"Put his mouth in my ear and I wouldn't have heard a word" – Veteran recalls insane reaction Hulk Hogan received at Madison Square Garden (Exclusive)
Wrestling veteran Bushwhacker Luke recently recalled WWE legend Hulk Hogan receiving a deafening crowd reaction from fans at a Battle Royal in Madison Square Garden.
It's no secret that Hogan was one of the biggest megastars who helped put wrestling on the map in the 80s. The WWE Hall of Famer's appeal at the time was second to none, evidenced by his record of headlining WrestleMania eight times.
Before he worked as a heel in WCW in the late 90s, he was a white-hot babyface in WWE, whom the fans cheered, no matter who he stood against in the ring.
Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling's Riju Dasgupta, Bushwhacker Luke looked back at one such instance, where the crowd erupted upon seeing Hogan. The WWE veteran recalled that Hulk Hogan was the last entrant during a Battle Royal in 1988 or 1989 at Madison Square Garden. He added that as Hogan's music hit, the fans reacted so loudly it gave him goosebumps.
"One of my great experiences was being in the ring in a Battle Royal in the 80s at MSG – Madison Square Garden, the place for all entertainment. I'm in the ring, a lot of boys are in the ring. This was about 1988, 1989 and the last man to come to the ring was Hulk Hogan. Well, put his mouth in my ear and I wouldn't have heard a word. The hair on my arms stood. I can't explain it to you," said Bushwhacker Luke. (4:50 - 5:28)
Check out the full video below:
Bushwhacker Luke says he'll never forget the reaction Hulk Hogan received
Furthermore, Luke stated that though The Rock and Stone Cold drew similarly loud reactions from fans, what Hogan received was one of a kind. Bushwhacker Luke revealed that he was pretty new to the WWE fold at the time and that watching Hulk Hogan command the audience in such a way was "insane."
"This was when Hulkamania was running wild. The energy in the building, you couldn't get anything like that again. I know they had The Rock and Stone Cold, but this was the first, you know, when they blew it wide open. I can't say anything more about it. That'll always be in my mind, that night when he came to the ring. I had only been in the WWF maybe a year then, maybe not even that, it was insane," said Luke (5:59 - 6:04)
Titus O’Neil Gets An Amazing Pop.
Hulk Hogan is Getting Booed.
Classic. #WrestleMania https://t.co/1FBVX8e9ah
The two-time WWE Hall of Famer last appeared for the promotion at WrestleMania 37, where he served as the host alongside Titus O'Neil.
What's your favorite moment from Hulk Hogan's illustrious career? Let us know your picks in the comments section below.
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You may purchase The Bushwhackers: Blood, Sweat, and Cheers at this link: https://www.amazon.com/Bushwhackers-Blood-Sweat-Cheers/dp/B0BHKYMTS5
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