10 Wrestling Ripoffs Better Than The Original

Both Hulk Hogan's red and yellow and nWo Hollywood variants owed a ton to 'Superstar' Billy Graham's body of work. Graham was larger than life in terms of physique and interview style. His promos were colourful rather than informative, and his bulging biceps stood out as some of the best peaks in the entire industry during his prime. A young Hulkster was watching from afar, and he was taking mental notes.

Soon, he'd claim Billy's throne as his own.

Hogan's early heel work played Graham's hits, but that didn't stop just because he'd turned into the biggest babyface in the WWF throughout the 80s. When Hulkamania surfaced, so did many of the tropes Hulk had watched 'Superstar' perform; they were just tweaked to be more appealing rather than aggravating. His own promo style was OTT and relied on grandiose promises laced with catchphrases over actual substance, and there's no denying that Hogan's physique was one of his main drawing powers.

Later, once he'd gone rogue in WCW and formed the New World Order, Hollywood Hogan reeked of Graham's overt heel swagger. If anything, he grew even closer to prime 'Superstar' than he had during the Hulkamania days. Hogan revelled in the chance to do his best Billy, and he knew he could push the envelope a little more now he was a despicable villain on Nitro.

It says everything for the range Graham had that Hulk was able to work effectively the same gimmick whether babyface or heel.

What other wrestling ripoffs were actually better than the originals that inspired them? For more WWE, check out 50 Fascinating Facts About WWE in The 1980s and 7 New Directions For WWE After Elimination Chamber 2025!