12 Things We Learned From The Eighth Wonder Of The World: The True Story Of André The Giant

3. Hulk Hogan Wanted Jerry Lawler To Manage Him

The Eighth Wonder of the World: The True Story of Andre the Giant
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Not in the traditional on-screen wrestling way, but Hulk Hogan at one time wanted Jerry Lawler to become his real-life manager.

Hogan is obviously André the Giant's greatest rival, and so The Eighth Wonder of the World unsurprisingly ends up featuring a good chunk on the Hulkster in the book's second half. And one particularly interesting revelation hidden away in there, is that Hogan wanted Jerry Lawler to essentially become for him what Vince McMahon Sr. was for André.

After first entering the business in 1977, it didn't take Hogan long to find himself working in Memphis for Jerry Jarrett and Jerry Lawler. Going by the name Terry 'The Hulk' Boulder - a name given to him by Southeastern Championship Wrestling booker Louie Tillet - it was early in his Memphis run that Hogan made the play to get Lawler to manage his day-to-day business.

Whereas Vince Sr. had managed André the Giant in a way where various promoters would use André and pay Vince a percentage of the money their Giant-fronted shows would bring in, Hulk had a similar idea for a relationship between he and Lawler. Unfortunately for Hogan, Lawler had other ideas.

Quoting long-time Hulk Hogan BFF Jimmy Hart, The Eighth Wonder of the World reveals that Lawler thought Hogan would "never draw a dime in professional wrestling" and that "he doesn't have what it takes."

Soon after that, Hogan would head to Georgia under the name Sterling Golden before later debuting for the WWF in November 1979 as 'The Incredible' Hulk Hogan - with Vince Sr. adding the Hogan name as he wanted to appeal to an Irish-American audience.

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