10 Wrestlers Who Left You Hanging On Every Word

8. Hulk Hogan

The Rock
WWE

Savage's old nemesis, the hotdog himself, was a promo man for people of all ages.

And not because he crafted material that popped all demographics: the kids raised on his inspirational melodrama grew up to gently mock his often bungled delivery. Through whichever optics you watch a Hogan promo - wide-eyed innocence or mortified, covered hands - Hogan was captivating.

Gruff, earnest, all-energy: Hogan was a hero with the most moral of intentions. He wasn't sexually attracted to Elizabeth. He loved Elizabeth "like blood". It was no wonder Savage was so pissed off: he probably tortured himself at the thought of Hogan lovingly applying tan lotion to her buttocks.

But Hogan's 1980s work was so magnetic that it banishes all of that cynicism upon re-watch. He knew precisely how to get over; flexing his 24 inch pythons directly into the camera so that they looked 48, and delivering monologues so inspirational that he had to summon his strength by taking in breath after breath, that the actual material was fairly sinister - "You'll be a ghost when I'm through with you, Warrior!" - didn't much matter. The wonderful cheese carried everything.

And then, in later years, he lost focus so often that he once threatened to eat Eric Bischoff's ass, and couldn't tell the difference between hot and cold water.

From juiced-up motivational speaker to Sid-adjacent botches, Hogan was unmissable.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!