The poor sportsmanship of Hulk Hogan

[Matt D]

People like bullies.

[jdw]

I don't think they like bullies. They like ass kickers. In the absence of a clear ass kicker, they'll take a bull over someone who they don't think is tough.

 

John

[Matt D]

No way. Everyone loves an asshole bully that it's socially acceptable to root for.

[jdw]

My college football team spent the past decade being asshole bullies. No one likes them other than (i) people who went to the school, or (ii) people who grew up in the area and started watching them as a kid. The rest of the country hates them.

 

I grew up hating Nebraska and OU, the biggest asshole bullies of the 70s.

 

No one in the 70s liked George Foreman, the boxing classic asshole bully of the era (more an asshole because he didn't interview well). Contrast it with loveable old fart George who made hundreds of millions off his fryer.

 

Folks don't mind ass kickers who are assholes on some level. But bullies... no one really likes true bullies.

 

Stone Cold was an ass kicker who has an asshole streak. But bully? No... he didn't go out of his way to beat the shit out of Spike Holly every week and steal his beers. In the long term, folks wouldn't have remained interested if that's all Stone Cold did: beat up cruiserweights.

 

John

[Ditch]

Spike Holly

A merger that, somehow, makes a lot of sense.

[Al]

How about defacing the Russian flag on Saturday Night's Main Event?

[artDDP]

This is the best thread I've read here in a long time.

 

New Testament Hogan vs. Old Testament Hogan had me laughing for a long time.

[jdw]

How about defacing the Russian flag on Saturday Night's Main Event?

That's a good one.

 

John

[MikeCampbell]

We've talked about Hogan's antics during the '89 and '92 Rumble matches, don't forget the 1990 one either. Where he thanks Warrior for saving him by eliminating him in a way that appears to be accidental, with Hogan trying to "save" Warrior by going after Rude and Barbarian while they had Warrior on the ropes. And the moron actually bought it, he ran back in and went after Rude and Barbarian.

[Matt D]

My college football team spent the past decade being asshole bullies. No one likes them other than (i) people who went to the school, or (ii) people who grew up in the area and started watching them as a kid. The rest of the country hates them.

That's the thing, though. The people who went to the school.

 

WWF was inclusive. If you were a WWF Fan, that was enough. That was like going to the school. Then the bully was on your side.

 

As for Stone Cold, there are plenty of examples of him being a bully and stunnering people that didn't deserve it.

[Victator]

They usually got in his line of sight.

[jdw]

My college football team spent the past decade being asshole bullies. No one likes them other than (i) people who went to the school, or (ii) people who grew up in the area and started watching them as a kid. The rest of the country hates them.

That's the thing, though. The people who went to the school.

 

WWF was inclusive. If you were a WWF Fan, that was enough. That was like going to the school. Then the bully was on your side.

 

As for Stone Cold, there are plenty of examples of him being a bully and stunnering people that didn't deserve it.

 

Stunnering HHH or The Big Show isn't bullying.

 

Stunnering Holly every week for a year and stealing his beer money is bullying.

 

The notion that the WWF/WWE is like a school where everyone roots for everyone on the team is nonsensical. Hogan vs Savage in MSG in early 1986. They're both on the WWF "team". So were the fans rooting for both?

 

Savage-Steamer at Mania the next year. Both on the WWF Team. Fans rooting for both? Were the rooting for the clear bully in it (Savage)?

 

Folks don't root for true bullies. They think they're cocksuckers.

 

John

[Victator]

She got in his line of sight and insulted him by turning down his gracious gesture of a beer. Jesus offers you a steak, you don't tell him you're a vegan. Or something

 

It does take me back to an earlier point. Austin woulda left Sherri in a shallow grave.

[Loss]

Someone else being worse doesn't make Hogan good.

[Victator]

Except Hogan was fully justified in what he did to Sherri. In fact he should be commended for showing restraint.

[MikeCampbell]

Except Hogan was fully justified in what he did to Sherri. In fact he should be commended for showing restraint.

Six foot eight, three hundred plus pound Hogan putting his hands on a much smaller woman is justified?

[rainmakerrtv]

My strict policy is that, barring an out and out attempt on your life, you don't hit a woman ... *ever*. It doesn't matter how big she is or what she is doing, you never kit her.

[Victator]

Except Hogan was fully justified in what he did to Sherri. In fact he should be commended for showing restraint.

Six foot eight, three hundred plus pound Hogan putting his hands on a much smaller woman is justified?

 

Who attacked him repeatedly, and he never actually struck. Instead throwing her from the ring after an atomic drop? Yep pretty much.

[Matt D]

I will say this: Sherri wasn't a woman. She was a force of nature.

 

And also a witch. She was tossing magic all over the place around Sumerslam with Zeus.

 

Warrior was way worse to her too. He was trying to murder her.

[Victator]

If Hogan roughed up Elisabeth that would be wrong. Just because Liz really had no means to defend herself. Sherri was a trained wrestler and former Women's champion.

 

They did an angle once where Steve Lombardi blindsided Gorilla Monsoon. If Lombardi had did that to Sean Mooney it would have been worse, because Gorilla is a large man capable of defending himself somewhat.

[flyonthewall2983]

Jericho putting her in his finisher pissed me off way more. Granted I was younger at the time, and way more sensitive to man-on-woman violence. I still am to some degree. When I saw the Austin thing I kinda rolled my eyes at it, but didn't get too pissy about it. Mostly because it looks so easy to take, whereas a boston crab would involve some degree of pain, unless she's really flexible...I should probably stop talking before this gets too NSFW.

[NintendoLogic]

I wouldn't classify Hogan and Austin as bullies. True bullies are cowards; they pick on those lower than them on a food chain but back away from even a hint of a fair fight. Say what you want about Hogan and Austin, but they weren't cowards (other than the whole ducking Andre thing, I guess). Their behavior was more akin to Superdickery.

[Victator]

I liker how Hogan conquered his fear of Andre after WM 3. After that he always took the fight to him immediately.

[jdw]

I wouldn't classify Hogan and Austin as bullies. True bullies are cowards; they pick on those lower than them on a food chain but back away from even a hint of a fair fight. Say what you want about Hogan and Austin, but they weren't cowards (other than the whole ducking Andre thing, I guess). Their behavior was more akin to Superdickery.

Said better than I could.

 

I wouldn't even say Austin was the bully with Vince. In a sense, Mr. McMahon was the bully: the boss constantly trying to screw over Austin. Of course Austin snapped, and eventually terrorized Mr. McMahon.

 

John

[JerryvonKramer]

On a little tangent here, but how do people think Hogan's character changed between 84 and 96?

 

Do you think the Hulkster character was essentially the same during all the time, or are there subtle shifts? And if so, what are they?