50 Fascinating Facts About WWE in The 1980s
28. Hulk Hogan Was Sued For A Publicity Stunt Gone Wrong
Need even more WWF-related legal drama? You got it.
The WWF marketing machine was understandably keen to get as much mainstream press as possible heading into a make or break WrestleMania I supercard in 1985. Having a mainstream celeb like Mr. T onboard sure helped. Together, the A-Team star and Hulk Hogan appeared on cable show Hot Properties to promote, promote and promote again. Nobody was prepared for what happened next.
Host Richard Belzer needled the pair about wrestling being fake (nothing new there), and he stupidly begged Hulk to put a move on him. Hogan avoided this for a while, but eventually put Belzer in a front face lock that legit knocked the interviewer unconscious right before a commercial break. Hulk was visibly embarrassed by the whole affair, and Richard went on to sue Hulk and T (who had encouraged his tag team partner) to the tune of $5m.
All parties settled out of court years later in 1990 before the trial commenced. That was the best case scenario, because the WWF's poster boy putting very real submission holds on TV hosts was yet another PR disaster for Vince McMahon. Or, maybe the then-boss had a right good chuckle about the whole thing once everything was hashed out.
The publicity stunt gone wrong didn't snuff out momentum on the road to the first 'Mania, at least, but Belzer was shaken up and presumably didn't question whether or not wrestling was the real deal ever again. Lord only knows what he was thinking when he egged Hogan on and put him in a tough spot on television.