Given how annoyed Vince J McMahon was when Hogan decided he wanted to be a superstar in Hollywood, it's incredible to think that that very career diversion probably helped the WWE bleed into the mainstream. In a slightly convoluted way, if it wasn't for Rocky III, WWF might never have enjoyed the incredible brand growth it managed on the broad meat of Hogan's shoulders. But it wasn't like Hogan was plucked out of the air for the role. He had received the initial offer to play Thunderlips after wowing wrestling fan Sylvester Stallone at Shea Stadium against Andre the Giant. Naturally, he thought it was a joke, as any sane person would, but in accepting the surprising offer, Hogan rode on the back of the love affair with post-Rocky Stallone to announce wrestling to the uninitiated public.
What it did for me was had this persona and this perception of greatness, and then all of a sudden Thunderlips stood next to him, 100 pounds heavier and almost a foot taller, and I think what it did was it opened not only the American publics eyes but the world, and it made them realize, Oh my gosh. There is something called professional wrestling, and Oh my gosh, is that what a professional wrestler looks like? It kind of put us on the map really quickly with a really, really good perception of what a wrestler should look like and be portrayed as.
Despite a banishment to AWA, Hogan's profile was notable enough to convince Vince K McMahon to reverse his father's decision, and push him as a centre-piece. And while there's a chance WWE might have flourished eventually without Rocky III, it's hard to imagine it would have been as easy without Hogan's charisma.
