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Thu, 24 Jul 2025 15:29:49 -0700 marlon from private IP, post #11014409 /all Hulk Hogan never knew about this being in my area, nobody told me, back in 1987 i was not into this stuff, how different my life could have been. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/entertainment/2025/07/24/hulk-hogans-legend-was-cemented-at-the-silverdome-at-wrestlemania-iii/85357758007/ Hulk Hogan's legend was cemented at the Silverdome at WrestleMania III The pro wrestling icon died Thursday at age 71. Portrait of Adam GrahamAdam Graham The Detroit News When pro wrestling needed a superhero, Hulk Hogan answered the call. And the squared circle superstar gave World Wrestling Entertainment one of its biggest moments ever when he bodyslammed Andre the Giant in front of a reported 93,000 people at the Pontiac Silverdome at WrestleMania III in 1987. Hulk Hogan, left, and Andre the Giant wrestled in the main event at WrestleMania III on Sunday, March 29, 1987, at the Silverdome in Pontiac. It's considered one of the most famous wrestling matches of all-time. Hogan, the internationally known pro wrestler, actor and flamboyant 1980s icon, died Thursday at his home in Clearwater, Florida, police confirmed. He was 71. Hogan was pronounced dead at a hospital less than 90 minutes after medics arrived at his home to answer a morning call about a cardiac arrest, police said. Hogan, born Terry Bollea, became the pumped-up world of pro wrestling's avatar in the 1980s, when he launched the "Hulkamania" movement and preached to children to train hard, say their prayers and eat their vitamins. He was known for his massive physique and his otherworldly tan, and became the chiseled symbol of Reagan-era America, ripping his muscle shirt in two while his theme song, "Real American," blared in the background. He stayed tied to pro wrestling through most of his life, and the ultimate good guy reinvented himself as a heel, wrestling speak for "bad guy," after joining WWE rival World Championship Wrestling in the late 1990s, lifting that company to an unprecedented commercial high. He would later return to WWE, and a 2002 match against Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, billed as "Icon vs. Icon," is seen by fans the world over as another all-time classic. Inside and outside the ring, Hulk Hogan was larger than life. "He was a living action figure," says Joe "Violent J" Bruce, the Insane Clown Posse member who grew up idolizing Hogan, and was a part of the same WCW roster with him in the late 1990s. "I've always been a fan, I've always been a Hulkamaniac. His abilities were incredible. When you watch those old matches of his, they just put that childhood warmth back in me." In the 1980s, Hogan was a star on par with the biggest actors and pop singers in the world, helping to fuse the worlds of pro wrestling and pop culture with his Rock 'n' Wrestling connection, which brought figures like Cyndi Lauper and Mr. T into the wrestling fold. Hogan even had his own Saturday morning cartoon series, "Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling," and he had a starring role in "Rocky III" opposite Sylvester Stallone, among other movie and TV series roles. Get the Michigan Politics newsletter in your inbox. Washington and Lansing, red and blue, we've got your government covered. "I remember when me and Joey (Utsler, Bruce's ICP bandmate) were real young, we would go door-to-door, knocking on strangers' doors, asking them who they thought was a bigger star, Hulk Hogan or Michael Jackson," Bruce says. "That's how known Hulk Hogan was around the world." WWE co-founder Vince McMahon called Hogan "the greatest WWE Superstar of ALL TIME" in a note posted to social media on Thursday. “He was a trailblazer, the first performer who transitioned from being a wrestling star into a global phenomenon,” McMahon said of Hogan. Hogan headlined mega events for decades, but no moment was bigger than when he faced Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III. That vaunted 93,000 attendance figure is part of pro wrestling lore, the wink-wink business of sports entertainment, where endings are pre-determined and spectacle takes precedence over everything else, including facts. Industry observers say the real attendance figure was closer to 78,000, but why let that get in the way of a good story? More: Larger than life: An oral history of WrestleMania III WrestleMania III was a huge gamble for WWE, then the World Wrestling Federation, and its unprecedented success made the company a force to be reckoned with, leading to future billions. And the highlight of that event was Hogan, wrestling's new guard, slamming the massive Andre the Giant, who represented wrestling's old guard. The slam heard 'round the world came around 11 minutes and 30 seconds into the evening's main event when Hogan, dressed in his yellow trunks, red kneepads and yellow boots, picked up the 500-pounder in his black onesie and slammed him to the mat, shocking the world. It was sold as the first time it had ever been done, when in reality, Andre had been slammed many times before, and even by Hogan. But why let that get in the way of a good story? WrestleMania III was a watershed moment for WWE, solidifying its viability as a force in pop culture, sports and live entertainment. Its importance was never lost on Hogan, who had a knack for promotion, especially when it came to selling himself. "The WrestleMania III at the Pontiac Silverdome with 94,000 people put us on the map," Hogan told The Detroit News in 2024, during a visit to the Detroit Lions training camp. "This was a make-or-break event. Because if we would have crashed and burned at WrestleMania III, there would be no WWE. But because it was so successful, and it took off, it gave us a launching pad on the greatness for the whole wrestling world." Legendary wrestler Hulk Hogan talks with Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone after training camp practice. Livonia's Zach Gowen was a little too young to remember WrestleMania III — he was only 4 years old at the time — but the future pro wrestler can remember writing a get-well card to Hogan during the Hulkster's rivalry with John "Earthquake" Tenta, when Hogan was laid up in the hospital as part of the feud's storyline. Years later, Gowen — who lost his left leg to osteogenic sarcoma when he was 8 years old — worked with Hogan when he was a part of WWE, and had an ongoing storyline where he was Hogan's biggest fan. "To be able to rub shoulders with him at 20 years old was just mind-blowing and incredible," says Gowen, who joined WWE in 2003. "It's such a great memory for me, not because I could be on TV with Hulk Hogan, but because of how generous and kind he was to me." Gowen says the first time he met Hogan was in a production meeting at a TV taping in Baltimore. When he swung open the dressing room door, he was greeted by "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Vince McMahon. He didn't immediately see Hogan, but he heard the shower in the other room cut off, and out walked Hogan. "Out of the shower, wrapped in just a towel and flip-flops, is my childhood hero," Gowen says. "He said, 'What's up, brother?' and I shook Hulk Hogan's hand, and that was the first time I met him." Gowen entered into a program with Piper, McMahon and Hogan, but it was cut short due to logistical issues; Piper soon left the company over a contract dispute, and Hogan was soon gone too. But it was a lesson for the young Gowen, who still wrestles on the indie circuit to this day. He said he had warm chats and catch-ups with Hogan through the years when they would bump into each other at various convention events. And he always remembered the little things Hogan taught him about speaking on camera and performing in front of a live audience, tricks to get the most out of every moment. "I had no idea coming into WWE, I had never worked in front of a camera before, and so doing all of this production stuff for the first time was daunting. And he always took time out of his day to help produce me and get the most out of me, which I really, really, really appreciate," says Gowen, 42. "And still to this day, I utilize the stuff he was telling me about 20-plus years ago. I just did a match for AEW in Chicago that aired on TNT, and I was selling like Hulk Hogan on the mat, trying to build up that sympathy, which he was a master at. There's a lot of things he taught me that still get put to use today." Hogan, who was born in Georgia but lived much of his life in the Tampa, Florida, area, would go on to perform many times in Detroit over the years, at events at the Palace of Auburn Hills and Joe Louis Arena. He won at least six WWE championships and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. He starred in a VH1 reality series, "Hogan Knows Best," which aired from 2005-07. In recent years, Hogan added his celebrity to politics. At the 2024 Republican National Convention, he merged classic WWE maneuvers with then-candidate Donald Trump’s rhetoric to passionately endorse him for president. “Let Trumpamania run wild, brother! Let Trumpamania rule again! Let Trumpamania make America great again!” Hogan shouted into the raucous crowd. But his life was not without controversy. In 2016, a Florida jury awarded Hogan $115 million in a lawsuit against Gawker Media and then added $25 million in punitive damages. Hogan sued after Gawker in 2012 posted a video of him having sex with his former best friend’s wife. He contended the post violated his privacy. But there was other fallout outside the court case. WWE, for a time, cut ties with Hogan after it was reported that he used racial slurs on the tape. Hogan apologized and said his words were “unacceptable.” At his last appearance at a WWE event in January 2025, he was resoundingly booed by fans. His legacy is a complicated one, but the memories he gave fans inside the ring will last forever. "He was electric. The charisma just poured out of that man," says Bruce. "He was undeniable." Associated Press contributed to this report. agraham@detroitnews.com Thu, 24 Jul 2025 18:46:04 -0700 marlon from private IP Reply #19571803 https://www.detroitnews.com/story/entertainment/people/2025/07/24/hulk-hogan-gawker-case/85364964007/ Hulk Hogan's sex tape lawsuit had a lasting effect on cases involving celebrity privacy Russ Bynum Associated Press Hulk Hogan, whose given name is Terry Bollea, waited in the courtroom last week during a break in his trial against Gawker Media in St. Petersburg, Fla. Famous for his fearless bravado as a pro wrestler, Hulk Hogan won one of his most notable victories in a Florida courtroom by emphasizing his humiliation and emotional distress after a news and gossip website published a video of Hogan having sex with a friend's wife. A 2016 civil trial that pitted the First Amendment against the privacy rights of celebrities ended with a jury awarding Hogan a whopping $140 million in his lawsuit against Gawker Media. Though both parties later settled on $31 million to avoid protracted appeals, the case put Gawker out of business. It also ensured Hogan, who died Thursday at age 71, and his legal team would have a long-term impact on media law. The case showed that, in certain circumstances, celebrities could persuade a jury that their right to privacy outweighs the freedom of the press — even when the published material was true. More: Pro wrestling legend Hulk Hogan has died at 71 More: Hulk Hogan's legend was cemented at the Silverdome at WrestleMania III The case put media outlets on notice that “the public doesn't necessarily like the press,” especially when reporting intrudes into intimate details of even public figures' private lives, said Samantha Barbas, a University of Iowa law professor who writes about press freedoms and First Amendment issues. She said it also emboldened celebrities, politicians and others in the public spotlight to be more aggressive in suing over unflattering news coverage — as seen recently in President Donald Trump's pursuit of court cases against the Wall Street Journal, ABC and CBS. “I think the lasting effect of the Hulk Hogan case was it really started this trend of libel and privacy lawsuits being weaponized to kind of take down these media organizations,” Barbas said. Hogan wept hearing the verdict in a case that was ‘real personal’ Hogan, whose given name was Terry Bollea, sued Gawker for invading his privacy after the website in 2012 posted an edited version of a video of Hogan having sex with the wife of his then-best friend, Florida-based radio DJ Bubba The Love Sponge Clem. Clem gave his blessing to the coupling and recorded the video that was later leaked to Gawker. Hogan insisted he was unaware the intimate encounter was being filmed. The former WWE champion testified that he was “completely humiliated” when the sex video became public. Hogan's lead trial attorney, Ken Turkel, recalled Thursday how his muscular, mustachioed client cried in court as the jury verdict was read. “To him the privacy part of it was integral. It was important,” Turkel said. “Eight-year-old kids were googling ‘Hulk Hogan’ and ‘Wrestlemania,’ and they were getting a sex tape. That was hurtful to him in a real personal way.” The three-week trial was closely followed far beyond the courtroom in St. Petersburg, Florida, as thousands of wrestling fans, First Amendment watchers and others stayed glued to their screens as the trial was streamed live online. Salacious details emerged about Hogan’s sex life as jurors and spectators viewed. images of him in thong underwear. Other testimony focused on how New York-based Gawker practiced journalism differently than traditional news outlets. And Hogan explained to the jury about the difference between his wrestling persona and his private life. Jury rejected that First Amendment protected publishing sex tape The jury ultimately rejected arguments by Gawker's attorneys that Hogan's sex tape was newsworthy and that publishing it, no matter how distasteful, was protected speech under the First Amendment. “Now more people, including judges, understand that it’s possible to sue someone for revealing something truthful, as long as that something is deeply personal and its publication is highly offensive,” said Amy Gajda, a Brooklyn Law School professor who followed and wrote about the case against Gawker. News outlets still have broad legal protection for publishing information about public figures, even things that would generally be considered private, Gajda said “As long as there is news value in what is published and the media can argue that effectively, they can get a privacy case dismissed very early on,” she said. Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia.Replies require login.