WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam recently recalled his relationship with Hulk Hogan. The legendary wrestler passed away earlier this year.
Hogan will go down as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. He was a huge box-office attraction throughout the 80s and 90s. His popularity transcended the wrestling business and made him a mainstream celebrity. Despite the controversies in the later half of his career, Hogan still had a huge fan following and commanded instant recognition.
Van Dam recently stated in an interview with Sportskeeda Senior Editor Bill Apter that Hogan was his childhood idol in professional wrestling. He detailed that Hulk shaped the business and inspired an entire generation to make a career in wrestling. The Hall of Famer was glad to have been friends with the Hulkster and spent time together.
"Man, Hulk is everything. Let's day in my bubble, RVD Universe, I think Hulk Hogan was the God of Wrestling. Just like a lot of my peers and generations close to us, he introduced us to wrestling. He made it exciting, he drew us in. I'm very glad that I got to be friends with him. I could never just feel like he's a buddy I'm hanging out with him and see eye to eye. Nick would tell me, 'Man, my dada loves you.' He's a superhero. I'm never gonna look at him any different, probably. I'm glad that I got to spend the time that I did. To me, that is a point of success," Van Dam said.
WWE also paid tribute to the iconic wrestler, holding ten-bell salutes on both RAW and SmackDown. The company also aired video packages celebrating the life and career of Hulk Hogan.
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