Hulk Hogan once spoke about how he believed a certain actor held the future of WWE in their hands.
The late Hulk Hogan once explained why he believed Mr T was essential to the success of the first WrestleMania and why his contribution merited a place in the WWE Hall of Fame. Speaking in an interview with Michael Cole in 2014, Hogan said WWE was shifting from a traditional wrestling product to a broader entertainment brand during the build to WrestleMania I. He felt Mr T’s star power played a crucial part in that transition.
Hogan said it would have been wrong for Mr T to be left out of the Hall of Fame, given the impact he had. He noted that several wrestlers, including Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff, were initially sceptical about an actor entering the business, but Mr T’s involvement was central to launching WWE’s biggest event.
“When you talk about how important Mr T is, this company made a quick transition from the wrestling business to the entertainment business. To not have Mr T in the Hall of Fame would be not right at all. He was the guy we used as a pivotal point to point this ship in the right direction. The whole WWE Universe rested on his back and we did not even know it. Piper did not want him in the ring. Orndorff did not like him. They did not want an actor in our business,” Hogan said.
What Was Hulk Hogan’s Cause Of Death?
Hulk Hogan died on July 24 at the age of 71 due to an acute myocardial infarction, more commonly known as a heart attack. It has been reported that this could have been due to complications he suffered during his May 14 anterior cervical discectomy and fusion operation, where, during this surgery, his phrenic nerve was severed, which would likely cause issues such as shortness of breath and reduced lung function, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
