10 Wrestlers Who Took Kayfabe WAY Too Seriously

3. Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan Richard Belzer
WWE.com

Considering his notoriously safety-conscious style, there's something cruelly ironic about The Hulkster coming under legal fire for working stiff with a non-wrestler.

During a 1985 episode of Hot Properties, Hogan made an appearance to promote the upcoming first WrestleMania. Also on the show was comedian Richard Belzer, who initially had a merry old time joking about with the then-face of the WWF.

The initially lighthearted segment collapsed into chaos when Hogan slapped a chokehold on Belzer. Shockingly, Hogan wrenched in the hold way too tight on the comedian, who was far thinner and smaller than the usual folks The Hulkster tussled with in the ring. Belzer turned pale, and soon lost consciousness, collapsing on stage much to the horror of those watching.

Hogan, who'd been on the receiving end of some jokes from Belzer on the broadcast, essentially dropped the comedian from the hold, leading to him bumping his head on the way down. In character for the show, the future nWo leader's alarming incident here highlighted the fine line between scripted entertainment and real-life consequences.

A legal battle raged between the pair, with them ultimately settling out of court in 1990.

 
First Posted On: 
Contributor

John Cunningham hasn't written a bio just yet, but if they had... it would appear here.