10 Misconceptions About Hulk Hogan You Probably Believe
7. “He Always Wrestled On TV.”
If you’ve only been following wrestling since WWE began producing 4-5 hours of new in-ring programming a week, it would be reasonable for you to assume that Hulk Hogan, as the undisputed star of the World Wrestling Federation, would have been wrestling every week. After all, how could a wrestling program draw big ratings without the top star on the card on every episode?
But you might be surprised to learn that Hulk Hogan wrestled only about 60 matches on free television over his most famous ten-year run with the WWF. John Cena wrestled half that many TV matches in 2012 alone.
Aside from the smaller quantity of programming and the lower frequency of TV tapings in those days, Hogan’s scarcity in the ring on TV was due to the business model of the wrestling industry. Wrestling programs were put on TV for promotion, not for ratings. If fans wanted to see a Hulk Hogan match, they would have to either buy a ticket, purchase a VHS tape, or order a pay-per-view.
By wrestling so rarely for a nationwide audience, Hogan avoided over-exposure and extended his run at the top, which makes John Cena’s run as WWE’s top draw even more remarkable.