My Top Five Impressions from watching the Hulk Hogan documentary on Netflix from his early career chapter to family drama to his credibility

Hogan Doc

When the Hulk Hogan Documentary for Netflix was announced, it was something I knew I would have to make time to watch. I’m a sucker for a good documentary that looks back on something I lived through, and when it’s wrestling related, I’m double invested. What intrigued me most though, was how they would handle the scandals that became plentiful in the last part of Hulk Hogan’s life.

Whether he was “in character,” telling stories how he remembered them, or simply fabricating stories, Hogan wasn’t one that had my trust when listening to him. Listening to a documentary completely from his perspective would not have interested me as much as one made after his death, and would not be able to skip by some of the controversy.

The four-part documentary was paced really well and told a great story. The filmmaker should be proud of their work. The first hour told the story of Hulk’s rise, from childhood to training, then working the territory system, until blowing up in the AWA after his part in Rocky III. He joins Vince McMahon’s WWF at the end, taking you into episode two, where the golden run that changed the wrestling business took place.

In episode three, we see Hogan reinvent himself in WCW and the impact he had all over again when he turned heel and joined The Outsiders to create the New World Order. We also see his return to the company that made him a household name and his match with The Rock at WrestleMania is covered.

With episode four, it covers a lot of ground where he has a reality show, a divorce, a TNA run, a sex tape and racism controversy, being booed on Raw, and so much more, rushing past and skipping over some of the things I wanted to hear covered.

I recommend the documentary and wanted to leave my lasting impressions.

Hogan’s Early Career

This was by far the best coverage of Hulk’s early days. Other documentaries told a quick version of the story. He was big and memorable when playing bass and was discovered. He had his leg broken in his first training session but came back. After wrestling in Florida and Memphis, he had a heel run in the WWWF, left for “Rocky,” and wrestled in AWA.

This went into how he learned the ropes and went from territory to territory developing his skills. While never the most polished in the ring, he learned what he needed to, and sharpened his charisma, promos, and his ability to react to a crowd. He talked about his use of the legdrop and how it changed his career, but ultimately regretted it being his signature move he was expected to use each night.

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No Brooke

Family is difficult. I get that more than most. Brooke Hogan became estranged from her father and there was lack of contact. Inviting her on the documentary would have been awkward, but it also would have been the right move to add her perspective. She stated on an interview with Bubba the Love Sponge recently that her invite was up to her brother Nick, who didn’t extend it. I find it unfortunate, and fans are left with only part of the story.

Can We Believe Him?

There were new insights that Hulk gave in his interview. The first one was being mistreated by his father. In what was a burial of a man no longer around to defend himself, Hogan talked about being abused by his father. Another story was about Hulk’s older brother. Hogan loaned him the money that his brother used for drugs and ended up overdosing. The last new bit of information from Hulk’s sit-down session was the amount of drugs he was taking at a time. While I’m sure he was on a lot of painkillers, Hulk has a history of embellishing things or outright lying about facts that can pretty easily be debunked. Listening to him tell these type of stories, I can’t help but be taken out of the moment and wondering to myself if this is true.

The Hulk Hogan Character was Respected by Terry Bollea

In the interview, Hulk did open up about the difference between the man and the character. While that can also be used to someone’s advantage when they want to, it came across this time as a man reflecting back in the twilight of his life. While admitting to some things he wished he could take back, he knew that there were kids watching and a roster of wrestlers who depended on Hulk Hogan to be Hulk Hogan. One of his great legacies will always be his visits to kids through Make-A-Wish. Those visits are so important to those kids and their families and I will always admire that aspect of him.

The Man Truly Changed Wrestling

There was wrestling before and after Hulk Hogan. While not quite the “it barely existed and was in smoke filled arenas” narrative we are often fed, there was definitely a change in the business attributed to him. Dusty Rhodes would say on commentary about Hulk that “no one has captured the imagination of the wrestling audience like that man.” With size, crossover appeal, and a way to connect with an audience like no one before him, Hulkamania will live forever.

No controversy will erase the memories, matches, and sacrifices he gave for our entertainment. There’s art and there’s artist. This documentary helped me enjoy the art.

(Griffin is a lifelong fan of wrestling, superheroes, and rebellious music of all forms. He is the owner of Nerdstalgia, and you can shop online, learn about visiting the store in Colorado Springs, or catch him at a comic con in the Rocky Mountain area by going to http://nerdstalgia.shop.)