How Good Was 'Hollywood' Hulk Hogan Actually?

Turning Hulk heel could've been a spectacular misfire that set fire to millions of dollars and sank WCW's main event scene f-f-f-for life. Instead, Hollywood Hogan became one of the most despised villains in wrestling yet, led the charge for the 'Monday Night Wars', and bought himself almost another decade at the top of the wrestling world.

It's insane to take all of that into consideration and still ponder what could have been with a little less Terry Bollea in the mix. Hogan's politicking destroyed what would have been WCW's greatest moment with Sting at Starrcade 97. He was the reason WCW were on top of the world, but his backstage power stopped elite superstars like Chris Jericho and Eddie Guerrero from entering the main event scene. 

This is a wider point though, and it isn't strong enough to diminish his own legacy too much. Sure, things fizzled out at the end in feuds with Billy Kidman and his live spat with Jeff Jarrett, but even then he returned for one of his best feuds ever when antagonising The Rock all the way to their all-time classic at WrestleMania X8. 

The red and yellow run of 'Hulkamania' may not have aged well (and Hogan's own legacy has stains on it that will always stop him from being viewed as one of wrestling's good guys), but Hulk's Hollywood persona leaves a much better mark on the modern world of wrestling. 

8.5/10