Hulk Hogan has undoubtedly become a legendary name in pro wrestling. However, his legacy was not built overnight. In fact, Hogan had to struggle a great deal to turn his name into a brand. But now, he is ready to flex the arsenal he has, consisting of various gimmicks, names, and characters.
From rights to licenses, Hogan bought everything related to them to ensure a smooth future for him. This was done to maintain the purity of the wrestler’s ‘brand name’. In a recent interview with Theo Von, Hulk Hogan made sure to flex the ownership he has acquired for all his names after a long struggle.
Hulk Hogan’s struggle to gain ownership of his brand name
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During his initial time in WWE, Hulk Hogan was working with Vince McMahon‘s father. The late owner of WWF introduced the idea of making Terry Bollea the Hulk Hogan for the Irish Americans. After the wrestler was introduced with his new in-ring name and gimmick, things took off for him. After Vincent J. McMahon passed away, his son took over a year later. This is when things went downhill for Hogan’s first name.
Marvel Comics called WWE’s office and accused them of using their character’s name and personality. The company pointed out the resemblance between The Incredible Hulk and Hulk Hogan’s gimmick and wanted WWE to give it up. However, the dispute was settled with a minimal fine where Hogan had to pay a very little share. This went on for 20 years until Marvel Comics changed its mind about the scenario and troubled the wrestling promotion yet again.
Marvel Comics sued WWE for $35 Million. In the end, they lost the case and owed Vince McMahon the amount they initially intended to charge. Refusing to pay the outrageous amount of money, Marvel offered an alternative. They offered the rights to the name at its fair market price. So, Hulk Hogan bought it for $750,000. But this wasn’t the end. The wrestler continued to seize his own brand name in the coming years.
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When Theo Von asked for an update on the situation, he was a bit confused. The host of the podcast wanted to know who owns the rights to the name ‘Hulk’ since the gimmick was technically created inside the WWF. To his query, Hulk Hogan explained, “I own everything. I own Hulk Hogan. I own Hulkamania. I own Hulkster. I own a few guys, you know, their name and the rights and the trademarks and licenses. I own everything. When I was wrestling I had several names. Super Destroyer, Terry Boulder, Sterling Golden, Terry ‘The Hulk’ Boulder.”
After wrestling with Marvel for his iconic ring name for 20 years, Hogan was finally able to have it all. The WWE Hall of Famer now has the rights to all his in-ring names along with the trademarks and licenses. So, now he is confident with the fact that he is the sole owner of his brand.
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Did Hulk Hogan’s business acumen inspire you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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