
00:38:39to using steroids himself.
00:38:41The medications
00:38:42had been sent to him
00:38:43by mail
00:38:44from his personal physician,
00:38:46George Zahorian,
00:38:48who had been imprisoned
00:38:49for these actions.
00:38:51However,
00:38:51he exonerated
00:38:52his former employer,
00:38:54Vince McMahon.
00:38:55there had never been
00:38:56any encouragement
00:38:57or coercion
00:38:58to use steroids.
00:39:01I know what was
00:39:01on my mind there
00:39:02and the problem was
00:39:03that there was
00:39:04a Vince McMahon jail
00:39:05that he put the whole
00:39:06wrestling community
00:39:07in jail.
00:39:08He didn't sell them.
00:39:09He didn't inject people.
00:39:10He didn't do it.
00:39:12And I'm glad
00:39:12Vince McMahon survived it.
00:39:15Vince didn't go to jail
00:39:16for 17 years
00:39:17either for me.
00:39:17On July 23rd, 1994,
00:39:23Vincent Kennedy McMahon
00:39:24was acquitted.
00:39:26After 16 hours
00:39:27of deliberation,
00:39:28the jury finally declared him
00:39:30not guilty.
00:39:32Vince embraced his lawyers.
00:39:34The investigators
00:39:35could never prove
00:39:36that McMahon
00:39:36had encouraged
00:39:37his wrestlers
00:39:38to abuse steroids.
00:39:40The attempt to use Hogan
00:39:41as a key witness failed.
00:39:43Had Hogan provided
00:39:44damning evidence
00:39:45against McMahon that day,
00:39:46it could have meant
00:39:47the premature end
00:39:49of the World Wrestling Federation.
00:39:52The fact that Hogan
00:39:53had long denied
00:39:54his own use of steroids
00:39:56was still resented
00:39:57by many of his colleagues
00:39:58such as the Ultimate Warrior
00:40:00even many years later.
00:40:04To take the kind of vitamins
00:40:05you train,
00:40:07take the kind of vitamins
00:40:08that you take,
00:40:10carry,
00:40:11you need to have
00:40:11a prescription.
00:40:13That gimmick bag
00:40:14you wear around your waist
00:40:15that you're never without,
00:40:16that's where you carry
00:40:17all your gimmicks
00:40:18so you can stay high all day.
00:40:22Almost 30 years
00:40:24after the incident,
00:40:25former colleague
00:40:26Jesse Ventura
00:40:27still lacks understanding
00:40:29of Hogan's lies.
00:40:30He said he never took them.
00:40:34That was a lie.
00:40:36A common laugh used to be
00:40:37when he used to tell the kids
00:40:38to say their prayers
00:40:39and take their vitamins.
00:40:41In the dressing room,
00:40:42we'd always laugh and say
00:40:43orals or injectables
00:40:45when he'd tell them
00:40:46to take their vitamins
00:40:47because a slang term
00:40:49for steroids is vitamins.
00:40:52Shortly after his testimony
00:40:54in the steroid trial,
00:40:56Hogan fought for the first time
00:40:57in a WCW ring.
00:40:59Against Ric Flair,
00:41:00he immediately won
00:41:01the World Heavyweight Championship.
00:41:04His reign lasted over a year
00:41:05before he controversially lost the belt
00:41:08at Halloween Havoc 1995.
00:41:11Instead of pursuing a new title,
00:41:13he initially joined forces
00:41:14with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.
00:41:17They formed the New World Order
00:41:18and became increasingly prominent
00:41:20in WCW shows.
00:41:22In August 1996,
00:41:24Hogan got a chance
00:41:25at a title win
00:41:26and seized it.
00:41:28This was followed
00:41:29by more great feuds
00:41:30with Sting,
00:41:31Randy Savage
00:41:32and Ric Flair
00:41:33before Hogan disappeared
00:41:34from WCW TV shows
00:41:36in October 1999.
00:41:41The league's new
00:41:42creative chief Vince Russo
00:41:44asked Hogan to take a break.
00:41:46He returned to the ring
00:41:47in February of 2000.
00:41:49A conflict followed,
00:41:50revealing Hogan's opportunistic side.
00:41:53At Bash at the Beach,
00:41:54he received a match
00:41:55for the World Heavyweight Championship.
00:41:57In the production meeting,
00:41:59Hogan tried to use
00:42:00his creative influence
00:42:01to secure the title for himself.
00:42:04Russo, however,
00:42:05insisted on a title retention.
00:42:08The two sides
00:42:09eventually reached a compromise,
00:42:12allowing Hogan
00:42:12to win the title.
00:42:14After the victory,
00:42:15Russo delivered
00:42:16a planned promo against Hogan
00:42:18but went overboard.
00:42:20He insulted him
00:42:21as a piece of shit
00:42:22and fired him.
00:42:24Additionally,
00:42:26the public first learned
00:42:27about a clause
00:42:27in Hogan's contract.
00:42:29This clause allowed Hulk
00:42:31to veto any creative decisions
00:42:32regarding his character.
00:42:34This was to be
00:42:35the superstar's last appearance
00:42:37in WCW.
00:42:40Hogan felt his reputation
00:42:41was damaged
00:42:42and eventually unsuccessfully
00:42:44sued Russo for defamation.
00:42:46The lawsuit was dismissed in 2002.
00:42:48after a successful knee surgery,
00:42:54Hogan returned to the World Wrestling Federation
00:42:57in February 2002
00:42:59for a second time,
00:43:00being presented as a villain
00:43:01in his role as leader
00:43:02of the New World Order.
00:43:04A few weeks later,
00:43:05he made history again.
00:43:07He became the last undisputed
00:43:09WWF champion
00:43:11before the league changed its name
00:43:13to World Wrestling Entertainment
00:43:15in May 2002
00:43:17after a lawsuit
00:43:18with the World Wildlife Fund.
00:43:20This was followed by feuds
00:43:23with The Undertaker,
00:43:25Brock Lesnar
00:43:26and even Vince McMahon himself.
00:43:28However,
00:43:29Hogan was dissatisfied.
00:43:31Just a year after his return,
00:43:33McMahon terminated his contract again.
00:43:36Hulk ventured to Japan again
00:43:37but didn't stay long there either.
00:43:40In 2005,
00:43:41he made another comeback.
00:43:42On the night before
00:43:43WrestleMania 21,
00:43:45Hogan received a great honor.
00:43:47Along with his longtime rivals
00:43:49Rowdy Roddy Piper
00:43:51and the Iron Sheik,
00:43:53he was inducted
00:43:53into the WWE Hall of Fame
00:43:56as an active wrestler.
00:43:57His longtime friend
00:43:58Sylvester Stallone
00:44:00gave the speech.
00:44:02Hogan's last match
00:44:03in a WWE ring
00:44:05took place at SummerSlam
00:44:06a year later.
00:44:08He defeated the young Randy Orton
00:44:09and left the company
00:44:10later that year.
00:44:12In 2009,
00:44:13he joined
00:44:13Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling
00:44:16and made his debut
00:44:17in January 2010.
00:44:19But his past caught up with him.
00:44:21Former colleagues
00:44:22like Doink the Clown
00:44:23and The Ultimate Warrior
00:44:24turned their backs on him.
00:44:27I don't have any respect for him.
00:44:29I believe he's not a real person.
00:44:34I think everything's a facade.
00:44:37You can't handle reality.
00:44:39And you are a pathological liar.
00:44:48In 2012,
00:44:50a video was released
00:44:51showing Hulk Hogan
00:44:52having sex
00:44:53with the wife of radio host
00:44:55Bubba the Love Sponge.
00:44:57The sex was consensual.
00:44:59The three were good friends
00:45:00at the time.
00:45:01Hogan first learned
00:45:02about the existence
00:45:03of the video
00:45:04from the news.
00:45:05In an interview,
00:45:06he said he had
00:45:06no knowledge of the recording
00:45:08and had not given
00:45:09any consent.
00:45:11Bubba and his wife
00:45:11Heather, however,
00:45:13had burned the recording
00:45:14from their surveillance camera
00:45:15onto a DVD,
00:45:16which found its way
00:45:17into the public
00:45:18five years later.
00:45:20In October 2012,
00:45:23the news portal
00:45:23Gawker Media
00:45:24published a two-minute clip
00:45:26of the nearly 30-minute video
00:45:28on their blog
00:45:28Gawker.
00:45:30Hogan took legal action
00:45:31against the platform
00:45:32and filed a lawsuit
00:45:33for copyright infringement.
00:45:35He also demanded
00:45:36that the portal
00:45:37delete the clip.
00:45:39However,
00:45:39the court saw
00:45:40no conflict with the law
00:45:42in the publication
00:45:43and initially
00:45:44dismissed Hogan's lawsuit.
00:45:47This was followed
00:45:48by another lawsuit,
00:45:50this time
00:45:50for damages.
00:45:52Hogan demanded
00:45:53$100 million
00:45:54in damages
00:45:55from Gawker.
00:45:57He described
00:45:57that the publication
00:45:58of the video
00:45:59had not only
00:46:00caused him
00:46:01emotional harm,
00:46:03but it also damaged him
00:46:04through defamation
00:46:05and invasion
00:46:07of his privacy.
00:46:08Hogan was awarded
00:46:09a sum of $115 million
00:46:11in damages.
00:46:14Gawker appealed,
00:46:15but the negotiations
00:46:16for a lower sum
00:46:17couldn't save
00:46:18the media company.
00:46:20In June 2016,
00:46:21Gawker had to file
00:46:22for bankruptcy.
00:46:24A few months later,
00:46:25they settled out of court
00:46:26with Hogan
00:46:27for $31 million.
00:46:28Even after the trial,
00:46:32the video continued
00:46:33to haunt Hogan.
00:46:35In an interview,
00:46:36he addressed allegations
00:46:38that it was wrong
00:46:39to sleep
00:46:40with his friend's wife.
00:46:41At the time
00:46:42of the recording,
00:46:43Hogan was still
00:46:44in the process
00:46:45of divorcing
00:46:46his ex-wife,
00:46:47Linda.
00:46:48The Hulkster
00:46:49acknowledged his mistakes.
00:46:50I don't agree
00:46:54with any of the stuff
00:46:56I did.
00:46:57I mean,
00:46:58like I said,
00:46:59I can make a million
00:47:00excuses for it.
00:47:02I'm accountable.
00:47:02I did that.
00:47:04It's not fun
00:47:05to talk about.
00:47:07It's, um,
00:47:07very embarrassing.
00:47:11It's not who I am.
00:47:12The only thing I can say
00:47:13is I pray to God
00:47:15that people can learn
00:47:16from my mistake
00:47:17because I sure did.
00:47:22Hogan returned
00:47:23to WWE in 2014
00:47:25after an almost
00:47:26eight-year absence
00:47:27taking on the role
00:47:28of host
00:47:28for Wrestlemania 30.
00:47:30His slip-up,
00:47:31where he mistakenly
00:47:32referred to the Superdome
00:47:33in New Orleans
00:47:34as the Silverdome,
00:47:36continues to amuse
00:47:37people even today.
00:47:40I'd like to welcome
00:47:41everyone
00:47:42here at the Silverdome.
00:47:45Hogan made another
00:47:46appearance at
00:47:46Wrestlemania 31
00:47:48the following year
00:47:49to induct his late
00:47:50friend Randy Savage
00:47:52into the WWE
00:47:53Hall of Fame.
00:47:55During the show,
00:47:56he had another
00:47:57significant moment,
00:47:59briefly reviving
00:48:00the New World Order
00:48:01with Kevin Nash
00:48:02and Scott Hall
00:48:04to support Sting
00:48:05in his match
00:48:06against Triple H.
00:48:08As Hogan,
00:48:08playing air guitar,
00:48:10strolled towards
00:48:11the ring with his friends,
00:48:12he had no idea
00:48:14this would be his last
00:48:15WWE appearance
00:48:17for the next few years.
00:48:23In July 2015,
00:48:25another video from 2007
00:48:26featuring Hogan
00:48:27and the wife of Bubba
00:48:29the Love Sponge
00:48:29was released.
00:48:31The clip,
00:48:31published by the
00:48:32National Enquirer,
00:48:34showed Hogan talking
00:48:35to Bubba and his wife
00:48:36Heather after having
00:48:37sex with Heather.
00:48:39He expressed his
00:48:39dissatisfaction with
00:48:40his daughter Brooke
00:48:41at the time,
00:48:42criticizing her struggling
00:48:44music career
00:48:45despite a $3 million
00:48:46investment.
00:48:48Hogan made racist comments
00:48:49about her love life,
00:48:51suggesting that a record deal
00:48:52had fallen through
00:48:53because Brooke had slept
00:48:54with the owner's son.
00:48:57Hogan repeatedly
00:48:58used the N-word,
00:49:00saying he would prefer it
00:49:01if she married
00:49:02an 8-foot-tall,
00:49:04$100 million
00:49:04basketball player.
00:49:06He made several
00:49:07racist remarks
00:49:08about Brooke's
00:49:09then-boyfriend,
00:49:10Rapper Stax,
00:49:12repeatedly using
00:49:13the N-word.
00:49:14He also stated
00:49:15in the video,
00:49:16I guess we're all
00:49:17a little racist.
00:49:18A few days after
00:49:21the first video
00:49:22was published,
00:49:23a transcript
00:49:23of another tape
00:49:24surfaced.
00:49:25In this one,
00:49:26Hogan made
00:49:27homophobic remarks.
00:49:29He told Bubba
00:49:29and Heather
00:49:30about a plan
00:49:30to visit his childhood
00:49:31home for his reality show,
00:49:33but when describing
00:49:34a large man
00:49:35who answered the door,
00:49:37Hogan used
00:49:37several queer-phobic slurs.
00:49:40The reaction
00:49:41to the videos
00:49:42was swift.
00:49:44World Wrestling Entertainment
00:49:45terminated Hogan's contract,
00:49:47removed all
00:49:48references to him
00:49:49from their website,
00:49:50took him out
00:49:51of the Hall of Fame
00:49:52and pulled his
00:49:53merchandise from sale.
00:49:55Hogan was even
00:49:56removed from
00:49:57the WWE 2K16
00:49:59video game,
00:50:00which was still
00:50:01in development
00:50:01at the time.
00:50:03In a statement,
00:50:04WWE left no doubt
00:50:06they had made
00:50:06the right decision.
00:50:09WWE is committed
00:50:10to embracing
00:50:11and celebrating
00:50:12individuals
00:50:13from all backgrounds,
00:50:15as demonstrated
00:50:16by the diversity
00:50:17of our employees,
00:50:18performers,
00:50:19and fans worldwide.
00:50:22For Hogan,
00:50:23the video's release
00:50:24was a shock.
00:50:25In an interview
00:50:26with ABC News,
00:50:27he searched
00:50:28for apologetic words,
00:50:30explaining that
00:50:31he was at a low point
00:50:32in his life
00:50:33at the time of the recording,
00:50:34but insisted
00:50:35he was not
00:50:36a racist.
00:50:37You're a racist.
00:50:38No, I'm not.
00:50:40I'm not a racist.
00:50:41I never should have said
00:50:42what I said.
00:50:43In the video,
00:50:44Hogan shows a side
00:50:45rarely seen
00:50:46in front of cameras,
00:50:48emotional,
00:50:49distraught,
00:50:50and ashamed
00:50:50of his words.
00:50:52He repeatedly asks
00:50:53for forgiveness
00:50:54from his fans,
00:50:56almost begging them.
00:50:58As he begins
00:50:58talking about his daughter,
00:51:00he struggles
00:51:01to find words,
00:51:02tears streaming
00:51:03down his face,
00:51:05Hogan becomes
00:51:05so emotional
00:51:06that he has to
00:51:07pause the interview
00:51:08briefly.
00:51:10Many colleagues
00:51:10and friends
00:51:11also commented
00:51:12on Hogan
00:51:13with opinions divided.
00:51:15Dwayne The Rock Johnson
00:51:16tried to support him.
00:51:18I've known Terry
00:51:19for a lot of years.
00:51:20I had not known
00:51:21the man to be racist.
00:51:23Former boxer
00:51:24and longtime friend
00:51:25George Foreman agreed.
00:51:27I do not condone
00:51:28the language he used,
00:51:30but he is no racist,
00:51:31he is a good guy.
00:51:33Hogan's ties
00:51:36with WWE
00:51:37remained severed
00:51:38for three long years.
00:51:39It wasn't until
00:51:40July 15, 2018
00:51:42that the company
00:51:43announced Hogan
00:51:44would be reinstated
00:51:45into the Hall of Fame,
00:51:47citing his multiple
00:51:48apologies
00:51:49and voluntary work
00:51:50with young people
00:51:51as reasons
00:51:52for a second chance.
00:51:53Wrestlers like Mark Henry,
00:51:55who had previously
00:51:56criticized Hogan harshly,
00:51:58viewed his return
00:51:59positively.
00:52:01I do.
00:52:02I do feel like
00:52:03he genuinely wants
00:52:04to clear his name.
00:52:06He sees people
00:52:07that used to respect him,
00:52:10they look at him
00:52:11differently.
00:52:12And it hurts.
00:52:14And he brought that
00:52:15on himself.
00:52:16But he's trying his best
00:52:19to, you know,
00:52:20clear that up.
00:52:23Hogan made his first appearance
00:52:24after his return
00:52:25at Crown Jewel
00:52:26in Saudi Arabia
00:52:27a few months later,
00:52:29expressing his joy
00:52:30at being back in WWE.
00:52:32A year later,
00:52:34Hogan received
00:52:34a rare honor.
00:52:36In December 2019,
00:52:38WWE announced Hogan,
00:52:40along with Kevin Nash,
00:52:42Scott Hall,
00:52:43and Sean Waltman,
00:52:44would be inducted
00:52:44into the Hall of Fame
00:52:45as part of the New World Order.
00:52:48This made Hogan
00:52:48part of an elite group
00:52:50of wrestlers
00:52:50who have been inducted
00:52:51into the Hall of Fame twice.
00:52:54But Hogan's character
00:52:55remains controversial.
00:52:57He has irreparably
00:52:58burned many bridges
00:53:00with his ego.
00:53:01I think he thought
00:53:05he was the big dog
00:53:06and the king dog
00:53:07and the company
00:53:08and the guy
00:53:09that thought he was
00:53:10everything in wrestling
00:53:12and that everyone else was
00:53:13we're all backup players
00:53:15to Hulk Hogan.
00:53:16And that's the way
00:53:16he saw it.
00:53:18Hulk Hogan's career
00:53:19is impressive.
00:53:20He will go down
00:53:21in history
00:53:21as one of the greatest
00:53:23wrestlers of all time.
00:53:24His work created a boom
00:53:26that the industry
00:53:27still benefits from today.
00:53:29He became a role model
00:53:30for multiple generations
00:53:32inspiring many young people
00:53:34to emulate his physique.
00:53:37But Hogan also has
00:53:38a darker side.
00:53:40He showed unnecessary
00:53:41harshness towards a host,
00:53:43abused steroids
00:53:45and denied their use,
00:53:47acted opportunistically
00:53:48throughout his career
00:53:49and used racist
00:53:51and homophobic language
00:53:52against those
00:53:53who couldn't fight back.
00:53:55For many,
00:53:56Hogan is the hero
00:53:57of their childhood
00:53:58but outside the ring
00:54:00he could sometimes appear
00:54:01as the villain.
00:54:08I just love the business.
00:54:11There's nothing else like it.
00:54:14It's just magic.
00:54:16It's the most exhilarating
00:54:18experience you'll ever have.
00:54:19I'm going to be fighting
00:54:38for all my Hulkamaniacs.
00:54:40What are you going to do
00:54:41when Hulkamania runs wild on you?
00:54:44Hulk Hogan defines sports entertainment.
00:54:48Hulk Hogan is sports entertainment.
00:54:52With Hulkamania running wild,
00:54:53I feel like a hundred supermen.
00:54:55The bronze physique,
00:54:57the 24-inch pythons,
00:54:58the bandana.
00:54:59The training,
00:55:00the training,
00:55:00saying your prayers
00:55:01and eating your vitamins
00:55:02is definitely the right way to live.
00:55:04Power,
00:55:05personality,
00:55:06persona.
00:55:08He was a box office attraction,
00:55:10a global icon.
00:55:12But before all that,
00:55:13he was Terry.
00:55:15In 1953,
00:55:17Terry Gene Balea
00:55:19was born in Augusta, Georgia.
00:55:21He loved sports
00:55:22and he played the bass guitar
00:55:24while chasing his musical dreams.
00:55:271976,
00:55:28I was playing
00:55:29in a rock and roll band.
00:55:30I said,
00:55:31I'm quitting.
00:55:32I'm going to be
00:55:32the greatest professional wrestler
00:55:34that ever lived.
00:55:35He was first known
00:55:37under a mask
00:55:38as the Super Destroyer
00:55:39in 1977.
00:55:41He made his WWE debut
00:55:43in 1979.
00:55:46Hulk Hogan.
00:55:48You are looking
00:55:49at the new king
00:55:50of professional wrestling.
00:55:51Hogan's allure grew
00:55:53from Shea Stadium
00:55:54to Hollywood
00:55:55where he got his big break
00:55:58in Rocky III.
00:55:59Looking at the size of your arms,
00:56:01I don't believe this.
00:56:02I know sooner or later,
00:56:04my time is going to come.
00:56:06Then this,
00:56:07at Madison Square Garden
00:56:09on January 23rd, 1984,
00:56:13the day Hulkamania was born.
00:56:15He dropped a big leg at him.
00:56:17He's got him.
00:56:19History made
00:56:21versus my daughter.
00:56:23Hulkamania is here.
00:56:25I feel the energy.
00:56:26Hulkamania is running worldwide.
00:56:29Hulk Hogan was woven
00:56:31into pop culture.
00:56:32Mr. Hulk Hogan.
00:56:34He was a slice
00:56:36of Americana.
00:56:37Right here on MTV,
00:56:38just being here
00:56:39with all the rock and rollers.
00:56:41Rock and wrestling,
00:56:42the Grammy's
00:56:43Saturday Night Live.
00:56:44Mr. T.
00:56:45and Hulk Hogan.
00:56:48And the grandest stage
00:56:49of them all,
00:56:50WrestleMania.
00:56:51Unbelievable.
00:56:52Pandemonium here in the garden.
00:56:55Then in 1987,
00:56:57at WrestleMania III,
00:56:58Hogan
00:56:59did the unthinkable.
00:57:01The irresistible force
00:57:02beating the unbelievable object.
00:57:04Look at this.
00:57:05He's so beautiful.
00:57:07The greatest moment ever
00:57:09in my life,
00:57:10as far as my career,
00:57:11it has to be that
00:57:11WrestleMania,
00:57:13without a doubt.
00:57:14His rivalries
00:57:15became stuff of legend.
00:57:17Roddy, Roddy Piper.
00:57:20Macho Man,
00:57:21Randy Savage,
00:57:22the ultimate warrior.
00:57:26By the early 90s,
00:57:28Hollywood came calling again.
00:57:31There were TV series
00:57:32and more movies
00:57:33before a shocking arrival
00:57:35in WCW.
00:57:38From the ultimate hero,
00:57:39the Hulkster,
00:57:40to the worst villain,
00:57:42Hollywood Hulk Hogan.
00:57:44You can call this
00:57:45the new world order
00:57:48of wrestling, brother.
00:57:51New, new, new world order.
00:57:53He turned the business
00:57:55upside down.
00:57:56Hulk Hogan, Hulk,
00:57:57come on out here.
00:58:00Here's the NWO.
00:58:03There's no yellow.
00:58:05There's no red.
00:58:06He's wearing black.
00:58:09NWO for life, brah.
00:58:12Hogan came home
00:58:15in 2002.
00:58:18And there was only one man
00:58:19to mark the occasion
00:58:21and match his stardom.
00:58:25History in the making now.
00:58:26This is a WrestleMania moment.
00:58:29Many in the crowd
00:58:30chanting for The Rock.
00:58:31Many in the crowd
00:58:32chanting for Hogan.
00:58:35Woo!
00:58:36Oh, my God.
00:58:37What you gonna do, Rock?
00:58:40Hollywood Hulk Hogan
00:58:41give you all he had.
00:58:45Three years later,
00:58:47in 2005,
00:58:48Hogan was inducted
00:58:49into the WWE Hall of Fame.
00:58:52Andre the Giant
00:58:53kicked my ass
00:58:54every time I got
00:58:55in the ring with him.
00:58:56He developed something
00:58:57in me called character.
00:58:59A love for this business
00:59:00that'll never die.
00:59:01In the years that followed,
00:59:03Hogan never left the spotlight.
00:59:06Across decades
00:59:07and so many changes
00:59:08to the business.
00:59:09I never knew
00:59:1130 years later
00:59:12I would have a love affair
00:59:13with the maniacs
00:59:15of Madison Square Garden
00:59:16in this town
00:59:16like I have.
00:59:19Somehow,
00:59:20Hogan's charisma
00:59:20and connection
00:59:21to the audience
00:59:22always remained.
00:59:24While his steps slowed,
00:59:25his work ethic never did
00:59:27and his influence
00:59:28never wavered.
00:59:30Run wild on you!
00:59:32Whoa!
00:59:33Whoa!
00:59:33Whoa!
00:59:34Whoa!
00:59:34He loved his fans.
00:59:37Thanks for making my childhood, buddy.
00:59:39From young to old,
00:59:40Hogan was the ultimate hero.
00:59:42Even till the end,
00:59:47on July 24th, 2025,
00:59:53surrounded by family
00:59:54and friends,
00:59:56Terry Hulk Hogan Balea
00:59:58passed away.
01:00:01He was 71 years old.
01:00:04But Hulkamania
01:00:05will live forever.
01:00:07forever.
01:00:09You develop a love
01:00:10for this business.
01:00:12It's something
01:00:13that's in your spirit.
01:00:16It's something
01:00:17that you can never lose.
01:00:19It's something
01:00:20that will stay with you
01:00:21till the day you die.
01:00:24As it will with me.
01:00:27When you get a dose
01:00:28of Hulkamania,
01:00:29it is the ultimate
01:00:30natural high.
01:00:31It's something
01:00:31that you can't shake.
01:00:33It's something
01:00:33that makes you shake
01:00:34in your seat.
01:00:35And it's something
01:00:35that you can't beat, daddy.
01:00:36And Hulkamania
01:00:38will live forever.
01:00:42Gone but not forgotten,
01:00:44the incredible
01:00:45Hulk Hogan.
01:00:54Ladies and gentlemen,
01:00:56the one,
01:00:57the only,
01:00:57the incredible
01:00:58Hulk Hogan!
01:00:59Hogan!
01:01:01They say for home
01:01:03water's watered down
01:01:04and this town's
01:01:06lost its faith.
01:01:07Our colors will fade
01:01:09eventually.
01:01:11So if our time
01:01:12is running now,
01:01:14day after day,
01:01:16we'll make the mundane
01:01:17our masterpiece.
01:01:20Looking at the size
01:01:20of your arms,
01:01:21I wish I had anything
01:01:22that big.
01:01:23I take one look at you,
01:01:27you're taking me out
01:01:28of the ordinary.
01:01:31I want you laying me down
01:01:33to the dead and buried.
01:01:35And he drops a big leg on
01:01:36the Hulkamania.
01:01:38He's here.
01:01:39The angels up in the clouds
01:01:42are jealous
01:01:43knowing we found
01:01:44It's only so well
01:01:45we'll be hard and dairy
01:01:47You got me kissing the ground
01:01:50We'll be sanctuary
01:01:51Shatter me when you touch
01:01:54Will not return me to dust
01:01:57The angels up in the clouds
01:01:59are jealous
01:02:00knowing we found
01:02:02Hopeless
01:02:04He was the Babe Ruth
01:02:07of wrestling
01:02:08The household name
01:02:09that became bigger
01:02:10than our sport
01:02:11idolized Hulk Hogan
01:02:13We wanted to be him
01:02:14Look at this
01:02:15He's not there
01:02:16Watch what you're
01:02:27gonna do
01:02:27You're taking me out
01:02:28of the ordinary
01:02:30I want you laying me down
01:02:33So we're getting buried
01:02:34On the edge of your night
01:02:37Staying drunk on your vine
01:02:39The angels up in the clouds
01:02:42Are jealous
01:02:43knowing we found
01:02:44So it's all
01:02:45I want you to be
01:02:46Hard and Mary
01:02:47Hard and Mary
01:02:48You got me kissing
01:02:49the ground
01:02:50I'll save you
01:02:51You can call this
01:02:53The New World Order
01:02:56of Wrestling, brother
01:02:57The angels up in the clouds
01:02:59Are jealous
01:03:00knowing we found
01:03:02Hulk Hogan
01:03:03It was the foundation
01:03:04for everything
01:03:05that we have today
01:03:06The people related
01:03:09to Hulk Hogan
01:03:09He made wrestling
01:03:12so entertaining
01:03:13Just a hero
01:03:16to so many people
01:03:18We'll see you next to me
01:03:32We'll see you next to me
01:03:33We'll see you next to me
01:03:34We'll see you next to me
01:03:52To fight something so out of the ordinary
01:03:55I hate you every one of those Hulkamaniacs
01:03:57I love you and thank you very much
01:04:00Down the edge of the night
01:04:03Stay in the trunk of a vine
01:04:05The angels up in the clouds
01:04:08Are jealous knowing we found
01:04:10Something so out of the ordinary
01:04:13You got me kissing the crowd
01:04:15Sanctuary
01:04:17You gotta be what you talk
01:04:20Oh Lord, return me to dust
01:04:23The angels up in the clouds
01:04:25Are jealous knowing we found
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