Terry Gene Bollea who is also known as Hulk Hogan was born on August 11, 1953, in Augusta, Georgia, and spent 24 years pursuing various interests before entering wrestling in 1977. He later became Hulk Hogan, a 12-time world champion, wrestling for WWE, NJPW, AWA, WCW, and TNA.
Hogan held the WCW World Heavyweight Champion title six times and holds it for the longest reign. This isn’t a coincidence; Hogan’s exceptional skill, charisma, and popularity in wrestling history earned him significant influence and privileges throughout his career.
This included substantial creative control, general sway, and “most favored nation” clauses in his contracts. The extent to which Hogan actually exercised these powers is a subject of ongoing debate.
While he claims to have done so sparingly, numerous accounts from fellow wrestlers and industry insiders, along with persistent rumors across various promotions and interactions, could fill an arena to capacity.
At one time, Hulk Hogan was the undisputed top figure in the wrestling world, essentially the company’s poster boy. He was known to possess creative authority and even determined the course of his own matches.
Hulk Hogan declines to lose the match
Hogan reportedly declined to lose matches, participate in specific bouts, or face certain wrestlers, asserting his independence from the creative decisions of various promotions. Here are the top three instances when Hulk Hogan refused to cooperate with these requests.
1. Losing to Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts
In the ’80s, Hulk Hogan was a beloved babyface, but in 1986, the heel Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts gained significant fan attention. This led to a planned feud between the two.
During a ‘Snake Pit’ segment, they had a scripted argument, and Roberts DDT’d Hogan. Surprisingly, the crowd cheered, causing the segment to be abruptly cut short. Hogan was concerned that a heel was getting more applause and feared Roberts might overshadow him.
He initially opposed the feud, thinking it wouldn’t succeed, but later admitted he was wrong. Roberts eventually turned babyface after receiving cheers against Randy Savage.
2. Losing to ‘Mr. Perfect’ Curt Hennig
Curt Hennig, known as Mr. Perfect, is considered one of the greatest wrestlers, excelling as both a babyface and heel.
In the late ’80s, he gained popularity but lost to Hulk Hogan in the 1990 Royal Rumble. Hogan reportedly never considered losing to him.
Hennig later became an exceptional Intercontinental Champion and a key member of WCW’s Four Horsemen, while Hogan faced typical monster heels.
3. Losing to Ric Flair
When Ric Flair joined WWE, fans eagerly anticipated a match against Hogan, but it didn’t happen at WrestleMania VIII. Later, both wrestlers moved to WCW, planning three matches with Hogan winning, then Flair, and Hogan regaining the belt.
However, after just one match, Hogan invoked his WCW creative control to avoid losing. Five years later, Flair finally defeated Hogan at Uncensored 1999, though it came with a controversial fast count.
These are the top three moments when Hulk Hogan exerted his power by refusing to lose to other superstar opponents and instead chose to dictate the match outcomes himself.
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