10 Misconceptions About Hulk Hogan You Probably Believe
Whoever you are, chances are you've got something wrong about Hulk.
You don’t get to be the world’s most famous wrestler without leaving an impression on people. It seems that everyone has an opinion on Hulk Hogan: The internet thinks he sucked, Terry Bollea thinks he was the greatest hero in the universe, and WWE wavers back and forth between those two points of view, depending on who’s currently signing Hulk’s checks or videotaping him in bed using racial slurs.
Or if they're going to Saudi Arabia, or a legendary announcer has passed away, and they see it as a good opportunity to reintroduce The Hulkster to the fold.
While some myths are easy to identify and fact-check (Did Hulk really bodyslam a 600-pound Andre through the ring to his death in front of 93,000 fans, or something? No. Did Hulk really call himself a “gay guy” during a promo? Yes), other myths are so pervasive that they’re simply taken for granted. It turns out that much of the narrative that fans both casual and hardcore alike have accepted is, in fact, mis-remembered or oversimplified.
Here are ten misconceptions that today’s fans have about Hulk Hogan. Whatcha gonna do, brother, when thirty-five years of myth-making and forgetfulness run wild on you!?
10. “The Leg Drop Was A Low-Risk Move.”
One could be forgiven for thinking Hulk Hogan’s leg drop was a weak move that couldn’t hurt a fly. After all, usually Hogan’s leg barely made contact with his opponent's chest or neck. A casual fan did not need a cheesy TV special to reveal that a bent knee at the supposed point of impact would minimize the damage done by such a move.
But none of this means that the leg drop never hurt anyone. In fact, Hogan himself was eventually seriously injured by the move. In a typical Hogan leg drop, the Hulkster jumped high into the air and landed squarely on his pelvic bone, compressing his spine. Hulk was essentially giving himself an atomic drop night after night for decades.
By the time he was 55, the damage to his spine had caught up with Hogan, who needed eight back surgeries between 2009 and 2013.
Any aspiring wrestlers still not convinced by the early retirements of Edge and Daniel Bryan should take heed of Hulk Hogan’s example: choose your move set wisely.