10 Fascinating WWE Backstage Facts About Hulk Hogan

10. Hulk Hogan Was The First To Notice Kevin Owens

Drawn to Pro Wrestling Guerrilla - he was a huge fan of the early promos - Hulk Hogan would take a seat in Reseda and watch, intently, as the next generation stormed what, by the early-to-mid 2010s, had become pro wrestling's new proving ground. 

Hogan always did have an eye for talent - he spent much of his career mentoring the hot new prospect Ed 'Brutus Beefcake' Leslie, who with his parade of gimmicks proved himself one of the most versatile wrestlers in the history of the business - and was wowed by what he saw. 

He saw young kids do triple rotation moonsaults, observing the action with a wry smile. His influence was still felt. He used to do them off the bottom turnbuckle when he wrestled for ECW in 1981, before anybody had ever heard of it. 

One young prodigy in particular caught his eye: Kevin Steen. 

Hogan told Steve Austin on the Steve Austin Show in 2019 that nobody was high on Owens within WWE except him. He knew where the money was. He knew WWE had something with that cat, and wouldn't you just know it? 

Owens went on to headline back-to-back WrestleManias.