Vince McMahon created a lot of stars in wrestling in different eras. His ability to create larger-than-life characters who became global icons was one of the reasons for WWE’s rise. Names like The Undertaker, Dwayne Johnson, John Cena are just some wrestlers that became household names under McMahon.
However, perhaps his biggest star would always be Hulk Hogan. Without the Hulkster, none of what came after would have found that much success. McMahon had a vision to change pro wrestling and Hulk Hogan was at the front of that revolution.
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If Vince McMahon could create and mould a wrestler from scratch for his company, it would’ve been close to what Hulk Hogan was. His chiseled physique, 24-inch pythons and charisma was a recipe for success.
Hogan spearheaded WWE’s transformation under McMahon, one that saw WWE become a global phenomenon.
The two had a very long working relationship that goes back to the 1980s. If there is anyone who knows McMahon’s personality in and out, it has to be Hogan. Few years ago at an event, Hogan shared his opinion and view about his former boss.
Hogan said there are two versions of Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan worked together to make WWE the biggest wrestling company. They both made each other a great deal of money. McMahon and Hogan became synonyms with WWE so much so that you couldn’t imagine the one without the other. Their relation also hit some bumps along the way and there were some ups and downs, yet they always found a way to work with each other.
Despite Hogan joining WWE’s rival WCW and running McMahon into the ground, the two came around to work several times after that. In fact, they even had a match at WrestleMania 19. So regardless of the differences with Hogan, Vinnie Mac always found a way to make things work with him. In 2015, at an event called ‘An Evening with Hulk Hogan’ in England, Hogan shared his thoughts on McMahon and gave an insight into his mindset.
The WWE Hall of Famer said, “There’s two Vince McMahons. The first Vince McMahon, on a personal level, would give you the shirt off his back … The other Vince McMahon is a businessman, and there’s nothing personal at all. It’s either good for him business-wise, or it’s not.”
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The Immortal One further said that as a businessman, McMahon was extremely strict and he respected him for that. He added, “There’s no attachment, there’s no ‘I feel sorry for the guy,” there’s no second chances, it’s cut-and-dry with Vince, so, on a personal level I love him to death, on a business level, I respect him. He’s a good guy. He really is. If you get to know Vince, he’s fun to be around.”
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Vince McMahon and Hogan had a peculiar but ultimately successful relationship in WWE. The pair came together to take WWE to unprecedented heights in pro wrestling. Even with their many differences over the years, they kept working together. This speaks a lot of McMahon’s credentials as an astute businessman that he was ready to let bygones be bygones to do what was best for the business.
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