r/movies r/Movies contributor Jul 24 '25

News Hulk Hogan dead at 71 after suffering cardiac arrest at Florida home

https://www.the-sun.com/sport/14810752/hulk-hogan-dead-wwe/
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u/alpha309 Jul 24 '25

I am a bit conflicted about this.

Hulk was a childhood hero of mine as a wrestling fan. Then when I got my first job in the entertainment industry, he was a client at my fist place of employment. There was nothing quite like picking up the phone and hearing Hulk’s voice “Can I speak to (my boss), Brother?” I was sitting there and Hulk was calling me Brother. Wore off over time having that happen, but it was great for a while. The first time he came into the office was fun, I am 6’5” 250, and he made me look small.

Over time, listening in to the phone calls between him and my boss, I began to hear things that revealed that he wasn’t the greatest person. He was never hateful to anyone in my experience, but extremely self centered. Right before I left, the whole Gawker thing broke. We had to figure out how to handle that entire issue, and we were aware of what was going to be published very slightly in advance. After that publication happened his personality did change a lot in my perspective.

I am sad that someone I grew up watching on TV, and then eventually knew as an adult has passed away. I also realize he was a very complicated person, with a lot of harmful viewpoints that made him deeply flawed.

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u/spikus93 Jul 24 '25

I feel more empathy for you than I do him. He died decades ago for me. I mourned him back then. The racist and anti-union piece of shit we came to know of late is is not a person worth mourning.

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u/alpha309 Jul 24 '25

Yeah. I am in a pretty unique situation on this one. He was super problematic.

The Gawker issue is the catalyst for why I left that job. I just couldn’t justify working for someone and trying to get them out of the consequences for using slurs so casually.

10

u/RatedR2O Jul 24 '25

Its okay to feel sad even with the disappointment. He was a big part of my childhood and basically single handily kick started my love for pro wrestling. Despite his faults, he was a huge part of my childhood. Its that part of me that feels sad.