10 Misconceptions About Hulk Hogan You Probably Believe
9. “Vince McMahon Created Hulkamania.”
As everyone from the WWE documentary narrator to the Sheiky Baby himself will tell you, Hulk Hogan’s defeat of the Iron Sheik on 23 January 1984 was the birth of Hulkamania. That’s when Vince McMahon, visionary that he was, decided to put the weight of the company on the shoulders of the unproven muscle man.
But a much better candidate for the birthplace of Hulkamania is Rocky III, the 1982 international blockbuster film where Hogan played Thunderlips, the massive pro wrestler who towered over Sylvester Stallone’s character in the opening scenes (supposedly, Vince Sr. disapproved of Hogan's intention to star in the movie).
Even before then, Hogan proved so popular among fans of the AWA that Verne Gagne turned him babyface in 1981 and even had him win the promotion’s heavyweight title on three occasions — only to overturn the decision each time and alienate both Hogan and the fans.
Even the term “Hulkamania” was in common usage before Vince Jr. got his marketing machine behind Hogan. In June 1982, over a year before he re-joined the WWF, Hogan was the main guest of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, where he discussed the new craze of “Hulkamania” that was sweeping the nation and, yes, running wild.
When Vince put the title on Hogan in 1984 and put the whole company behind his new star, it was hardly a gamble. Hogan was already plenty popular around the country before Vince came along.