Hulk Hogan is arguably the most popular professional wrestler of all time. In a recent interview, he claims that WWE used to use stereotypes as parts of a wrestlers identity, but that they don't anymore. However, late in his career, he lost the ability to maintain his own gimmick in the ring. So, does that in turn mean he lost his credibility to speak on such matters?
Even though there were several legends before him, Hogan was the first superstar to make a substantial name for the sport of wrestling. He was the only wrestler to ever be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He even had a cameo in the widely popular, Rocky III.
To this day, he still carries a huge following.
Yet, a lot of drama accompanies such a large reputation. It seems that a day doesn't go by without Hogan being berated with hate, or showered with praise.
It doesn't help matters any that Hogan isn't afraid to share his unfiltered opinions. Reported on by Cage Side Seats, Hulk stated that, even though they don't now, the WWE used to subscribe to stereotypes:
"Where once-prevalent societal and racial prejudices were personified in a wrestler's gimmick, Hogan believes wrestling as a whole no longer draws from the well of stereotypes...According to Hogan, the WWE used these kinds of profiles, 'Asian people are smart, Rednecks are dumb, Black people are fast' -- when describing the "inherited mindset" professional wrestling operated under during that era. 'It's whatever people thought,' he said, 'That we realized isn't true.' Now, though, Hogan says the world -- and the pro wrestling industry as a result -- has been reeducated to see people differently."
However, Hogan himself stated to slip toward the end, and he even began to lose face. According to Bleacher Report, his errors were pretty obvious toward the end:
"His mic skills and crowd control were part of his legacy and arguably carried him to success. During his 2002-2003 run, he had a few notable botches and often got tongue-tied. Though slip-ups are common in the WWE, it was obvious that Hogan was becoming less and less like the star he used to be as each year passed."
So, can someone who lost his gimmick really attest to what others are and aren't doing? It seems to me that those types of instances still occur in professional wrestling. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
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