It’s true that Hogan was in the World Wrestling Federation for a cup of coffee at the start of the 1980s, but without an appearance in Rocky III and further expansion of his move-set and personality in AWA and NJPW, the world most likely wouldn’t have been introduced to the phenomenon that was Hulkamania.
If Todd Phillips plans to accurately tell the story of Hulk Hogan’s unparalleled rise to fame, he will have to touch on where the man behind the red and yellow spandex — Terry Bollea — came from, which includes phenomenal runs in Verne Gagne’s American Wrestling Association and overseas in New Japan Pro Wrestling.