WWE: The Hulkster Turns 58 [VIDEOS]

Happy birthday to the man that made professional wrestling what it is today. If you were a kid growing up in the 80′s, you probably liked Hulk Hogan.

I am a day late on this, so let me apologize right off the bat to all of my fellow Hulkamaniacs. I know, I forgot Hulk Hogan’s birthday. I should be given the big boot and leg drop repeatedly. Usually when former wrestlers are in the news, it’s because they unceremoniously died (see Randy Savage & others). It’s happen far too often for a wrestling fan of the 80?s & 90?s like yours truly. Thankfully, I’m not hear to deliver another eulogy for one of my childhood wrestling heroes.

Say what you will about Hulk Hogan (and there is plenty to say negatively), the guy brought enjoyment and entertainment to 3 generations of wrestling fans throughout his career. Vince McMahon had a vision of where the wrestling business was headed in the early 80?s, and Hogan was the perfect guy to be the face of the then WWF.

Hogan’s popularity started to sky rocket after he beat the Iron Sheik in ’84, and he helped bring the WWF into the mainstream. Who wasn’t watching wrestling in the mid to late 80?s? Hulkamania and the WWF during that era set up the business for tremendous success to this day. Love him or despise him, Hogan is the reason that the WWE still packs 70,000+ people in huge venues for ‘Mania every year. He was the foundation for guys like Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Bret Hart, & all of the future greats of the industry. Without Hogan, there wouldn’t be the stage that those superstars had to create their own legacies.

The 6-time WWE Champion and 6-time WCW Champion headlined the first 9 WrestleMania’s. If he wasn’t the entertainer that he was, WrestleMania would never have become the global phenomenon that it is today. People related to Hogan because he played the hero role better than anyone in the history of the business. Who cares if his in-ring skills couldn’t touch that of Michaels or Hart. He had the charisma and personality that nobody could match at that time.

So on his birthday, here are some of my favorite Hogan moments. Watcha gonna do brother when the greatest attraction in wrestling history runs wild on you….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=R9UDmjtU6LM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkNiMC5hdY8&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbi0tAgDW70&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9-T0jtelrQ&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO9zxsRzN-M&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MROMXNWVhXk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck45heX35uM&feature=player_embedded

Happy birthday, Hulk. Despite all of the negative shit you’ve been through, nobody can take away the impact that you had on people all over the world.

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