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The WWE of today is nothing like the WWF of the old. It is more colorful, family-friendly, and PG. You will rarely see the dark side of wrestlers blend with their on-screen personas. But a wrestler’s career has its ups and downs, which they do not share with the fans while under contract. On a rare occasion, Hulk Hogan reflected on his dark past of losing his brother and its impact on his life in an interview.

Hogan is one of the most wholesome, family-friendly stars to be the face of the WWE. But did you know that the All-American hero who asked his fans to say their prayers and eat their vitamins had a tormented past that included tragedy and death? 

Hulk Hogan couldn’t quit wrestling due to a family death

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Hogan spoke about his brother, Allan Bollea, on the #455 episode of the Theo Von Show. According to Hogan, the death of his brother and wife was a turning point for him. It is widely believed that Allan passed away in a biker gang-related incident.

But revealing the truth Hogan said, “It’s not true he died of an overdose and nobody helped him. That’s the real truth.” This shocking tragedy came just after Allan’s wife was killed while managing a hotel. 

“So, I ended up with three kids,” Hogan continued, referring to his brother’s children. Without their parents, Hogan stepped in and took them as his own. With the help of his parents and family, they looked after the children. This was at the peak of Hogan’s career.

 “Basically, I couldn’t quit wrestling,” Hogan added, as with the newfound responsibility, he could not leave the business that was his only way of earning a living.

READ MORE: Hulk Hogan Once Disappointed His Father With a “Humiliating Phone Call” Before Becoming a WWE Legend

While recounting his brother and wife’s story, we finally learned what he did. Hogan always credited his brother for teaching him to follow his dreams. He never mentioned anything about him being part of a biker gang. Allan had four kids David, Melissa, Horace, and Michael.

The hard life and sacrifices Hogan made for WWE

While looking at Hogan’s life and career in the WWE, he was handed everything on a silver platter. But The Hulkster has made massive sacrifices to be where he is today. Due to the lack of safety rules back in the 80s-90s wrestling, Hogan faced multiple injuries. He underwent multiple back, knee, and spinal fusions. Not only did they take a toll on his mobility, but also his physical appearance.

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In the past ten years, Hogan underwent surgeries 25 times. While many have a debatable view of him the fact remains that without Hogan, the WWE would not have been as successful as it is today, and as he revealed to stay in the business was way more important to him due to a personal tragedy.

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