There was a time when wrestlers weren’t considered to be good actors. That stigma stuck around for a long time until Dwayne Johnson raked in big numbers at the box office. Johnson was followed by WWE colleagues John Cena and Batista, each of whom has managed to uphold the standard set by The People’s Champ. Dave Bautista, erstwhile Batista, has garnered praise for his acting chops in dramatic roles as well, thus partially stopping the aforementioned debate.

But why have wrestlers merit this treatment anyway and did anyone contribute to this specific perception? While there is no clear-cut answer to the question, let’s look at someone who tried his luck in Hollywood 14 years before Rocky Maivia made his WWE debut.

Hulk Hogan made his acting debut in Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky 3. While Stallone himself is built tough, The Hulkster left him brutalized during a scene. Stallone, however, is not the only one to get roughed up by the legendary wrestler. Seven years later, he almost killed another actor while filming a scene.

Hulk Hogan’s No Holds Barred co-star narrates the horror of shooting with him

Hollywood actor Kurt Fuller appeared in the 1989’s film No Holds Barred, which was Hulk Hogan’s first movie as the protagonist. Much like Stallone, Hogan left Fuller traumatized. Hogan played the character of Rip Thomas, a wrestler.

Recalling his experience during an exclusive chat with ComicBook.com, the actor said Hogan was not a practiced actor at the time.

During the filming of a particular scene, Hogan had to act like he was shoving a cheque inside Fuller’s throat, but guess what? He did it for real.

“He shoved the check down my throat and I almost died. I mean, it was stuck in my windpipe and they had to go in and pull it out and, and he went, ‘Oh, sorry, man, I didn’t know we were supposed to fake that.’ Really? Really? So that’s the one that has stuck with me,” Fuller said.

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The actor said Hogan was too big a star, and he just wanted to work. One cannot fault his claim, though. Sly Stallone couldn’t prevent himself from feeling the wrath of Hulkamania. The Rocky actor later confessed it was the hardest he was ever hit.

Sylvester Stallone recalls pain after being hit by Hulk Hogan

Stallone recalled his trauma during a conversation with Hulk Hogan in 2007

“Truthfully, the hardest I was ever hit was actually by you, Hulk Hogan,” he told his Rocky 3 co-star. “You went up and caught me with your shin, believe it or not, on my collarbone. I collapsed to the ground. I’ll never forget, I was laying there and I was thinking, ‘I don’t want to look. I don’t want to look because that bone is sticking through my flesh and it’s over. Here’s the end of the movie.'”

Stallone wasn’t the only one who was hit by Hogan, though. Three stuntmen from the same movie had to be sent to the hospital after getting hurt by Hogan during a scene.

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Do you think Hogan could have had a long Hollywood career if he wasn’t so dangerous to work with? Do let us know in the comments.