Yesterday (Wed. January 23, 2019) marked 35 years since WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan won his first career WWE Championship by defeating The Iron Sheik at Madison Square Garden. WWE released a video of Hogan discussing the historic moment.
Hogan talked about the victory being the moment that changed his life, coming back to work for Vince McMahon after already having worked for his father, and changing the business with Vince McMahon forever. Here are some of the highlights:
His win being the moment that changed his life: “The night that changed my life, 35 years ago on January 23, 1984,” Hogan said. “The crowd was magic that night. It was the first time that I wrestled when everybody stood up. Everybody was screaming and yelling the whole time.
“It set a precedent because from that day forward, every single time I climbed in the ring, it didn’t matter if it was against John Studd, or King Kong Bundy, or Andre, or Macho, or Piper, the crowd was that intense.”
Coming back to work for Vince McMahon after already having worked for his father: “Vince McMahon was taking over the company from his dad, Vince Sr. I had left the WWWF when Vince Sr. was in charge, and I was a bad guy,” Hogan said. “So, coming back, I wasn’t sure how I would be received.
“Coming through the tunnel, I was thinking, this is gonna be the greatest day of my life, or it’s not going to go well. But it was the greatest day of my life, that day changed my life forever.”
Changing the business with Vince McMahon forever: “Vince McMahon and I dug in really hard and wanted to change this business forever,” Hogan said. “Making it an international phenom, a juggernaut as Vince would say. We did that.
“And as I think of all the Superstars like the John Cenas that were Hulkamaniacs, Seth Rollins was a Hulkamaniac, me throwing my headband out at The Garden and The Rock catching my headband when he was 10 years old, it really hits home to realize how many people we touched, how many people we influenced, how many athletes we made something switch in their heads and make them want to get into the business. When I think back about the ride, it’s been a wild one, been a great one.”
H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions
