Hollywood Hulk Hogan

by Hulk Hogan

The complete story of the most successful wrestler of them all; In the late 1970s Terry Bollea was part of a rock band playing smoky, low-key bars. Few would imagine that twenty years later the man who became known as Hulk Hogan would stand as arguably the most successful wrestler of all time, a man whose name is synonymous with the WWE. And along the way he's found time to make his mark as a movie star as well... Since he first fought as an amateur way back in 1978, Hulk Hogan has won seven World Titles, and in those early years of the 1980s he did more than any other single wrestler to bring the WWE to the massive international audience it enjoys today. In his time he has been both hero and villain, and in the 1990s he took the decision to turn his talents to Hollywood. For the next five years he devoted himself to roles both in film and on TV and subsequently became the star of his own animated series. In 1994 he returned to the ring, becoming WCW World Heavyweight Champion, before retiring for a second time at the end of 1999. Now set once more to make a sensational return to the WWE arena, Hulk Hogan tells his inspirational story, from his earliest years in the ring through th

Genres: Biography, Sports, Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography, History, Audiobook

343 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Andy Carrington · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hulk Hogan is a wanker and this book confirms it.

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so fun brother. Is it the best thing out there? No. But I had a good time reading it. It's a fast, easy read too so you can finish it in a day if you want.

[Tim Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times Hogan can come off a little much, this book is no exception. Take what you read with a grain of salt, but otherwise a fairly entertaining story.

[Claude Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contains little that most die-hard wrestling fans didn't already know, and yet I read it in a day, and couldn't put it down.

[Kylie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hogan is very egotistical along with some problematic views and behaviors and I've learned to take anything he says with a grain of salt. I grew up as a major wrestling fan and even though I haven't watched it in years, I felt it was a good time to take a step back and read some autobiographies. If it wasn't for that little challenge I made for myself, I doubt I would've read this at all. I don't want to throw shade at Hogan entirely, because he was a phenomenal wrestler and entertainer, but he didn't do it all on his own like he likes to make you believe. Still though, it was an entertaining read/listen and Hogan did a great job narrating.

[Reverenddave · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is an oral history. its like listening to Hulk Hogan talk to you. Every third sentence ends in "brother" or "let me tell you brother". Like the Hulkster himself its brilliantly over the top and as complex as a kids book

[Jono Carney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know how much of this book was actually written by Hulk Hogan, if any, but the end result is an often entertaining, sometimes funny, but always interesting glimpse at the man who pretty much single-handedly helped mould professional wrestling into the brand it is today.

[Michael Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book a long time ago and I personally enjoyed it as a wrestling fan...and particularly as a big fan of Hulk Hogan himself. ..I recommend it to every fan of Hulk Hogan...everyone else read at least a sample if you can because not everyone will like it

[Dewayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

very fast, easy read. You get an overview of Hogan's career in wrestling and other TV adventures.

[Troy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book describing his life leading thru his divorce.

[Brian Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read I did expect a little more.

[Michael Burgher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unique read. Its written as hulk hogan rather than as the true man. If you go in knowing it is a read not o be taken too seriously, you will get some enjoyment out of the read.

[AndrewP · Rating 3 out of 5]

If your wrestling fan then this is probably essential reading. Everyone knows who 'Hulk Hogan' is but not so much about the man behind the legend.
Fascinating reading and so often in these cases, some of the facts behind the scenes are more interesting than his public persona. I had often seen clips where Hogan was playing a guitar and thought it was just a gimmick, but in reality he had quite a successful career playing full time in a band, pulling in $400-$600 a week in the 70's.

As well as the print version, I also listened to the abridge audio book read by Hogan himself.
Defiantly one for fans, not so good for anyone else.

[Spencer Heffernan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written in 2002, which is perfect because since then, NOTHING BAD AT ALL HAPPENED INVOLVING HULK HOGAN AFTER THAT YEAR.

[Francesco · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for this first time some years ago, maybe during the 2012 or 2013, it was a great experience. Reading this book again, after the the death of the Hulkster is sad, extremely sad. I enjoyed every page, Hulk has the ability to make a story immortal, even if it is simple. I appreciated the sincerity of Hogan, he talks about arguments and facts with a good measure, not exaggerated or in a boring way, he knows his story and he doesn't care about prejudices. This book is not just about him, but it is also a love story between him and wrestling business.
We miss you Terry.

[Luke Pennock · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an entertaining book which, like most wrestling books of the time, is a weird mix of kayfabe and real life. He unwittingly portrays himself as a big lunk who is pushed and pulled through life and success by much more interesting characters, which probably isn't too far from the truth. It's written before he destroyed his reputation, and is a fun look back at a legendary pre-scandal career.

[Luke Koran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone knows Hulk Hogan. The icon of the professional wrestling scene in the 1980s through the late '90s, the Hulkster put both himself, his aura of "Hulkamania", and the WWF into the national mainstream for the first time. Even the younger generation of wrestling fans who grew up in the late 1990s and 2000s know of Hulk Hogan through his occasional appearances on WWE and reality TV shows (and sadly, in recent years, of his divorce, leaked sex tape, and racial controversy). However, reading this autobiography doesn't really give the average fan anything truly new or in-depth into either Hulk Hogan, or the man behind the character, Terry Bollea.

As one of those '90s babies that I referenced to earlier, I grew up with Hulk Hogan, though usually seeing him live once in a blue moon at a Wrestlemania or in his last full year of active wrestling in 2003. Otherwise, I relied on what popular culture and WWE documentaries fed to me about Hulk Hogan. And I learned a lot. However, when I saw that Hogan had two autobiographies, I thought I would try expanding my understanding of this man a little bit more than just short videos. After reading this books' reviews, I knew to not expect a world-class, detailed autobiography. And for the most part, these limited expectations were met, if not exceeded. Hulk Hogan's life from childhood through the early 2000s is nicely laid out here, all in one place for a casual WWE fan to enjoy. I learned so much about Hogan's early years, both in the wrestling industry and his high school career. His two stints with the WWF and relationship with both Vince McMahon Sr. and Jr. are nicely highlighted. His reflection on his personal life and the toll the wresting profession has on a marriage is mentioned throughout, though he seemed a bit too hopeful considering his family soon came crashing down following his retirement.

But even with my toned-down expectations, there were still disappointments. Once he began to write about his many years as a full-time wrestler, from regional promotions in the southeastern U.S. to Japan to WWF, he never really talked about any specific matches. You never hear what is was like to wrestle in that ring against other legends like Paul Orndorff, The Ultimate Warrior, or Randy Savage. Hogan is more likely to talk about one or two of his close friends outside the ring, notably Andre the Giant. And even then, he mentions time and again that the '80s blended together in his mind. Hogan can hardly recall the vaguest details... they are simply lost to time, now. His time with WCW is even more condensed. Besides his initial inclusion into the NWO, his long run in WWE's main competition is heavily ignored. As this book was published under the WWE label, I can understand that they wish the focus to be on his 10+ years in their promotion. But I didn't learn anything about Hogan's time in WCW. To get even a decent look at that perspective, you have to read Eric Bischoff's "Controversy for Cash" autobiography. That should not be the norm for your own autobiography, being forced to read somebody else's book just to learn about your life.

I gave this autobiography 4 stars because yes, I indeed liked it enough that it wasn't just "okay / average" but it wasn't a MUST MUST MUST - READ. However, you must remember this: it's about and from the very MOUTH of Hulk Hogan, for Pete's Sake! So, yes, I would encourage all of you to read it, though check it out from your library rather than reluctantly purchasing it like I did. Also, his 2009 autobiography "My Life Outside the Ring," borrows PLENTY of the wrestling material while focusing his story around his family and the sad decline both he, his wife, and two kids suffered in the late 2000s. However, in this book which is not associated with WWE publishing, his outlook on life is incredible for a man in his state of mind. I highly recommend that you read that book, as well (though you could get away with JUST reading that book).

[David Grimstone · Rating 3 out of 5]

My final read of 2021. I grew up watching Hulk Hogan wrestle and I’ve always been fascinated to learn more about how and why he was the way he was both in front of and behind the cameras. My first wrestling memory was watching Hulk win the 1990 Royal Rumble and that incredible clash with The Ultimate Warrior: I also strongly recall seeing a match when I was even younger involving Hogan (wearing his godlike red and yellow ’Thor’ helmet) taking on one of my favourite wrestlers of all time, The Million Dollar Man, Ted Dibiase. Nevertheless, Hulk Hogan has always been a controversial figure in sports entertainment, often disliked and heavily criticised by many fans and other wrestlers. For me, he’s an icon from a time during my childhood when imagined heroes could be flesh and blood and when things seemed so much more straightfoward. Terry Bollea (the man behind the persona) also had quite a poor upbringing and always strived from a young age to change things for himself and his family - something he achieved on the grand scale. This was a great read.

[Matt Murphy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Typical Hogan B.S. A dishonest autobiography and a complete waste of paper. It's too bad Hogan couldn't transform back into Terry Bollea long enough to write this, because he was a pop-culture icon who would have a great story to tell if he'd tell it right.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book would have been a lot better if he had written it as Terry Bollea instead of in character as "Hulk Hogan." I got tired of reading "brother" after about every 2nd or 3rd sentence ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE BOOK. I had to FORCE myself to finish it.

[mark stephens]

I like this book because it talks about how Hollywood Hulk Hogan where he grew up, talks about his mother and father, then he talks about him doing sports when he was little kid like Baseball. Then he talks about how he want and becomea Professional Wrestler. There is more to come.

[Josh Liller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decently written, but suffers from a great deal of revisionist history and BSing.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Clearly a story from just his point of view not all that bad a read but not too good

[Jayjay542 · Rating 5 out of 5]

love it

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. I read this book a few years ago, but just found this site. Great account of Hogans story from childhood to his days in the ring with the WWE/WWF

[Douglas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I live in Tampa and enjoyed all of the local references.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazingly quick book to read through. Not the best wrestling book but I have read worse ones.

[Coolcat · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun read. Hulkmania runs wild!

[Bobby Toskey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is bad, but it isn't the worst wrestling book I've read. If you can forget the fact that 99% of it is bullshit, there are some interesting stories.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

read by Hulk Hogan himself on youtube