Tribute to Hulk Hogan: The First Hero of the Ring

Remembering The Immortal: How Hulk Hogan sparked a lifelong love of wrestling

Before the Attitude Era kicked down the door, before The Rock and Stone Cold redefined cool, and long before modern wrestling evolved into the hybrid spectacle we know today, there was one man who stood tall. Chest out, bandana on, moustache curled, and charisma dialled up to eleven. That man was Hulk Hogan. The immortal. The icon. The larger-than-life figure who introduced an entire generation, myself included, to the world of professional wrestling.

For me, Hulk Hogan wasn’t just a wrestler. He was the wrestler. The guy who made me fall in love with this wild, theatrical, over-the-top sport that somehow felt as real as anything I’d ever seen. He was my first favorite. The original hero of my wrestling fandom.

So when I heard about his passing, it hit me in the gut. It was shocking. One of those moments where time stops, and suddenly, you’re not in the present anymore. You’re back in your childhood living room. Sitting cross-legged in front of the TV. Watching Superstars. Feeling the excitement build as that iconic theme blared through the screen. And there he was. Hulk Hogan. Flexing, pointing, commanding the entire room. It made me incredibly nostalgic. It reminded me why I fell in love with wrestling in the first place. It reminded me of being a kid again, back when everything felt larger than life.

Hogan had that kind of impact. That kind of magic. He wasn’t just a character. He was an event. A phenomenon. His presence was unreal, like a living superhero who walked right out of a comic book and into the ring. When he spoke, you listened. When he pointed that finger and said, “Whatcha gonna do,” you answered. And when he hit that big leg drop and made the pin, the world felt right for just a moment.

He was the good guy you could believe in. A real-life superhero in tights. And yeah, looking back, it was theatrical, it was over-the-top, but that’s exactly what made it so good. Hogan made you feel something. And in wrestling, that’s everything.

As I got older and my understanding of wrestling deepened, my fandom evolved. I started to appreciate the technical brilliance, the storytelling, the psychology of it all. That’s when I found Bret Hart, The Excellence of Execution. Bret became my guy. The sharpshooter. The quiet storm. He brought a completely different energy, a different kind of respect to the craft. And I still consider him one of the greatest of all time.

But no matter how much my fandom matured or how many new favorites came and went, Hulk Hogan was always there at the beginning. The foundation. Without Hogan, I might not have ever fallen in love with wrestling in the first place. He kicked open the door to this wild world, handed me the keys, and said, “Welcome, brother.”

Hogan wasn’t just the face of wrestling in the 80s. He was wrestling. He brought it into the mainstream. He sold out stadiums. He headlined WrestleMania after WrestleMania. He did it all in an era where charisma, showmanship, and star power meant everything. And he had those qualities in spades. He was the reason your mum knew what WWE was. He was the reason wrestling had action figures in every toy aisle and Saturday morning cartoons.

Even when he turned heel in 1996 and shocked the world by joining the nWo, Hogan still had the ability to move the needle like no one else. That moment didn’t just redefine his career, it redefined the business. He took a massive risk, and it paid off in a way no one saw coming. Reinvention. Controversy. Legacy. The man’s story is layered, complicated, and unforgettable.

And yes, Terry Bollea wasn’t a perfect person. Far from it. He made mistakes, some of them hard to forget. But even with that truth on the table, it doesn’t change the fact that Hulk Hogan, the character and the icon, is one of the most influential and iconic names in wrestling history. He helped shape what wrestling became and what it still is today.

You don’t have to excuse the man to respect the legacy. And Hogan’s legacy is impossible to overstate.

Even now, when I watch wrestling, when I hear those opening riffs of “Real American,” I’m transported back to that kid who watched in awe as Hulk Hogan stood tall in the ring. That feeling. That excitement. That belief that the good guy could win. That’s what Hulkamania gave us. And that’s what I’ll always carry with me.

So here’s to Hogan. The Immortal. The icon. The man who helped build the business and inspired millions of fans. The one who gave this Aussie kid a lifelong love of professional wrestling. My first favorite. The one who lit the spark that still burns.

Rest in peace, Hulkster. And thank you. For the memories, the magic, and the mania.