Hulk Hogan death: Former WWE writer says The Hulkster took wrestling from 'a niche market to pop culture' | Exclusive
Roktim Rajpal | Jul 26, 2025, 18:31 IST
Highlight of the story: Hulk Hogan death: Hulk Hogan died of cardiac arrest at 71 on July 24, marking the end of an era. Vince Russo, who worked closely with him in WCW, paid tribute and called him the man who “put wrestling on the map” and made it mainstream.
Hulk Hogan, the biggest name in pro-wrestling, died on July 24 following a cardiac arrest. The 71-year-old icon’s death marked the end of an era for the industry. The likes of Ric Flair and CM Punk took to social media to condole his demise. A veteran writer, who worked closely with Hogan during his career, has now reacted to the tragedy and paid tribute the WWE Hall of Famer’s legacy
Vince Russo is a recognisable name in the professional wrestling business. He rose to fame in the 1990s and went on to work with WCW and the WWE. During his time with the now-defunct promotion, he was closely associated with Hulk Hogan. In an exclusive interview with Indiatimes, the writer paid tribute to the late legend and said he ‘put wrestling on the map’. Russo also highlighted that it was Hogan who helped the industry gain mainstream attention.
“He brought wrestling into the MAIN STREAM. He took it from a niche market to Pop Culture. In other words---he LITERALLY put wrestling on the map,” he said
Pro-wrestling initially followed a territorial system where promoters refrained from putting up shows in markets outside their parent one. This changed when Vince McMahon took over the WWE (then called WWWF) from his father around 1980. He then built the company around Hogan, the face of the promotion.
‘The Immortal One’ emerged as a cultural icon because of his macho physique, ‘pythons’ and catchphrases. His ‘whatcha gonna do…’ catchphrase in particular garnered mainstream attention. His ‘Real American’ theme song to caught on with the icon. Hogan also appeared in Rocky III, which further added to his popularity,
In the 1990s, Hogan was an inseparable part of WCW and and later revitalised the promotion by forming the nWo with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. This would usher in the ‘Monday Night Wars’ with WWE, which many regard as the golden period of pro wrestling
Hulk Hogan feuded with legends such as The Undertaker, Ric Flair, and The Rock during his iconic career. He also had memorable matches against the likes of Warrior and Brock Lesnar, which he lost. The list of Hogan’s rivals also includes the likes of Sgt Slaughter, Randy Savage, Goldberg, and of course Andre the Giant.
His last televised match for the WWE took place at SummerSlam 2006 where he beat Randy Orton in a competitive match. Hogan his survived by his wife Sky Daily and children (Nick and Brooke). His death has left a void in the industry that will never be filled again. RIP, ‘brother’!
Vince Russo says Hulk Hogan ‘put wrestling on the map’
Vince Russo is a recognisable name in the professional wrestling business. He rose to fame in the 1990s and went on to work with WCW and the WWE. During his time with the now-defunct promotion, he was closely associated with Hulk Hogan. In an exclusive interview with Indiatimes, the writer paid tribute to the late legend and said he ‘put wrestling on the map’. Russo also highlighted that it was Hogan who helped the industry gain mainstream attention.
“He brought wrestling into the MAIN STREAM. He took it from a niche market to Pop Culture. In other words---he LITERALLY put wrestling on the map,” he said
Pro-wrestling initially followed a territorial system where promoters refrained from putting up shows in markets outside their parent one. This changed when Vince McMahon took over the WWE (then called WWWF) from his father around 1980. He then built the company around Hogan, the face of the promotion.
‘The Immortal One’ emerged as a cultural icon because of his macho physique, ‘pythons’ and catchphrases. His ‘whatcha gonna do…’ catchphrase in particular garnered mainstream attention. His ‘Real American’ theme song to caught on with the icon. Hogan also appeared in Rocky III, which further added to his popularity,
In the 1990s, Hogan was an inseparable part of WCW and and later revitalised the promotion by forming the nWo with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. This would usher in the ‘Monday Night Wars’ with WWE, which many regard as the golden period of pro wrestling
About Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan feuded with legends such as The Undertaker, Ric Flair, and The Rock during his iconic career. He also had memorable matches against the likes of Warrior and Brock Lesnar, which he lost. The list of Hogan’s rivals also includes the likes of Sgt Slaughter, Randy Savage, Goldberg, and of course Andre the Giant.
His last televised match for the WWE took place at SummerSlam 2006 where he beat Randy Orton in a competitive match. Hogan his survived by his wife Sky Daily and children (Nick and Brooke). His death has left a void in the industry that will never be filled again. RIP, ‘brother’!