A Look into Hulk Hogan's Professional Wrestling Career

Hulk Hogan is arguably the most popular wrestler in the history of professional wrestling. In fact Hulk Hogan became the face of professional wrestling when the industry changed from a territorial business to a national one. In the big picture of pop culture Hulk Hogan represents professional wrestling. In the 2000s Hogan furthered cemented his place in pop culture history as a reality TV star and host of "American Gladiators". As 2009 comes to a close Hulk Hogan has announced he will be returning to the wrestling ring for America's second largest wrestling promotion, TNA (Total Non-stop Action) Wrestling. This article will look back at the significant impact Hulk Hogan has had on professional wrestling and ponder what the future may hold for Hulk Hogan and TNA Wrestling.

1980s
In the 1980s wrestling promoter Vince McMahon Jr. changed the landscape of professional wrestling by making his company, the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), a national product. McMahon acquired the best talent across the country to do this. At the top of the talent roster was Hulk Hogan. Hulk Hogan had limited abilities in the ring but his charisma led him to become the most popular wrestler of the 1980s. In the 1980s the name Hulk Hogan became linked with what would turn into wrestling's biggest spectacular, Wrestlemania. Hogan was in the featured contest (main event) in seven of the first eight Wrestlemanias.

1990s
In the 1990s Vince McMahon Jr. decided to start spotlighting the younger wrestlers in the WWE, like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. Hulk Hogan did not like the direction Vince McMahon was going in and the two parted ways. The parting of ways became heavily controversial when Hulk Hogan testified at Vince McMahon's trial. McMahon was on trial for steroid related charges.

In 1994 Hulk Hogan returned to wrestling by signing with WCW (World Championship Wrestling), at the time the second biggest wrestling promotion in America. Initially the acquisition of Hogan paid off. The first WCW PPV that featured Hulk Hogan did a buyrate of 1.02, which was over double of what the previous WCW PPV had done. However, shortly afterwards television ratings and PPV buyrates started to drop. Ratings continued to decline until the debut of WCW Monday Nitro and the acquisitions of Scott Hall and Kevin Nash.

The debuts of Scott Hall and Kevin Nash (dubbed "The Outsiders") were the start of the storyline which would give WCW bragging rights as the top wrestling promotion in America. The storyline, the formation of the New World Order (nWo), was completed when Hulk Hogan turned against the fans and joined forces with The Outsiders. Many in wrestling say Hulk Hogan's turn is responsible for making WCW the number one promotion in America. Sadly for WCW, everything following the nWo was downhill for the company. Some credit Hulk Hogan's ego for the downfall of WCW (Hogan had creative control over his character and was known to play politics backstage).

2000s
In the 2000s Hulk Hogan made an unlikely return to the WWE. He faced The Rock at Wrestlemania X8 in a bout considered by wrestling fans as a dream match. Within the decade Hogan went on to win the WWE Title, the WWE Tag Team Titles with Edge, and wrestle Shawn Michaels in another dream match of sorts at Summerslam, WWE's biggest PPV of the summer. Eventually Hogan retired and was inducted into the WWE's Hall of Fame. Life outside of wrestling for Hogan consisted of having his own reality television show "Hogan Knows Best" and hosting NBC's "American Gladiators".

The Future
As the decade comes to a close Hulk Hogan held a press conference where he announced he will be returning to wrestling for TNA Wrestling. TNA Wrestling has claimed the signing of Hogan is the promotion's biggest signing in their seven year history and that the acquisition will launch the promotion to the next level. Wrestling fans across America have strong opinions about the signing. Some are buying into TNA's hype, pointing to the fact Hogan helped to make WCW the number one promotion in the 1990s and that he can do so again, this time with TNA Wrestling. Others believe Hogan is a has-been who has no business returning to the ring and that Hogan will bring nothing but trouble to TNA Wrestling. Only time will tell the fate of Hulk Hogan and TNA Wrestling.