Hulk Hogan: Real American is available to stream via Netflix subscription, and the docuseries pulls back the curtain (or ring apron) on the man who embodied that larger-than-life wrestler persona for so many years. While many of the big events covered from the Hulkster's life are already publicly known, the docuseries lets the late WWE superstar speak on all of it from a more recent headspace, including the regrets he has tied to his most iconic move, the leg drop.

While discussing the litany of surgeries and procedures he's had over the years, Hulk Hogan was asked if he would change anything he did in his career or do the same thing all over again. After a beat, I was surprised the wrestler said he would've chosen a different finisher than the leg drop, and discussed the origins of the move as well as how it slowly changed his life:

As far as finishing moves go, the leg drop hasn't ever really looked all that devastating for those who fall victim to it. But now it's quite clear that the real damage was done to Hogan himself. The long-term impact of landing on his tailbone with the full weight of his body for decades on end altered his spine to the point where he required a variety of surgeries and rehabs to try to alleviate the pain.

Wrestling fans have heard a lot of rumors about Hulk Hogan's back and neck issues, with reports noting that he had zero feeling in his lower body following the more recent surgeries. It all goes back to the leg drop, and the wrestler opined about what his golden years might've been like had he not embraced the move long term:

I totally understand the health reasons Hulk wishes he could take it all back, and his vulnerability in admitting it surprised me. It felt like he was outwardly saying he made a huge mistake in making the leg drop his signature move, which may speak to how greatly his surgeries impacted his quality of life.

Those surgeries followed the wrestler up to his death, after it was revealed that the family was investigating a potential medical malpractice lawsuit. Fox13 reported the family said Hulk's phrenic nerve was severed during a recent surgery. Hogan's official cause of death was ruled to be a heart attack, which he suffered while in his home in Clearwater, Florida.

Though he remained a controversial figure in his last decade, Hulk Hogan's death was mourned by many. The WWE recently paid homage to him with a statue on display at WrestleMania 42, acknowledging the big business he did for the organization during his prime. One has to imagine how things might've been different, had he used a sleeper hold instead of a leg drop all those years ago.

Watch Hulk Hogan: Real American on Netflix, and WWE programming and PLEs as the 2026 TV schedule rolls on. After WrestleMania 42, it seems like the field is wide open for a lot of exciting things to happen, so let's see what the company cooks up.

2026 will feature the first WrestleMania since Hulk Hogan's passing, so it's fitting that one of the legend's biggest pieces of memorabilia went up for auction recently. WWE superstar Logan Paul hoped to snag Hulk's wrestling boots from the very first Mania, but was surprisingly outbid at a price point even he backed down from.

Paul may make tens of millions yearly between his YouTube career, WWE contract, and other business endeavors, but even he can be outbid from time to time. I'll admit it's been a while since I've seen a wrestling item go up for so much, and I totally get why he wasn't able to break a certain number, even for a piece of wrestling history.

Logan Paul Attempted To Buy Hulk Hogan's Wrestling Boots From The First WrestleMania

Apparently, the action of Elimination Chamber didn't keep Logan Paul down for long. While he likely won't be addressing Seth Rollins for curb-stomping him until Monday Night Raw goes live for those with a Netflix subscription, and in the meantime, talked about his "bidding war" he got into with someone for Hulk Hogan's wrestling boots. In addition to being the ones he wore at WrestleMania 1, Paul explained on X that they also had a special message:

That message makes it clear, at least to me, that Hulk Hogan never intended to hold onto those boots forever. Whether they were meant for auction specifically, we'll never know, but in any case, I can get why Logan Paul would want something worn from a night that changed the professional wrestling industry forever.

The Winning Bid Took It Home For An Eye-Watering Amount Of Money

As mentioned, Logan Paul ended up losing out on the wrestling boots to another anonymous bidder. It seems the bidding went well beyond what he expected, as he wrote the number that was officially too much for him to pay:

Officially, the boots sold for $1,037,000, and according to businessman Jeremy Padawar, it's the first professional wrestling collectible to cross the million-dollar threshold. Personally, I'm surprised it took this long for a piece of wrestling history to reach the million-dollar mark, as much as it also makes my bank account shudder to think about spending that much money on a single pair of boots. Still, I would love to know who the new owner is.

I also am mildly curious why Logan Paul decided to back down at such a random number. Once you've agreed to cross the million-dollar threshold, I wonder when tens of thousands of dollars start to matter. Then again, I'm sure my stomach would sink once I knew it was the most anyone ever paid for wrestling gear, and I may have second thoughts knowing I may not get a return on that investment. It would've been cool to see him trot it out at WrestleMania 42, but a million dollars' worth of pyro would also be cool.

As for who that anonymous bidder is, I'm sure there's no shortage of fans of the late WWE superstar who have deeper pockets than Logan Paul. The Rock, for example, is a big fan, though I'd be more apt to think he'd buy something from their WrestleMania 8 showdown as opposed to the first one. We may never know who bought it, though I am excited for this new era for WWE memorabilia and looking forward to seeing if any item can break this record.

If that anonymous bidder ends up being Jake Paul, I won't be too surprised.

Expect Logan Paul on Monday Night Raw this Monday, and have Netflix on when it kicks off at 8:00 p.m. ET. I'm sure the WWE superstar will have a lot to say, as Rollins looks to find a way into WrestleMania 42.

Like other types of entertainment, professional wrestling is a subjective art form. What one person sees as the greatest match of all time can be seen as trash to someone else, and vice versa. Just about every wrestling fan has a list of matches that fall into the former category that they’ll vouch for no matter what. And, it appears John Cena, who is weeks away from retiring, is just like the rest of us.

I recently stumbled upon some old comments the 17-time world champion made on After the Bell with Corey Graves back in 2020, where he revealed that his favorite match of all time was The Rock vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 18. After hearing Cena’s pick for his go-to match and the reason behind it, I totally understand why he chose this electric WrestleMania contest. Let me explain…

In Terms Of Spectacle, Rock Vs. Hogan At WrestleMania 18 Is In A League Of Its Own

Wrestling is at its best when it’s a spectacle, and The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan was that. The first in-ring appearance by Hogan after spending the better part of the previous decade at rival company WCW, the “Icon vs. Icon” match was hyped as a massive spectacle that millions of fans around the world and in the 68,000 packed Toronto SkyDome were dying to see. That capacity crowd, who were standing for the entire 16-minute singles match, made the whole contest even more electric.

When addressing the match in the 2020 podcast appearance, Cena explained that the noise and magic from the audience that night added so much excitement, not just for those watching, but also for the two competitors in the ring. You know, he’s not wrong, as there are multiple times throughout the match where both The Rock and the late Hulk Hogan have looks of disbelief on their faces from the unprecedented and rousing reaction.

It's Not The Best Wrestling Match Of All Time, But It's So Electric

While Rock vs. Hogan is far from being the best wrestling match of all time or a five-star classic by any stretch of the imagination, there’s no denying the fact that it was electric. Sure, there were better matches on the card that March 2002 night when it comes to pure wrestling skill and work rate, but Rock and Hogan, with help from the crowd, gave us one of the most entertaining experiences of all time.

It was like a perfect storm in that everything fell into place at the right time. Hogan’s return, Rock at the peak of his popularity, a massive stadium, it all created an atmosphere like no other. From the entrances (Hogan using his NWO theme from his heel days in WCW) to the stare-off that started the match to Hogan shaking his finger at Rock to the two embracing after the pinfall, it was pure magic. I’m getting excited just thinking about it!

Honestly, This Is The Match I Show People When Getting Them Into WWE

As much as I want to show people some of the crazier Kenta Kobashi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa matches or PWG’s Steen Wolf PPV DVD, when I’m trying to get someone into wrestling, I turn to Rock vs. Hogan at WrestleMania 18. While it’s not my favorite wrestling match of all time, I’ve always felt it’s a great entry point for someone who’s never watched before. It has the name recognition with two of the biggest WWE Champions of all time, it has some great wrestling moments, it tells a tremendous story, and, like I said earlier, it’s a spectacle.

This is what I used when I would making a case for wrestling as a teenager; again in college, when I would have friends over and they’d laugh about my love of the sport; when my wife and I first started dating; and when I was trying to get my kids into wrestling a few years ago. All in all, it’s a great entry point that can lead new fans in so many different directions.

Also, That Double-Turn On The Fly Is One Of The Greatest Wrestling Moments Of All Time

In the years leading up to the match, Hollywood Hogan was one of, if not the biggest, heel in professional wrestling (he and Vince McMahon were swapping positions a lot back then), and The Rock was in the middle of a great babyface run. Though Rock had started to leave for stretches of time to kick off his Hollywood career, he was very much still one of the top stars of the company. So, having Hogan be the heel and Rock the face was the way to go, right? Well, about that…

Pretty much as soon as the match started, the crowd started to cheer for Hogan and boo Rock, resulting in one of the best double-turns in WrestleMania history (I would say best, but “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. Bret “The Hitman” Hart exists). In a spur-of-the-moment decision, and after reading the room, Rock started using a more heelish style of offense while Hogan babyfaced it up like it was 1985 again. Nearly a quarter-century later, those two swapping roles on the fly is still just so awesome to watch.

How To Watch Rock Vs. Hogan To See What Cena (And I) Mean

So, after hearing what John Cena had to say about Rock vs. Hogan, as well as my ramblings about it being such a great moment in WrestleMania history, there’s a chance you want to check it out for yourself. Well, it’s never been easier to watch it.

If you want to watch the entire WrestleMania 18 card to see what WWE was like at the time (and get mad about this not headlining the show), the event is streaming with a Peacock subscription. However, if you just want to watch the match and its immediate aftermath, the WWE YouTube page has it in all its glory.

Stream The Rock. vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 18 on YouTube.

Seriously, if you haven’t already, go back and watch The Rock and Hollywood Hulk Hogan bring the house down. Hell, go back and watch it even if you’ve sat through it countless times.

Hulk Hogan's passing remains a topic of interest as investigations began into his cause of death back in August, and an award show came and went without acknowledging his death. The 2025 Emmys left the WWE legend of its "In Memoriam" segment of the show, and his ex-wife Linda has a theory behind why that happened.

Linda Hogan, who divorced her pro wrestling ex-husband back in 2009, spoke to EW and shared her belief that Hogan might've been kept out of the "In Memoriam" segment during the ceremony due to his more recent conservative political leanings:

Hogan's ex is referring to Hulk's Monday Night Raw appearance in early January. The legendary wrestler came out to loud boos and tried to rally the crowd in what would be his final appearance ever on WWE programming. Some attributed the boos to his vocal support of President Trump in recent years, while others pointed to his past controversies involving racism and other disputes he's had with wrestlers over the years.

Hulk Hogan was not the only notable name left out of the In Memoriam, as actor Tony Todd's wife reacted to his exclusion, and King of the Hill's Jonathan Joss was left off the segment as well. Actor Gene Hackman was also left out of the list, and according to PopCrush, he was once listed on former President Richard Nixon's list of enemies. It's fair to say his political leanings differed from those of Hogan, yet both were excluded. (Not that Hackman had as much of a TV presence, but I digress.)

At the same time, Hulk Hogan's political life was put more in the spotlight in recent years compared to other celebs and wrestlers. He was a frequent guest on Fox News programs and was not afraid to give his thoughts on relevant pop culture news like Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show. President Trump also publicly acknowledged Hogan's death and paid tribute to the wrestler. As Linda Hogan pointed out, his politics were definitely more front and center to other Americans in his final years.

While he wasn't in the televised "In Memoriam" segment, the Academy did acknowledge Hulk Hogan and many others who were excluded via its more all-encompassing digital segment. The question remains why these names were remembered when it came to the online tribute, but not included in the broadcast. As of writing, the Television Academy has not responded to requests for a reason behind the decision, or if there even was a deliberate decision to exclude anyone.

Hulk Hogan: Real American is currently available to stream via Peacock subscription, for wrestling fans who want to remember the wrestling superstar after his death. The WWE has honored the late wrestler time and time again, though with WrestleMania season coming at the start of 2026, one has to wonder if a larger tribute is in the works.

Considering Hulk Hogan spent part of early 2025 promoting his and Eric Bischoff’s upcoming wrestling promotion, his death in July 2025 came as a major shock to fans, friends and family. The reactions to the controversial WWE Hall-of-Famer’s passing ran the gamut, including rumors that it was related to a medical procedure that didn’t go accordingly. Now, it’s reported that an investigation is indeed in progress over the possibility that his death was caused by medical malpractice.

Clearwater Police shared a statement confirming the dept. is investigating the events leading up to Hulk Hogan’s death, according to TMZ, in relation to what went down inside the athlete’s home after authorities arrived. As they put it:

His widow Sky Hogan alleged that a recent surgery was to blame, backing up a police report noting claims that Hogan's phrenic nerve, which controls the diaphragm was “compromised” by the surgeon involved. She also states that an autopsy was indeed performed, but without explaining the results, and also says that the planned cremation of his body still hasn't taken place.

Both Sky's statement and the Clearwater PD's statement came after TMZ learned that the police report from the day of Hogan's death is currently being kept on "lockdown" over its contents. It's written that an occupational therapist was within the Rocky III co-star's Florida home at the time when he stopped breathing.

Sky is the one who realized her husband had quietly stopped breathing, without any outwardly obvious signs, after which the call to 911 was made. Within the report tied to that call, the officers on the scene spoke with the therapist, who claimed that Hogan's phrenic nerve was "severed" during the recent surgery, though apparently without specifying which of the recent surgeries he was referring to.

While it's not clear if the conversations with the therapist are on the police officers' bodycams, there are confirmed recordings of the officers themselves discussing what the therapist told them.

Claims of possible malpractice are possibly behind daughter Brooke Hogan's vocal calling for an autopsy to be performed, and why she has shared suspicions about everything being above-board in the aftermath of his death. Her stance came to light after the funeral service that she chose not to attend, and she's become more vocal about it afterward.

For now, the investigation is ongoing, and it's unclear how long it could take, or how many others will need to be contacted for the police to arrive at a judgment call.

As the WWE enters into a new era over a massive deal signed with ESPN and Disney, many wrestling fans are still feeling torn up about the death of Hall-of-Famer Hulk Hogan in July 2025. The influential athlete’s passing earned plenty of tributes from fellow past and present WWE Superstars, with The Rock offering up a pretty awesome anecdote, and we had our own personal takes on the matter. Obviously daughter Brooke Hogan has also been tied up in her emotions, and opted not to attend her father’s funeral.

A private funeral service was held for Hulk Hogan on Tuesday, August 5, in the Florida church where he was baptized in 2023. Anyone who wasn’t on the guest list was sent away, according to ESPN, with church security and local Largo PD officers patrolling the area, with K-9 dogs involved.

Someone who presumably had an invite to the service was Brooke Hogan, though she was not part of the dozens who were in attendance. Instead, she joined her husband Steve Oleksy and their twin babies for what sounds like a cathartic trip to the beach. Taking to Instagram to explain her reasoning, Hogan started by saying:

Choosing to respect her father's disinterest in the traditional of funerals, Brooke Hogan instead made the day about her own private emotions and grief, choosing to spend that time with her immediate family as opposed to those she was allegedly estranged from at times.

Hogan continued, pointing out why her beach trip was her way of honoring him:

Hulk Hogan reportedly hadn't met or spent time with his two grandchildren after their births in January 2025. The 71-year-old faced several medical issues thoughout the early part of the year, leading to his initial deathbed rumors even as he was in the midst of getting a new wrestling promotion off the ground with Eric Bischoff.

Savannah Chrisley, Angela Deem And More Send Support

To be expected, Brooke Hogan's heartfelt message was met with tons of loving support and touching messages from her friends and followers. More than a little snark and negativity were also in the mix, but that's not our focus here.

Spead amidst the gratitude and adoration were comments from reality stars Angela Deem and Savannah Chrisley, as well as musicians Elle King and Damien Horne. Not to mention fellow WWE offspring Natalya Neidhart, daughter of Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart.

• ANGELA DEEM: And you have all the right to baby. Sending you big MEEMAW HUGS. IS IT ME OR DOES THE TWINS LOOK LIKE NICK ❤️❤️❤️❤️🙌🙌 YOU ARE LOVED
• SAVANNAH CHRISLEY: Praying for you sweet girl ❤️
• NATTIE NEIDHART: ❤️❤️❤️
• BRE TIESI: And that is exactly what he would have wanted!!!! He was and IS Clearwater beach!! love you tiny
• ELLE KING: Love you Brooke. Beautiful ❤️
• DAMIEN HORNE: 🙏🏾🙏🏾❤️❤️

Coinciding with the funeral news, Brooke Hogan appeared on Bubba the Love Sponge's podcast this week and aired out some of her suspicions about her father's cause of death, including his lack of an autopsy. It's unclear if she'll attempt to take any further actions on that front, since he's set to be cremated.

Hulk Hogan's death last week was met with both sadness and derision. The former WWE superstar (and let’s be honest, “superstar” is putting it lightly) became a lightning rod later in his life for some very controversial moments and behavior. That’s not what this story is about, though. This is about how I felt when I turned 10 years old and my mom took some of my friends and me to see the “wrasslin’” matches at the old Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis.

At 10, I Was A Huge Wrestling Fan

This was back in the mid-’80s, and I was a consumer of all things pro wrestling. I stopped following wrestling a long time ago – sometime around the end of the Monday Night War in the late ‘90s – but I still have fond memories of getting home from church on Sunday and turning on WWF Superstars of Wrestling. That show marked the end of a week full of wrestling content for me. N.W.A. on TBS and WCCW on a local UHF station were favorites of mine (and featured many of the same wrestlers at different times), but in the end, like most kids my age, it was all about the WWF (as it was known then).

The first time I ever got to go to a wrestling match live was in Kansas City, maybe a year before my birthday party. My older cousin took me to see a WWF card that featured Brutus Beefcake (before he added “The Barber” to his moniker) and other superstars like Barry Windham and Paul Orndorf. That card was missing the biggest name in the business, even then: Hulk Hogan. I still loved it.

My Tenth Birthday Party Was All About Hulk Hogan

When Hogan died, I went back through my old photos and found some from that night, and a flood of memories came to me. One friend was shaking a fist, with a look of pure adrenaline on his face. Another was standing on a chair, trying to get a better view. There were a bunch of blurry photos of the ring off in the distance at the house show with wrestlers that I idolized at the time. George “The Animal” Steele, Corporal Kirchner and Junkyard Dog all had matches that night against villains like The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff.

Then, as I flipped through the pages of the photo album, I saw the one I was looking for. It was just an arm and a bit of the famous WWF championship belt, but it was easy to know who it was: the mighty Hulk Hogan, the guy we came to see, hopefully, take apart “Rowdy” Roddy Piper in the main event. I remember taking the picture and then giving Hogan “five” as he walked to the ring. It was one of those “I’m never washing my hands again” moments.

It Ended In Mayhem, But Not In A Scripted Way

In the mid-’80s, the company that would eventually become the WWE was still trying to nationalize the wrestling business, and there was, if I’m honest, still a pretty seedy element at the events. This was still long before I knew about the dark side of the business. The crowd was a mixture of kids like me and grown men who were smoking cigarettes and getting very drunk.

One of those men ended up throwing a glass beer bottle into the ring, and it crashed on Hogan’s head. I didn’t see the bottle, but everyone else did. I remember the match suddenly ending and then watching Hogan walk out of the venue, his long blonde hair dyed red where the bottle made impact. I swear I saw him getting carried away on a stretcher when we exited, but that is almost certainly something my overactive imagination invented.

Still, though I was a little freaked out by the blood and the chaos that ended the match, that night sealed the deal for me. I loved it, and from that moment on, until I was in my mid-20s, I was a fanatic. I still appreciate the WWE and other wrestling operations like it, but my interest waned, I found other ways to spend money and time, and drifted away from the WWE.

I was disappointed by Hulk Hogan’s actions later in life, but for me, that night will always be special in large part because of that larger-than-life Hulk of a man. I'm sure I'll tune into a few upcoming WWE events just to relive that moment in the near future.

The death of Hulk Hogan is going to be something the wrestling world talks about for a while, and part of that is thanks to the work he was doing for the business behind the scenes. As tributes from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and others pour in, we now have news that there are over twenty hours of Hogan interviews already in Netflix's possession. If you're a wrestling fan with a Netflix subscription, I think this is great news.

While he may not have been prepping for appearances at upcoming WWE events, the Hulkster had been filming a documentary chronicling his career in professional wrestling with Netflix over the past year. CNN reports that the wrestler gave twenty hours worth of interviews, and that thirty hours of scenes were shot on top of that.

The untitled documentary promises a side of Hulk Hogan, real name Terry Bollea, that audiences hadn't seen before. If that's the case, it'll could go down as one of the greatest wrestling documentaries out there, shedding light on a controversial figure. He was both instrumental to the success of WWE and polarizing due to decades of stories from other wrestlers and a high-profile lawsuit that highlighted him using racist language.

The documentary is being made in collaboration with the WWE, and filmmakers were on the ground at the latest SmackDown to chronicle the tribute the company paid to the late wrestler. It's also noted that the documentary will need to be tweaked to account for Hulk Hogan's death, and there's no release date or even confirmation from Netflix that it's being made.

The fact that the WWE is involved in the alleged documentary could signal to me that this will likely be a more sanitized version of Hulk Hogan's career and legacy. Similar to how Mr. McMahon didn't dive into the explicit details of his ongoing lawsuit with former employee Janel Grant, leading to some criticisms of how it was handled.

All that being said, I think there is an appetite for wrestling fans who may want to see a documentary about the career of Hulk Hogan, and remember the icon that inspired so many young children to grow up into becoming wrestling fans. Hulkamania wasn't just a flash in the pan, and while his star and worldwide appeal had certainly faded in recent years, I'm sure a few Hulkamaniacs will tune in to see what new footage or information could come out of it.

With no news of a documentary, wrestling fans will just need to watch Monday Night Raw on Netflix on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET until we learn more. I wouldn't be surprised if we see more tributes from the WWE for the Hulkster in the coming weeks, or get more tributes from wrestlers who are still working on how they intend to honor his legacy.

A lot of Hulk Hogan tributes have dropped the leg over the last day or so, but none have hit me harder than what The Rock posted this morning. The biggest movie star in the world just posted a video and lengthy tribute to his WrestleMania X8 opponent, and as a huge wrestling fan, it’s difficult to get through without getting emotional.

For those of you outside the wrestling bubble, Hulk Hogan and The Rock had one of the most famous and beloved wrestling matches in the history of the business all the way back in 2002. The Rock was the ascending star, in his prime and ready to become the face of the entire business. Hulk Hogan was nearly fifty and slowing down. The two put on a classic that’s still cited as the WrestleMania standard for crowd reaction to this day. You can check out The Rock’s post below…

Whenever anyone asks me to explain professional wrestling and why I love it so much, I use this match, Hulk Hogan and The Rock at WrestleMania X8, as the example. In one corner, you have The Hulkster, the 1980s icon who made professional wrestling cool but by 2002, was well past his prime. In the other corner, you have The Rock, a mega-star very much in his prime but who hadn’t yet reached the heights of Hogan.

Wrestling is at its best when it gives you these clear contrasts, when it makes you choose between two competing visions of where things are going to go. Do you want to see The Hulkster stay on top a little longer and relive the nostalgia, or do you want to see the torch passed to the next generation and The Rock become the face of professional wrestling?

You can hear in the video how much fans care. You can hear how many in Toronto that day and millions more watching at home wanted to hang on to The Hulkster for just a little bit longer because they knew, in some small way, if he lost, it would be over. He did lose, and while he wrestled for many more years, he never wrestled in a match that mattered that much on a stage that big. It was the end of an era, and The Rock has frequently referenced it as one of the moments that made him.

That’s professional wrestling, and no one will ever represent wrestling more than Hulk Hogan. Ric Flair may have won more world championships. The Rock and John Cena may have achieved a lot more in Hollywood. Many, many guys may have surpassed his technical in-ring skill, but no one has ever made more people turn and look at professional wrestling than Hulk Hogan. No one has ever been able to get more people to tune in and care about what’s happening. More than 30 million people watched The Hulkster and Andre The Giant on network TV in the late 80s because he made people care.

The Rock grew up in the wrestling business, but you can tell from his story about catching Hulk’s headband that, like millions and millions of kids in the 80s, he was in awe of Hulkamania. Hogan was on a different level. He was the main event and the attraction people came to see, and he built a special bond with a significant percentage of kids of a certain age. He made them feel something watching wrestling, and ultimately, that’s the entire point.

If you read a lot of tributes from fans, so many of them are the same. They were a kid in the 80s, they went to a live show and they had some tiny interaction with Hogan that mattered so much. They caught his headband or gave him a high five or saw him at the grocery store and he took a moment to be kind and interact. Decades later, they still remember, and as wrestling fans, we'll never forget how he made us feel.

I can't wait to watch The Rock and Hogan at WrestleMania X8 and relive the glory later today.

Pro wrestling is arguably as big as its ever been, with Monday Night Raw topping Netflix's TV charts on a weekly basis, AEW's two-network push, and the continued reemergence of the NWA. It's impossible to put all of that success on just one person's back, it's also impossible to think wrestling would be where it is without Hulk Hogan taking over pop culture in the 1980s. Now, WWE superstars and more are paying tribute after the unexpected news of Hogan's death.

In his many decades of entertaining in the ring, Hulk Hogan will long be remembered for as many of the biggest heel moves that he pulled with the nWo as any of his accomplishments as a babyface. (Bodyslamming Andre the Giant probably takes the cake there.) So it only makes sense to start with a tribute from another beloved athlete with a Top 5 most shocking heel turn.

Sting

Fellow nWo member and former yellow-haired Sting shared this on X:

Kevin Nash

Keeping the nWo train going, Kevin Nash shared his own mournful message on X that namechecked the villainous faction that the pair co-created along with the late Scott Hall, who passed away in 2022.

Nash shared an additional post on Instagram that namechecked Brooke and Nick Hogan, the Hulkster's two kids with ex-wife Linda.

Vince McMahon

Perhaps the one who owes more of his career success to Hulk Hogan than anyone else, former WWE CEO Vince McMahon also paid respects with some very complimentary words on X.

The Undertaker & Kane

The polar opposite of Hulk Hogan tanned and brightly colored aesthetic was The Undertaker's pallour and all-black attire. But such a gimmick might never have caught on without the surge in popularity that led to so many quirky personas in the '90s, which necessarily means the Taker's faux brother Kane wouldn't have been created. The two athletes both paid respect on social:

• THE UNDERTAKER: The wrestling world has lost a true legend. His contributions to our business are immeasurable and for that I am appreciative. Thank you, Hulk Hogan.
• KANE: Hulk Hogan was a true legend. I was fortunate to work with him a couple of times, including this memorable one. It was easy to do a Hulkster impersonation when, like millions of guys my age, I'd practiced it in the mirror a thousand times growing up. #RIPHULKHOGAN

Shawn Michaels & Triple H

Two of the biggest WWE headliners whose names weren't Hulk Hogan, though one of them does carry on the same alliterative naming, Shawn Michaels and Triple H grew as Superstars in the wake of Hogan's reign, and who knows if Degeneration X would have ever existed if not for the nWo's antagonistic and anarchic run.

• SHAWN MICHAELS A legend. A larger-than-life presence. Hulk Hogan didn’t just work in this business… he transformed it. Rest in peace, Hulkster.
• TRIPLE H: WWE would not be where it is today without the larger-than-life characters that compete in the ring … and few, if any, loomed larger than Terry 'Hulk Hogan' Bollea. He was the archetype of what it meant to be a 'Superstar' - a global sensation that inspired millions to work hard at whatever it was they wanted to accomplish and a look that made him recognizable to fans around the world. . . . There was no one like The Hulkster and there very well may never be another.

Ric Flair, Kurt Angle & Matt Cardona

While not as marketable as an action star or vitamin bottle mascot, Ric Flair has been every bit as successful a pro wrestler as Hogan, and has had his own share of health scares over the years, which he refers to in his message. Superstars Kurt Angle and Matt Cardona both credited Hogan with inspriing them to become wrestlers in the first place.

• RIC FLAIR: I Am Absolutely Shocked To Hear About The Passing Of My Close Friend @HulkHogan! Hulk Has Been By My Side Since We Started In The Wrestling Business. An Incredible Athlete, Talent, Friend, And Father! Our Friendship Has Meant The World To Me. He Was Always There For Me Even When I Didn’t Ask For Him To Be. He Was One Of The First To Visit Me When I Was In The Hospital With A 2% Chance Of Living, And He Prayed By My Bedside. Hulk Also Lent Me Money When Reid Was Sick. Hulkster, No One Will Ever Compare To You! Rest In Peace My Friend!
• KURT ANGLE: R.I.P Hulkster, thank you for opening up doors for so many people in the business including myself. There would not be a Kurt Angle, without the American Made, Hulk Hogan. My heart and prayers go out to his family. We lost a real icon today.
• MATT CARDONA: If it wasn’t for Hulk Hogan, I don’t know if I’d be a pro wrestler or even a pro wrestling fan. RIP Hulkster. Hulkamania will live FOREVER!!!

Sylvester Stallone & George St. Pierre

Tributes were of course shared by far more than just pro wrestlers, with a pair of notable posts shared by Sylvester Stallone, who worked with Hogan on arguably the franchise-best Rocky III, and former UFC champion George St. Pierre, who had something of a Hogan-esque impact on popularizing MMA.

• SYLVESTER STALLONE: I had the pleasure of meeting this brilliant personality and showman when he was 26 years old. He was absolutely wonderful and his amazing skill made Rocky three incredibly special. My heart breaks. I think that he’s gone…
• UFC VET GEORGE ST. PIERRE: They say you should never meet your idols, but meeting Hulk Hogan made me admire him even more. He was so generous with his time and an inspiration not only as an athlete and entertainer, but also as a human being. He will be missed by us all. RIP Hulk Hogan 🙏

Plenty of other tributes (and unsurprisingly a ton of non-tributes) are still being shared across the internet as the news of Hogan's death continues making the rounds.

R.I.P. to the Hulkster, and best wishes to all the mourning Hulkamaniacs out there.

The era of Hulkamania may never truly end, but its founding father is sadly no longer with us. One of the biggest and most influential pro wrestlers in the history of sports-entertainment, Terry Bollea — better known to fans around the world as Hulk Hogan — is dead. The WWE Hall of Famer was 71 years old.

After weeks of disputed rumors surrounding his current health status, Hogan passed away on the morning of Thursday, July 24, 2025. 9-1-1 operators reported the involvement of a cardiac arrest at his Clearwater, Florida residence, according to TMZ.

EMTs were dispatched to the athlete's home, and it's said that there were a number of police cars and other emergency vehicles parked in front of it. He was carried out of the house on a stretched and loaded into an ambulance. It's unclear at the time of writing exactly when he passed away.

In mid-June, reports surfaced that claimed Hogan was dealing with major complications from a surgical procedure done to his neck in May, which was publicly touted as being a minor situation. Hogan had joked in the past that he'd had so many surgeries in his life that none of his parts were the originals, and has also spoken out about additions to pain meds. Despite that medical history, he reportedly didn't spend much time in recovery mode afterward, and jumped right back into promoting his new wrestling promotion with Eric Bischoff.

Soon after that, the Rocky III co-star was rumored to be on his "deathbed" after his health purportedly dipped in relation to his prior surgery. Hogan's former BFF Bubba the Love Sponge claimed that he was told family and friends were being called in to say their final goodbyes.

However, those reports were said to be overblown and incorrect by members of the athlete's camp, to the point where the day before Hogan died, his former manager Jimmy "Mouth of the South" Hart, posted on X that all was well, and that Hogan was out on the town the night prior, adding even more confusion.

It's unclear exactly what was happening with Hulk Hogan in the weeks prior to his death, and also unclear if and when more details will be offered up.

Widely credited with helping bring worldwide popularity to the floundering world of professional wrestling, Hulk Hogan and longtime WWE CEO Vince McMahon turned Hulkamania into a household name, and solidified sporting pay-per-view events as a new norm.

The athlete went from hocking vitamins to kids and starring in movies like Suburban Commando and Mr. Nanny to selling arguably the biggest heel turn in wrestling history when he joined Kevin Nash and Scott Hall's game-changing nWo (New World Order) faction.

In the last 20 years or so, Hogan bounced from WWE to Memphis Wrestling to TNA and back to the WWE for a stint that infamously crashed and burned in 2015 when a leaked sex tape went public that featured Hogan's repeated use of racial slurs. The WWE temporarily cut ties with the athlete and removed him from the Hall of Fame, but went back on those decisions three years later. Hogan was invited back to Raw in January 2019 to pay tribute to the late Gene Okerlund.

Hogan, who successfully sued Gawker for publishing a clip of his sex tape (putting them out of business), became far more of a legitimately polarizing figure outside of kayfabe in the years before his death, due to both his racist remarks (which he offered public apologies for) and for his politics.

The WWE paid tribute to Hulk Hogan on social media with the following message, and I wouldn't be surprised if more than a few compliation videos are promoted on the company's YouTube and other platforms.

Hogan's new promotion with Eric Bischoff, Real American Freestyle, landed a deal with Fox Nation, and is set to premiere its first televised event on August 30. One can imagine it will kick off with a lengthy tribute to its late co-founder.

The athlete is survived by his third wife Sky Daily, whom he wed in September 2023, as well as his two children from a previous marriage, Brooke and Nick Hogan. The latter pair, along with their father and mother Linda, were all featured on the reality TV show Hogan Knows Best, which aired on VH1 from 2005-2007.

We at CinemaBlend send our thoughts and condolences to Hogan's family and friends during their time of mourning.

One of wrestling's biggest names may be in poor health, according to recent rumors hitting the web this morning. Hulk Hogan is allegedly on his deathbed following surgery complications, though the story has been disputed by members in the WWE Hall of Famer's camp.

The report comes from the Bubba The Love Sponge Show, whose host Bubba was Hogan's former best friend who was tied up in the wrestler's much-publicized legal battle with Gawker. The radio host said he had reliable sources that claimed the former WWE champion was in the hospital, and that the situation didn't look good. As he put it:

The news may come as a shock to wrestling fans, many of whom might've seen Hulk Hogan up to a lot in 2025 thus far. From an appearance on Monday Night Raw to starting a freestyle wrestling league, he's kept plenty busy, though Bubba The Love Sponge implied that a hectic schedule might've led to this alleged incident.

As for what exactly was going on, the details are unclear. The radio host laid out the situation as he knows it in broad strokes and talked about how Hogan's busy schedule might've landed him in the hospital to begin with:

Hogan is no stranger to rumors tied to his health, and even those close to him are known to talk out of turn about his wellbeing, with Ric Flair starting his own rumors a while back.

Rumors About Hulk Hogan's Health Reportedly Overblown

Since this news came out, TMZ spoke to a rep for Hulk Hogan, who shot down the rumor he was on his deathbed. It was noted that the hospitalization was for similar ailments he's dealt with in the past, and that the Hulkster was on the mend and reportedly moving around.

Hulk Hogan has long been a polarizing figure in the world of professional wrestling, with many crediting him for the early success of the WWE. At the same time, Hogan has come under fire over the years for his treatment of other wrestlers backstage and for a leaked sex tape in which he used racial slurs.

Much like former WWE chairman Vince McMahon, who was ousted from the company amidst a lawsuit alleging some horrific acts, Hogan's legacy will forever be complicated. There's certainly a question of how the company would respond in the event of his passing, and just how much the WWE would acknowledge and honor him. The company is currently partnered with Hogan's Real American Beer as an official partner of the alcohol brand.

CinemaBlend would like to offer well wishes to the family and friends of Hulk Hogan, and hope he's on the road to recovery in the hospital. This is some news that would rock the wrestling world one way or another, so I imagine an update on the superstar and his health will come in due time.

Months after getting booed on Monday Night Raw, Hulk Hogan is now launching his wrestling promotion, in a partnership with former WCW mastermind Eric Bischoff. To cement his newest era behind the pro wrestling curtain, the former WWE legend shared the news with a black-and-white nWo-style promo video. While the idea of the Hulkster returning to wrestling may evoke various reactions in general, one specific caveat has me most intrigued.

The Hulkster dropped a classic black-and-white video with Bischoff in tow and renowned wrestling trainer Israel "Izzy" Martinez to announce the launch of Real American Freestyle, which will center on collegiate freestyle wrestling, surprisingly enough. Check out the video below, which may have you rummaging through your closet in search of that nWo shirt.

So, what is Real American Freestyle? Don't worry, we have a breakdown that's a little more detailed than all the non-contextual hype in that video. I can't say for sure if this out-of-the-blue news will have a bigger impact on the sports-entertainment community than John Cena's shocking heel turn, but Hogan and Bischoff have fanbases and connections that can't be denied.

Real American Freestyle Will Mix Pro Wrestling With Competitive Sports

APNews reported more details on what Real American Freestyle is, and the gist for readers is it's NCAA-style collegiate freestyle wrestling that injects elements from the pro wrestling world. This is to say, the wrestlers signed will be competing in the ring, but instead of performative body slams and high-flying action, the moves will be the same as those used by athletes in the high school, college, and Olympic circuit.

The twist here is that Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff intend to utilize their understanding of the pro wrestling business to enhance the product in various ways. Hogan specifically mentioned the charisma of the wrestlers he observed while watching the NCAA Division I wrestling championships, so one can expect a bigger push for individualized personalities, on top of perhaps crafting signature moves.

My Big Question: How Can Pro Wrestling Mix With Genuine Competition Without Going Too Far In Either Direction?

You don't need to watch Monday Night Raw with a Netflix subscription to know that what the WWE does and what the NCAA does in wrestling are two very different products. The question is, how does someone like Hulk Hogan, who has had his own share of real wrestling moments, tow the line between pro wrestling theatrics and actual competition?

Walkout music seems like an easy-enough thing to bring in, and I'm sure there will be a lot of smack talk exchanged before and after matches, though the latter sparks some concerns.

As Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton recently showcased, there are times when even scripted WWE insults go off the rails, and there are hurt feelings. Does leaning into that on a competitive level only lead to problems in Real American Freestyle?

I think it's something worth thinking about, especially with Hulk Hogan signaling the program will work with college athletes who are on NIL deals. Granted, I don't think any of these young adults will have a platform as subject to as much scrutiny as the main event of WrestleMania 41, but it would be a shame to lose a contract with a university over some controversial comments or actions.

Other fighting organizations, like the UFC, have shied away from injecting WWE-esque theatrics into the sport. At the same time, it's hard to deny the Paul brothers impact on the sport of professional boxing, as people continue to tune in when they troll former legends and take them on in the ring. Hulk Hogan may be onto something with Real American Freestyle, but we can only wait and see how it'll turn out.

More details on Real American Freestyle are likely on the way, and we'll see just how much it mirrors professional wrestling when it gets rolling. I'm hoping for the best, and maybe we'll get the next Kurt Angle out of this promotion!

Throughout his career, Hulk Hogan was at the center of some of the biggest wrestling moments of all time. From headlining the first WrestleMania to shocking the world by turning heel with the NWO, and everything before, after and since, the “Hulkster” has always been part of earth-shattering and controversial moments. This includes the WWE Hall of Famer showing up to WrestleMania IX with a nasty black eye and a story that many of his peers, and generations of wrestling fans, just don’t buy.

The new deep-dive into the the 1993 “Showcase of the Immortals,” WrestleMania IX: Becoming a Spectacle, by far one of the best wrestling documentaries on Peacock, reexamines one of the biggest behind-the-scenes mysteries of the event, and wrestling in general. And while Hogan has a highly detailed story about how he got his infamous shiner, other wrestlers are very skeptical, to say the least.

What Hulk Hogan Says About The Infamous Black Eye In WrestleMania IX: Becoming A Spectacle

Though WrestleMania IX: Becoming A Spectacle spends a large portion of its nearly two-hour runtime breaking down how the 1993 event was a game-changer for the company and helped usher in a new era, it doesn’t shy away from covering two of the biggest controversies from the pay-per-view: Hulk Hogan showing up with a black eye and the former top babyface being randomly inserted into the main event for the WWE Championship. Let’s just focus on the former for now.

In the documentary, Hogan denies the long-believed story that the black eye and stitches were the result of a nasty hook from former friend-turned-rival “Macho Man” Randy Savage. Instead, Hogan tells a story about being in a jet ski accident two days before the Las Vegas event that involved him being hit in the face by the watercraft’s handlebar. If I’m being honest, his recollection of the accident has way too many details and comes off as rehearsed. And I’m not alone…

Bret Hart Rips Hogan As 'Such A Liar,' And Other Wrestlers Seem To Agree

Ahead of the documentary’s release, Bret Hart, who never minces words when it comes to his relationship with Hulk Hogan, sat down for an interview with TMZ where he wasted no time in calling out his former colleague and ripping him for lying, saying:

And Hart, who will become the first three-time inductee at the 2025 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony ahead of the two-night WrestleMania 41, isn’t alone in not believing Hogan’s story about the black eye being caused by a jet ski accident. In WrestleMania IX: Becoming a Spectacle, other wrestlers come off as being skeptical about the situation.

At one point, the Undertaker says that it was well-known that Hogan and Savage didn’t get along, and that the Hulkster should have “bobbed instead of weaved on that,” alluding to a fight. Moments later, Scott Steiner explains that while he didn’t see a fight between the two, he has long believed Savage’s story about the rumored altercation.

We may never really know what happened back in 1993, as “Macho Man” Randy Savage passed away more than a decade ago, and Hulk Hogan is sticking to his story.

John Cena's shocking heel turn is, without question, the biggest wrestling headline of 2025. The longtime hero of the WWE is finally playing the bad guy, and he will headline WrestleMania 41 against Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed Championship. As people wonder if Cena's big persona shift will last in upcoming WWE events beyond Las Vegas, Hulk Hogan is making a bold prediction about how big this showdown will go down.

Just a couple of months after being booed out of a Monday Night Raw airing, Hogan is still staying plugged into what's happening in the WWE. He spoke to the Undisputed Substack about Cena's recent heel turn, which some have equated to his own heel turn and formation of the nWo. The Hulkster was high on Cena's big coming out party as a bad guy, and had some kind words for Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as well:

It seems like Hulk Hogan enjoyed John Cena's heel turn far more than Kendrick Lamar's halftime performance, though I'm still not entirely sure what he meant by those comments about the latter. Nevertheless, he's thrilled to see The Champ turning rogue and The Rock playing puppet master and running the WWE from the shadows.

It's high praise from the superstar who, before this, had one of the most shocking heel turns in WWE history. Now, it's time to pass the torch, and it seems Hogan thinks Cena could do something really special with his final run in the WWE, provided he's available to see it through:

I think many wrestling fans would agree with Hulk Hogan's assessment, since no one really saw this coming. In fact, CinemaBlend speculated that Cody Rhodes would turn heel on Cena because the WWE veteran has repeatedly stated over the years that he would never become a villain because of what his character means to so many people.

While I would wager that few fans take wrestlers at their word when making such claims, I don't think anyone believed this, specifically, would happen. John Cena was the golden boy of the WWE for decades, so turning heel in what he says will be his final year in the company was quite a twist. It was thrilling enough for many that Cena will get a chance to break the record for most overall titles at WrestleMania 41; turning him heel is just icing on the cake.

I know I'll be seated and watching with my Peacock Premium subscription when WrestleMania 41 kicks off in Las Vegas on April 19th and 20th. While I originally thought there was a good chance of Cody Rhodes retaining at the big event and continuing his title run, I'm sure The Rock has plans to ensure Cena gets that championship and that he gets the "soul" of the top guy in the WWE.

Paul "Triple H" Levesque may be occupied preparing for WrestleMania 41 and other upcoming WWE events, but that doesn't mean he's out of the loop on all other pop culture happenings. The CEO shouted out Saturday Night Live amidst its 50th Anniversary celebration ahead of the NBC special, and even highlighted a significant moment between the two brands. That said, he left out a key figure involved in the ordeal, and might've also forgotten about an earlier time when SNL crossed paths with pro wrestling.

While I would've personally highlighted the time Michael Che and Colin Jost participated in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal, Trips had another significant moment when the wrestling organization shared the stage with the iconic sketch comedy series.

Triple H's Tribute To Saturday Night Live Excluded One Key Figure

While Dwayne Johnson's upcoming movies always make him an easy choice to be an upcoming Saturday Night Live guest host, it was a completely different ballgame for the athletic actor in 2000. Outside of a couple of television appearances, he was primarily known as "The Rock" in the WWE, so hosting SNL was a big deal when he was invited to Studio 8H. Triple H commemorated the 25th anniversary of the moment by recalling teaming up with Mick Foley and Paul Wight to crash the hosting, but left out the fact that Vince McMahon was also there.

Triple H failing to mention his own father-in-law and former chairman of the WWE is presumably due to the former boss' legal issues. Despite Vince McMahon reaching a settlement with the SEC as part of the aftermath, he remains a controversial figure due to hush money payments made to former WWE employee Janel Grant.

Still, to include former WWE legend Big Show, an active member of rival company AEW, in the tribute and not the person responsible for the WWE's modern popularity may illustrate just how apprehensive the company is to reference its former leader in such a celebratory setting.

The Rock Technically Wasn't The First Pro Wrestler To Host SNL

What's most interesting about Triple H's tribute is that his post may give the impression that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was truly the first of the company's wrestling legends to host Saturday Night Live. In reality, though, he may be specifically adhering to "WWE Superstars" rather than "WWF icons" in general, seeing as how Hulk Hogan and actor Mr. T hosted SNL in 1985 before the first WrestleMania.

Take a look at their monologue, which can be found below:

Perhaps Triple H also balked at putting a spotlight on Hulk Hogan's legacy after seeing Hogan get booed on Monday Night Raw. The Season 10 episode, available to stream for those with a Peacock subscription, features a few funny sketches, and the Hulkster and Mr. T do their best to keep it entertaining, even if they aren't natural talents when it comes to sketch comedy. But they weren't as prominent throughout as guest hosts usually are, perhaps due to reportedly being late additions.

Unfortunately, no WWE superstars are listed on the lineup for Saturday Night Live's 50th Anniversary special, but there's always a chance one might be should the series make it to the next major milestone! Who knows, we might be surprised by an appearance that no one expected.

Kendrick Lamar's halftime performance has come and gone, but the reactions are still coming from all over about whether the rapper's big moment lived up to the hype. Hulk Hogan has added his voice to the chorus after being prompted about it during a recent interview on Fox News. The wrestling legend gave what felt like an unfavorable review, and signed off on a pick for 2026's show.

Hogan, who recently made headlines for being booed at Monday Night Raw and will be available for meet and greets at the upcoming WWE event, WrestleMania 41, was a guest on the Fox News show Jesse Watters Primetime. The Hulkster discussed many things during his segment, including giving his take on Kendrick Lamar's halftime performance, which can be read below:

It's hard to decipher whether Hulk Hogan is dismissive of Kendrick Lamar's Halftime Show or merely stating he had too much going on and couldn't give it the attention needed to provide an in-depth take. Anyone who has been on the internet the past week has seen there's some divisiveness over the performance, with complaints varying from the rapper speaking to fast to criticisms of its themes.

It's not as detailed as Stephen A. Smith's thoughts on Serena Williams showing up or my complaint that Kendrick's performance lacked many classic hits. However, his take does imply that he wasn't sure what to make the halftime show as he didn't understand exactly what was going on.

After that, Jesse Watters suggested legendary country artist Willie Nelson should perform next, which the former WWE champion signed off on almost immediately:

I'm not sure how keen the rest of the world would be to see 91-year-old Willie Nelson singing on the 2026 Super Bowl stage, but let it be known that if it happens, Hulk Hogan was one of the first to sign off on it. It certainly would be a deviation from what we saw this year, and I'm sure Kendrick Lamar's rival Drake would be happy with literally anyone else having the halftime show.

Whether people liked it or not, Apple Music reports that Kendrick Lamar now has the most-viewed Super Bowl halftime show of all time. He beats the previous record set last year by Usher (I also felt he had a superb performance), and I'm sure there's hope on Apple's end that next year's performer continues to pull in even more people. Perhaps by then, we'll have all reached a universal consensus on Lamar's halftime show and be all up in arms over the next person's performance.

For those who still have yet to see the performance, it's up on YouTube and rapidly gaining more and more views. As a fan of the rapper, I'd highly recommend giving it another watch because I felt I appreciated it even more on the second viewing.

Everyone loves a good heel, right? You know those wrestlers who just have a certain way of sending crowds into a frenzy with some truly heinous, violent, and dastardly acts. In the past, we’ve talked about the most shocking turns and betrayals, but today, let’s turn our attention to some of the most despicable actions by a heel, both in and out of the ring.

From The Rock viciously beating a grown man in front of his crying children to JBL making an opponent’s mom have a heart attack to a certain prison guard from Cobb County, Georgia doing all kinds of bad deeds, there were quite a few to choose from.

Vince McMahon Revealing Himself As The 'Higher Power'

There was a lot going on in the peak of the Attitude Era, and one of the craziest angles was the Ministry of Darkness storyline involving The Undertaker doing everything from kidnapping Stephanie McMahon to attempting to embalm Stone Cold Steve Austin in his quest to take over WWE. But behind it all was Vince McMahon, who was revealed to be the “Higher Power” pulling all the strings.

Bobby Heenan, John Studd, And Ken Patera Cutting Andre The Giant's Hair

Before the late Bobby Heenan became one of the best WWE commentators of all time, he made a name for himself as the premier heel manager in wrestling. One of his most dastardly actions (of which there are a lot) has to be the time he, Big John Studd, and Ken Patera held down Andre the Giant and cut his hair. “The Brain” seemed to relish in humiliating the “Eighth Wonder of the World.”

CM Punk Stealing Paul Bearer's Urn

Shortly after William Moody, aka Paul Bearer, died in March 2013, CM Punk did something irredeemable when stole the Undertaker’s late manager’s iconic urn in the leadup to his WrestleMania 29 match against the “Phenom.” Not only that, but he poured out the contents of the urn all over himself to dramatic effect. No wonder Taker didn’t hold back in their co-main event match.

The Rock Viciously Beating Mick Foley In Front Of His Kids

The 1999 Royal Rumble is mostly remembered for The Rock and Mankind’s “I Quit” match for the WWE Championship. In the match, which was famously included in the controversial Beyond the Mat documentary, Mick Foley is viciously beaten in front of his young children, who cry the entire time. Seriously, it’s a rough watch.

Big Boss Man Dragging Big Show's Dad's Casket Through A Cemetery

Big Boss Man, one of the greatest and most athletic big men in wrestling, took being a heel to the next level. For example, there’s the time he crashed Big Show’s dad’s funeral by dragging his casket through the cemetery (with Paul Wight) hanging on for dear life. Seriously, it doesn’t get more despicable than that.

Chris Jericho's 'Man Of 1,004 Holds' Promo

Chris Jericho has proven time and time again that he’s one of the best heels in the business, including the time he gave what has been called the “Man of 1,004 Holds” promo. Poking fun at Dean Malenko and his 1,000 holds, Jericho pulled out a ridiculously long scroll going over all the holds he knew. It was perfection.

Shawn Michaels' Fake Bret Hart Return

Nearly a decade after Bret Hart’s WWE run came to an unceremonious end during the Montreal Screwjob, Shawn Michaels brought the “Hitman” back to the scene of the crime. Or so the fans thought when Hart’s iconic entrance song started playing over the speakers. But there was no Bret, as it was all a ploy by the dastardly heel.

Roddy Piper Hitting Jimmy Snuka With A Coconut

Roddy Piper hitting Jimmy Snuka over the head with a coconut may be one of the most iconic clips in WWE history, but it’s also one of the lowest, most ruthless, and unnecessary moments in the history of “Piper’s Pit.”

JBL Made Eddie Guerrero's Mom Have A Heart Attack

They don’t make heels like JBL these days. This guy would do anything to get heat with the crowd, even if that meant making Eddie Guerrero’s mom have a heart attack in the middle of the ring. Legend has it JBL required a police escort to make it out of El Paso that night.

The New Age Outlaws Putting Cactus Jack And Chainsaw Charlie In A Dumpster

Oh, you didn’t know that the New Age Outlaws once put Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie (Mick Foley and Terry Funk, respectively) into a dumpster and then pushed it off the side of the stage? Well, that happened during a February 1998 episode of Raw. Don’t worry, Road Dogg and Billy Gunn got their comeuppance at WrestleMania 14.

Shawn Michaels Throwing Marty Jannetty Through The Barber Shop Window

The Rockers’ time together came to a sudden and shocking end in early 1992 when Shawn Michaels turned on his longtime partner Marty Jannetty by giving him some “sweet chin music” and throwing him through the Barber Shop window.

The Katie Vick Incident

The Katie Vick incident, in which Triple H dressed up like Kane and acted like he was making love to his dead girlfriend, is one of the lowest moments of the Ruthless Aggression era. It’s amazing WWE and Triple H recovered from this.

Randy Orton Punt-Kicking John Cena's Dad

Randy Orton’s punt kick is the stuff of wonder and a tool he would use to take many legends out of action during the early to mid-2000s. Another addition to that list was John Cena’s dad, who tried to protect his son against the “Legend Killer.” It was just so brutal, so violent, so despicable.

The Four Horsemen Breaking Dusty Rhodes' Leg

The Four Horsemen, arguably the greatest stable in wrestling history, were about as ruthless and dastardly as it got, especially when dealing with Dusty Rhodes. Look no further than September 1985 when they trapped the American Dream in a steel cage and viciously attacked him before breaking his leg.

Rick Rude Painting Jake Roberts' Wife's Face On His Ring Gear

Rick Rude knew how to get people going, both men and women. One of the best examples is the time the ravishing wrestler unveiled a special pair of tights with Jake Roberts’ wife’s face painted on them.

Hulk Hogan Turning His Back On Randy Savage And WCW

Hulk Hogan finally became a heel at WCW’s Bash at the Beach 1996 when he joined up with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash to form the NWO. And how did he go about pulling off the biggest heel turn of all time? Well, he attacked longtime friend and former tag team partner Randy Savage with a series of leg drops.

The Rock Channeling Maui To Taunt Mama Rhodes

The Rock’s “Final Boss” gimmick was one of the most absurd, and absurdly awesome, things about wrestling in 2024, and it made WWE must-see TV. This was especially true whenever Dwayne Johnson messed with Cody Rhodes and his mom, “Mama Rhodes,” on the mic by channeling his Maui character from Moana and singing “You’re Welcome.” Menacing, to say the least.

Kevin Nash Throwing Rey Mysterio Into A Production Truck Like A Lawn Dart

The NWO’s takeover of WCW was absolutely wild and saw Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Hulk Hogan pull off some dastardly and destructive feats. One of the funniest (and most extreme) came in July 1996 when Nash threw Rey Mysterio into the side of a production truck like a lawn dart.

Eddie Guerrero Claiming To Be Dominik Mysterio's Biological Father

Way back before Dominik Mysterio was a heel himself, he was caught in the middle of a paternity battle between Rey Mysterio and his former best friend Eddie Guerrero, who said he was the young boy’s biological father. This psychological warfare, which led to a ladder match to settle the case, would have long-lasting ramifications.

The McMahon Family Embarrassing Then Firing Jim Ross

The McMahon family would often take pleasure in the misery of others, like the time they unceremoniously fired and embarrassed Jim Ross in the middle of the ring. To make matters worse, Linda McMahon gave the longtime WWE commentator a kick below the belt.

Scott Hall Tasing Goldberg

Maybe a good thing looking back, Scott Hall cost Goldberg his WCW Championship and his undefeated streak at Starrcade 1998 by tasing the red-hot superstar in the main event match. Dressed up like a security guard, Hall snuck up and incapacitated Goldberg, allowing Kevin Nash to steal the pin and title.

Dominik Mysterio Crashing Thanksgiving

Back when Dominik Mysterio was feuding with his dad, he and Rhea Ripley did everything they could to make life miserable for his family. This included crashing Thanksgiving and ruining the holiday for everyone. It’s so cheesy, so despicable, so awesome.

The Dudley Boyz Putting Mae Young Through A Table

WWE in the Attitude Era was a completely different place and saw folks like the Dudley Boyz be a menace to everyone, both male and female, both young and old. Just look at the time Bubba Ray and D-Von threw Mae Young off the stage and through a table on Monday Night Raw.

The Ted DiBiase Basketball Segment

Back when Ted DiBiase was building up his “Million Dollar Man” heel gimmick, he found some unique ways to generate heat with the crowd. Back in 1987, he told a young boy he’d give him $500 if he could dribble a basketball 15 times. A simple task, right? Well, just before the kid reached the 15th dribble, DiBiase kicked the ball off the stage.

Big Boss Man Feeds Al Snow His Dog, Pepper

During his feud with Al Snow, Big Boss Man came up with some terrifying ways of messing with his opponent, like making him eat a dog. But not just any dog. Instead, it was Snow’s cherished pet chihuahua, Pepper. The way Boss Man said “100 % Grade-A Pepper” after serving up the dish in a hotel room was just so ridiculous.

Brock Lesnar Pushing Zach Gowen Down The Stairs

Zach Gowen was the first and only one-legged wrestler to step foot into a WWE ring, and his journey made for quite a great story. But Brock Lesnar, in the middle of his great heel run at the time, wanted none of it and pushed an injured Gowen down a flight of stairs after the underdog got a victory over him.

Shane McMahon Attacks The Miz's Dad

Though Fastlane 2019 is mostly remembered for the final PLE featuring The Shield before Dean Ambrose left WWE, it should also be remembered for the night Shane McMahon turned heel and attacked The Miz in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. If the beatdown on The Miz wasn’t bad enough, Shane O’Mac turned his attention to the middle-aged man sitting ringside.

Jake Roberts Slapping Miss Elizabeth

When he wanted, Jake “The Snake” Roberts could be one of the most unrelenting and devastating heels in the business. This is no more true than it was the night Roberts slapped Miss Elizabeth in the middle of the ring to get heat with the crowd (and make Randy Savage pay).

Papa Shango Putting A Curse On The Ultimate Warrior

Remember when Papa Shango put a curse on the Ultimate Warrior in the early 1990s? The incident from May 1992 was one of the most cartoonish things to happen in the era, but it made the voodoo doctor look like a major threat.

Gene Snitsky Punting A Baby Into The Crowd

Gene Snitksy is a wrestler who doesn’t get talked about all too much a couple of decades after his run in WWE, and maybe that’s because he kicked a (fake) baby into the crowd during a program with Lita. He straight-up punted that little thing high above the crowd, and it was absurd.

Vince McMahon Taunting Linda McMahon While She's In A Vegetative State

In the early 2000s, in the final stretch of the Attitude Era, Vince McMahon was firing on all cylinders when it came to being a Grade-A scumbag (in storyline). One of the most insane angles he ran was the one in which his wife, Linda McMahon, was in a vegetative state and he did all sorts of unscrupulous acts in front of her. But she did get her revenge at WrestleMania 17.

Bronson Reed's Six Tsunamis On Seth Rollins

Bronson Reed has made quite a name for himself over the years because of his dynamic personality, massive stature, and ability to pull off some heinous acts. Look at the time he performed six tsunamis (his finishing move) on a hurt Seth Rollins. One after another they came down on the fan-favorite.

WWE’s star-studded debut on Netflix was filled with celebrities and famous faces from the history of professional wrestling. Most got huge ovations when they made appearances or were shown on the jumbotron, but one legend very notably did not. The first Monday Night Raw of the streaming era went well for just about everyone except Hulk Hogan, who was booed loudly and aggressively by the nearly 20,000 fans in attendance. The negative reaction was, of course, a huge talking point on social media, and many pointed to the Hulkster’s MAGA politics and the event’s Los Angeles location to explain what happened. The truth is it’s a lot more complicated than that though.

I’m not saying politics didn’t play a role in what happened last night. I’m sure the reception he got would have been less negative if it were in a more conservative part of the country, but the wrestling community’s relationship with Hulk Hogan has been complicated for more than thirty years. There is perhaps no one, in the history of the business, who has done both more good and more bad for the sport than the Hulkster.

Hogan’s mid 80s to early 90s run as the ultimate babyface catapulted wrestling out of the shadows and into the mainstream to the point where more than 30 million people watched a Main Event episode of WWE programming he headlined in 1988. His reinvention as a heel, or bad guy, in 1996 helped launch wrestling’s second big boom period, The Attitude Era. His classic matches and programs with the likes of Andre The Giant, Randy Savage, The Ultimate Warrior and The Rock are still talked about with reverence. He’s, without question, one of the most important performers in the history of the business and at his peak, was arguably the most beloved.

But Hogan’s wrestling career wasn’t filled with just peaks. It also involved a long history of backstage politicking and alleged refusals to lose to younger talent, or at least to lose to them in a way that helped their characters. After main eventing seven of the first eight WrestleManias, WWE was ready to turn the company over to a new generation of stars, most prominently Bret Hart and Yokozuna, who were scheduled to main event WrestleMania 9. But after a conversation with Vince McMahon, the show instead ended with Hogan interrupting their match and stealing the title in under thirty seconds in what is still remembered decades later as a disastrous mistake.

It’s not an outlier either. Hogan’s career is filled with moments where he seemed to have a chance to make someone else look good, both for their sake and the sake of the business, and in a majority of cases, that didn’t happen. Even when he agreed to lose, it often was in a way that made himself look good. He lost to Andre The Giant in ‘88 but he put his shoulder up before the three count so he could argue he wasn’t beaten fairly. He lost to The Ultimate Warrior in ‘90, but he kicked out at 3.00001 seconds, obviously because he didn’t want his character to look bad. He lost to Sting in ‘97 but only after a series of last second rewrites saw him initially win the match and then have it restarted on a technicality.

In Hogan’s entire WWE and WCW career, he was only pinned or lost by submission 14 times. On multiple occasions when he was allegedly asked to lose, he decided, instead, to quit the company or threatened to quit until the finish was changed. There are some cases, especially late in his career, where he did lose clean to some rising stars (most prominently The Rock at WrestleMania 18), but you don’t need to listen to many interviews with legends of the sport before you start hearing negative stories or ones about a time where they were going to beat Hogan and he said, “That doesn’t work for me, brother.”

Because of all of the above, there has long been an undercurrent of animosity against Hulk Hogan, at least from hardcore wrestling fans. To this day, when a character is booked too strongly or wins a match that doesn’t really make sense for their character, fans will change the character’s last name to Hogan, as a shorthand way of explaining their feelings. Of course, Rhea Hogan won the title back. I’m not surprised Cody Hogan hasn’t lost clean in almost a year.

If that was the whole story with Hogan, however, he wouldn’t be getting booed. There are plenty of other famous faces in the wrestling business who have backstage politicked their way to staying on top. Unfortunately, on top of all these wrestling specific problems, there’s also a long history of outside the business issues too.

You could talk about the long history of stretching the truth in interviews. You could talk about him pulling out of his biopic at the last minute. You could talk about the steroid trial. You could talk about the leaked sex tape with a friend’s wife and subsequent lawsuit, but the biggest issue is the history of racist comments.

Back in 2015, Hogan was caught on tape repeatedly using racial slurs and saying he didn’t want his daughter to date a Black man. After an investigation, more tapes came out, including one where he told his incarcerated son that he hoped he wouldn’t be imprisoned alongside any Black men. Hogan later apologized in an interview, but WWE fired him from his legends contract and stopped making any reference to him for more than three years. Since 2018, he has made sporadic appearances, sometimes getting a warm reception and sometimes getting more of a mixed one.

And then there’s the politics. Hogan famously made an appearance at The Republican National Convention last year to support Donald Trump and has since given numerous interviews in which he’s expressed his approval for the Republican leader. That obviously hasn’t sat well with some fans who have a distaste for right wing politics, and it unquestionably played a role in what happened last night, especially since the event took place in Los Angeles, which is, of course, a very progressive part of the country.

Hulk Hogan, however, is far from the only classic WWE personality with conservative ties. The Undertaker, who received a huge ovation during Raw’s debut on Netflix, released a video endorsing Donald Trump. Stephanie McMahon, who received a huge pop when she was shown on screen, is the daughter of Linda McMahon, Donald Trump’s recently appointed Secretary Of Education. Kane, one of the longest tenured and most popular characters in WWE history, is currently the Republican Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. There is no shortage of WWE personalities with direct right wing ties, and they are not treated like this…

So, did politics play a role in what happened last night? Sure. That was definitely a factor, but it would be disingenuous to say Hulk Hogan was booed because of his political beliefs. He was booed because hardcore wrestling fans have had a very complicated relationship with Hulk Hogan for thirty years, and the insane ticket prices (highest arena gate in company history) made sure the audience was almost exclusively filled with hardcore wrestling fantastics. Instead of casuals who would have been stoked about seeing Hulk Hogan, the building was filled with people still mad about Starrcade 97 and people who listened to all those inappropriate comments when they first leaked. Add that undercurrent of negativity, combine it with his politics and the political beliefs of the average Los Angeles resident and it created a perfect storm of negativity.

I don’t know where WWE goes from here with Hulk Hogan, but I do know what happened last night was about more than politics. His recent appearances for Donald Trump and the Los Angeles location certainly played a role, but hardcore wrestling fans know the boos were about a lot more than that. They were about everything that’s happened the last thirty years. In a sport filled with complicated people who have done both great things and horrible things, Hogan is perhaps the defining example of that duality. After receiving some of the biggest pops in the history of the business, I guess it’s fitting he got one of the biggest boos.

Saturday Night’s Main Event is back, and I’m so stoked I want to throw on polka dots and dance like an aging Dusty Rhodes or maybe have a snack of turnbuckle stuffing in honor of George The Animal Steele. I love The Golden Age Of Wrestling. There's something about it that makes me want to sprint to the ring Ultimate Warrior style and give a Hacksaw Jim Duggan thumbs up. Fortunately, now is the chance for all of us to relive those glory days alongside Jesse The Body Ventura.

That’s right. The beloved 80s commentator is back in the broadcasting booth (RIP Gorilla Monsoon), and he’s not the only thing about the show reportedly going retro. We’ve already seen throwback graphics, but rumors are swirling that we’ll also get retro entrances, appearances from 80s legends and maybe even a throwback ring. I can’t wait. So, hide your prized bulldog from Bobby Heenan, pull out your loudest Jimmy Hart megaphone and drop the elbow from the top ropes like Macho Man Randy Savage. We're in for some rockin' wrestling!

And what a night of wrestling it should be. WWE is giving fans a card worthy of a major PPV. Four championships are going to be on the line, and the fifth match features former WrestleMania main eventers. I have theories I want to Perfect Plex into your brains, but before I read from my scroll in the middle of the ring like a prime Genius, here’s a quick look at how my predictions have been going…

Not exactly a 15 year undefeated streak like Andre The Giant, but I'll still take it. Hopefully I can use Main Event to put a few more wins onto the board this weekend and emerge as ripped as Ravishing Rick Rude or as glowed up as Miss Elizabeth.

Sami Zayn Vs Drew McIntyre

It’s a good thing I decided to party Ric Flair style this past weekend and put off my predictions til Tuesday because this match was a last second addition to the card. I’m here for it though. McIntyre is ready for his first in-ring action since his match with CM Punk at Hell In A Cell ended that feud, which was so good Rowdy Roddy Piper and Hulk Hogan would have been proud. Now he’s ready to take out that anger on poor Sami Zayn, who is stepping up here to defend the honor of his fallen comrade Jey Uso, who McIntyre attacked.

Zayn is obviously super over with the crowd and continues to be involved in huge storylines. It’s a testament to his popularity that he continually gets booked for major shows like this, but he’s almost certainly going to lose here. McIntyre needs to reassert himself as a main event player after his loss to Punk, and by declaring war on The Bloodline, he’s promising a series of interactions and potentially matches against different players. If he loses here, the feud is over. He’s not going to advance to Jey Uso if he already lost to Sami Zayn. So, yeah, I expect Drew to win here in pretty dominating fashion, though it remains to be seen whether he’ll ask for a King Kong Bundy style 5 count.

Predicted Winner: Drew McIntyre

Liv Morgan (Champion) Vs Iyo Sky For The Women’s World Championship

I hope WWE is paying attention to these crowd reactions Iyo Sky is getting because she’s one of the most over women on the entire roster. Crowds are erupting like she's a lost member of The Bushwhackers, and it’s easy to see why. She’s fantastic in the ring. Her personality is really vibrant and fun, and she’s got her own pace and style that feel different from what we get from everyone else. I would love to see her win The Women’s World Championship again.

But is this the moment where she gets pushed back to the top? That all depends on what WWE wants to do with Rhea Ripley. Like a mid-to-late-80s Hulk Hogan during the height of Hulkamania, Ripley is by a large margin the most popular woman on WWE’s roster. She is going to win the title back at some point because the biggest star should hold the belt most of the time, but she also has a lot of unfinished business with Morgan, who stole her mustached man candy Dirty Dom Mysterio and now holds her gold.

WWE probably wants Ripley to win her feud with Morgan and get her Women’s World Championship back at the same time, but there’s also a possibility that Triple H and company will want to split her objectives. If Morgan loses the title here, Ripley can finish her business with Morgan over the next month or two and then set her eyes on winning a World Championship back at WrestleMania. My guess is WWE keeps the title on Liv Morgan for now and has her beat Iyo Sky here, but I’m not 100% sure.

Predicted Winner: Liv Morgan

Gunther (Champion) Vs Damian Priest Vs Finn Bálor For The World Heavyweight Championship

The most famous Saturday Night’s Main Event episode is definitely Hulk Hogan vs Andre The Giant II, but the sneaky truth is, a lot of the time, the Hulkster wasn’t exactly defending his title against people with a compelling shot of winning. A lot of times he was wrestling superstars like Big Boss Man or Harley Race. Now, both of those guys are Hall of Famers, but they were not beating Hogan on network TV. Likewise, Finn Bálor was not beating Gunther in a 1v1 scenario. He hasn’t won a singles match on PPV since he beat Edge at Extreme Rules in October of 2022.

But it’s not just Finn Bálor vs Gunther anymore. Damian Priest was added to the match after some shenanigans on Monday, and now, all possibilities are in play. Gunther could lose his World Heavyweight Championship without even getting pinned, and while both Priest and Bálor would be underdogs in a match with Gunther, each has been a World Champion before and would be a credible World Champion again.

I think the decision here comes down to what WWE wants to do the World Heavyweight Championship. There’s a scenario in which they simply keep it on Gunther all the way to WrestleMania. Perhaps John Cena tries to win another Championship, and the unstoppable Gunther is in his way. That sounds like a possible ‘Mania Main Event to me. Or there’s a chance they want the belt off Gunther and will perhaps give it to CM Punk or Seth Rollins to make their upcoming feud even more exciting. If that’s the case, maybe Finn or Damian will be a transitional champion. Or there’s a chance they just want to go back to Priest as World Champion. He’s getting the best crowd reactions of his career and gave us an all-time WrestleMania moment last year when he cashed in to win the same belt.

There are so many options in play, but there are none I like better than Gunther continuing to look dominant and beating the hell out of both guys like he's Haku in a bar fight. So, I say he gets the win here, and in classic 80s style, he'll do it via Brutus The Barber Beefcake’s finishing move: The Sleeper.

Predicted Winner: Gunther

Chelsea Green Vs Michin For The Women's United States Championship

It's Saturday morning, and I'm jumping back into these predictions to give my final take on The Women's United States Championship match. We now know the finalists are Chelsea Green and Michin, and while I was confident Green was going to win before, I'm even more confident now that I know her opponent.

With all due respect to Michin, who is good in the ring and could build into something down the line, she's not very over with the crowd right now. Green, on the other hand, is super over with the crowd in an off-beat midcard kind of way. She's aspirationaly compared herself to The Miz in the past, and while I think that's a great goal for her, since we're talking about 80s wrestling, I'll compare her to The Honky Tonk Man. She's an attraction unto herself, and her goofy presence helps the show hit different emotional notes.

Green has surpassed every expectation fans had for her when she returned at The 2013 Royal Rumble. Her good work has been rewarded with consistent screentime. Now it's time to reward it with a championship.

Predicted Winner: Chelsea Green

Cody Rhodes (Champion) Vs Kevin Owens For The WWE Championship

Look: Kevin Owens has been fantastic in this program with Cody Rhodes. I went from thinking he was a throwaway opponent to fill some time for Cody to thinking this needs to go on a lot longer because this feud rules. We sometimes take KO for granted and forget how good he is. He’s got a Ted Dibiase-like quality where whatever he’s doing feels relevant, and he’s able to step up to a main event program when needed and feel like he belongs there.

The Internet has been arguing pretty relentlessly that it would be a good move for WWE to let Owens win here. It would add an element of surprise to the card, and it would give Owens a chance to hold The WWE Championship, which he’s never done before. I agree. I’d absolutely love to see Triple H get bold and put the title on Owens, but that doesn’t mean I think it’s going to happen because I don’t.

WWE has given us the occasional shock over the last few years (see Shinsuke Nakamura beating LA Knight at Survivor Series), but in general, the bookers have valued stability and common sense over chaos. That’s mostly been a good thing. That allowed Roman Reigns to have an all-time fantastic title run, and it has allowed Gunther to look like a nearly unbeatable menace for years. In general, it’s a good thing to keep the top guys on top, and Cody has been the top pure babyface for awhile. So, as much as I hear all the arguments for Owens and would love to see it myself, I have to predict what I think is most likely to happen and that’s Cody winning.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

Saturday Night’s Main Event will air on NBC on Saturday evening. You can watch it there or on Peacock or via other streaming options. Wind back the clock and check it out. You won’t be disappointed!

Chris Hemsworth may have tag-teamed with The Incredible Hulk in the Marvel films, but he was about to do the same with an entirely different Hulk. Legendary wrestler Hulk Hogan, that is. Back in 2019, the Australian actor planned on playing the American wrestler for a Netflix biopic project. Just when I was all in on Hemsworth getting the chance to play one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, the project fell through with Hogan explaining what really happened behind the scenes.

Playing Thor may have made Chris Hemsworth one of the world’s highest-paid actors, but he’s since played so many roles that have departed from his action-hero trope. He got fast and furious with Daniel Bruhl playing race car driver James Hunt in Rush, cast in Bad Times at the El Royale as a manipulative cult leader, and first mate Owen Chase in Ron Howard’s In the Heart of the Sea, to name a few.

But Chris Hemsworth had the chance to play a role entirely different from anything we’ve ever seen him in before planning to play Hulk Hogan in a new Netflix biopic. Just as I was pumped up to see the Extraction actor don the white ‘stache and getting ripped for the ring, the real-life wrestler disclosed an update that there was no “green light” on the project. Hulk Hogan spoke on the PBD Podcast about what really happened with the canceled biopic:

It appears that even if the script was a success, business dealings weren’t working out for Netflix in making the project happen. On the other hand, Hulk Hogan pulled out of the Netflix biopic, fearing that viewers might only remember him through his Netflix portrayal. As much as the former WWE member loved the Oscar-worthy script of the sports biopic, he also found it incredibly dark as he saw the upcoming movie would show the good and bad of professional wrestling. Hogan did experience some dark moments in his life like his high-profile divorce from Linda Claridge, a leaked sex tape scandal, and the physical toll that wrestling put on him. So, something tells me the planned Netflix film was going to explore some of these heavy events.

The opportunity to see Chris Hemsworth portray Hulk Hogan would have been such an entertaining sight to see. Based on his experience playing a long-haired, muscular-bound Son of Asgard in the Thor movies, the Furiosa actor would absolutely pull off playing a force of nature in the wrestling ring. It would have been incredible to see Hemsworth bring out Hogan’s larger-than-life personality as well as the emotional vulnerabilities the wrestler faced in his life.

Plus, Chris Hemsworth’s transformation into playing “Hollywood” Hogan would involve more than just seeing the Star Trek actor wear the wrestler’s signature bleach-blonde mustache and use an ‘80s American accent. We would have seen the talented actor get himself into wrestling shape just like he’s done for his other roles. Hemsworth got fit for the Thor movies by training once to twice a day and then eating six meals of protein and vegetables daily. Then, the People’s Choice Award winner got insanely skinny for In the Heart of the Sea doing a new diet and training program called “Lost at Sea.”

Even though the Hulk Hogan biopic was still in the development stages, Chris Hemsworth still showed what a dedicated actor he was physically preparing for the upcoming role. He revealed he was getting himself more ripped playing the five-time WWF Champion than Thor putting on more size than ever before. Considering Hogan looked beast during his time in the ring, that would make a lot of sense. Now that we know the Hulk Hogan biopic for Netflix isn’t happening, it looks like we’ll only have a fan image of what Hemsworth would look like as the infamous wrestler to hold us over.

It’s a real shame that mix-ups in Netflix business dealings were what ultimately made the upcoming Hulk Hogan biopic project not happen. I was really excited to see Chris Hemsworth take on the transformative (and potentially Oscar-worthy) role of a man who took the wrestling community by storm in the ‘80s. But as Hogan previously said his life rights were up for grabs, hopefully that means another streaming service or studio will get their hands on a Hogan biopic or even a documentary or miniseries like the WWE Hall of Famer wanted.

While the Hulk Hogan biopic isn’t coming to fruition, you can still take a look at Netflix’s 2024 movie releases so you don’t miss a beat on the latest films to stream.

All Saturday Night Live hosts have appeared "as themselves" in their monologue but things get really fun when they take allow themselves to be the butt of the joke in a sketch and appear as themselves. Not counting some of the jaw-dropping SNL cameos over the years, these are some of our favorite examples of a celebrity going meta at Studio 8H in a sketch from an episode that they headlined.

Brunch (Chris Hemsworth)

At first, in the Season 41 SNL sketch "Brunch," it seems that host Chris Hemsworth is playing a woman named Claire, who happens to be obsessed with the Thor actor until her friends begin to suspect that she is the Australian celebrity himself. They turn out to be correct when he reveals he wanted to make sure he was still one of the most desired Hollywood Chris' and the most desired Hemsworth.

Your Mom Talks To Megan Fox (Megan Fox)

One sketch from Megan Fox's sole hosting gig from SNL Season 35 sees the star of the Transformers movies appear as herself waiting for a friend of hers to get ready for a night out. During that time, she chats with Kristen Wiig as the friend's mother while she does laundry and has some eye-opening life advice to offer the actor.

I'm Just Pete (Pete Davidson)

For his return to Studio 8H as a host, Pete Davidson welcomed the opportunity to poke fun at his post-SNL career and personal life, most notably with a music video that quickly became one of the most popular sketches of Season 49. Set to the tune of the Oscar-nominated song "I'm Just Ken" from Barbie, the comedian channels Ryan Gosling's portrayal of the iconic doll (and dons his hairstyle) for a hilariously self-effacing ballad with blockbuster-level production design.

Little Focker Film Fan (Robert De Niro)

On his third appearance on SNL as a host, Robert De Niro stars in a sketch taking place on the set of 2010's Little Fockers, where meets a young boy named Keith (Bobby Moynihan) who is extremely excited by everything he sees, except for the two-time Academy Award winner. He even ribs De Niro for a few of his career misfires but, of course, goes crazy over receiving a page of the script, meeting a makeup artist, and when Ben Stiller, also playing himself, appears.

Why is Benedict Cumberbatch Hot? (Benedict Cumberbatch)

Everyone in this sketch, stars as themselves, including Beck Bennett, who sets up a game show in an attempt to understand why people find the night's host, Benedict Cumberbatch, attractive. It gives the Doctor Strange actor a chance to be self-effacing (comparing himself to the likes of a hammerhead shark and Sid the Sloth from the Ice Age movies) before his compliments toward Beck finally lead the SNL star to understand the English actor's appeal.

Meet The Family (Christopher Walken)

Everyone has their own Christopher Walken impression and most of the SNL cast, circa Season 33, had the opportunity to demonstrate their own right in front of the Academy Award winner. They play members of the host's family who reunite with him at a restaurant, discuss highlights of his career, and reminisce about their own lives together.

Friends (Matthew Perry)

Then Friends cast member Matthew Perry appears as Matt LeBlanc's character, Joey Tribbiani, for what starts a typical parody of the hit sitcom. It evolves into something more meta when Colin Quinn walks in as an overly flamboyant caricature of Chandler Bing, causing the host to unhappily break character and derail the whole sketch.

Ryan's Hometown (Ryan Gosling)

In 2015, first-time SNL host Ryan Gosling appeared as himself in a sketch set at a bar in Ontario, Canada, where he is being interviewed for a GQ profile. The interview is interrupted by the Drive star's childhood bully, Trevor (Kyle Mooney), who challenges him to perform a song from Dreamgirls, dance to Cathy Dennis' "Touch Me," and compare their muscular physiques before admitting that he misses the actor's presence.

United Way (Peyton Manning)

One of the funniest SNL sketches featuring a professional athlete is an SNL Digital Short framed as a United Way ad, featuring Peyton Manning spending the day with a group of children. Quickly, it becomes clear that this fictionalized version of the former Denver Broncos quarterback is the farthest thing from a good role model to the world's youth.

Old Lady Gaga (Lady Gaga)

Lady Gaga proved that she was totally game to make fun of herself when she hosted a 2013 SNL episode, which featured an entire sketch dedicated to mocking some of her most famous radio hits and iconic career highlights. It is set in a future where the world has forgotten about the pop star and her older self, desperate to find a fan, calls up her building's superintendent (Kenan Thompson), who at least can recognize "Empress Beyoncé."

Star Trek Convention (William Shatner)

Emmy winner William Shatner owes his career to the Star Trek franchise but you would think he was not so grateful with the way he treats fans in an SNL sketch from 1986. The Captain Kirk actor appears at a convention, where he urges a group of Trekkies to "get a life" instead of obsessing over the sci-fi TV show that he did "as a lark" back in the 1960s.

Hamm & Bublé (Jon Hamm)

After promoting "Jon Hamm's John Ham" in his first SNL hosting gig, Jon Hamm teamed with Michael Bublé (who was that night's musical guest) to introduce a new restaurant that serves pork and champagne. However, the crooner explains in his musical interstitials that he is being held captive by the Mad Men cast member and forced into helping him with this misguided and pun-fueled idea.

Point Blank (Wayne Gretzky)

The legendary Wayne Gretzky appeared as himself in a number of sketches, and proved to have some surprising comedic timing when he hosted SNL in 1989. One of the funniest moments sees the hockey star appears on a talk show that encourages viewers to call in to ask the guest something but none of the questions have anything to do with him or with hockey and are all people seeking advice for something obscure.

Easter Candy (Michael Keaton)

In 2015, Oscar nominee Michael Keaton appeared as a flamboyant, blonde-haired gentleman showing off the contents of his Easter basket, with help from Kate McKinnon as the seemingly imbalanced Portia. It is not until the very end of the deeply bizarre sketch that we discover the Batman actor has been portraying a highly fictionalized version of himself the whole time.

Bill Swerski's Super Fans (Michael Jordan)

NBA legend Michael Jordan plays himself in a few sketches from his sole hosting gig from 1991. One of the most essential highlights sees the Space Jam cast leader join the hosts of Bill Swerski's Super Fans in a cheer for his fellow Chicago Bulls while wearing hula skirts.

Steve Martin Wants More Money (Steve Martin)

When Five-Timers Club member Steve Martin returned to SNL for his then-record-breaking 14th hosting gig, the comedian starred in a sketch set backstage, where he demanded Lorne Michaels a pay raise. However, the producer insists that he go on or he could be replaced with the one person who was closest to matching his record at the time: Alec Baldwin.

Investigation Discovery Presents: White People Problems (Charles Barkley)

In one of the few SNL sketches starring Charles Barkley as himself with no relation to basketball, he is seen hosting a true crime docuseries. However, instead of covering murders or kidnappings, Investigation Discovery Presents: White People Problems discusses instances of caucasian people reacting angrily to situations that seem completely blown out of proportion to the Black people involved.

Chris' Bedtime Story (George Foreman)

In Season 20, George Foreman starred in a backstage-set sketch in which one-season SNL cast member Chris Elliott asks the host to read him a bedtime story so he can take a nap in his dressing room. We imagine that, if anyone else demanded such a request from the boxing champ in real life, it might not end well for them.

Elton John And The Royal Wedding (Elton John)

Most of the sketches from host Elton John's 2010 episode see the Grammy winner playing himself. One of the best SNL sketches featuring the musician sees him visiting the Royal Family, who reveal their nasty, conniving true selves to him behind closed doors.

Brian Diaries (Brian Williams)

A non-actor who still nailed it as an SNL host is Brian Williams, who actually portrayed several original characters throughout the show. However, the former NBC Nightly News anchor did play himself in a Digital Short offering an exaggerated account of his daily routine, which includes receiving a motivational message from Bono (also appearing as himself) while meditating.

Read To Achieve (LeBron James)

LeBron James made his true acting debut hosting SNL before portraying himself in Trainwreck convinced audiences he had talent off the basketball court. He also stars as himself in one sketch in which his attempts to film a PSA are repeatedly interrupted by an obnoxious PA (Jason Sudeikis) who cannot seem to throw the ball at the athlete correctly.

Garth Brooks Backstage With Tracy (Garth Brooks)

During his second hosting gig, Garth Brooks appeared in an SNL sketch taking place backstage at Studio 8H, where cast member Tracy Morgan voices his disparaging opinion of that night's musical guest, Chris Gaines. What the country music star does not disclose to the comedian is the fact that he and the rock singer are actually the same person.

Sugar-Frosted Anabolic Steroids (Fran Tarkenton)

SNL has poked fun at how professional athletes often endorse products on many occasions, such as when John Belushi played himself in an ad for a breakfast cereal that was literally chocolate donuts. In the 1970s, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton tried his hand at the topic with a sketch that sees him endorse a cereal that is literally just performance-enhancing drugs.

Fernando's Hideaway (Mr. T And Hulk Hogan)

When actors/professional wrestlers Mr. T and Hulk Hogan hosted SNL together in the 1980s, they mostly appeared as themselves throughout the show. The most esteemed highlight sees them as guests on a recurring talk show bit hosted by Billy Crystal as Fernando Lamas, who goes off script to acknowledge the Hulkster's bouncing pecs when he accidentally laughs in the middle of the segment.

Marvin PSA/Knockouts (Marvin Hagler)

No one through a knockout punch quite like Marvelous Marvin Hagler in his day, which served as the inspiration for a bit from his SNL hosting gig. He appears in a PSA to help prepare people for if and when they might be forced to oppose him in the ring.

Boston Teens: Ski Lift (Jonny Moseley)

Jimmy Fallon and Rachel Dratch used to star in a recurring SNL sketch as stereotypical Boston teenagers Pat Sullivan and Denise McKenna. One edition saw them share a ski life with Olympic Gold medalist Jonny Moseley, who acts as a referee when the couple gets into an argument.

Finnish Talk Show (Katy Perry)

Katy Perry's second time on SNL was also her first time serving as a host, during which she starred in a sketch in which the pop star appears on a talk show from Finland. She soon discovers that the host (played by Kristen Wiig) has employed an unusually thorough research team, allowing her to have a clip ready to fun for literally any topic that comes up.

Football Liar (Walter Payton)

One of Jon Lovitz's most popular recurring characters on SNL was the habitually dishonest Tommy Flanagan. One sketch sees him run into Chicago Bears running back (and that night's host) Walter Payton who ends up being just as big a liar as he is.

Sports Beat (Nancy Kerrigan)

After suffering an infamous attack which was later dramatized in 2017's I, Tonya, Nancy Kerrigan proved she had a sense of humor about it when she hosted SNL. One sketch sees the figure skater appearing on a talk show with other Olympians who endured much worse injuries than she did but would receive far less favorable treatment.

Tommy Flanagan: Drinking With The Jaggers Cold Open (Jerry Hall)

Tommy Flanagan talks up model Jerry Hall and tries to convince her that he personally knows Mick Jagger. It seems that the facade is compromised when the Batman 1989 cast member's boyfriend, the Rolling Stones frontman himself, appears but he ends up using the pathological liar as an excuse for his absence a previous weekend.

Michael Phelps Diet (Michael Phelps)

Like any committed athlete, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps consumes a high-calorie diet for the purpose of burning off those calories during practice in the pool. However, when he hosted SNL, he starred in a fake ad promising that regular people could indulge in the same diet without exercise, on to show that the results would be disastrous.

Tennis Player Adoption (Andy Roddick)

To younger viewers, the 2021 biopic King Richard's depiction of Richard Williams' disciplinary coaching style of his daughters, Venus and Serena, must have been shocking. However, it was common knowledge when 2003 U.S. Open winner Andy Roddick hosted SNL and appeared in a sketch where Williams (Kenan Thompson) proposes to adopt the athlete as his son.

It's fair to say the Chris Hemsworth-led Hulk Hogan biopic was the most-anticipated wrestling movie in a while, but we learned back in August that the project was dead. Now, thanks to Hogan himself, we're getting a little more insight into why that happened, as he explained on a podcast why he decided to pull out of the movie despite thinking it would win an Oscar.

Many were excited about what Hemsworth would look like as Hulk Hogan and the Hulkster confirmed he was also excited about the movie. He spoke to the PBD Podcast about why he decided to pull out of the movie when Netflix was late on payment while also talking about what he loved about the script:

Despite thinking the script was amazing, Hulk Hogan feared the movie would ultimately become the last thing people remembered about him and pulled out of it. It's a shame, considering what else he revealed about the movie during the podcast. The movie seemed to feature a lot of what we wanted from the Hogan biopic, and it was set to lead up right until he left WWE and went over to WCW. As the wrestler explained, this left the door open for a sequel, in case the movie was as big of a hit as he thought it'd be.

While the Chris Hemsworth biopic is dead, we do have Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's Killing Gawker movie. The movie will focus less on Hulk Hogan's wrestling career and more on the court cast that highlighted his racist remarks that temporarily got him removed from the WWE. It was previously reported that Hogan is indifferent to the movie coming out and is not connected to it in any way, shape, or form. Hogan confirmed he is not involved but mildly implied during the podcast that the movie could have the same legal issues as Gawker did if they ever made that movie.

The WWE legend didn't rule out seeing the canceled biopic. He said a docuseries or a four-part television series based on the script was on the table, but he stressed the need for a "checks and balances " system. Based on that comment, I would speculate there were parts of the script that Hulk Hogan didn't like but couldn't necessarily alter, which also might've factored into his pulling out of the movie. He could've also just been mad at how jacked Chris Hemsworth was for the role. We can only run with the reasons he gave and speculate on the rest. For now, there's no Hulk Hogan biopic that we know of in the works, but maybe that will change.

Those eager to re-live Hulkamania can do so if they sign up for a Peacock Premium subscription, which unlocks a catalog of his best matches. Give it a look, and of course, stick around CinemaBlend for more updates on what's happening in the wrestling world.

Whatcha gonna do when Hulk Hogan and a Silicon Valley investor with a bone to pick run wild on you? Audiences will find out for themselves at some point in the future when Killing Gawker, the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck comes out. The movie, which will focus on Hogan’s lawsuit against Gawker Media after the outlet published excerpts of a sex tape featuring the legendary WWE and WCW wrestler, will bring to light one of the craziest wrestling and pop culture stories of the 21st century.

There is already a ton of information about some aspects of the production, including all the big Hollywood talent working on things behind the scenes, the book on which the film is based, and so much more. Let’s dive into this highly-anticipated and long-in-the-works Hogan/Gawker movie. 

What Is The Killing Gawker Release Date?

There is no Killing Gawker release date as of August 2024, so you can go ahead and let go of the idea of seeing the Hulk Hogan movie on the 2024 movie schedule. There’s a chance we could see this pop up at some point during the 2025 movies, but we shouldn’t get too carried away at this point.

However, crazy and unexpected things happen all the time in the world of professional wrestling, and the same can be said about wrestling-adjacent projects like Killing Gawker. In all seriousness, though, we’re very excited to learn more about the film’s release and will share any and all information with readers as it becomes available. 

The Killing Gawker Cast

Just like when reading professional wrestling “dirt sheets,” there have been some major rumors surrounding the Killing Gawker cast, including one that Ben Affleck will reportedly play Hulk Hogan in the legal drama. When discussing the movie in August 2024, The Hollywood Reporter wrote that, according to media reports, Affleck was circling the lead role but no casting decisions had been finalized. 

The thought of Affleck wearing the Hulkster’s signature black bandana in court and explaining the differences between Hogan the wrestler and Terry Bollea the man is something we’d love to see… brother! Expect to hear more about casting news in the coming weeks and months as more details are announced.

What Is Killing Gawker About?

When Killing Gawker premieres at some point in the future, it will chronicle the massive legal battle between Hogan and Gawker Media, which, according to The Hollywood Reporter, ended with Gawker being forced to pay the retired wrestler $31 million (the original judgment was $140) and shut down. This all stemmed from a 2012 article in which Gawker published portions of a sex tape featuring Hogan that was allegedly filmed without his knowledge six years prior. 

The trial was famously bankrolled by Peter Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal who the New York Times reported had a vendetta against the site after he was outed in a 2007 blog. According to THR, Thiel is said to be a key character in Killing Gawker, and we can only assume Gawker founder Nick Denton will be as well. 

Killing Gawker Is Based On Ryan Holiday’s 2018 Non-Fiction Book, Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker and the Anatomy of Intrigue

Like many other courtroom dramas, Killing Gawker is not only based on an actual real-life case but it’s also based on a critically acclaimed book about one of the craziest outside-the-ring wrestling sagas in modern history. The Affleck and Damon production is an adaptation of Ryan Holiday’s non-fiction book, Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker and the Anatomy of Intrigue, which was first published back in 2018. A paperback version, which was published by Penguin Random House in 2019, was released with a different subtitle (A True Story of Power, Sex, and a Billionaire’s Secret Plot to Destroy a Media Empire), but the text throughout remains the same.

Holiday’s book was well-received by critics and readers alike and even found a spot on NPR’s Book Concierge list of 2018 great reads. Meanwhile, the New York Times called the work “captivating” in a February 2018 review.

Gus Van Sant Is Set To Direct Killing Gawker

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck will be teaming up with their Good Will Hunting director when it comes to Killing Gawker, as Variety has reported that Gus Van Sant will be helming the project. Though Van Sant doesn’t come up as a big wrestling fan (not that we know of, anyway), he will bring with him decades of experience behind the camera telling complex and rich stories.

Over the years, Van Sant has directed projects like Drugstore Cowboy, My Own Private Idaho, the aforementioned Good Will Hunting, and Milk, with the latter two earning him Oscar nominations for Best Director. Killing Gawker will be his first movie since 2018’s Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot.

Academy Award-Winning Screenwriter Charles Randolph Penned The Killing Gawker Script

When it comes to adapting Conspiracy into Killing Gawker, those duties will fall in the lap of Charles Randolph, according to Deadline. A talented screenwriter with a killer track record, Randolph won a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for The Big Short, Adam McKay’s star-studded dramedy about the 2007-2008 financial crisis, which was adapted from Michael Lewis’ non-fiction book of the same name.

Randolph’s other feature films include Bombshell, Love & Other Drugs, The Interpreter, and The Life of David Gale. 

Todd Phillips Has Been Planning Another Hulk Hogan Movie For Years

Killing Gawker isn’t the only Hulk Hogan movie currently in the works, as Todd Phillips has long been planning a film based on the iconic wrestler’s life for some time now. Back in February 2019, The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the director behind the Hangover and Joker movies was working on a biopic for Netflix about the famous grappler and that Chris Hemsworth was going to be donning the red and yellow spandex to play the Hulkster. 

However, after years of development on the project, Hemsworth gave a somewhat disappointing update in a May 2024 Screenrant interview where he said he’d be down to work on it if there was a “green light,” the key word being “if” in this scenario. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Well, expect to hear much more about Killing Gawker in the coming weeks and months. But, if you want to check out some wrestling in the meantime, there are quite a few upcoming WWE events that should do the trick.

While the 2024 movie schedule has its fair share of compelling true-life stories, there’s still plenty of room in Hollywood for those tales to flourish. One such project that’s looking to get off the ground is Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s rumored Hulk Hogan film, which would focus on the WWE legend’s legal battle against gossip site Gawker. That knowledge alone makes this a hot property to follow, and things might get a bit more heated as Hogan's camp has reportedly chimed in on how he feels about the possibility.

For the moment, it sounds like the matter is not a huge issue for Hulkamania and his team. Reporting from TMZ has come in via “sources connected” to Hulk Hogan, which places the man as “indifferent” to the matter. Further delving into the situation, the publication states that the Hulkster is apparently not involved in the project in any way, shape, or form. This could be both a good and a bad thing; especially with the Argo director rumored to be playing the lead role.

What’s funny is that this Hulk Hogan movie swims in a similar circle as the Chris Hemsworth-starring biopic that’s supposed to happen at some point. The cinematic adaptation of Hogan’s lawsuit pertaining to a leaked sex tape has been in development since 2018, and this new round of eyes has continued to keep the flame alive.

Hulk Hogan is absolutely an interesting subject for screen adaptations, so it's not a shocker that both productions are taking their time with making the magic happen. Though Hemsworth’s Hulk Hogan film is on shaky ground for more business-related reasons, as Netflix lost the rights in late 2023.

The bad news is that development put the project between the Furiosa star and his would-be director Todd Phillips into limbo. However, the good news is that it seems to have Hogan’s enthusiasm and involvement on its side; so there’s still a chance it could beat Ben Affleck’s project out of the gate.

These developments could be good for both Affleck and Chris Hemsworth though, as the implied competition between these pictures may inspire both sides to hustle to the finish line. So instead of merely getting one Hulk Hogan movie, we might just have two facing off in relatively close proximity.

It’s rather fitting to have such a competition going, considering it's akin to the sort of drama this sport has always traded in. With Hulk Hogan's storied career allowing him to represent the best WWE wrestlers to be let go by said wrestling institution, there's plenty of story to go around for everyone. The race is far from over, and the projects could be even more exciting as a result.

At the moment both Hulk Hogan movies are in pretty early stages of development, so we’ll have to keep a watchful eye on who moves first and furthest. In the meantime, if you want to watch the vintage 1985 documentary The Hulkster: Hulk Hogan, that title is available among the other modern WWE offerings you can sample with a Peacock subscription.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's reported split has been the subject of numerous headlines in recent months. From rumors of Ben being unhappy with JLo for sharing their love story in her documentary to the couple selling their shared home, it seems like there's always some new Bennifer relationship news. Fortunately, we finally have a new Affleck rumor that has nothing to do with his split from the "Jenny From the Block" singer. And no, it's not about whether or not he was asked to return as Daredevil in Shawn Levy’s Deadpool & Wolverine film. This time it involves the Hulkster himself.

According to a report from Variety, Ben's production company, Artists Equity, which he co-founded with long-time collaborator Matt Damon, has acquired a screenplay about the infamous legal battle between Hulk Hogan and the now-defunct media company Gawker. Written by Charles Randolph, the screenplay is tentatively titled Killing Gawker and is based on Ryan Holiday's 2018 book Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and the Anatomy of Intrigue. Rumor has it that the Argo star is interested in playing the titular role of the former WWE star, according to Daily Mail.

The film, which has been slated for production since 2018, is said to aim to delve into the high-profile court case that erupted after Gawker published a sex tape involving Hogan—real name Terry Bollea—and Heather Cole, the wife of his friend, Bubba the Love Sponge. In 2016, a Florida jury ordered Gawker to pay $141 million in damages, which sent shockwaves through the media industry and led to the company's eventual bankruptcy.

With Gus Van Sant, the acclaimed director of Good Will Hunting reportedly set to direct, the Gone Girl star and Damon seem to be eyeing another Oscar-worthy project. However, this film's most intriguing aspect is The Town director’s potential involvement in front of the camera. Sources suggest that he is "keen to play" the larger-than-life persona of Hogan, bringing his acting chops to the role of the WWE Hall of Famer at a pivotal moment in his career.

Affleck's interest in portraying Hogan adds an exciting dimension to the project, raising questions about how he will tackle the challenge of embodying the charismatic yet controversial figure. Known for his deep commitment to roles, the Last Duel actor would undoubtedly bring nuance and intensity to Hogan's complicated narrative—a tale marked by personal and professional highs and lows.

This project is separate from the long-rumored biopic about the iconic wrestler starring Chris Hemsworth. Interestingly, Netflix lost the rights to that planned biopic, so if Ben doesn't end up playing the Hulkster, they might consider reaching out to the Thor star. Hemsworth could be a perfect fit for the role, but the Justice League alum will undoubtedly do a great job portraying the wrestling legend if it shakes out that way.

Whether or not the Batman v Superman star ultimately dons the yellow and red bandana remains to be seen. Still, this tantalizing possibility will generate buzz and anticipation as the project progresses. With Ben Affleck and Matt Damon at the helm, Killing Gawker promises to be a gripping exploration of celebrity, media, and justice—a film that could very well wrestle its way to box-office success, much like the pair's most recent biopic (albeit of a shoe) Air, which is available to stream with an Amazon Prime subscription.

Check out our 2024 movie schedule to see what exciting flicks are headed to a theater near you.

With rumors swirling that Jake Paul's alleged new opponent for July 20th means the November fight with Mike Tyson is off, Hulk Hogan decided to share his thoughts on the matter. The wrestling legend is advocating for the boxer after a medical emergency during a flight prevented him from honoring his original fight date this summer. While Tyson recovers, Hogan is reminding people he's called "Iron" Mike Tyson for a reason. 

The Hulkster took some time out of his day to speak to TMZ about the fight, which, as mentioned, was moved on the 2024 TV schedule to stream live in November for those with a Netflix subscription. The hosts asked about the vast 30-year age difference between the fighters and if that will impact the outcome of the fight, and Hogan made it pretty clear how he feels about that: 

Beyond being friends with Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, Hulk Hogan has another bizarre connection to this potential super fight. Hogan has alleged for years that Vince McMahon wanted to have him face off against Tyson in 1990 in the WWE, but as Atletifo noted, plans were derailed when Tyson lost to Buster Douglas in the Tokyo Dome. McMahon extended the offer to Douglas, who then served as a guest referee in a match between Hogan and Randy Savage on Saturday Night's Main Event. 

While Jake Paul has gone to great lengths to dismiss rumors of fake rules and rigging the fight for entertainment, Hulk Hogan confirmed he did ask the brother of United States Champion Logan Paul if that was what was happening here. Unsurprisingly, he got the same answer from The Problem Child he's given publicly to those who have asked the same: 

I believe Jake Paul when he says that, beyond the fact that he's had no problem knocking out older fighting champions prior to this. The fighter helped his brother Logan when he took on Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel in 2022, and he threw the weakest fake punch I've ever seen in a pro wrestling bout. I'm not sure Jake Paul could fake a fight if he tried, giving him no choice but to go all-out on Mike Tyson. 

It should also be noted that while Paul was trolling Tyson at first, he's actually put on quite a bit of weight for the fight. For all the criticism he gets for his choice of opponents and antics, it does legitimately seem like he was preparing for a real fight with the legend and hoping he didn't get defeated by someone decades older than him. Hopefully, we will eventually get to see these two square off, and maybe Hulk Hogan can be ringside to deliver a leg drop to whoever loses. 

Tyson vs. Paul is rescheduled to stream live on Netflix on November 15th. CinemaBlend will keep our eyes out for updates on the bout and other rumors that surface about Jake Paul allegedly fighting someone else in the months leading to the event in the meantime. 

Movie fans and professional wrestling fans alike were intrigued, if not excited by the prospect of a Hulk Hogan biopic starring Chris Hemsworth as the former wrestling champion. But five years after the project was announced, set to be directed by Joker’s Todd Philips and produced for Netflix, nothing has come of the movie. Unfortunately for fans who might have been into this, it looks like the movie is very much not happening.

Last fall Hulk Hogan revealed that the rights to his story had been lost by Netflix because the planned movie hadn’t moved forward. However, Hogan indicated he was still very interested in Hemsworth and Philips getting involved with the new project at the new studio where the rights now reside. Speaking with ScreenRant, Hemsworth indicates that there hasn’t been any further movement on the film, though he is still very much interested in playing the role. Hemsworth said…

Hemsworth was always a solid pick to play Hulk Hogan. Professional wrestling characters look like gods already, and Hemsworth certainly has experience with that. Movies like The Wrestler and The Iron Claw have shown that there is interest in stories that take a peek behind the curtain of the professional wrestling industry. Hulk Hogan may be the most famous name in all of wrestling so a movie based on his life would certainly draw attention.

While Chris Hemsworth is clear that he would love to make the movie that was originally envisioned, he does admit that there is one thing about a Hulk Hogan biopic that would be “nerve-wracking” which is the fact that his performance would be instantly compared to the real thing. He’s much more used to being able to create his characters himself, as he did with his role in the upcoming Furiosa movie with Anya Taylor-Joy. Hemsworth continued…

It looks like a new studio has the rights to make a Hulk Hogan biopic, so seeing that movie happen at some point seems likely. Whether it will look anything like what was previously announced remains to be seen, but it seems likely any studio making such a movie would want to consider Chris Hemsworth, he can certainly look the part, even Hulk Hogan thinks so, and he’s willing. And with the Joker: Folie à Deux release date coming later this year, Todd Phillips will likely be looking for something to do. 

I grew up in the South (American by birth, Southern by the grace of God) and a massive wrestling fan. I liked WWF during my childhood, but I was obsessed with legends like Sting, Ric Flair, and all those cruiserweights. So much so, that the final episode of WCW Monday Nitro is engrained in my memory like two other major events from 2001 (Dale Earnhardt’s death in the final lap of the Daytona 500 and the September 11th attacks being the others). 

When I heard that Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks was producing a new Vice docuseries titled Who Killed WCW?, I was immediately taken back to March 26, 2001, when my favorite wrestling show aired its final match. I also started going down memory lane to try and figure out who was responsible for bringing an end to what was at one time the biggest and most successful wrestling company on the planet. Let’s talk it out.

Vince Russo Catches A Lot Of Heat, But He Wasn't Fully To Blame For WCW's Demise

Vince Russo, the long-time WWF writer and producer many consider responsible for those ridiculous Attitude Era moments (both good and bad), jumped over to rival WCW in October 1999 and immediately took the company in a different and edgier direction. During Russo’s tenure with WCW, he adopted some strategies that made WWF must-watch TV throughout the late 1990s, but a lot of it just didn’t work and fans (myself included) were not down with all the quick title changes, “edgy for the sake of being edgy” storylines, and less of a focus on the in-ring product.

But, was Russo responsible for WCW’s ultimate demise? While his changes didn’t work and certainly didn’t help steer the ship from the incoming storm, the truth is that WCW was already falling off before he took over as booker. The infamous “put some butts in the seats” incident where WCW revealed Mick Foley’s WWF Championship victory on a pre-taped episode of Monday Night Raw that helped turn the tide in favor of the competition happened months earlier, and the cracks were already showing by that point, anyway.  

Hulk Hogan And Other Veterans With 'Creative Control' Didn't Help The Death Spiral

While WWF was building massive stars like Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock in the late ‘90s, flipping over to WCW during the final years of the company’s existence you’d find icons like Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair dominating the main event scene, while up-and-comers were relegated to Nitro’s opening hour or WCW’s less-prominent shows. See, the problem was that Hogan, Flair, and other former WWF wrestlers like Kevin Nash and Scott Hall had creative control, meaning they could refuse any storyline, any loss, title change, and any opportunity for a youngster to beat them in a passing of the torch moment.

Even with the “creative control” held by the biggest stars in the company, there’s no denying Hogan, who finally turned heel a few years earlier, and other main event players, got people watching week after week. That said, I can’t put the blame fully on the wrestlers themselves, even if they didn’t help make the situation any better.

Eric Bischoff's Habit Of Handing Out Massive Guaranteed Contracts Was One Of The Major Factors

As pointed out in the Monday Night War series, one of the best wrestling documentaries on Peacock, WCW, and WWF did everything to get the upper hand in the mid-to-late ‘90s, including massive guaranteed contracts for their top stars (and to keep talent from jumping ship to the competition). These hefty contracts kept the likes of Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Roddy Piper and others with WCW, Eric Bischoff’s habit of spending money like it was going out of style was one of the major factors of the company’s demise.

Again, the expenditures weren’t the only reason WCW ultimately went the way of the dodo bird, they certainly didn’t help. With so much money going to a select group, it makes sense why so many of the undercard wrestlers left for WWF in 1999 and 2000.

Vince McMahon's 2001 Acquisition Of WCW All But Killed The Company

While it is true that there was an attempt by WWF to turn WCW into a brand after the purchase of its rival in March 2001 (WWE would do this when it split the Raw and SmackDown rosters in March 2002), Vince McMahon’s roughly $4.5 million acquisition of the promotion, per the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, was the final nail in the coffin of the once-promising wrestling company. 

McMahon’s WWF owned not only the WCW promotion and brand, but also the vast tape library, the championships, and several wrestlers’ contracts (though not some of the bigger names with guaranteed deals with AOL Time Warner), which meant that the victor in the Monday Night War didn’t really need to keep the show running any longer. That said, WWF essentially came in after the kill and robbed the grave, so to speak. 

So, who do I think killed WCW? 

But It All Comes Down To Jamie Kellner, The Turner Executive Who Cancelled All WCW Programming 

Though WCW was plagued with a myriad of issues in the last stages of its life, many of which the promotion either overcame or could have pushed through with some support, there was one problem that left no chance for survival: an uninterested corporate executive. That man was none other than Jamie Kellner. 

In March 2001, when Kellner became the head of TBS following the AOL Time Warner merger, one of his first decisions was to cancel wrestling on both TNT and TBS, the respective homes of Monday Nitro and Thunder. In a statement to the New York Times, a TBS spokesperson said the corporation decided that professional wrestling was “not consistent with the upscale brands” built with the two networks, so they would no longer be carrying it. Several days later, Vince McMahon was able to purchase the company for essentially nothing, bringing an end to the Monday Night War.

I don’t know what would have happened if WCW survived the tumultuous situation at the turn of the century, but the wrestling world would have looked a lot different decades later.  Overall, Who Killed WCW? is one of my most anticipated shows on the 2024 TV schedule, and I can’t wait to dive in and check it out. If you want to relive WCW’s glory days, you can do so with a Peacock subscription, which gives you access to the full WWE Network library.

When pulled off properly, few things bring as much excitement to the world of professional wrestling more than a heel turn. Over the years, wrestlers like Hulk Hogan, The Rock, and Stone Cold Steve Austin have turned around their respective careers (and respective companies) when they decided to finally go bad. 

Whether it’s in a game-changing WrestleMania match, at a seemingly normal WCW pay-per-view event that immediately becomes the stuff of legends, or deep in the heart of Texas, a well-timed and pulled-off betrayal can be a sight to see. Here are 32 of the most shocking heel turns in professional wrestling history. 

Hulk Hogan Forms The NWO

A decade after “Hulkamania” first ran wild on the then-WWF (now WWE), Hulk Hogan’s peak seemed to have come and gone by the mid ‘90s. That all changed on the night of July 6, 1996, when the Hulkster changed the game and joined the NWO alongside Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. Truly, this is a heel turn and a big-time wrestling moment none will ever forget.

Shawn Michaels Throws Marty Jannetty Through The Barbershop Window

Shawn Michaels super-kicking and then throwing his tag team partner, Marty Jannetty, through the barbershop window turned HBK from a talented mid-carder to a massive superstar. Michaels would go on to have one of the most successful careers of any WWE Hall of Famer, even if he had to get his hands dirty.

Stone Cold Sides With Mr. McMahon

Sometimes you have to make a deal with the devil, and that’s exactly what Stone Cold Steve Austin did in the main event of WrestleMania 17, where he allied with longtime foe Mr. McMahon. The image of a bloody Austin shaking hands with his arch-nemesis is one that is still crazy to think about 20-plus years later.

Seth Rollins Turns On The Shield

The Shield – Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Dean Ambrose – arrived on the scene in November 2012 and made an immediate impact as one of the craziest and most dominant factions in WWE. But, that all came crashing down in June 2014 when Rollins was revealed to be Triple H’s “Plan B” to stopping the Shield once and for all. 

Andre The Giant Joins The Heenan Family

For years, Andre the Giant was one of the WWF’s top babyfaces as well as one of Hulk Hogan’s closest allies. That all ended in February 1987, when the massive French wrestler turned on the Hulkster and aligned with Bobby Heenan and his family. Andre ripping Hogan’s shirt and cross from his body gave the superstar immediate heat.

Roman Reigns Turns Heel In His 2020 Return

Years after being booed mercilessly by crowds around the world, Roman Reigns finally gave into the temptation in August 2020 and returned as a heel when he viciously attacked The Fiend and Braun Strowman and then aligned with Paul Heyman. The shocking and much-needed change led to Reigns’ historic 1,316-day championship run and the creation of the Bloodline, one of the best stables of all time. 

Kevin Owens Turns On Sami Zayn

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, wrestling as Kevin Steen and El Generico, respectively, had one of the craziest histories in the indie scene. That history repeated itself in late 2014, when Owens made his NXT debut, congratulated his longtime friend after his NXT Championship victory, and then viciously beat him outside and inside the ring. Talk about a debut.

The Montreal Screwjob

A prime example of when wrestling got a little too real, the “Montreal Screwjob” is still considered one of the most impactful moments in the sport’s history. Though it’s not a traditional heel turn, Vince McMahon forcing referee Earl Hebner to end the match and give Bret Hart’s WWF Championship to Shawn Michaels via a submission that never happened ushered in the legendary Mr. McMahon character.

The WrestleMania 13 DoubleTurn

Stone Cold Steve Austin and Bret Hart went into their WrestleMania 13 submission match as a heel and babyface, respectively. But by the time the grueling, blood-soaked bout ended 22 minutes later, the “Texas Rattlesnake” and the “Hitman” pulled off the rare double-turn. Austin refusing to tap out and Hart refusing to let go of the Sharpshooter is an ending like no other.

Stephanie McMahon Sides With Triple H

Long before she and Triple H dominated the WWE landscape as the Authority in the early-to-mid 2010s, Stephanie McMahon was the young, innocent, and loving daughter of Vince McMahon. But, that all changed in late 1999, when Stephanie sided with the D-Generation X leader and kicked off the McMahon-Hemsley Era.

The Rock Becomes Joins The Corporation

Two years after making his WWF debut, The Rock, an on-the-rise babyface at the time, turned heel and joined The Corporation in November 1998. The shocking turn and alignment with Vince McMahon’s authoritarian regime would lead to some of the greatest moments in the young wrestler’s career up to that point.

Tommaso Ciampa Betrays Johnny Gargano

In May 2017, the DIY exploded when Tommaso Ciampa turned on Johnny Gargano in the final moments of NXT TakeOver: Chicago. Just after the main event and while the WWE trademark information was on the screen, the Sicilian Psychopath laid waste to his longtime friend in a shocking display of violence.

The Fabulous Freebirds Turn On The Von Erichs

In December 1982, Kerry Von Erich was inches away from defeating Ric Flair for the WCCW Championship in a steel cage match. But before the hometown hero could secure the victory, Terry Gordy, of the Fabulous Freebirds, slammed the steel door on his head. Not only did it help the Nature Boy win the match, but it also kicked off the legendary Freebird/Von Erich feud.

The Mega Powers Explode

Macho Man Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan had a legendary match at WrestleMania V, but the heel turn that started the feud was just as epic. Bitterly jealous of his partner in the Mega Powers, Savage viciously attacked Hogan backstage in early 1989, which is still shocking decades later.

Dusty Rhodes Joins The NWO

In the months and years following the formation of the NWO, the group was getting larger by the day and even had its own PPV titled “Souled Out.” During the January 1998 event, Dusty Rhodes, to the shock of everyone, revealed he was with NWO when he turned heel on longtime friend Larry Zbyszko. 

Mark Henry's 'Retirement' Speech

In June 2013, Mark Henry entered the ring in a salmon-colored suit and told the world he was retiring from wrestling. But things weren’t as they seemed, as Henry used the fake retirement speech to get John Cena to come out so he could attack him and challenge the WWE Champion for his belt.

Scott Steiner Betrays His Brother And Becomes 'Big Poppa Pump'

Scott Steiner, one of the most ridiculous wrestling figures of all time (just look up “Steiner Math”), wasn’t always a brash, heelish, genetic freak. Going into WCW’s SuperBrawl VIII in February 1998, Steiner was a successful tag team wrestler with his real-life brother, Rick. That changed later that night when Scott turned heel on his older brother, a decision that would give birth to “Big Poppa Pump.”

Kevin Owens Attacks Chris Jericho At The 'Festival Of Friendship'

Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho had a fun team in late 2016 and early 2017, but that all came to an end when Owens turned on his mentor and friend during the “Festival of Friendship” on Monday Night Raw. Growing tired of Jericho, Owens attacked with his WWE Universal Championship in a manner that was equally hilarious and sad.

Jake 'The Snake' Roberts Turns On Ultimate Warrior

Though Jake “The Snake” Roberts was mostly known for his heel work, his betrayal of Ultimate Warrior in 1991 was still shocking to say the least. In an absurd scene that looked like something out of a B-movie, Roberts locked his one-time friend in a room where he was bitten by a cobra snake. Sadly, Warrior was fired later that year and the feud never really went anywhere.

Bayley Finally Turns Heel

After spending the majority of her career as a beloved babyface, Bayley shocked the world in September 2019 when she turned heel on Becky Lynch in brutal fashion. All that pent-up rage and frustration came out as she attacked “The Man” with a series of chair shots to the back. A new, meaner, Bayley was born.

Prince Devitt Forms The Bullet Club

Prince Devitt, better known as Finn Balor in WWE, kickstarted one of the most popular stables in all of wrestling in May 2013 when he formed Bullet Club in NJPW. Following a losing effort in a high-profile tag match, Devitt turned on partner Ryusuke Taguchi and unleashed a new attitude as the “Real Rock ‘n Rolla” of the company. 

Dean Ambrose Turns On Seth Rollins

Though more than four years had passed since Seth Rollins broke up the Shield, and though they were once again on good terms, Dean Ambrose got his revenge on Rollins in October 2018 during a shocking heel turn. After winning the tag team championship (the same night Roman Reigns stepped away because of leukemia), Ambrose viciously attacked his friend in and outside of the ring. 

CM Punk Turns Heel At Raw 1000

Raw 1000 was supposed to be a celebration of WWE’s flagship show. And while that was true for the first two-and-a-half hours, the show ended on an intense note when WWE Champion CM Punk turned his back on the fans by viciously attacking The Rock in the middle of the ring.

Owen Hart Turns On Bret

In 1994, Bret and Owen Hart had one of the best WrestleMania opening matches of all time and a five-star classic a few months later. There were some precursors to the epic feud, but it got started proper at that year’s Royal Rumble when Owen brutalized his older brother after they failed to capture the tag titles.

The Miz Attacks Logan Paul

The Miz has turned heel more than anyone not named Big Show, but the betrayal that was the most surprising was his turn on Logan Paul at WrestleMania 38. What made it even more shocking was the fact the “star-crushing finale” attack on Paul came after the pair won their tag team match.

Hacksaw Jim Duggan Betrays America

Few wrestlers used American patriotism more than Hacksaw Jim Duggan, which is what made his 2000 heel turn in WCW so wild. Breaking the hearts of millions of Americans, Duggan joined Team Canada and carried a Canadian flag opposed to Old Glory for a short time.

Larry Zbyszko Betrays Bruno Sammartino

Larry Zbyszko and Bruno Sammartino are two of the most respected men in the history of wrestling, and the pair were longtime friends. However, Zbyszko had enough in 1980 and turned against his friend/mentor, kicking off a killer and legendary feud.

Cactus Jack Turns On ECW Fans

Of all of Mick Foley’s characters, Cactus Jack has always been the most violent, most aggressive, and most hardcore. Well, shortly after joining ECW in the mid ‘90s, Foley turned on the more hardcore audience when he spotted a sign saying “Cane Dewey” which referenced his 3-year-old son. Though shocking, the turn was justified. 

Eddie Guerrero Betrays Rey Mysterio

The late Eddie Guerrero had quite the history with Rey Mysterio. The longtime friends came up around the same time, survived WCW’s cruiserweight division together, and put on killer matches in WWE. But in 2005, that all came to an end when Eddie finally turned heel on Rey, a shocking moment to say the least.

Nikki Bella Double-Crosses Brie Bella 

After nearly a decade of being by her twin sister’s side in the WWE ring, Nikki Bella turned against Brie and cost her a victory against Stephanie McMahon at SummerSlam 2014. Following the heel turn, Nikki became a quasi-member of the Authority faction for a short time.

The Four Horsemen Turn On Sting

There have been countless members of the Four Horsemen over the years, and that includes Sting. For a short time in the late ‘80s, the group, which predominantly worked as a heel faction, went good with Stinger on the roster. However, it was short-lived and the remaining members would turn on Sting a few months after he joined.

Chris Jericho Snaps On Shawn Michaels

Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels had some great matches over the years, and the pair of in-ring veterans seemed to have mutual respect for one another despite a dust-up following their WrestleMania 19 bout. However, that came crashing down in 2008 when Y2J turned on his idol and kicked off another heated feud.

Some of these 32 shocking heel turns led to some of the greatest moments in wrestling history and continue to resonate years, and decades, later. 

Anyone who has seen Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation must wonder for at least a second if there is truth in Bill Murray’s character of a famous American actor in Japan to film a commercial. Well, there definitely is. Huge American and European stars have been hawking products in Japanese commercials for decades. 

Some of the biggest names in Hollywood, some of whom you’d never expect to be selling cars and shampoo in the States, are happy to do it in Japan. While there was a time those stars may have been labeled as “sell-outs” in the U.S. for doing commercials, it was very lucrative to appear in ads in Japan, without the baggage. Here are just a few of the celebrities who have made those Japanese ads. 

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman is known in the U.S. for her Miss Dior perfume commercials, but in Japan, she’s better known for selling Lux shampoo. The commercial we found is a pretty standard shampoo commercial, very similar to one you’d see in the States with long, flowing locks being flung to and fro. 

Jodie Foster

Two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster is one of those actors you’d least expect to see in a commercial, but in the ‘90s, Foster starred in a campaign for Honda Civics. The commercials are pretty bland, with lots of shots of a smiling Foster standing near the Hondas she was selling. 

George Clooney

He may be one of the biggest movie stars of all time, but George Clooney isn’t above slinging coffee in Europe or doing extensive voice-over work on American commercials. In Japan, he’s the face of Kirin Beer in at least a couple of commercials, co-starring with some CGI songbirds. 

Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves has developed a reputation for being one of the nicest guys in Hollywood. It makes sense that a product would be interested in having him as a spokesman. In the United States, he occasionally does a commercial or two, most notably for Squarespace. In Japan, he’s also popular. Like a lot of Western celebs, he’s been hired by the whiskey maker Suntory to do commercials. As always, he looks cool doing it. 

Madonna

At the height of Madonna’s fame in the ‘80s and ‘90s, it would’ve been very rare to see her endorse a product on TV in the United States, but in Japan, she was part of a big campaign for Takara, a whiskey made by Blanton’s for the Japanese market. The commercials don’t look like they took up much of the Material Girl’s time, however, as they are just cuts from her music videos spliced with buzzwords and shots of the bourbon. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Lately, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been showing up in more and more commercials. At the 2024 Super Bowl, he was in a State Farm ad, for example. It seems the former Governator likes the idea of picking up a nice paycheck for a minimal amount of work, and who can blame him? It’s something he’s been doing in Japan for decades, going back to the pinnacle of his fame in the ‘90s when he endorsed an energy drink called Alinamin V. These might be the strangest of all the commercials too, featuring Schwarzenegger’s giant head popping out the bottle and other over-the-top images. 

Miles Davis

No one defines “cool” quite like Miles Davis did. The late jazz legend had a reputation for being prickly, but fans still wanted to be him. His sound on trumpet was unique, as was his style, and it all oozes authenticity. Endorsing products in the U.S. might have branded him a “sell-out” to his fans, but in the ‘80s, he could go to Japan, where he was also a big star, and shoot commercials for Honda Scooters, and no one would be the wiser in North America. 

Britney Spears

Britney Spears might be the least surprising person on this list. At the height of her fame in the late ‘90s, she’s exactly the kind of celebrity that would be huge in Japan. Spears took advantage of that fame, starring in a series of commercials for Go Go Tea. The pop star also appeared in an ad for Mikakuto Gummy Candies as well. 

Harrison Ford

Back in 1996, Entertainment Weekly reported that Hollywood stars could make anywhere from $500K to $2 million for a couple of days’ work on a Japanese commercial. It explains why actors like Harrison Ford, who no one would have expected to see in an ad in the ‘90s in America, would spend a few days in Japan shooting commercials for Kirin beer. We don’t know how much he made, but it’s safe to assume the Star Wars star made enough to pay Jabba back and then some. 

Cameron Diaz

SoftBank is one of the largest holding companies in Japan and it loves to bring over American stars to promote its services. One such star was Cameron Diaz, who in the mid-’00s starred in commercials and print ads all over Tokyo for the cell phone giant. No doubt such a campaign made it possible for the actress to semi-retire in 2014. 

Brad Pitt

Coffee, specifically canned coffee, seems to be one of the more lucrative areas of advertising for Western stars in Japan. None other than Brad Pitt even showed up in one in the ‘90s. Pitt stars as an office worker getting more work done after drinking a can of Roots Coffee. 

Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis is big in Japan. He’s been spotted selling everything from cars to financial services. Daihatsu and SoftBank have both hired the Die Hard legend to hawk their wares. He even learned a phrase or two in Japanese for the spots. 

Sharon Stone

Just as in America and Europe, Japanese beauty brands love to hire a famous actress to taut their product’s ability to make everyone as beautiful as they are. Sharon Stone was a major spokeswoman for Vernal soaps, for example. Stone also appeared in commercials for jewelry and other luxury wares. 

Ben Stiller

When you watch the Kirin ad Ben Stiller did back in the late ‘90s, it makes you wonder if it was the main inspiration for Zoolander. It feels like an outtake from the movie about a male model, it’s so goofy. Don’t get it wrong, it’s supposed to be over-the-top and funny, so it fits the character of Derek Zoolander perfectly, even if Stiller wasn’t actually playing the role. It’s also better than Zoolander 2.

Francis Ford Coppola

Of course, the most famous example in the West of a star doing Japanese commercials is the fictional Bob Harris (Bill Murray) doing Suntory ads in Lost In Translation. The inspiration for the film, or part of it, had to be Sofia Coppola’s father, Francis Ford Coppola doing ads in Japan in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Including one for Fuji Cassettes, and yes, Suntory whiskey. 

Sylvester Stallone

Rocky star Sylvester Stallone got on the Japanese advertising train back in the mid-’90s, including doing some very strange commercials for Bayern Sausages. An Italian-American doing ads for German sausages in Japan. It’s the UN of commercials! 

Brooke Shields

Back in the ‘80s, Brooke Shields was huge. For much of the decade, she found a lot of work in Japan in ads for everything from tissues to coffee to stereos. No doubt that helped her pay for her Princeton education, where she studied during a break from her career in the mid-’80s. 

Richard Gere

In 2009, Japanese company Suntory bought Orangina, the sparking orange beverage from France. Almost immediately, Suntory did what they had done so often in the past, they hired an American actor for an ad campaign. Richard Gere starred in a few commercials for the brand at the dawn of the 2010s, playing a classic Japanese comedy character from the ‘60s and ‘70s named Tora-san.  

Audrey Hepburn

By the early 1970s, Hollywood legend Audrey Hepburn had already semi-retired from acting, starring only sporadically in a few movies in the ‘70s before bowing out completely. Still, she did work in Japan occasionally in commercials, including one for wigs from 1970, which seems pretty odd, but hey, it’s Audrey Hepburn, so who are we to question it?

Leonardo DiCaprio

Even the great Leonardo DiCaprio has gotten in on the Japanese ad business, hawking credit cards in the ‘90s and Jim Beam more recently. You might expect the latter, but definitely not the former, in the United States. 

Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway is another glamorous actress who has been known to pop up in luxury and beauty ads in Japan. One product, Lux Shampoo, is well known for using American stars in its ads for its products. The rom-com star pitched for the company a few times in the mid-’00s. 

Sammy Davis, Jr.

Suntory Whiskey definitely takes the win for grabbing some of the biggest stars from the U.S. to sell its products. Even way back in the ‘70s, it was paying Sammy Davis, Jr. to do commercials for them. They even got him to scat for one of them, and it’s a gem. 

Tommy Lee Jones

Tommy Lee Jones has been a regular in Japanese commercials for a long time, and watching some of the more bizarre ones, he’s clearly having a lot of fun. It definitely references his role in the Men in Black series, but beyond that, it’s hard to pin what they are about, exactly, except that he’s selling coffee. 

Nicolas Cage

It’s no surprise to find Nicolas Cage on this list, now is it? Going back a couple of decades, the actor did a series of commercials for Pachinko games, which are Japanese slot machines and pinball machines.

Kyle MacLachlan

In what might be the absolute best and most bizarre entry on this list, Kyle MacLachlan starred in a whole series of commercials for Georgia Coffee as Dale Cooper from Twin Peaks. The commercials played out like a bizarre mystery, just like the show, and also featured other characters from the show, and the famous intro. It’s truly awesome… and weird… and awesome.

Sean Connery

If you want someone elegant and cool to advertise your whiskey, why not hire James Bond himself, Sean Connery? That’s exactly what Suntory did in the early ‘90s and he’s everything you want him to be in the ad. 

Hugh Jackman

When you have the talents of a true song-and-dance man like Hugh Jackman, it’s smart to take advantage of that. It’s what Lipton Ice Tea did in 2010 to amazing results with the Deadpool & Wolverine star dancing around a Japanese hotel. 

Cindy Crawford

Cindy Crawford was the most famous model in the world in the ‘80s and ‘90s, so it’s no surprise she’d been seen on Japanese TV selling lots of stuff, as she was virtually everywhere else in the world. For example, in Japan, she hawked a sports drink called Pocari Sweat. Sweat seems like an odd thing to name your drink, but Crawford could sell anything in those days. 

John Travolta

Canned drinks are huge in Japan and the competition for customers is intense, which has led to a lot of American stars getting lucrative gigs. John Travolta is one such star, who was hired to appear in an ad for Tokyo Drink. Naturally, he danced his way through it. 

Hulk Hogan

Professional wrestling has long been hugely popular in Japan. American wrestling stars like Hulk Hogan have been traveling to Japan to work for decades. With that fame, came commercials for the Hulkster, like one in the early ‘90s hawking Hitachi Air Conditioners. 

Quentin Tarantino

It’s not always just actors either. Quentin Tarantino, whose Kill Bill movies are a tribute to Japanese culture, popped up in an ad for SoftBank’s cell phone service. The director looks like he had a blast making the spots, too. 

Kiefer Sutherland

When 24 debuted, it instantly became one of the biggest hits on TV, and that success translated to Japanese TV as well. So much so, that Kiefer Sutherland was hired by the energy drink Calorie Mate to star in a series of commercials in the style of the spy show. 

There was a time when “selling out” was a real concern for artists and their fans. It’s far more common today to see big stars in commercials. Before it became okay to be seen selling stuff on TV, those big names could head to Japan for a nice paycheck, without retribution from hardcore fans. Until the internet, it was rare for an American or European to even know the stars had done it. Now with the internet, we get to see all these great commercials they were doing. 

The 2024 Royal Rumble is here and, while the state of the WWE could be a bit better, many are still excited to watch the event (which will be streamable with a Peacock Premium subscription.) Part of what makes this show such a thrill is that it's never known just who will show up, even if someone like Hulk Hogan jokes about competing. Speaking of which, it seems like while some might've taken his quip in the video package as a joke, I'm now thinking it might've been more serious than we realize. 

Hulk Hogan is a legend of the WWE and potentially an entrant in the Men's Royal Rumble. I think it's a real possibility after the latest comments made by the superstar, though there are some other factors to consider when it comes to whether or not this might actually happen. Here's what we know so far and the factors to consider when determining whether or not Hulkamania will run wild at the 2024 event. 

Hulk Hogan Spoke About Being In The Rumble Again Amid An Event

Wrestling notable Eric Bischoff and Conrad Thompson hosted an event at a Hogan's Hangout location and, of course, the Hulkster was there to make sure the crowd was having a good time. In a brief clip circulating on X, the 70-year-old mentioned the 2024 Royal Rumble again and said the following to the audience in attendance: 

Is this confirmation the WWE is booking Hulk Hogan for the upcoming WrestleMania 40? Probably not, but it does seem entirely possible that the joke he made about entering the Royal Rumble as an entrant wasn't quite as big of a joke as some thought. 

Hulk Hogan Lives Near The Location For The 2024 Royal Rumble But Has Suffered From Health Problems

The 2024 Royal Rumble is in St. Petersburg, Florida, just outside of Tampa Bay. That's not far from Hulk Hogan's home in Florida, as the WWE legend lives about thirty minutes away in Clearwater. This makes an appearance, if not participation in the Royal Rumble, entirely possible for the Hulkster. 

But, while the star may live close to the event, it's been well-documented that he's had a series of health issues and surgeries over the years to relieve some pain from his long wrestling career. Despite his representatives claiming he's in good health, past comments from other legends have indicated that he still struggles with his body. It doesn't seem like he'd risk any progress he's made by entering the ring again, but who knows for sure? 

Would The WWE Want Someone As Polarizing As Hulk Hogan At The Royal Rumble Right Now?

The Royal Rumble is taking place as the WWE contends with a major controversy. The horrific allegations listed in a lawsuit naming Vince McMahon, Brock Lesnar and other WWE executives have led to McMahon's voluntary resignation from TKO Holdings. Not only that but Slim Jim and other major sponsors announced a pause on showcasing their branding from upcoming WWE events as a result of the situation.

To be clear, Hulk Hogan is not connected to the latest controversy as far as we know. However, it's also pretty well-known that Hogan was fired from WWE in 2015 after a video surfaced of him making racist comments about Black people. Hogan was eventually welcomed back into the fold, but his presence in the organization has been limited at most in recent years. It would be odd to think that the company would decide to bring him back in the Royal Rumble and welcome even more controversy, but wrestling fans have been surprised before. 

We'll see if Hulk Hogan is one of the surprise Royal Rumble entrants when the event kicks off on Saturday, January 27th at 8:00 p.m. ET. It should be an exciting night regardless of who shows up, as CinemaBlend's Royal Rumble predictions show both marquee matches are a real toss-up and could conclude with anyone punching their ticket to WrestleMania 40. 

With all due respect to AEW, TNA and others, the biggest competition WWE has had since it went national in the '80s was from WCW. The Ted Turner backed promotion sprung out of the old NWA in 1988 and within a decade, it was attracting some of Vince McMahon’s biggest stars and beating his flagship show, Monday Night Raw, in the ratings.

Thanks to Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and some terrible booking decisions from WCW, WWE eventually won the war. The half decade or so before McMahon finally bought out the competition, however, is still looked on by many wrestling fans as the greatest the sport has ever been.

So, let’s take a look back at some of those superstars who worked for both companies. Let’s celebrate some of those guys who had huge moments in both WWE and WCW. Just one small caveat. My original list here included like 50 guys. I’ve had to trim it down and remove people like Bam Bam Bigelow, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Paul Roma and Alundra Blayze/ Madusa. I’d love to celebrate all their careers and the joy they gave me, but for the purposes of this list, we’re only going to focus on people who made a big moment in both.

Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan was far and away the biggest star in professional wrestling during the 1980s, but by the early 1990s WWE's audiences were growing tired of his one-note take-your-vitamins character. So, in a move that was good for everyone, he fled to WCW and in '96, reinvented himself as Hollywood Hulk Hogan, a despicable villain fans loved to boo. His stable, the nWo, took off almost immediately and suddenly, the war was on. 

Ric Flair

Ric Flair is remembered by many fans as one of the faces of WCW, but most wrestlers would commit multiple felonies to just have the career he did in WWE. He won the WWE Championship in what some consider to be the greatest Royal Rumble in '92, and he had some WrestleMania bangers, both during that early '90s run and much later. Don't sleep on those years of great work in WCW though. That's the Nature Boy's Prime. Woooooooooo!

Kevin Nash

Kevin Nash had a fantastic run in the mid '90s in WWE as Diesel, but his work under his own name alongside Scott Hall in WCW is what actually paved the way for the Monday Night Wars. He made Nitro feel dangerous and cool, and has to be on any short list of most important WCW performers during its absolute apex. 

Scott Hall

You can't put Kevin Nash on any wrestling list and not put Scott Hall right beside him. As Razor Ramon, his battles over the Intercontinental Championship with Shawn Michaels were some of the best content WWE produced in the mid-'90s, and those early promos/ surveys during his time in WCW were integral to the nWo blowing up in popularity. 

Chris Jericho

I don't know how WCW ever let Chris Jericho get away. It was obvious he was an all-time talent, even in his mid-20s, while coming up with WCW. He got himself and his security guard Ralphus over in a big way, but after head booker Eric Bischoff refused to elevate him above the mid-card (specifically into a program with Goldberg), he decided to leave. He eventually made his way to WWE and had a Hall of Fame career. 

Lex Luger

A lot of WWE fans are still furious at Vince McMahon and company for not putting the WWE Championship on Luger when he was mega-hot ahead of the '93 Survivor Series. Fortunately, he got a chance to win the WCW Championship later when he got Hulk Hogan to tap out in one of the most famous moments in Nitro history. 

Big Show/ The Giant

Paul Wight could have signed with WWE, but after an audition tape miscommunication, he went with WCW. He won all the major titles and fought in all the biggest PPVs first with and later against the nWo, but he left for WWE in 1999. There, he had a fantastic run that included winning The WWE Championship and having one of the most outrageous feuds ever with The Big Boss Man.

Bret Hart

We all know what Bret Hart accomplished in WWE, from his work with The Hart Foundation to his feuds with Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin and many more. It's that work that leads many to consider him one of the greatest ever, but he also had some big moments in WCW. He won huge PPV matches against the likes of Ric Flair and Goldberg, plus all the major belts, but curious booking decisions and an injury that forced an early retirement will always put his time there in the what-if category. 

Booker T

Both as a member of the tag team Harlem Heat and as a singles wrestler, Booker T found incredible success in WCW. You won't find many guys who spent more time on WCW TV than him, but after McMahon acquired WCW, Booker T carved out a fantastic second career there, first as a main event guy and later as a commentator and beloved personality. 

Chris Benoit

Chris Benoit isn't referenced in wrestling circles very often because of his crimes, but his work was a key part of both WCW and WWE. He won the WCW Heavyweight Championship, then left the company the next day, causing all kinds of chaos. His subsequent time in WWE featured a ton of huge moments including a wire-to-wire Royal Rumble win. 

Ron Simmons

Simmons is definitely better remembered for his time in WWE, both for his work with tag team partner Bradshaw and for his time later as a comedic character, but prior to all that, he had a fantastic run in WCW that saw him become the first Black superstar ever to win the WCW Heavyweight Championship.

Eddie Guerrero

Another ultra-talented superstar that WCW never pushed hard enough, Eddie Guerrero very publicly feuded with management before leaving the promotion in 2000. He then proceeded to turn himself into one of the biggest stars in WWE, winning The WWE Championship and tons of other accolades before his shocking death at just 38.

Dusty Rhodes

The prime of Dusty Rhodes' career occured prior to The Monday Night Wars, but he's still a really important figure to the story. He was basically a beloved and very famous mid-carder in the late '80s and early 1990s in WWE before he went to WCW as the organization's booker. Creative differences with Ric Flair led to Flair going to WWE long enough to win the '92 Rumble. His run in WCW included some matches but mostly work on commentary and behind the scenes. He later returned to WWE and was a major force in the early days of NXT.

Goldberg

Apart from the nWo, Goldberg's streak is probably the WCW storyline still talked about the most often. If you weren't there, it's impossible to explain just how imposing and unbeatable he seemed at the time. He later went on to have multiple title-winning runs in WWE, but nothing came close to the magic he captured in the late '90s. 

Randy Savage

Hulk Hogan may have been the face of WWE in the 1980s, but Randy Savage was a key part of the organization's popularity too. He main evented multiple WrestleManias and put on many of its best matches. Eventually, however, he ran out of momentum and moved to WCW, where he was a key part of the Monday Night Wars and won a ton of huge matches. 

Scott Steiner

Scott Steiner had great runs in both WWE and WCW in a tag team alongside his brother Rick. In both spots, they won the organization's tag titles. His solo work as Big Poppa Pump is also very well remembered and earned him a WCW Heavyweight Championship. He also once brought a live tiger to the ring, which is my personal favorite moment. 

Sting

With all due respect to Ric Flair, Sting is Mr. WCW. No one will ever be more associated with the company than he was. He held all the belts and wrestled in all the biggest matches (most prominently Starrcade '97), but he also had a late career run in WWE that saw him fight in a big spot at WrestleMania and more.

Sid

Sid bounced around a lot during his career, never staying in one place for too long, but despite that, he still found success almost everywhere he went. He main evented WrestleMania 8 with Hulk Hogan and won the WWE Championship. In WCW, he won the Heavyweight Championship and also, in less exciting news, suffered one of the most uncomfortable injuries in wrestling history when he fractured his leg.

Jeff Jarrett

Jarrett had some success in WWE at the top of the mid-card during the mid-'90s. He then hopped to WCW, back to WWE and back to WCW again just in time to be involved in one of the worst moments in WCW history. After a backstage fight over booking, Jarrett was told to quite literally lay down for Hulk Hogan at Bash Of The Beach 2000 in a moment many disillusioned fans saw as the last straw. 

Vader

Vader was a monster for WCW in the early '90s. He main evented a ton of PPVs and was often a champion or leading contender. His run in WWE when he was hired in '96 should have been easy, but terrible booking decisions and a match that didn't go as planned in the main event of SummerSlam '96 against Shawn Michaels conspired to keep him away from The WWE Championship. Even so, he did some tremendous work for both companies.

Curt Hennig

Mr. Perfect is, in the eyes of many, one of WWE's greatest Intercontinental champions ever. His early '90s work with WWE lived up to the character's name. His time in WCW did not, but that was mostly the fault of him not being used properly because if you go back and watch some of those matches he put on, they were bangers. 

Steve Austin

Austin is always going to be remembered for his time as Stone Cold in WWE. The company went public on the back of his success, and decades later, he main evented WrestleMania again in a glorified retirement match that over-delivered and was beloved by fans. But he was a very solid performer in WCW too. He made the most of US Championship runs and tag team partnerships, most prominently with Brian Pillman as Hollywood Blonds. 

Rey Mysterio

WCW's cruiserweight division was fantastic. If it wasn't for those matches, I'm not sure smaller guys would have ever been seen as legitimate title contenders in WWE. Much of that success is owed to Rey Mysterio, whose fast-paced, high-flying maneuvers got over with fans. Unfortunately, he still ran into a ceiling in WCW and was even forced to compete without his trademark mask. He later made his way to WWE and was a beloved babyface who had runs as a main eventer. 

Rick Rude

Rude is definitely best remembered for his incredible work in the late '80s and early '90s in WWE. He beat The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania V and did some great work with the Intercontinental Championship. He spent most of the early '90s in WCW and had a good US Championship run before later returning to WWE and leaving alongside Bret Hart after the Montreal Screwjob. 

Mick Foley

Foley is, of course, beloved for his run as Mankind in WWE during the Attitude Era, but his work in early '90s WCW is also must-see. His matches against Vader were so vicious and featured so much real violence that WCW had to stop booking them together for fear they'd have issues with parents. 

Haku/ Meng

No wrestler was tougher in real life than Haku. So many wrestlers have stories have their own stories about seeing him fight someone. Inside the ring, he had solid runs with both companies. He partnered with Andre The Giant in the late '80s to win the tag team titles off Demolition and was a key part of Dungeon Of Doom, Faces Of Fear and the hardcore scene in WCW.

Ricky Steamboat

Steamboat is most famous in WWE for his spectacular match with Randy Savage at WrestleMania III, but he was used more consistently in high profile moments in WCW. His matches with Ric Flair are still raved about today, and he had a few good runs with various titles. 

X-Pac

There aren't many wrestlers who have had more success while also changing characters as often as Sean Waltman. He was a solid mid-carder in WWE as 1-2-3 Kid. Then he went to WCW and became one of the first members of the nWo as Syxx. Then he went back to WWE and had the best run of his career in DX as X-Pac. 

Lance Storm

Lance Storm was such a huge part of WCW programming during its last few years that he was actually the first wrestler to technically appear in WWE during the Invasion angle. He had a great half decade or so run after the companies merged before stepping away to focus on behind the scenes work and training new wrestlers. 

Raven

Raven's Flock is one of my favorite WCW storylines. It's hard to tell the history of Nitro without including Raven, and while it's not quite as famous, he did some good work in WWE too. He first played manager Johnny Polo and later returned as the Raven character, making a name for himself in the hardcore division and appearing in a key match on maybe the most beloved wrestling PPV of all-time: WrestleMania X-Seven.

William Regal/ Steven Regal

Regal bounced back and forth between WWE and WCW during the '90s and early '00s, and in both places, he found big midcard success as a heel you loved to hate. A good worker who could lean into his character well, he never quite rose to the top of the industry, but he was usually a key part of the show wherever he went. 

The Ultimate Warrior

Some people may not even remember The Ultimate Warrior in WCW. His work in the late '80s and early '90s in WWE, including his championship run, is far and away his most positively received run, but Warrior was in line for a big push in 1998 when he unexpectedly signed with WCW. It did not go well. Highlights included a 27-minute live TV promo and a terrible PPV match with Hulk Hogan. 

The Road Warriors / Legion Of Doom

Very few tag teams were hotter in the 1980s than The Road Warriors. They found a ton of success in WCW before heading to WWE after some disagreements over booking. They won a ton of matches in WWE and had a run with the titles, but eventually left after being forced to add a ventriloquist dummy to their gimmick. 

The WWE is a competitive industry, and one that isn't afraid to cut talent either. For various reasons, the company has released major superstars over the years, though that doesn't always mean it's goodbye forever. Some manage to find their way back years later, though not everyone is so lucky. 

Here, we'll detail over thirty wrestlers who were of note in the WWE and were let go for various reasons. Some of which may even be featured at upcoming WWE events, while others have found success elsewhere. Check out these folks, and maybe watch some of their old matches with a Peacock Premium subscription: 

Bray Wyatt

Following a shocking loss to Randy Orton at WrestleMania 37, Bray Wyatt stayed off television for a long time. The WWE initially indicated everything was fine but then dropped the bombshell in July 2021 that he was released. Wyatt returned a year later, but health problems that ultimately led to his death kept him from having a substantial run.

Daniel Bryan

The legendary Daniel Bryan almost never reached his full potential after WWE fired him in 2011. Bryan’s in-ring strangling of ring announcer Justin Roberts was considered “not PG,” and the organization dropped him for the violation. Bryan later returned of course, and had a tremendous long run in the WWE before leaving for AEW.

Sasha Banks

Sasha Banks and WWE parted ways after she and Naomi dropped the tag titles and walked out on the company in May of 2022. The WWE publicly announced their departure, and Banks has found success in New Japan Pro Wrestling since. There is no word so far if a reconciliation with the WWE is on the table. 

Naomi

Naomi left WWE alongside tag-team champion partner Sasha Banks in May of 2022, but unlike Banks, her return seemed more likely. Naomi is married to superstar Jimmy Uso, but thus far, has expressed little interest in returning to the brand. She’s since moved on to work in Impact as Trinity Fatu. 

Dolph Ziggler 

The WWE parted ways with Dolph Ziggler in 2023, which ended a nearly twenty-year run with the company. While he may not have been a massive name in the WWE in terms of casual audiences, he held fifteen titles during his tenure and his release came as a great shock to fans. 

Jeff Hardy

Legendary tag-team superstar Jeff Hardy has been released twice by the WWE in his career, both times tied to issues with substance abuse. The latest exit happened in 2021, following a confusing performance he gave at a house show.  Hardy has since moved on to AEW. 

Matt Hardy

Much like his brother Jeff, Matt Hardy was also fired from the WWE twice. The first time came in 2005 after it became public that his real-life girlfriend and superstar Lita cheated on him with Edge. The second time came in 2010, which the wrestler revealed on his podcast The Extreme Life Of Matt Hardy he felt was a combination of being physically worn down from wrestling, and his brother leaving a year earlier.  

Melina

Melina was one of the more memorable women's wrestlers of her era, and would likely fit in well with the current roster of women in wrestling. Unfortunately, things didn't work out so well for her in WWE, and she was unceremoniously released in 2011 despite being a five-time world champion. Melina has returned a couple times since her release, with the latest happening at the 2022 Royal Rumble.

Carlito

While Carlito found his way back in the WWE eventually, his original run was derailed in 2010 when he was fired by the company. Carlito was removed for violating the organization's wellness policy. Carlito later returned to the WWE as the LWO's third tag-team partner at Fastlane 2023. 

Mickie James

After returning following her exit in 2010, WWE legend Mickie James found herself part of a mass release by the WWE in 2021. Though she was one of many released, the women's superstar took specific offense when her belongings were sent to her by the organization in a trash bag. The multi-time women's champion later signed with Impact, and went on a run as one of its biggest champions. 

Shelton Benjamin

Following a release in 2010 ending a ten-year run in WWE, Shelton Benjamin returned in 2017 and began working with various new superstars. Benjamin ultimately found himself a part of a mass release by the company in 2023, and was alongside Dolph Ziggler as one of the more shocking releases of the bunch. 

Muhammad Hassan

Muhammad Hassan seemed destined for WWE greatness, but the Arab-American superstar would end up being fired due to events beyond his control. In a scripted segment, Hasan carried out a brutal and torturous attack on The Undertaker, just around the same time as the much-publicized London terrorist attacks in 2005. The WWE gained a lot of criticism for its programming, and ultimately fired Hassan.

Scotty Goldman

Wrestling fans may not remember Scotty Goldman in the WWE, and that's largely because he only wrestled seven matches before being fired. Now, as Colt Cabana, he has a much larger following in the wrestling community and even a roster spot in AEW. 

Umaga

Umaga was a promising star in the WWE with big potential, but trouble led to him exiting the company on two separate occasions. The wrestler was released in 2003, and then again in 2009 after violating the company's wellness policy a second time. Umaga died from a heart attack six months after his release, with toxicity from multiple substances listed as a factor. 

The IIconics

Billy Kay and Peyton Royce, otherwise known as The IIconics, were rising stars in the women's tag division in the WWE. Despite their hilarious segments and charisma, the company ultimately disbanded the team in 2021 and released both wrestlers soon after. 

Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre is one of the WWE's biggest superstars, but his first run in the company wasn't quite as memorable. While he had some early success, he ultimately was a supporting member of the joke faction 3MB (Three Man Band) toward the end of his run. In 2014, the WWE dropped him from his contract, but of course, he later returned with a vengeance in 2017. 

Mr. Kennedy

Many wrestling fans believe Mr. Kennedy had the charisma to be one of the WWE's biggest superstars, but his career never quite hit that level. The superstar was released in 2009 and later said to Wrestlezone that it was a combination of Randy Orton and John Cena complaining that he was an unsafe wrestler that led to his dismissal. 

Curt Hennig

Curt Hennig's firing from WWE in 2002 is part of pro wrestling history, as he played a prominent role in the incident known as the "Plane Ride From Hell." Hennig played a prank on Brock Lesnar, which resulted in a scrap that nearly opened the emergency exit mid-flight. That was the end of Hennig's run, though it did make for the "perfect" story. 

Jeff Jarrett

In one of the more bizarre firings of WWE, Jeff Jarrett was fired on a filmed backstage segment ahead of WrestleMania 17 by Vince McMahan himself. While Jarrett assumed it was part of the show because it was filmed, he soon found out it was not. Jarrett would later return to the WWE in various roles later in his career. 

Alberto Del Rio

Alberto Del Rio was one of the WWE's greatest superstars throughout his runs, but was fired in 2014 for unprofessional conduct.  It was alleged that he was fired due to slapping an employee who told a racist joke, but it was never confirmed. Del Rio returned to the WWE years later, but ultimately asked to be let out of his contract in 2015. 

Scott Hall

Scott Hall is another iconic WWE wrestler who found themselves out of the company following the infamous incident "The Plane Ride From Hell." He was released not long after, with reasoning tied to substance abuse issues as well. 

CM Punk

After a frustrating loss at Royal Rumble 2014, CM Punk didn't show up to the following Monday Night Raw. The wrestler would continue to no-show, but the way the WWE treated it made it seem like it was part of a storyline. The WWE made the news official later that year, and Punk stayed away from wrestling for years, until eventually returning to AEW and being fired again. 

Kurt Angle

Even WWE legends with gold medals aren't safe from the chopping block. Kurt Angle ultimately found himself amongst a slew of superstars released in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan is one of the biggest names in WWE history, and even he wasn't immune to being fired. The wrestler was ultimately fired from the company after making racist comments in a video that was distributed publicly. Hogan has since been brought back to the company years later. 

Shawn Michaels

Shawn Michaels is remembered as one of the WWE's biggest superstars, and even he was once fired by the company. This actually came at the beginning of his career in the WWE, along with tag-team partner Marty Janetty. They were fired less than two weeks after starting, but returned a year later and still became wrestling icons. 

Paige

Paige was immediately popular in the WWE, and even was the only superstar to get a feature film about her journey to the company. Unfortunately, she was sidelined for a long time with neck injuries and couldn't get clearance to return to the ring. She was ultimately granted a release in 2022, and went over to AEW. 

Sabu

Sabu was one of the ECW wrestlers retained by WWE when they were acquired, but his run didn't last long. Much is rumored about Sabu's firing but what is known is that since he was fired in 2007 he has not returned to the WWE but continued wrestling almost the entire time since. This includes at AEW where he showed up in 2023. 

Cesaro

Sometimes companies and wrestlers grow apart, and that seems to have happened with Cesaro and the WWE. After an eleven-year stint with the company, and some pretty consistent popularity with the fans, the wrestler was unable to reach a deal with the WWE on his contract extension. The two sides went their separate ways, and Cesaro went on to AEW and Ring of Honor where he's been a top superstar. 

Jack Swagger

Jack Swagger is a case of a wrestler who had a solid run of nearly a decade in the WWE, but decided the time had come to go elsewhere. Via Uproxx, Swagger mentioned on a podcast that he had asked the company for his release, as he wasn't getting opportunities. The WWE initially publicly denied he was granted a release, but then later gave him the opportunity to go elsewhere. Swagger then traveled around, before ultimately settling on a new home in AEW.

Hideo Itami

When Kenta Kobayashi debuted as Hideo Itami in the WWE, many in the wrestling world were thrilled. Itami was a legend in the Japanese circuit of pro wrestling, and seemed prime to be a major player in the brand. Unfortunately, multiple injuries led to a lackluster five-year stint with the company before he was ultimately granted a release. Itami has since found success elsewhere like AEW and in New Japan Pro Wrestling. 

Chyna

Chyna was and still is considered one of the biggest women's superstars in professional wrestling, which made her eventual release from the company all the more tragic. Multiple factors have been noted in her departure. She was ultimately granted her release in 2001, and wrestled sporadically before her death in 2016. 

Goldust

Goldust is a wrestler who has been in and out of the WWE around five or six times, though he was welcomed back even when he was released. He's perhaps proof positive that a firing is never permanent in the company, assuming no bridges are burned on the way out. Hell, even when they are, it's hard to deny there's still a chance of coming back!

WWE programming is as good as it has ever been, so now is the perfect time to get a Peacock subscription and check out some of the recent events that have been happening. Who knows, you might even see someone who was once let go from the company. 

Some of our favorite SNL hosts are not actors, but nailed it anyway. People who play sports for a living are certainly no exception. See for yourself by sifting through this collection of great Saturday Night Live sketches starring professional athletes, either as themselves or showing some unexpected comedic talent by disappearing into their roles.

Yankee Wives (Derek Jeter)

There are actually many great highlights from when Derek Jeter hosted in Season 27, such as his debate with Red Sox fan Seth Meyers over whether or not he “sucks” on Weekend Update. However, when the former New York Yankees shortstop dressed in drag to roast himself as one of the team’s gossiping wives, it became an instant SNL classic. 

Anal Retentive Fishing (Wayne Gretzky)

Legendary hockey player Wayne Gretzky proved to be a great scene partner opposite the legendary Phil Hartman as his recurring character, Gene. Gretzky is far too patient with Gene as his “anal retentive” antics begin to cause issues with their fishing trip, especially when he does nothing to prevent a sea monster from puling the athlete into the water.

The NBA On TNT (Charles Barkley)

Former basketball player Charles Barkley is one of the few pro athletes to host multiple times because, quite frankly, he is just that good at it. Take, for example, the NBC sketch from his third SNL gig in which the Inside the NBA analyst is portrayed by Kenan Thompson while Barkley himself impersonates a sleepy Shaquille O’Neal.

Bill Swerski's Super Fans (Michael Jordan)

Before leading the Space Jam cast, former Chicago Bulls shooting guard Michael Jordan first tried comedy when he hosted SNL, in which he poked fun at his seemingly endless brand deals in the monologue. The night’s best moment, however, sees “da Air Man” don a hula skirt for a ritualistic dance with Chicago sports nuts played by Cheers cast member George Wendt, the late Chris Farley, and others.

SNL Digital Short: United Way (Peyton Manning)

An SNL Digital Short that does not star any Lonely Island members, but is regarded as one of the best, features Peyton Manning in a performance that proves he could have been a good cast member. The former Denver Broncos quarterback shows incredible commitment playing a downright terrible role model for children in a fake United Way ad.

Aquarium Repairmen (Jeff Gordon)

NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon plays a man who hires two repairmen (played by Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz), who address him as “a regular Jacques Cousteau over here” when he correctly names the breed of fish in his own tank. This turns out to be the first of many similar wisecracks in which they compare everything the dinner party guest say and do to a certain pop culture figure. It gets so out of hand, the goldfish don’t survive.

Read To Achieve (LeBron James)

Before LeBron James impressed audiences playing himself in Trainwreck, he shared the screen with Bill Hader in a sketch framed as a behind-the-scenes look at a PSA. The scene-stealer here, though, is Jason Sudeikis as a snarky PA who can’t seem to pass the current Lakers player a basketball the way he is asked to.

Touchdown At The Carnival (Tom Brady)

It’s nice to see an athlete with a storied track record like Tom Brady demonstrate that he has a good sense of humor about himself, just like he does in a sketch from when he hosted SNL in Season 30. The then-New England Patriots quarterback plays a carnival-goer who can’t throw a football inside a hole in the wall no matter how many times he tries.

New Disney Movie (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson)

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson headlined many classic sketches on his path to joining SNL’s Five-Timer’s Club such as this pre-taped bit poking fun at Disney’s live-action remake trend and his role in the Fast and Furious movies. The wrestler-turned-actor plays a bulky Bambi who starts a war against the local hunting community in one of the most popular SNL sketches on YouTube.

Sincere Guy Stu (Joe Montana)

The "Sincere Guy Stu" sketch subverts the age-old trope of revealing what characters are really thinking in overhead narration. Unlike Jan Hooks and Phil Hartman’s blossoming couple, the sincere comments voiced by former San Francisco 49ers Joe Montana’s character, Stu, are actually an honest reflection of his true thoughts. 

Embarrassing Text Message Evidence Proves A Man's Innocence (Eli Manning)

Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning stars in a courtroom sketch as a murder suspect whose lawyer (played by Jason Sudeikis) presents a series of text messages the client sent on the night of crime as evidence. However, the obviously innocent defendant eventually chooses to confess just to put an end to what becomes an increasingly cruel roast of his desperate attempts at talking to women.

Fernando's Hideaway (Mr. T And Hulk Hogan)

Wrestlemania stars Mr. T and Hulk Hogan (who also appeared in Rocky III together) co-hosted an SNL Season 10 episode in which they predominantly play themselves, like this in edition of a recurring talk show sketch starring Billy Crystal as Fernando Lamas. What makes this particular bit a classic is when Crystal ad-libs a hilarious comment about how the Hulkster’s “little things” bounce when he laughs.

Football Liar (Walter Payton)

Jon Lovitz reprises his pathologically dishonest SNL character, Tommy Flanagan, who meets host Walter Payton playing himself at a bar. He spends the whole sketch trying to impress the former Chicago Bears running back with increasingly elaborate lies until the end when Payton starts to return the favor and even drops Flanagan’s iconic catchphrase, “That’s the ticket.”

Democratic Debate '88 (Carl Weathers)

While better known today as an actor from the Rocky movies or The Mandalorian, Carl Weathers once played professional football as a free agent in the early 1970s, according to The Washington Post. When Weathers hosted SNL in Season 13, he gave a killer impression of Rev. Jesse Jackson debating with other democratic presidential hopefuls like Dennis Miller as Gary Hart, who was portrayed by Hugh Jackman in The Front Runner.

Tour De Force (Chris Evert) 

Chris Evert’s Season 15 episode got a bit meta with a segment that, through backstage cutaways, shows cast members accusing showrunner Lorne Michaels of shamelessly exploiting the tennis champion’s limited range as a performer. However, I actually think she handled the sketch-within-a-sketch — framed as some coming-of-age musical drama — pretty well. I’m actually surprised she did not take up acting more regularly after this.

Sports Beat (Nancy Kerrigan)

Just a couple months after the attack against Nancy Kerrigan — which was later dramatized in 2017’s I Tonya — the figure skater hosted an SNL Season 19 episode that took multiple chances to address the incident. For instance, in one sketch, she appears on a sports-minded talk show with other Olympic medalists who also suffered horrific injuries, but — unlike Kerrigan — would only be met with more misfortune down the line.

Chris' Bedtime Story (George Foreman)

A Season 20 sketch sees Chris Elliott inviting himself into host George Foreman’s dressing room and asking him to read Goodnight Moon as a bedtime story. I must say, it takes a lot of guts for someone to present such a ridiculous request to a two-time heavyweight boxing champion.

Boston Teens: Ski Lift (Jonny Moseley)

This edition of the recurring “Boston Teens” sketch starring skiing champion, Jonny Moseley, appropriately takes place on a ski lift. The Olympic Gold Medal winner — who went on to host TV series like MTV’s The Challenge — plays a teen who gets caught in an argument between Pat Sullivan (Jimmy Fallon) and Denise McKenna (Rachel Dratch).

Teacher Trial (Ronda Rousey)

In this sketch, MMA fighter Ronda Rousey stars alongside Cecily Strong as high school teachers in court for their inappropriate relationship with a student (played by Pete Davidson). However, while on the stand, the student treats the questioning as more of a pat on the back as Kenan Thompson’s judge seems impressed and the mom (played by Kate McKinnon), understandably, watches in horror.

Science Presentation (John Cena)

In a sketch from Peacemaker cast member John Cena’s Season 42 episode, he actually stars as an athlete, but of a different sport than what he is known for. The former WWE star plays a college football player whose value to the team convinces the science department to assign him a presentation topic they know he can pass: bananas.

Michael Phelps Diet (Michael Phelps)

A faux ad promotes a diet similar to that of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, who typically eats about 12,000 calories per day. However, it scrapes past an important detail regarding the amount of laps in the pool that the Gold Medalist completes for practice before hinting at the dire consequences from skipping that step.

Tennis Player Adoption (Andy Roddick)

The Oscar-winning 2021 biopic, King Richard, dramatizes Richard Williams’ pursuit to turn his daughters, Venus and Serena, into tennis champions — a story SNL poked fun at when Andy Roddick hosted. This sketch stars Kenan Thompson as Williams, who approaches the 2003 U.S. Open winner at Studio 8H with a request to become his adoptive father.

Men’s Product (J.J. Watt)

Football players are known for wearing grease paint under their eyes to prevent glare during a game, but what if it doubled as a rejuvenating skin product? That is the conceit of a faux ad for Olay Eye Black, endorsed by then Houston Texans defensive lineman, J.J. Watt.

American Girl Cafe (Travis Kelce)

After winning the 2023 Super Bowl, Travis Kelce proved to have winning comedic skills when he hosted SNL. Arguably, his night’s funniest highlight is a sketch starring the Kansas City Chiefs tight end as a creepy middle-aged male dining at the American Girl Cafe with no one but his own dolls, Claire and Isabelle.

Investigation Discovery Presents: White People Problems (Charles Barkley)

Charles Barkley stars in an SNL sketch as himself hosting a true crime docuseries, but not one that focuses on murder, kidnapping, or anything of that nature. The show, White People Problems, discusses topics that may seem like an issue to Barkley’s caucasian guests, but are seen as dramatically blown out of proportion to the Black people who were involved.

Hawaiian Hotel (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson)

A sketch pairs Dwayne Johnson with Fred Armisen as Hawaiian natives who make a living playing music for guests of a hotel restaurant. However, they spend most of their shift talking down to the tourists and taunting them with their personal grievances.

Sugar-Frosted Anabolic Steroids (Fran Tarkenton) 

John Belushi once poked fun at star athlete endorsements with a faux ad for a breakfast cereal that was, literally, little chocolate donuts floating in milk. But when then Minnesota Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton tackled the subject on SNL, he went the extra mile with a faux ad for a breakfast cereal that was, literally, anabolic steroids floating in milk.

Kelly Cola (Alex Karras)

Before he became known for movies like the hilarious Western parody, Blazing Saddles, and the sitcom, Webster, Alex Karras’ claim to fame was playing for Detroit Lions as a Defensive Tackle. In one of the best sketches from his Season 10 SNL episode, he plays a soda company CEO so intimidating he causes Billy Crystal’s character sweat profusely.

Simple Rappers (Deion Sanders)

A year after NFL star Deion Sanders released his hip-hop album, Prime Time, he starred in an SNL sketch alongside Tim Meadows and Adam Sandler as a rap trio, but didn’t do much rapping. All the group seems to do is shout out common hype phrases to an otherwise catchy beat before cutting themselves off with “Peace, we outta here!” after mere seconds.

Marvin PSA/Knockouts (Marvin Hagler)

The late Marvelous Marvin Hagler was famous for delivering quite a few knockouts in his day — a specialty he cleverly addressed when he hosted SNL. In a faux PSA, the boxing legend graciously explains how to handle a KO, courtesy of himself, in the event that you might become his opponent.

Little League Trade (Bob Uecker)

After legendary catcher Bob Uecker retired from professional baseball, he took up a successful career as sports broadcaster and actor on Mr. Belvedere and the Major League cast, to name a few. Thus, he was an absolute natural in a sketch from his SNL episode as a little league coach who treats his own son (played by Billy Crystal) the way he might a pro.

The Black Shadow (Bill Russell)

Former Boston Celtics center Bill Russell — who passed away in 2022 — stars in a parody of the coming-of-age TV sports drama, The White Shadow, that flips the script in a ridiculous, yet poignant, way. In this case, it is the predominantly white high school basketball team that must come to the aid of their Black, middle-aged coach (played by Russell) when he get himself into trouble.

Many pro athletes have surprised the world by showing they have a knack for performing and a great sense of humor. In the case of the all-stars above, most of them got that chance by hosting Saturday Night Live.

Hulk Hogan fans rejoiced when it was announced in 2018 that a biopic of the wrestling star was happening. Another reason for wrestling fans and moviegoers alike to get excited about this upcoming Netflix biopic was to see Chris Hemsworth take on the lead role and get ripped once again for it. As there haven’t been any recent reports of any progress made on the Hulk Hogan biopic, the retired professional wrestler answers honestly if the Chris Hemsworth-led movie is still happening.

The wrestling career of Hulk Hogan spanned 35 years and he held a six-time reign as the World Heavyweight Champion. These accomplishments and so much more were to be portrayed on screen by Hemsworth playing the legendary wrestler with Joker’s Todd Phillips directing it. As there have been no recent updates on what is happening with this biopic, Hulk Hogan himself spoke with Chris Van Vliet if we can still expect this movie to come.

It seems like Hulk Hogan is saying that if a biopic were to be happening, it wouldn’t be done by Netflix. But yes, I’m with the former wrestler that Todd Phillips and Chris Hemsworth still need to be involved with this movie even if a different studio takes it on. Hogan continued to talk about how he had faith in Phillips based on past work he’d done and hoped for the original script to still be used. Written by Joker’s Scott Silver, Hogan has equoted the tone to that of True Romance, Scarface, and The Godfather. With a combination of these well-known crime films rolled up in one, it looks like we would have had an intense viewing experience on our hands. 

It honestly wouldn’t be too hard for me to picture what Chris Hemsworth would look like as Hulk Hogan. His iconic character Thor was all muscle like Hogan and we've seen long, blond locks on Hemsworth before. The signature mustache, though, would have been a scream to see on the Australian actor. If it's still hard for you to picture, take a look at a face swap of what Hemsworth would look like as the five-time WWF champion and you’d be able to envision him embodying the famous wrestler more. Sure, the MCU actor would have to be more ripped than Thor ever was, but Hemsworth is such a fitness buff that I don't think that should be a problem for him. 

If the Hulk Hogan biopic ends up never occurring, I’m sure the recognized wrestling star would be disappointed not to see Chris Hemsworth portray him on screen. He told Chris Van Vliet that if he wanted anyone to play him, he'd pick the Extraction star. He said Hemsworth was also excited to take on the project when approached about it, believing it would be the biggest thing for his career. One thing that surprised Hogan about Hemsworth was when the Star Trek actor told him on the phone he wanted to be around him as much as possible so he could study him for the part. While the WWE Hall of Fame inductee felt that Hemsworth had the right height and physicality for the part, he jokingly felt he was not as good-looking as the accomplished wrestler.

It looks like the Hulk Hogan biopic won’t require you to have a Netflix subscription anymore. But, we can still hope that another studio will take it on and that Todd Phillips and Chris Hemsworth will still be part of it. 

As one of the most esteemed pro wrestlers of all time, WWE Hall-of-Famer Hulk Hogan has seemingly dealt with just about every kind of injury that one can suffer both in and out of the ring, which definitely also involved suffering through the aftermath of those injuries. That includes over two dozen different surgeries and procedures addressing issues across his entire body, and in more recent years, the pain escalated to the point where he fell to relying on pain pills to get by. Now at 70, Hogan appears to be as healthy as he’s been in a while, and he opened up about reversing course on pill addiction, as well as his decision to quit drinking alcohol.

Hogan’s health issues in the past couple of years were addressed publicly by fellow pro wrestling legend Ric Flair, with Kurt Angle also joining the rumor-spreading at one point, and the Georgia native is just as quick to address that he wasn’t living his best life for part of the last decade. When interviewed by Muscle and Health, the Hogan’s Hangout namesake addressed the downward spiral he found himself caught in, saying:

At some point, the meds became less of a necessity and more of a crutch, and it was after going through that for a while when the Hulkster recognized that he was in a rut that could take a worse turn if he didn’t course-correct. He continued:

While it would no doubt be easy to continue accepting pain meds to cope with the ongoing pains from stacked surgeries over the years, it doesn't sound like anyone beyond Hogan himself would have put a stop to the cycle, at least at that point. The athlete credits CBD as a major help in weaning off the pain meds, saying that he had friends telling him for a while that it would do him good to try it out. He was initially skeptical until he looked into it and tried it out, and now he's got his own "Hogan's Health" brand of goodies in partnership with Carma HoldCo.

But even though he might be cool with CBD and THC, fans shouldn't expect to see him with a drink in his hands at any point. Hogan shared that a questionable New Year's Eve party he attended made him privy to behavior that he did not agree with. And it was apparently enough to make him stop drinking outright. In his words:

The Hulkster is apparently down to a weight he hasn't seen since high school, and is feeling better than he has in years. So here's hoping that sticks, and he doesn't fall back into any vicious cycles going forward.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like any progress has been made on the previously announced Netflix biopic, which was at one point one of Chris Hemsworth’s upcoming projects. But fans can check out tons of his past matches across the decades with a Peacock subscription.

Roman Reigns has surpassed the 1,000-day mark as Undisputed WWE Universal champion, and it's fair to say the wrestling community at large acknowledges him. There's also an acknowledgment that all good things must come to an end, though, and with the Usos on their way out of the Bloodline, it would seem the crown is slipping. It feels like the WWE is setting up Reigns to drop the strap now that he's losing his biggest lifelines. It certainly seems like it could happen, though I'm inclined to think Reigns will emerge from it stronger than ever. 

It definitely feels like the WWE is setting up Cody Rhodes to re-challenge Roman Reigns at WrestleMania to finally "finish the story" and beat Reigns when he couldn't beat him last year. I'd love for that reality, but honestly, I'm beginning to think the WWE is doing something entirely different. I think that while Reigns will eventually lose the Bloodline, he's going to remain the champ beyond WrestleMania 40 and beyond. Here's my thinking and why we could see Reigns as champ at several upcoming WWE events in the future. 

Recent Viewership Numbers Support People Are Invested In Roman Reigns Title Run

Roman Reigns' 1000th day as champion celebration of SmackDown Live was the highest-viewed episode of the series for 2023, with 2.563 million viewers tuning in (via Wrestlenomics). That was 18.8% bump in viewership from the previous week and the highest viewed SmackDown since John Cena returned in late 2022 for a tag match against, you guessed it, Roman Reigns. 

There was a long period of time in the WWE in which the wrestling world was sick and tired of Vince McMahon and the top brass' efforts to make Roman Reigns the face of everything. It's safe to say, however, that the fans have been on board with Reigns for quite a while, and while it may feel like he's in the twilight of his reign, he may just be at the high-noon point. 

And while I don't see Roman Reigns losing his title until WrestleMania 40 at the earliest, there's always that small part of me that remains skeptical. It wasn't all that long ago that the world was stunned to see The Undertaker lose his WrestleMania streak to the likes of Brock Lesnar.  

Roman Reigns Is On The Road To Overtaking Hulk Hogan's Consecutive Days As Champ

Now that Roman Reigns has cleared the 1,000-day mark, he's now the closest any wrestler has ever been in decades to toppling Hulk Hogan's 1,474 days as champion. It took over three years as a champion for Reigns to get close to this, but he's still quite a ways away. In fact, Reigns would have to retain his status as champion through WrestleMania 40 to stand a chance at surpassing Hogan. 

WrestleMania 40 is a milestone event, and while watching Cody Rhodes "finish the story" is something I think many people hope happens, I can certainly see WWE highlighting the event with legacy. At WrestleMania 50, would people remember Rhodes toppling and ending Reigns' streak, or the fact that one of the most dominant champions of this era retained and was only weeks away from becoming the third longest-reigning wrestling champion of all time?

Let's be honest and acknowledge (as it were) that Hulk Hogan has a complicated legacy that, at one point, had him fired from WWE. Roman Reigns, on the other hand, has remained relatively controversy-free throughout his career, and you won't find many, if any, negative stories about him from those in the industry. He's going to be the face representing WWE long into the future, even when his time in the ring is over. It makes sense that WWE would love to have him be that guy and maybe let guys like Hogan officially fade from on-air programming. 

Losing The Bloodline Sets Up Roman For A Redemption Run

Roman Reigns has overcome some pretty challenging competitors in his title defenses, but it's fair to say that he's had the blessing of the Bloodline faction in his corner through most of his 2022 title defense. Solo Sikoa, The Usos, and even Sami Zayn at one point, have all helped Reigns retain his title when it seemed like he could drop the strap to a challenger. There's a lot of guys capable of beating Reigns for his championship, but defeating him and the Bloodline was just too much. 

Removing the Usos from the equation is going to drastically increase Roman Reigns vulnerability. Even with Solo Sikoa, he's not going to have the backup he once had. Reigns is going to have to get back to being a dominant champion the earnest way, and given the run he's on, perhaps it's better things eventually swing that way. 

Roman Reigns is the longest-reigning champion of the modern era of WWE, and while his heel run has been nothing short of phenomenal, it should end with him as a babyface. After all, it kind of taints the accomplishment somewhat if Reigns continues to be a champion that is carried through the next year by the interference of others. He has been booked as a dominant champ before, and I think he warrants one final run as that guy before finally dropping the strap. 

For so many years, Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri served as one of the most outspoken pro wrestling veterans of all time, with fans knowing him more familiarly by his moniker The Iron Sheik. The former WWE Superstar hadn't formally wrestled in many years, as one of the rare wrestlers who embraced full-on retirement, but managed to build an even bigger fanbase in the aftermath thanks to shoot interviews and an explosion in popularity on Twitter and other social media platforms. Sadly, the legend reportedly passed away this week at the age of 81.

Details about Iron Sheik's death are somewhat limited, with the news coming straight from his social media accounts, with the same message being shared by his managers Jian and Page Magen. (They've actually been responsible for the icon's hilarious Twitter page over the years.) Read part of the message below.

The long and heartfelt farewell post did not directly address a possible cause of death, which remains unknown at the time of writing.

Manager Page Magen shared a post on Instagram that featured some excellent pics from over the years, as seen below.

Born March 15, 1942, the Iranian native first moved to the U.S. in the early 1970s as an assistant coach training U.S. wrestlers for the Olympics, and soon entered into the world of pro wrestling, as trained under fellow legend Verne Gagne. He rather quickly adopted his signature look — shaved head with a giant mustache — though it wasn't until 1980 when he formally took on the Iron Sheik title, having previously gone by "The Great Hossein Arab." He made WWE history in 1979 as the winner of the first Battle Royal, and would go on to become the World Heavyweight Champion upon his return to the organization in 1983. It was after this point when he really turned up the heat gimmick as an anti-American heel, while also popularizing his Persian club challenges.

While he's arguably most remembered for his work in the WWE — his tag-team with Nikolai Volkoff, his work with and against Sgt. Slaughter, his feud with Hulk Hogan, his animated iteration in the cartoon series Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling — The Iron Sheik spread his talents to all kinds of promotions throughout the '70s, '80s, '90s' and '00s, making dozens and dozens of athletes suffer with his signature Camel Clutch finishing move.

Iron Sheik found himself in the midst of an explosion of popularity in the early 2000s, thanks in large part to a 2004 shoot interview that featured him going off about how much he hated Hulk Hogan, Jake "The Snake" Roberts and other WWE vets. He was honored a year later with an induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, with Sgt. Slaughter being the one to introduce him, and made several low-stakes appearances at various TV tapings and pay-per-views in the years that followed, all while honing his Hogan-bashing skills. 

He once again earned a new wave of fans upon his introduction to social media in the years after Twitter gained prominence. For more than a decade, Iron Sheik has been the place to go to see him rant and rave about various wrestlers, world leaders, celebrities and much more. It was shocking to learn that the wrestler himself hasn't been responsible for all the explicit posts, which he confirmed to be true in a 2017 video, but that hasn't made them any less celebratory.

As detailed in the farewell post, The Iron Sheik is surfived by his wife of 47 years, Caryl, as well as their three children Tayna, Nikki and Marissa, for whom he was noted to be a "loving and dedicated father" that empowered them to achieve any and all goals they hoped for. He was also a "Papa Sheik" to five grandchildren.

We here at CinemaBlend send our thoughts and condolences to Iron Sheik's family and friends during this time of mourning. See you in the next life, Bubba!

Hulk Hogan fought many battles in his glory days with the WWE, most of which can be viewed with a Peacock Premium subscription. These days, however, the legendary wrestler is frequently entangled with rumors about his well-being as wrestlers continue to speak about alleged problems he's had with his health. Following the latest comments made by Kurt Angle on that exact subject, Hogan's rep had to clap back. 

Kurt Angle originally spoke on The Kurt Angle Show about his recent appearance at Raw XXX, which Hulk Hogan also attended. Angle alleged that the Hulkster was walking around with a cane and had no feeling in his lower body after a recent surgery that severed some nerves in his back. A representative for Hogan spoke to Entertainment Tonight, and in addition to noting that Hogan was "not paralyzed," said the following:

Hulk Hogan's representative seemed to want to shut down any speculation that the wrestler is in poor health, and seemingly suggested that Kurt Angle might have taken seriously something that was meant as a joke. The representative also made sure to mention that Hogan can walk without a cane, which those who tuned into Raw XXX saw when he walked out with Jimmy Hart to open up the show: 

While the video doesn't necessarily dispute the claim that Hulk Hogan was using a cane off-camera, it does seem like the WWE superstar can move around without exclusively using one. He appears to be doing well enough, and not quite as bad as some of the statements made by Angle made it sound. 

Hulk Hogan's health has long been discussed in the wrestling world, as Kurt Angle isn't the first wrestler to drop a bombshell about the former legend on their podcast. Ric Flair did the exact same thing in 2021 when he mentioned during his podcast that Hogan had "really bad health issues." Hogan later responded by posting a pic of his muscles, seemingly refuting the narrative of Flair. 

There are definitely two sides to this latest story, but the main takeaway seems to be that Hulk Hogan doesn't want the public to think he's in poor health. To be fair, that's a sentiment a number of people may have, even without a reputation for being a rough-and-tumble wrestler decades prior. Let's also not forget Hogan can be a private person, and even neglected to inform the public he was divorced once. 

The one thing we do know about Hulk Hogan's health is that he's publicly revealed he likely won't be doing any more wrestling matches in his older age, unlike his buddy Ric Flair. This was in part due to upwards of twenty-three surgeries he's had in the past decade, presumably to address the wear and tear on his body after decades of performing as a pro wrestler. In short, don't expect to see him doing leg drops or throwing punches in the future, even if he is feeling fine. 

Monday Night Raw airs on the USA Network on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET, and WWE fans can watch SmackDown on Fox on Fridays at the same time. We're in the midst of the "Road to WrestleMania," so be sure to keep tabs on all that's coming up with our handy list of upcoming WWE events. 

With all due respect to Dusty Rhodes, Bobby Heenan, The Rock and a handful of other legends blessed with all-time promo abilities, most people would say Ric Flair is the greatest wrestler on the microphone ever. I’d tend to agree. He’s a riveting storyteller and a born showman. What he’s not, however, is the greatest keeper of secrets, which he once again proved this week when he seemingly blurted out what could be a pretty major spoiler for WWE Raw’s upcoming 30th anniversary show. 

If you want to go in completely fresh on Monday, now is your chance to bail on this article. Stay off Twitter and get through the weekend without conversing with any other wrestling fans. For everyone else, let’s get to it…

Flair was on his podcast To Be The Man alongside Conrad Thompson when he was asked about his upcoming appearance at Raw 30 on Monday. Thompson read off a list of names that are expected to be there, which included Flair, The Undertaker, Kurt Angle, Shawn Michaels, Ron Simmons, X-Pac, The Bella Twins, Road Dogg, Teddy Long and Jerry “The King” Lawler and asked The Nature Boy if he expected any additional surprises. Here’s what he said…

The big name there, of course, is Hulk Hogan. The red and yellow megastar has, of course, an extremely complicated history with WWE. He was unquestionably the biggest star in the entire industry in the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s, but after fans started to tire a bit of his character, WWE tried putting the big belt on several other people before he ultimately left for WCW in 1994. He went on to be a major part of the incredibly popular nWo stable and eventually returned to WWE in 2002. He’s done some short runs and sporadic appearances in the time since.

Obviously, WWE has not confirmed Hogan’s appearance, and until they do, this rumor should definitely be taken with a grain of salt. That being said, Flair and Hogan are known to be friendly and certainly have a long history of working together, both inside and outside the WWE. Flair has offered plenty of updates on the Hulkster’s recent health. Not all have been the most accurate, but there’s no reason to think he wouldn’t know if he was coming.

On another note, happy 30th anniversary to Monday Night Raw. With the exception of a few years where it went over to Spike, it’s been running on USA Network the entire time and remains one of the more popular shows on cable. And what a run it has been. The show looks almost nothing like it did when it first premiered, either from a tone or a production standpoint, but the show’s continuous evolution and willingness to change has more often than not, been a tremendous strength.

I can’t wait to see what’s in store for fans on Monday, and whether The Hulkster ultimately shows up or not, I hope the entire three hours is filled with fun little winks at the past and a steady stream of beloved superstars who contributed over the years. 

You can catch Raw on Monday on USA at 9 ET. You can also catch WWE's next premium live event The Royal Rumble on January 28th, which is streaming for free if you have a Peacock subscription. You can also check out our breakdown of who we think is going to win The Rumble.

Ric Flair is enjoying retirement following his (latest) final match ever and, when he’s not performing in the ring, he uses his time to consistently discuss his opinions on what’s happening in the wrestling industry. From time to time, Flair has even shared news regarding what’s happening with other wrestlers. Most notably, in 2021, his allegation about Hulk Hogan being in poor health caused quite a stir. Nearly a year after Flair gave that update, he’s back again with another report on what’s allegedly happening with Hogan’s back issues, since that's just what he does now. 

Fortunately, Ric Flair had some positive news to share regarding Hulk Hogan’s health, during a recent edition of the To Be The Man podcast. Flair revealed that he recently spoke to Hogan, and it sounds like the veteran wrestler is making some progress:

He didn’t specify whether or not The Hulkster’s “new girl” was the one fans saw him with ahead of the surprise reveal that he got divorced, but he did confirm that the WWE legend's back pain is a little bit better. Ric Flair followed up that statement by reminding listeners that his old friend had somewhere around ten back surgeries over the past five years, so even a little bit of progress has to give him some measure of relief. 

It does seem like Hulk Hogan is doing better than he might’ve been a year ago, based on his activity on social media as of late. Hogan recently posted a video on Instagram, which showed patrons performing karaoke at his business, Hogan’s Hangout, he could be seen in the background, watching and interacting with the performers:

This might serve as more concrete evidence that Hulk Hogan is on the mend compared to the time that he posted a picture of himself flexing -- a snapshot that dropped shortly after Ric Flair spoke about his health. In either case, it appears that Hogan is able to enjoy life and carry on with extracurricular activities, which is what I’d think most retired wrestlers can hope for. 

As for whether or not he would ever improve enough to have another match like Ric Flair, that seems unlikely. While there were once rumors that Hogan could be Flair’s opponent for his retirement match, it didn’t happen. Before that speculation began, Hogan mentioned in an interview with TMZ Sports that he wasn’t interested in any final matches due to the sheer amount of medical procedures he’s had in recent years. 

Surgeries aren’t uncommon for professional wrestlers, as the bumps, bruises, and tears suffered while performing do start to add up. In fact, the WWE has been without superstar Randy Orton for quite some time now due to a reported back injury, which he underwent surgery for. If a younger guy like Orton can struggle to come back after back surgery, it’s hard to imagine a retired veteran like Hogan would suddenly be eager to jump into a ring after a number of operations. That aside, I’m sure there are plenty who are happy to hear that Hogan’s health is improving, which could, at the very least, make him available for more appearances at pro wrestling and upcoming WWE events in the future. 

Thankfully, anyone looking to relive some of Hulk Hogan or Ric Flair’s greatest matches can do so using a Peacock subscription. Seeing as the WWE seemingly finished with main roster pay-per-view events for the season, now may be the best time to revisit some classic moments and get hyped for big-time matches ahead of WrestleMania season. 

Ric Flair is set to have his last wrestling match ever in July, and after Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat revealed that he turned down an opportunity to be a part of the match, rumors swirled about who Flair will square off against on the big night. Shortly after, rumors began circulating and alleged that Hulk Hogan might be his opponent. While that sounds great, what does the Nature Boy have to say about that rumor? 

It didn’t take long at all for Ric Flair to respond to rumors about Hulk Hogan’s purported involvement in Starrcast V, the event at which Flair will wrestle at in Nashville this summer. The 73-year-old spoke discussed the matter on his podcast, To Be The Man (via Fightful), and revealed what’s going on with his friend: 

So according to the star himself, there are seemingly no plans for the polarizing superstar Hulk Hogan (who's had some very wild wrestling moments over the years) to participate in a match against Ric Flair when he has his last match ever on July 31st. That seems easy to believe, especially since the rumor about Hogan having a match originated from a conversation with Brian Blair of The Killer Bees tag-team (via Wrestling Shoot Interviews), who seemingly has no ties to the event. Blair even admitted during the chat that he read a rumor on the Internet regarding a Hogan and Flair face-off, but fans wondered if perhaps he was doing so to save face after accidentally revealing some inside information. 

Though Hollywood Hogan is only attending the match as a spectator at the moment, I wouldn’t be surprised if that changes in some way. After all, it wouldn’t take much for a plan to materialize on the day of the event. Hogan could leave his seat to participate in the match briefly when Slick Ric is most in need. Those things happen in wrestling all the time, so I would rule out any surprises if the actor/wrestler does indeed show up to Starrcast V. 

One thing to note, however, is that Hulk Hogan himself said earlier this year that he wasn’t considering having a farewell match of any sort. Hogan told TMZ Sports that he’s had 23 surgeries in the past decade and wouldn’t step into a ring unless he were absolutely healthy. Hogan did post a picture showing that he was in shape around the time that Ric Flair indicated earlier this year that Hogan was in bad health, though, so who knows what to believe? If nothing else, at least a Peacock premium subscription will provide you with no shortage of great Hogan matches to revisit should he never have another match. 

Ultimately, the speculation regarding Ric Flair will only continue for now. Previous rumors stated that Flair would participate in a six-man tag match with tag-teams FTR and the Rock 'n’ Roll Express and an unnamed sixth person. I don't know about you, but I'm eager to get more details on the final match, including Flair's mysterious opponent. 

Tickets for Starrcast V will go on sale Friday, May 27th at 12 pm ET at a website dedicated to the event, and pre-orders for the pay-per-view will be available at the same time on FITE. We’ll see if The Nature Boy's opponent for the match is announced before that, or if fans will just go in blind and hope that the wrestler will deliver another great moment regardless of who his in-ring foe is. 

Hulk Hogan is one of pro wrestling’s biggest, but also most controversial figures. He’s also on social media quite often, so it’s not uncommon for the former superstar to make headlines with a tweet or comment on many given subjects. This time around, the Hulkster broke some news about his divorce, which came out of left field. In fact, he didn't share the news until pictures and videos surfaced with him and another woman.

Hulkamaniacs who follow Hulk Hogan on Instagram might’ve noticed a recent video in which the wrestler met up with rocker Bret Michaels. In the video, the two stars exchange pleasantries, and Hogan introduced Michaels to “his girl” on the couch, named Sky. 

Check out the full video of Hulk Hogan and his new girlfriend below.

The reveal was news to Hulk Hogan’s fans, some of whom remembered he was married to Jennifer McDaniel, with the then-couple tying the knot with back in 2010. The wrestler quickly got on social media to clear up the confusion and informed his audience that he and McDaniel are actually divorced. Surprise!

TMZ Sports was able to confirm what Hulk Hogan said was accurate and found divorce documents filed in October of 2021. The split was legally granted, and it now seems like Hogan has moved on and is out enjoying life with his new girlfriend Sky. 

Speculation swirled around Hulk Hogan as of late when multiple sightings were reported of the wrestler in Clearwater, Florida, hanging out with a new woman who wasn’t his wife. Beyond the video of Hogan introducing his girlfriend to Bret Michaels, there are photos on the web of the two hanging out at various places, and even fellow wrestling legend Jimmy Hart is spotted in some pictures. 

As mentioned, Jennifer McDaniel and Hulk Hogan married in 2010, not long after his divorce from his first wife Linda Hogan was finalized in 2009. Reasons for McDaniel’s and Hogan’s divorce are not public knowledge at this time, though previously it was reported Linda Hogan filed for divorce against the wrestler after learning about an alleged affair with his daughter’s friend. 

There isn’t much information out there on what happened between Hulk Hogan and Jennifer McDaniel, and there isn’t much on his new girlfriend, Sky. With that said, there should be more information about his new beau in the coming days, as Hogan’s celebrity status will undoubtedly bring some questions about his new girlfriend as she appears more frequently on his page. For now, we’ll just have to be patient and see what happens next. 

Hulk Hogan isn’t exactly a frequent presence on WWE television in recent years, though fans can watch a lot of his classic matches with a Peacock Premium subscription. Perhaps he’ll even make an appearance with his new girlfriend at the upcoming WrestleMania, as it seems anything is possible in pro wrestling around this time of year. 

There are some things in pro wrestling that never change. Fans will always chant “what” during promos, wrestlers will jump back and forth between wrestling companies, and Bret Hart will never be afraid to take shots at Hulk Hogan. The legendary wrestler found another opportunity to do so recently when talking about his own personal accolades and used the Hulkster as a prime example of why his run was so impressive. 

Bret Hart will soon have a place on Canada’s Walk of Fame and did interviews in acknowledgment of his legacy and contribution to his fellow countrymen. Hart spoke with the Calgary Sun about his accomplishments in the WWE, how he’s influenced current Canadian-born superstars, and how Hulk Hogan wasn’t actually a great wrestler from a technical perspective.

Bret Hart could’ve just said he wasn’t generally the type of wrestling talent that Vince McMahon and the WWE looked for at the time, but he took things a little bit further. Hart decided to personally call out Hulk Hogan, and the fact that he largely survived in the WWE because of his athletic build and not so much his wrestling ability. 

This isn’t the first time Bret Hart publicly disparaged Hulk Hogan. Just last year, Hart made headlines for confirming he still doesn’t like Hogan and went further to call him a “phony piece of shit.” Truthfully, that comment, as well as the latest, is one of the more tame comments that Hart has made about Hogan over the years, as this feud has seemingly only worsened over time. 

Bret Hart has offered a lot of reasons to dislike Hulk Hogan, though the birth of the feud seems to stem from their time together in the WWE. Hart famously lost to Yokozuna at WrestleMania IX, only for Hulk Hogan to stroll out and get a title shot and win the belt in a 22-second match. Hart maintained WWE’s plan was to award him the belt from beating Hogan months later, but Hogan allegedly shot down the idea once he had the title again. Moments like that, as well as many others, have led the two to have a very bad relationship over the past couple of decades. It’s a situation that doesn’t appear as though it’ll smooth anytime soon, but who knows? Stranger things have happened!

Bret Hart’s official induction to Canada’s Walk of Fame takes place on Friday, December 17, and Canadian pro wrestler Chris Jericho has the honor of inducting him. We’ll see if Hart has anything to say about Hulk Hogan during his speech or if he’ll manage to make it through the proceedings without mentioning the WWE Legend.

One can never really tell what is about to happen in the wrestling world, as it’s an industry based on shock and awe. However, we have come to expect a certain level of kinship between certain former WWE superstars. Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair are two of the biggest WWE champions to ever enter the ring, and though they've battled each other lots of times back in the day, they are actually pretty close in real life presently. Flair recently shared an update on Hogan's health and said he was going through some pretty serious health issues. Apparently Hogan didn’t get that memo, considering he just revealed some serious muscles and weight loss for fans to see. 

As fans were wondering what was actually happening with Hulk Hogan's possible health issues, he took to his Instagram to display some seriously impressive biceps and announce he is now down to his 9th grade weight of 275 pounds. You can check him out in his post below:

Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan seem to have a pretty close friendship as fellow WWE vets, and Hogan even flew to visit Flair when he was in a medically induced coma a few years ago. Recently Flair revealed that his friend was having some health issues of his own and explained that Hogan’s wrestling career has led to a wild amount of surgeries in the last 10 years. The exact nature of the current health issues Flair referred to isn’t clear, but he does give Hogan the credit of saying that the former wrestler is staying in shape and is still able to work out 2 hours a day - a feat that not many people can claim for themselves, healthy or not. And it appears obvious in the pic above.

While we really won’t be able to tell what kind of health issues Hulk Hogan is facing until he comes forward with it himself or there is a major development in his health, we can certainly see that Ric Flair was accurate in saying that Hogan is still keeping up with his workout routines. 

As impressive as this picture and the news of the 68-year-old former wrestler’s physical health is, I’m honestly more caught up in the fact that Hulk Hogan was one giant 14-year-old. For reference, Dwayne “The Rock" Johnson is built like, well, a rock, and weighs in around 270, but he hasn't been in high school in quite some time. 

What makes all the difference, though, is that Hulk Hogan is an absolute beast in the height department. While you’d never guess from many of his pictures without comparative context, Hogan stands at a whopping 6 feet, 7 inches, which puts him almost a foot over the male average for height. This could also help fans understand just how a post-pubescent teen could be that massive.

Fans don’t seem too phased by the idea of such a massive freshman, because they’re all hyping Hulk Hogan up in the comment section of his post. People are assuring the former wrestler that he certainly has still got it, and is still their Hulk. 

Hopefully this new update from Hulk Hogan is proof that his health really isn’t as bad as Ric Flair made it out to be, and that he'll be around and working those arm muscles out a lot longer. As pleased as fans are to see Hogan seemingly in great shape, they may be even more pleased to know that a new biopic of Hogan has been announced with Marvel star Chris Hemsworth taking the lead, especially since Hemsworth has the seal of approval from Hogan himself. There is no release date for the project yet or news on whether what we want to see in the film is going to actually happen, but stay tuned for updates.

Ric Flair is no longer working with the WWE in any official capacity after requesting a release, but that hasn’t stopped him from talking about his former employer, their wrestlers, and other notable alumni of the brand. Flair had quite a week after calling out Raw Women’s champion Becky Lynch and chased it with the surprising reveal that Hulk Hogan has “really bad’ health issues. 

Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair go head-to-head at WWE’s Survivor Series pay-per-view on Sunday, November 21. Many are invested in the storyline because of the real-life drama attached to the match, which came from a botched segment on SmackDown weeks ago that led to an actual confrontation between Lynch and Flair backstage. Now, Ric Flair is involved in the drama, in a situation that could make the upcoming match all the more personal.

Ric Flair Calls Out Becky Lynch 

Earlier in the week, Ric Flair saw a promo of Becky Lynch on WWE’s Monday Night Raw in which Lynch said she’d “beat the ever-loving piss” out of Charlotte Flair. Ric Flair, father to Charlotte, apparently had some thoughts about that, and whether it was working an angle or actual anger, he decided to tweet at the superstar for her comments.

Becky Lynch responded but decided to do so in an interview with The MMA Hour rather than Twitter. Lynch acknowledged she’d seen the tweet but opted not to respond because she found it “sad” that the legend was jealous of her. Flair didn’t take too kindly to that and sent a tweet expressing disappointment, especially after he'd reportedly sold the rights to his popular nickname “The Man” to WWE for Lynch to use for her character. 

Wrestling fans could interpret this exchange as a means of heightening the drama further ahead of Survivor Series, but there’s reason to be skeptical. To start, Ric Flair is no longer working with the WWE, so starting a fight with Becky Lynch doesn’t really benefit him. It seems weird he’d openly promote for the WWE given that, though perhaps he’s just trying to help Charlotte Flair as she’s still under contract. In either case, the line is blurred between reality and fiction here, and it’s hard to make any assumptions about what’s going on.

Ric Flair Mentions Hulk Hogan Has Bad Health Issues

Ric Flair is known for his speaking ability, so it’s no surprise he’s someone who can do a riveting podcast. Flair talked on Ric Flair Wooooo Nation Uncensored this week, and in the episode, shared some truly unexpected information regarding Hulk Hogan’s health. 

Hulk Hogan, according to Ric Flair, is currently experiencing some “bad health issues.” Flair brought the WWE Legend up during the podcast and talked about Hogan’s health and their relationship.

Ric Flair went on to say that Hulk Hogan’s had 25 surgeries in the past ten years due to the number of injuries he sustained throughout his wrestling career. Flair did cap off the news with the fact that Hogan is still exercising around two hours a day and “feeling great,” so it’s hard to tell what Flair meant by these health issues. Luckily, this podcast is going to be a recurring thing, so it’s possible fans get more details in time. 

One never knows what Ric Flair will or won’t do, so it’ll be interesting to see if he’ll make an appearance in the stands at WWE’s Survivor Series on Sunday, November 21 on Peacock at 8:00 p.m. ET. CinemaBlend will be watching and keeping an eye out on what could happen in Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair’s big match.

Sylvester Stallone is no stranger to social media, as the veteran actor loves taking to his various platforms to update fans on his new projects and share a few nuggets of history from his past work. The 75-year-old actor has a particular tendency to post behind-the-scenes photos from his work on the Rocky franchise. He’s dropped in a number of cool snapshots in the past, but his latest may be one of the most interesting. The photo depicts his iconic fight with Hulk Hogan in 1982’s Rocky III, though you may start looking at the fight a bit differently after seeing the image.

The Rocky film series features a number of memorable bouts, and the wild exhibition match between Sylvester Stallone’s Balboa and Hulk Hogan’s Thunderlips is definitely one of the best. One of the most entertaining aspects of the fight is that it pits the boxer against an opponent much bigger than himself. Though the difference in size between the two isn’t as massive as you’d imagine. Check out what Stallone’s behind-the-scenes Instagram image revealed:

It’s true that the two actors aren’t the same size. The actor stands at 5’10”, while the former wrestler was listed as being 6’7” during his prime. Still, it seems that Sylvester Stallone, the director of the film, wanted his in-ring challenger to look even more imposing. The means of pulling that off may seem simple, but the small trick ended up making all the difference on the big screen. Most can probably still remember that iconic shot of the two coming face to face. Or should I say face to chest?

This actually isn’t the first time the Rambo actor has reflected on his legendary movie fight with Hulk Hogan. In a previous post, he shared a still from the film and reflected on the strategies the wrestler used in the ring. He made note of the clean punches Hogan threw and also referred to him as a true athlete. Considering the WWE icon’s body of work, most wrestling fans would probably agree with that assessment.

More recently, many of Sylvester Stallone’s social media posts have been related to Rocky IV. The filmmaker has been working on a director’s cut of the film for over a year now and had previously been sharing updates on its production status. This past week, the official trailer was released, and it looks like it’s going to be well worth the wait. 

So could an alternate cut of the franchise’s third installment also arrive at some point in the future? I’d personally say that it’s not totally out of the realm of possibility. I’m sure there are scenes that were left on the cutting room floor that could stand to see the light of day. There could even be additional footage from the fight between Rocky and Thunderlips. I don’t know about all of you, but I wouldn’t mind seeing the two throw down even further.

Though in the meantime, I’m absolutely down to see more of Balboa’s fight with the vicious Ivan Drago. You can actually see the Rocky IV director’s cut on the big screen (for one night only) on November 11 before it hits digital the very next day. And in the meantime, you can check out some of Sylvester Stallone’s other behind-the-scenes posts online and stream the Rocky films on HBO Max.

Wrestlers from the WWE are most often known for their work inside the ring, but that’s a trend that’s increasingly becoming a thing of the past. Wrestlers like Dave Bautista, John Cena, and of course, Dwayne, “The Rock” Johnson, have paved their way in Hollywood, and as a result, perhaps gotten other wrestlers a bit more respect. Of course, one could argue that had it not been for guys like Randy Savage and their excellent cameos in big films, wrestlers wouldn’t have a place in movies now, period.

The following aren’t necessarily WWE wrestlers' best movie cameos in terms of screen time, but certainly among the most memorable. These athletes have worked with some of the best actors we have, and made themselves stars in their own right, even with relatively small roles in some notable films.

Randy Savage (Spider-Man)

Even without his cowboy hat and colorful attire, it’s hard not to recognize Randy Savage in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. The gravely-voiced WWE legend is seen towards the beginning of the movie and is Peter’s opponent, Bonesaw, at the pro wrestling venue. The moment itself isn’t too unique, because Savage is doing pro wrestler stuff in his scene, but it’s always a great time to bring up that Bruce Campbell shared a wall with Savage during filming and was often subjected to the sounds of passionate love-making as a result.

Hulk Hogan (Rocky III)

Hulkamania ran wild in the early 1980s, and it’s probably because of that phenomenon that Rocky III featured a scene in which Hulk Hogan went up against Rocky Balboa in the ring. Of course, Hogan didn’t portray his real-life persona, but a womanizer heel-type wrestler by the name of Thunderlips. He goes a little hard on Rocky in their encounter, but Rocky ends up giving as good as he got later in the match. Everyone in the crowd seemed pleased with the match, outside of Clubber Lang, and to be completely fair, Lang clearly had some stuff going on, given how upset he was about the charity match.

Big Show (Jingle All The Way)

Before The Big Show had his own short-lived series on Netflix, he made a splash in an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. No, WWE’s seven-foot giant wasn’t featured in one of his action thrillers, like The Terminator or Predator. Instead, Big Show came on as the absolutely massive Santa featured in the warehouse scene in Jingle All The Way. Big Show’s Santa absolutely made life difficult for Schwarzenegger’s character and only backed off his attack after a wayward punch blasted a smaller Santa (played by Verne Troyer) clear across the warehouse. Maybe not the most notable pick on the list, but certainly memorable.

Chris Jericho (Jay And Silent Bob Reboot)

The Rock, John Cena, and Dave Bautista may have paved the way for wrestlers to get more prominent parts in movies, but that doesn’t mean all wrestlers get bigger roles. Chris Jericho had a notable gig in 2019, in which he appeared in Jay And Silent Bob Reboot as a member of the Ku Klux Klan. Not exactly the type of part I’d think any budding actor would wish to seek out, but Jericho plays the character of an ignorant racist quite well, and it makes for a comedic scene in the movie.

Kevin Nash (John Wick)

Kevin Nash may not get quite the level of love as the most respected pro wrestlers turned actors, but make no mistake, he’s done some impressive stuff throughout his career. Some of you may know him as Super Shredder from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, or maybe one of the many other characters in his career where he played a strong, imposing guy. My personal favorite is in John Wick, which, by and large, I think has been a great franchise for actors from other backgrounds. Nash doesn’t say much in his scene, but the short exchange his character has with John really sets the tone for the weird relationship that assassins have in this film universe.

John Cena (Sisters)

John Cena’s journey in Hollywood has had some ups and downs, but thanks to his role as Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad, I think it’s fair to say he’s back on an upwards trajectory. That’s thanks in part to some more minor roles he had in films leading up to that, one of which may be my favorite pro wrestler cameo in any recent film. John Cena plays a tattooed drug dealer in Sisters, and it’s mainly hilarious because it’s just so wildly out of character with everything John Cena is known for. Check it out if you’re a wrestling fan, and secretly wish this was the villainous persona Cena would adapt before he retires from the WWE.

Stone Cold Steve Austin (Grown Ups 2)

Stone Cold Steve Austin was absolutely not someone I ever expected to do anything but pro wrestling, but the iconic WWE Superstar has surprised audiences a lot over the years. He's actually a nice surprise in Grown Ups 2, as Austin was able to hold his own as an actor in his brief exchanges with Adam Sandler. It's also one of the few wrestling cameos that can make me legitimately laugh out loud, mainly because it's just such a departure from what he did during his time in the WWE.

Goldberg (Looney Tunes: Back In Action)

WCW booked Goldberg as one of the most dominant wrestlers of his era in his prime, and even now he’s put up against the best of the best in WWE. I guess it's for that reason that I can’t help but find it so hilarious that he was in Looney Tunes: Back In Action as the muscle for Steve Martin’s Mr. Chairman. What’s better is that we learn in the movie that he’s actually a Tazmanian She-Devil. Again, we’re not going for the most Oscar-winning performances here, just the ones that stick in our brains. This one, if nothing else, is certainly memorable.

Ronda Rousey (Furious 7)

OK, so technically, Ronda Rousey was known as a UFC star when she appeared in Furious 7, but the fact that she was in WWE a year later makes it feel like this should certainly count as a notable cameo by a pro wrestler. Rousey’s fight with Letty gets a good bit of screen time in the movie, and her appearance was noteworthy enough to be a selling point for some people to see it. Rousey wasn’t in the WWE as long as some of the legends on this list, but it’s hard to dispute she’ll be remembered as a notable women’s wrestler in the company all the same.

It’s an exciting time to be a WWE fan, with the rivalry between it and AEW ramping up. CinemaBlend will have a lot of the latest news on the pro wrestling organizations, including the key WWE star who will reportedly be off television for a good while.

CM Punk has always been a person who says exactly what’s on his mind, even if it’s controversial to some. It’s part of his brand and a big reason why he’s considered one of the greatest modern wrestlers of all time. Punk recently revealed he’d love to use that title to help those in the business around him and talked about other greats like Stone Cold Steve Austin while also disparaging others, including Hulk Hogan.

Punk appeared as a guest on the Barstool Wrasslin’ program and answered what it’s like to receive the type of crowd response at shows that only other major names like Stone Cold Steve Austin or The Rock get. He also talked about reaching the point in his career where he's considered the "top guy," and the privilege that comes with that territory that he’s actively trying to avoid.

CM Punk was honored to be mentioned in the same breath as Stone Cold Steve Austin as a top performer, but also definitely took that opportunity to take a shot at Hulk Hogan and make his thoughts known on the legendary superstar. It's hard to be more specific than calling out someone as a "piece of shit," really.

In addition to the various controversies throughout Hogan’s life, he was also someone who reportedly worked to ensure other wrestlers weren’t put above him throughout his career. Truthfully, there’s also a ton of evidence Stone Cold Steve Austin also tried to stifle talents throughout his career, so Punk’s dislike for Hogan isn’t entirely tied to what he talked about in his response.

This wouldn’t be the first time CM Punk has openly talked about his disdain for Hulk Hogan. The wrestler mentioned once he met Hogan in person backstage when he was working on Monday Night Raw, and when he went up to introduce himself, Hogan blew right past him. Shortly after that Stone Cold spotted Punk and gave him a big hug, so perhaps that’s why Punk may be more forgiving of one individual's shortcomings as a top WWE talent compared to another's. Ultimately though, he has committed to say he won’t be that guy in AEW, so we’ll see how he’ll help other talents try to reach his level of fame.

AEW has Night 2 of its Grand Slam event happening on Rampage Friday at 10:00 p.m. ET on TNT. For more on AEW and its wrestlers, read up on Bryan Danielson’s recent debut and the odd request the WWE made before he switched to the rival organization.