by Like many diehard, hardcore, rabid Hulk Hogan fans, I think I have read every single book or article on him, along with watching every documentary, DVD and listening to every podcast as well. In fact, Hogan has more media out there on him then any other wrestler in history and most pro athletes of any kind. It’s hard to learn anything new about Hogan these days and that is why I went into the most recent Netflix documentary with low expectations, I couldn’t have been anymore wrong as it was excellent!
The reason for its brilliance was the usage of home video’s taken by his first wife Linda, which lent a ton of brand new insight into the man Terry Bollea, and that is what made it riveting at times. Yes, 95% of him talking were the same stories we’ve heard him talk about for years, some fabricated, some partially true. But, it is what Linda shared that truly made it, also those rare times Hulk let himself be vulnerable and actually admit to his faults.
As a father of two young daughters, I can admit I got a bit choked up a few times when Hulk would harken back to being a Daddy of two young kids, mixed in the with the perfect choice of music for the setting. Netflix just did a masterful job with all of it!
Still, even with a lot of it the same song and dance and stories we have heard for years, there was a quite a bit even a “know it all” fan such as myself could learn from it. Below are the items that jumped out the most that I honestly never knew about the man and the family until seeing this most recent documentary.
Linda introduced Hogan to tanning
He was 196 LBS at 12 yeas old
He grew up broke as his family had little money
Early on, Jerry the King Lawler didn’t think would make it after his run in Memphis.
He actually fought Bret Hart on some smaller end shows before either was in the WWF
Hulk Hogan stripped naked on his first date with a tipsy Linda which led to them having sex and falling in love.
Brother Alan was a biker who overdosed on drugs he purchased with money Hogan gave him.
Brooke slowed down his partying life when she was born as he was consumed with being a daddy.
He was very unhappy in his early years of WCW before the n.W.o.
His body was beyond jacked up and hurt before his WrestleMania X8 match with The Rock.
In 2003 when he fought McMahon, it got even worse and he needed 3 epidurals a week to help with the intense pain. (somehow I think that claim is false, but who knows )
His marriage was already falling apart before filming Hogan Knows Best. I thought they looked happy, we had no idea the Hell going on.
Linda said 40K a month wasn’t enough in alimony. Are you kidding me?
Linda took 70% of all finances in the divorce causing Hogan to arrive to TNA out of need as he was broke in 2009.
Originally TNA had brought him in to wrestle, not just be an authority figure.
The fact he was taking enough drugs to kill a horse just to get through TNA.
Is all that true? Who really knows, but, the video’s were great and some of the insight from Linda was amazing. Heartbreaking at times, but riveting.
