Biography
Terry Gene is the youngest son of Pete Bollea, a construction foreman and Ruth Bollea, a homemaker and dance instructor.
As a boy, Hogan was a pitcher in Little League baseball. He suffered from obesity, weighing 195 pounds at the age of 12.
He began watching professional events at 16 years old. While in high school, he revered Dusty Rhodes, and he regularly attended cards at the Tampa Sportatorium.
Hogan was also a skilled musician, spending ten years playing bass guitar in several Florida-based rock bands, including Ruckus and Infinity's End.
Hogan then attended the University of South Florida (which he dropped out of), though he spent most of his time at a local gym, where he met pro wrestler Mike Graham (The son of legendary wrestler and National Wrestling Alliance President Eddie Graham).
Hogan's physical stature also caught the attention of Jack Brisco and his brother Gerald. Together, they convinced Hogan to try wrestling. Having been a wrestling fan since childhood, Hogan agreed, and in 1976, Mike Graham introduced Hogan to Hiro Matsuda, who was among the sport’s top trainers.
About the end of 1977 Hogan appeared on a talk show, where he sat beside Lou Ferrigno, star of the TV series The Incredible Hulk. The host commented how Terry, who stood 6 ft 5 in295 pounds with 24” biceps, actually dwarfed “the Hulk;” and as a result, Bollea began performing as Terry “the Hulk” Boulder; though he also sometimes wrestled as “Sterling Golden.
In June 1979, Bollea won his first wrestling championships, the NWA Southeast Heavyweight Championship recognized in Alabama and Tennessee
Later that year, legendary wrestler and former NWA World Champion Terry Funk would introduce Bollea to World Wrestling Federation chief Vince McMahon Sr., who was impressed with his charisma and physical stature.
On May 13, 1980 Hogan first appeared in Japan.
After purchasing the World Wrestling Federation from his father in 1982, the junior McMahon had designs of expanding the territory into a nationwide promotion, and he handpicked Hulk Hogan to be the company’s showpiece attraction due to his charisma and name recognition.
In 1994, a steroids scandal threatened the WWF, and Hogan testified in court that he had used steroids over a period of 12 years "to get big", and had also introduced WWF Chairman Vince McMahon to steroids during the filming of No Holds Barred. Both men also had Pennsylvania doctor George Zahorian send steroids to WWF's corporate office via Fed-Ex. However, Hogan never accused McMahon of distributing steroids himself, but Hogan also testified that steroid use was rampant in the WWF. His testimony may have kept McMahon out of prison, but it definitely hurt the WWF's public image -- and Hogan's.
Hogan signed with Ted Turner's World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in May 1994 and began appearing on television next month. McMahon held a very public grudge against Hogan for several years, before (and even after) Hogan came home to the WWF.
At No Way Out 2002 on February 17, Hogan returned to the company that had made him a pop culture icon.
Hogan separated again from WWE in 2003.
In 2005, weeks before WrestleMania 21, it was announced on all WWE programming that Hogan would be inducted on that year's Hall of Fame. This signalled Hogan's return to WWE. On April 2, 2005, Hogan was inducted by actor and friend Sylvester Stallone. Hogan was applauded for several minutes before he was able to make a speech.
Prior to WrestleMania 22, Hogan inducted friend and former announcer Mean Gene Okerlund into the WWE Hall of Fame. Hogan returned on the July 15, 2006 edition of WWE Saturday Night's Main Event with his daughter Brooke. and at SummerSlam 2006, in a match against Randy orton, thatwhich Hogan won.
