10 Misconceptions About Hulk Hogan You Probably Believe

8. “He Was A Hyper-Masculine Caricature.”

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WWE.com

Between footage of him tearing his shirt off, flexing his muscles, and generally acting like a big, sweaty ball of testosterone, it’s easy for a casual fan to look back and assume that Hulk Hogan was simply an unhealthy stereotype of, as he called himself in Rocky III, the ultimate male.

In reality (or more accurately, on pro wrestling TV shows — the opposite of reality), Hogan displayed a far greater range of feeling than a John Cena or a Roman Reigns. Unlike modern babyfaces in WWE, who are seemingly forbidden from displaying any emotion beyond anger and amusement at their own unfunny jokes, Hulk had a sensitive side.

Specifically, he cried when the situation called for tears. He cried tears of joy after beating Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III. He cried tears of anguish after being blatantly cheated out of his title the following year. He cried tears of grief while tending to an injured Miss Elizabeth backstage the year after that.

Until reality tragically intervened, Roman Reigns was presented as an unemotive automaton - not exactly someone anyone could empathise with.

Somehow, WWE’s depiction of what a man should be has regressed over the past 30 years.

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Contributor

Long-time contributor to Wrestlecrap.com and operator of the How Much Does This Guy Weigh? blog, Art has been a fan of pro wrestling since 1993.