By 1994, it seemed like Hulk Hogan was finished with pro wrestling. The big guy had done everything he could do, and it was time for some new stars to steer the good ship WWE towards success. One thing nobody took into account was that WCW might sign Hogan, which they did, and it was like a rebirth for Hulkamania. For the first few years, Hogan relied on the same tired act he'd been performing for years, but still retained some popularity by the time he shockingly turned heel and formed the nWo along with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall in 1996. Maybe it was the dawning realisation that he would only play before diminishing returns as a conquering babyface, or maybe WCW were treating Hogan so well that he felt comfortable shaking up his act, but credit must be given for using Hulk Hogan in the best way anyone could have in the mid-90s. The nWo is a huge talking point, even to this day, but many people forget to realise the job WCW did of sustaining the Hogan steamroller. It's easy to say now, but WWE were moving in a different direction, and Hogan would not have been a fit for a company pushing smaller workers. In WCW, 'The Hulkster' was given a second lease of life.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
