Paid Only $15,000, Hulk Hogan’s Fame-Chasing Venture With Sylvester Stallone Cost Him His Career and Respect in Vince McMahon Sr.’s Eyes

Hulk Hogan is arguably one of the greatest names to have ever stepped foot inside the squared circle. With a career that spanned around four decades, Hogan set a new bar for upcoming wrestlers and was the face of the company for a very long time. However, during his initial stint in WWE, he found himself in grave trouble with the former owner, Vince McMahon Sr. the father of Vince McMahon.

Chasing fame and limelight, ‘The Hulkster‘ almost put his wrestling career in jeopardy. Speaking on Stone Cold Steve Austin’s podcast in 2019, he revealed that his role in Rocky 3 as Thunderlips cost him his career in WWE initially, and McMahon Sr. lost respect for him as he went against an unspoken wrestling rule.

Notably, in 1982, Hogan was offered a small but iconic role in the Hollywood movie Rocky III. However, when Hogan took the proposition to his boss, Vince McMahon Sr., he blatantly rejected the offer.

On the podcast, the 69-year-old claimed that during the late 70s, and early 80s, being a wrestler meant being a wrestler. During those times, one could not jump careers, mostly due to kayfabe, and going to Hollywood was looked down upon.

Hogan was offered $15,000 for his role in Rocky 3. However, this 15 grand made him lose his WWE career, and the respect McMahon Sr. had for him. However, this proved to be only a minor bump in his massive wrestling career years later.

What did Hulk Hogan do after Rocky 3 and losing his WWE career?

After McMahon Sr. fired Hulk Hogan from WWE owing to his decision of appearing in movies, Hogan was left without a career. However, this turned out to be just a minor speed bump in what would be one of the most successful wrestling careers of all time.

Read more: John Cena Makes Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Biceps Look Like a Wooden Stick In Rare Photo

Post him losing his status in WWE, Hogan traveled to Japan and pursued a career in NJPW. The 69-year-old became extremely popular in Japan and came to be known as ‘Ichiban‘ which means number one. He adopted a different wrestling style and persona and became one of the top stars in the land of the rising sun.

However, after Vince McMahon bought the company from his father, Hogan would find his way back into WWE, and become the top name there. Vince McMahon realized he had a star in the making and went ahead full throttle with Hogan as they changed the face of pro wrestling. He won multiple titles and main-evented several WrestleManias.

However, in 1993, he would leave WWE to pursue a career in WCW, and it was here, he introduced his heel character, Hollywood Hogan and once again changed the industry. However, he had to bear the brunt of a different mindset due to his Hollywood aspirations back in the day, something that would come off as pretty strange today.

Times have changed in WWE

The likes of Dwayne Johnson, John Cena, and Batista have flourished in Hollywood and today being an actor could come with its own perks if you are a wrestler. Both Cena and The Rock increased their fame and popularity exponentially after venturing into the movie industry and were encouraged by WWE to take up the roles.

In fact, their return led to bigger matches and championship runs as a means for WWE to get more publicity out of its bigger stars.

The same holds true for every star. A WWE star getting into Hollywood means more eyeballs on him and eventually the WWE product. A stark contrast to what Hogan had to face after appearing in Rocky III.

The Hulkster has faced several barriers in his career, but none were able to stop him from fulfilling his destiny.

Watch This Story: Dwayne Johnson’s Daughter Simone to The Undertaker’s Daughter Kaia – Meet Daughters of Top WWE Stars