Hulk Hogan Explains Why “This Business Was A Shoot” To Him
Hulk Hogan recently explained why he viewed pro wrestling as a “shoot” when it comes to making money.
When it comes to making a lot of money as a main event superstar in pro wrestling, Hulk Hogan knows what you have to do to be in that spot. Love him or hate him, The Hulkster is a 12-time World Heavyweight Champion and is one of the biggest names in pro wrestling history that is a big reason why WWE blew up in the mid-to-late 1980s.
The peak of Hulk Hogan’s wrestling career started with his first WWE (then known as WWF) World Title run in 1984. Due to the success of the company as well as Hulkamania, the first WrestleMania event took place in 1985 with Hogan & Mr T. teaming up to beat Roddy Piper and Paul Orndoff in the main event. Hogan would end up main eventing eight of the first nine WrestleMania shows.
In pro wrestling, a “shoot” refers to something that is real. A pro wrestling match is considered a “work” because the wrestlers are not out there to beat eachother up, they are out there to put on a show for the fans by working together and being entertaining. However, Hulk Hogan recently explained what he viewed as a “shoot” in pro wrestling.
While appearing on the Full Send Podcast recently, the two-time WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan explained why he viewed pro wrestling as a shoot because of the money being made in the business.
“I worked for Vince (McMahon) Sr. first, from 1978 to about 1980, I worked for Vince Sr. So I was kind of his guy for a while, and I was kind of wild in the streets. I didn’t listen very well. I would disappear, make some money, pull no-shows. I was 27 or 28 years old, I was nuts. So I was running hard back then. I wasn’t married, so I pretty much was doing whatever I wanted to do.”
“I kind of got involved with Vince, and everybody says, ‘Oh, this business is a work.’ Okay. Well, if I’m making twice as much money as you and you’re wrestling me, is that a work? It’s a f**king shoot brother, and that’s how I looked at it.”
“This business was a shoot. It was the man who made the most money. So when I worked for Vince and Bob Backlund was the champion, I wrestled Backlund. Backlund always got paid more than me. Oh really? So this isn’t a work? So it does matter if you win or lose? It does matter if you’re the champion or not? Everybody goes, ‘Oh, it’s a work.’ Well, it’s really not a work. It’s about the money and the mileage.”
“For me, if you’re a good guy, usually, until the nWo came along, back in the day, if you were a good guy, your merchandise sold two to one over the bad guys’ stuff. That’s not a work to me. That’s a shoot, brother. If I make more money than you and I’m wrestling you, my t-shirt’s selling twice as much as yours, maybe it’s a work to you, but not to me, if my check’s double yours. So I always looked at it that way,”
Hulk Hogan also recently paid tribute to the late, great WWE Hall of Famer The Iron Sheik, who is the man that Hogan beat to win his first WWE World Title in 1984.
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