Ex-WWE star was held back because he looked like Hulk Hogan, Jake Roberts claims
Hulk Hogan was WWE's top star in the 1980s and early 1990s. According to Jake Roberts, fellow legend Greg Valentine could have achieved more if he did not have a similar look to The Hulkster.
Valentine was a major name in the wrestling business when Hogan became the industry's marquee attraction. Like the two-time WWE Hall of Famer, Valentine had blond hair for most of his career.
On his Snake Pit podcast, Roberts claimed his former co-worker's resemblance to Hogan prevented him from reaching the next level:
"Greg was great, man. Solid as a rock, solid in the ring. Yeah, he could have been bigger, but he had blond hair, man. You can't have blond hair like The Hulkster, and I heard that cost him a lot." [10:00 – 10:23]
Valentine was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004, a year before Hogan joined the illustrious group for the first time.
Greg Valentine once compared himself to Hulk Hogan
In media interviews, Hulk Hogan often refers to himself as the second biggest wrestling star ever. He believes his long-time friend and former in-ring rival Ric Flair deserves the number one spot.
Greg Valentine said in a 2022 interview with Title Match Wrestling that he should be considered the greatest wrestler in history ahead of both men:
"I liked Hogan as a friend, but I couldn't believe it [when] I saw he put Flair over [and] said, 'Flair's number one, I'm number two.' I said, 'Guess what? I'm number one, and both you guys are five or six.'"
In a recent interview with WSI, Valentine disclosed details about a former WWE star forging Hogan's signature on 8x10 pictures.
Do you think Greg Valentine looked too similar to Hulk Hogan? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit The Snake Pit and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use Jake Roberts' quotes from this article.