The Last Days Of Hulkamania

In partial defence of Hulk Hogan - because that won't come up again here - it's quite difficult to write off the biggest star in the history of the industry.

It'd prove to be the case with Steve Austin, who burned out rather than fading away, with The Rock, who simply showed wrestling to be a journey rather than the end destination (and might yet do the same with Hollywood) and John Cena, who will perhaps never formally call it quits with his first love.

Hogan's WWE exit had been a break-up more awkward than profound. There was also quite the difference between the way the company lovingly phased him out of storylines in 1992 compared to his legitimate departure from the company one year later.

After eight years as Vince McMahon's top drawing card and indeed all of wrestling's undisputed biggest star, 'The Hulkster' needed an escape hatch as chickens came home to roost for him and the industry writ large.

Scandal engulfed the company following multiple allegations of sexual abuse and rampant steroid use, with Hogan's face perpetually tied to the latter charges thanks to fibs he'd told on Arsenio Hall's chat show two years earlier. And the fact that in the era of f*cking giants, he was perpetually pushed as the biggest of the lot.

Such was wrestling then, now and forever, the mutually agreed play between McMahon and his meal ticket was for Hogan to step away for an indeterminate amount of time until the heat died down. WrestleMania VIII was promoted as maybe Hulk's last show, and the Ultimate Warrior returned to theoretically slot into the red-and-yellow hole.

For the second time, that strategy failed, and with Jim Hellwig already out his personalised revolving door by November 1992, McMahon was able to pitch a grand return for his top star at 1993's 'Show Of Shows'.

Hogan, being Hogan, pitched something even grander.

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