Did Hogan really put wrestling on the map?

[kiddsmash]

I dunno if this is the write place but I ask this cause in all seriousness anyone could have done it. The WWF made him a marketing ploy and they could have doen this with anyone at the time. Jesse "The Body" Ventura could have easily been better then Hogan. Randy "Macho Man" Savage is another and he had the woman by his side whaich I think would have solidified him more then Hogan. Paul Orndorff could have done it and the list goes on.

Puls the other guys all had a better wretsling aresnal then Hogan can ever dream of having. Hell Flair made wrestling and he didn't need someone shoving their hand up his a** to make him marketable and he has held more titles then Hogan ever did and in multi companies. Hogan only held the WWE titles and WcW but they could be called WWE as WWE bought WcW. Where areas Flair held the NWA,Smokey Mountain,WWE,WccW,WCW,and so many more and his merchandise will sell out naywhere anytime and his style is timeless. Unlike Hogan three moves and that's it. Plus Flair can take a better beating then Hogan could ever.

So,did Hogan really place wrestling on the map or has everyone just believed that?

 

[Soulpower]

Wrestling has been around for a looong time. So no, Hogan didn't put wrestling on the map. However, did Hogan help it get to the mainstream audience, did he help the WWF and wrestling in general go to whole different level.... Yes, he did.

 

[kiddsmash]

I only did this cause someone else in another thread said he did. Trust me I know he didn't. Help it? Depends who you ask? I still say Falir helped it more as he didn't need to be pushed or shived down ppls throats like Hogan did. Just my view.

 

[Flair for The Gold]

Well, Hogan was a MAJOR part of what put wrestling on the mainstream map. Before that, since it was all territorial, a number of guys could have claimed those rights to their own territory.

I will say this though. Hulk Hogan was the first major marketing ploy in wrestling history, but in reality, Vince Mcmahon made him who he was. I mean its not like Hogan wasn't HUGE in the AWA, he was. But Verne Gagne didn't want to put the belt on him. Imagine how different things could be today if Verne would have given him a world title push. Terriotories may still have dominated North American wrestling, for god knows how long.

But when Hogan went to the WWE (for his famous run, starting in 1983), several very important things happened that you are all aware about.

-Hogan beat Iron Sheik for the WWE title in January of 1984
-Wrestlemania I is held in 1985

Those two events shaped mainstream wrestling forever. But I still think Vince made Hogan in the sense that, yes, Hogan would have been a huge draw in the AWA territory, but Vince gave him the oppurtunity to be a huge draw in the entire nation. And the rest is history.

 

[kiddsmash]

Thank you you just reinforced my point that Hogan was made as a marketing ploy and not as great as ppl make him out to be. AWA Champion? Yeah it could have changed everything but who knows if he would have held it long enough or would he have fallen flat on his face? Maybe Verne knew more thenanyone that Hogan wasn't ready as a WRESTLER? ehh..

 

[excellence of execution]

hulk hogan joined wwe at a time when the fed was littered with highly entertaining and charismatic superstars.Still people today call those guys of the 80s and 90s the real superstars of wrestling.hogan was the flagship bearer of a very talented generation of wwe superstars but he gets all the credit because he was THE main eventer and he never dropped the ball like the ultimate warrior did.

 

[kiddsmash]

Hogan the flagship bearer? Again only to sheep that refuse to think for themselves. REAL Wrestling fans know he wasn't the flagship. Ric Flair was the Flagship and still is as he can still go where areas Hogan can't go anymore.

Flair has wrestled over 3 decades and faced every style known and can still go? Hogan wouldn't beabel and can never do what Flair has even in ten lifetimes. Hogan=Overrated egomaniac with no talent whatsoever.

Flair is the man and will always be the man.

 

[excellence of execution]

wwf made wrestling big in the 80s and got it out of the territories,so yeah hogan flagship bearer.if NWA made wrestling big in the 80s i would have said flair.And please don't call me a sheep who refuses to think for himself.i also love the nature boy.i was just being objective.

 

[kiddsmash]

And please don't call me a sheep who refuses to think for himself

I never named anyone a sheep I just said anyone who refuses to acknowledge Flair as the TRUE Flagship of wrestling is. If you feel offended oh well? Only if you feel it's true would you feel offended.
Never said you personallly said in general and BTW my first wrestling match was World Class Championship Wrsetling and Southwest Wrestling
. Which I believe Scandard Acbara (Spl?) and Dusty Rhoads ran. Hell, I never even Knew about Hogan until Mania 3. So,in my view Flair is the man along with countless others over Hogan.

Gentelmen Chris Adams, The Freebirds (P.S. Micheal Haze,Buddy Rogers,Terry Grody) The Von Erichs (Fritz,Kerry,Kevin and even David), Dusty Roads,Tery Funk, Tully Blanchard,Ollie Anderson, Arn Anderson, Gino Hernadez,Al Perez, Iceman King Parson,The Missing Link, Bruiser Brody, Sunshine well not her but had to mention her. Need I go on? These guys made wrestling not Hogan.

WWF came from the AWA if I am not mistaken as I think Verne Gange actaullu sold the AWA to the WWF cause that's where HBK started. Anyways, Hogan didn't make wrestling. He made a soap opera. Real wrestling died in the eighties and the guys I mentioned made it. I know I missed alot of names but I would be here for a long time naming them all. Whoo McDaniels is another. Actually saw him when I was a kid and Scott Casey. OMG I could do this forever?



BTW would be nice to get some rep but whatever? lol

 

[excellence of execution]

i never said he made wrestling,i agree flair and the other names you mentioned did more for wrestling than hogan,but he made it more popular because he was the most mediatised wrestler of the 80s and 90s,that's what i meant by flagship bearer.back in the 80s and early 90s if you asked a non wrestling fan the name of a wrestler ,he would say hogan not flair or the other big names you mentioned as a wrestling fan.I remember going to bombay india in 1993 and you could see hogan merchandise a lot,you would see like 10 people gather around a shop window to see hogan/yokozuna king of the ring 1993.I think i misused the term flagship bearer,sorry for that kiddsmashbah gawd you have a pretty impressive wrestling knowledge

and when you talk about marketing ploy,i don't think anyone could have have filled hogan's shoes.hogan is business minded and really smart with money,he was THE perfect candidate for vince.He knew when to use his ego and when to keep it in check,he knew how to protect his spot.A lot of guys received a mega push like hogan and blew it,ultimate warrior,scott hall was huge when he went to wcw and then had all the alcohol problems,even sunny was a major star in the 90s and it ended bitterly.even ric flair is having lots of money problems.Luger is completely broke.hogan has always been on top of his game not wrestling wise and never blew it.zbysko said it best when he said flair is the better wrestler but hogan is by far the wealthiest and well known wrestler worldwide.

 

[kiddsmash]

Yeah I watched it since I was like two and I am not joking. Thanks BTW I guess I did go off a bit as I hate when anyone says Hogan made wrestling. He didn't but was more merchandised then anyone I will give that up but wrestling in general? I don't think so. lol

Yeah Hogan is the wealthiest "Entertainer" not wrestler? Well not to me and he nade all his money in bomb movies,and his reality show. His wrestling money is gone I am sure of that. lol

 

[excellence of execution]

wrestling wise people like ric flair,bret hart,sammartino,arn anderson,malenko will always get the credit they deserve.

but business wise hogan and vince mcmahon will get the credit because they thought of ways to expand the product and reach out to more people.

 

[kiddsmash]

Treu on that but in actuallity it was Vince not Hogan who thought of it. Hogan just got lucky and fit the bill but it could have easliy been Superstar Billy Graham? lol

 

[excellence of execution]

i agree with you on that ,hulk hogan has been described by hhh as a superstar billy graham ripoff and in a sense it's pretty true

 

[Dairydude]

I'm putting Gorgeous George infront of Hogan as to 'who put wrestling on the map'

GG was such a huge personality, and his gimmick was so flamboyant that it got people looking at wrestling in the first place.
People in pop culture like Bob Hope, started to use GG as a pun or the fulcrum of a joke, which got people changing the channel to see who this George bloke was.

Hogan did alot, but GG set it up for Hogan