WWE History Vol. 27: Hulk Hogan's Successors
Quick question: When you ask a non-fan to name a professional wrestler, who will they say? Some might say Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson because of his storied Hollywood career, but most people will still drop the name Hulk Hogan.
Hulk Hogan's exploding popularity in the 1980s and WWE's Classic era were synonymous with pro wrestling's rise from a fringe entertainment form, often associated with grindhouse horror, into a dominant entertainment platform which as endured for decades as 'mainstream' diversion.
Hulk Hogan, propelled by Vince McMahon Jr.'s brain child, the Rock and Wrestling connection, would take pro wrestling out of the bingo halls, the smokey convention centers and fair grounds into huge arenas which sold tens of thousands of tickets.
But, Hulk Hogan was more than just a huge pro wrestling star - he was a 1980s icon, as synonymous with the decade as Michael J. Fox, Ronald Reagan, and the Dallas Cowboys. His fame and charisma transcended the wrestling industry and helped him branch out into acting roles in his own right.
Given his status, it's only natural that the companies he worked for - namely WWE and WCW - would repeatedly try to create a Hulk Hogan successor, with varying degrees of success. All good things must come to an end, including Hulk Hogan's dominance over the pro wrestling world. Here are seven men meant to replace the Hulkster, with varying degrees of success.
#1. Macho Man Randy Savage
Hulk Hogan captured the WWE Championship from the Iron Sheik and would go on to a historic five year reign, which no one has as of yet eclipsed (though Hogan's reign is far from the longest in WWE history, but that's another article altogether.)
But everyone in the WWE, including Hulk Hogan himself, believed that the Hulkster's lengthy reign had grown stale. To that end, numerous names were bandied about in the locker room.
Popular stars like Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Don Muraco were ruled out, because it was thought they lacked enough polish to represent the company as a whole. Andre the Giant's health was declining, so putting the belt on him made little sense.
Vince McMahon pushed very hard for a babyface to take Hogan's spot, rather than the other top contender, Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase. Finally, the decision was made that Randy Savage - a veteran and highly skilled performer - would be the new face of the company.
What happened next: Despite a huge build up, Macho Man just wasn't as popular as Hogan, neither with fans nor the media. Part of this was due to Savage's rambling, unfocused interview style, and his intense persona, which was far less accessible than Hogan's do-gooder All American.
Savage would hold the belt for a year, before dropping it back to Hulk Hogan in a highly anticipated match. Savage would have a strong presence in both WWE and WCW, winning the World Championship once again in the former, and multiple times in the latter, but would never really reach the same heights he did here.