Hulk Hogan may well be one of the most divisive men in the history of professional wrestling, which is odd, given what a hero he has been to so many - although, in contrast, he's been a villain to plenty of others.
Today we want to look at both sides of the coin and figure out, essentially, what makes the fans and critics of Hogan tick.
This is a neverending debate that'll likely rage on long after Hogan's gone, and when you look at the depth to his history in this business, that should come as a surprise to absolutely nobody.
10 OVERRATED - Overrated Promos
Hulk Hogan is good at a lot of things and if you ask most of his fans, they’ll probably say that promos are one of them. However, we tend to have a different view on that.
While Hogan's promos may have been suitable back in the day, they certainly haven’t aged well. It comes across as if he’s just kind of screaming at the camera endlessly, and that isn’t good content.
Oh, and when Hogan made that famous mistake back at WrestleMania XXX, it was a genuine mistake. Those suggesting that it had been planned are kidding themselves.
9 NOT OVERRATED - WrestleMania III
Arguably the most famous image in WWE’s history stems from WrestleMania III when Hulk Hogan lifted Andre The Giant up high and slammed him down to the canvas.
That match was quite simply incredible – and nobody can really deny that. The style of the bout may not have been to everyone’s taste, but it was the kind of story that just seemed to click into place at the perfect time.
Mania is always a special event, but Hogan, on that night, made it into something so much bigger.
8 OVERRATED - Past Indiscretions
Alongside his sex tape, Hulk Hogan has also been accused of saying some pretty offensive things in the last few years. Anyone who goes on like that does not deserve to be celebrated, and certainly doesn’t deserve to be turned into some kind of hero.
This man is far from a hero and while he may have been that to some people once upon a time, we need to get over that.
7 NOT OVERRATED - Saved The Company?
Without Hulk Hogan, you could very easily argue that WWE, formerly known as the WWF, would’ve gone under. Even if that didn’t turn out to be the case, they wouldn’t have been anywhere near as successful if it wasn’t for Hulk.
Vince McMahon is almost certainly aware of that fact, and you can imagine how much Hogan loves to hold it over his head – for better or worse. Accepting that Hogan played such a big role in the company’s past is part of understanding his entire story from beginning to end.
6 OVERRATED - Burial King
From Randy Orton to Shawn Michaels and beyond, Hulk Hogan was the original king of making himself look good at the expense of others. He always wanted to win and even if he did have to lose every so often, he’d make sure that he still came out the other side looking like a king.
Triple H seemed to carry on this trend when Hulk went away, but let us not forget that Hogan was an egomaniac who got off on the idea of being booked to look stronger than his opposition.
5 NOT OVERRATED - Mainstream Success
From movies to talk shows and beyond, Hulk Hogan is the kind of guy that is and always has been able to transition successfully over into the world of the mainstream media.
When you ask people which wrestlers they know, most will know the name of Hulk Hogan, and almost all of them would be able to pick the guy out from a crowd.
You don’t get to that point without being a talented individual in one way or another, and we need to recognize that. Whether or not the rest of the public do is another matter entirely.
4 OVERRATED - Steroid Use
During WWE’s vital steroid trial, Hulk Hogan pretty much confirmed that he took an awful lot of steroids back in the day, mostly with the consent of Vince McMahon. Regardless of whether or not that last part is true, it’s not exactly unbelievable to think Hulk has done this.
Still, the fact Hogan felt the need to do it in the first place just doesn’t really sit well with us at all. The guys and girls from today’s era aren’t exactly perfect, but they shine in comparison to the Hulkster.
3 NOT OVERRATED - WCW Heel Turn
When revealing himself to be the third man in The Outsiders, Hogan went down a road that he’d never been down before. He established himself as one of the top heels in the business, and that’s before he even got in the ring and started competing again.
This heel turn led to the formation of the New World Order and the rest, as they say, is history. Hulk was able to reinvent himself and test the waters with a brand new company, and it was a risk that paid off for a while.
2 OVERRATED - Technical Ability
Hulk had a few decent moves here and there but we wouldn’t call him a great wrestler – not even close.
Go back and watch the WrestleMania 18 match against The Rock as a perfect example. It’s widely considered to be one of the best matches in WWE history, and maybe even pro wrestling as a whole, but it’s not the wrestling itself that fans get all excited about.
Hogan did what he was decent at well and aside from that, he used his character and general personality to vault himself all the way to the top.
1 NOT OVERRATED - A Massive Draw
People paid a lot of money to see Hulk Hogan in his prime, and even to this day, he’ll still put butts in the seats. Why? Because he’s such a huge draw and always has been.
Hogan’s popularity went from strength to strength during his tenure with WWE, and while some eventually got fed up with him, he continued to reinvent himself in many different ways.
The negatives are all there for us to see and appreciate, but Hulk made a lot of money in this business and he didn’t do it by sitting around complaining.