Hulk Hogan was WWE’s top attraction during the early years of WrestleMania in the 1980s. According to veteran wrestling writer Vince Russo, The Hulkster’s initial WWE babyface run was superior to the company’s popular Attitude Era.
Hogan, real name Terry Bollea, passed away on July 24 at the age of 71. The wrestling icon headlined eight of the first nine WrestleMania events. One of his most memorable victories came at WrestleMania 3, where he defeated Andre the Giant.
Russo worked as WWE’s head writer at the height of the Attitude Era in the late 1990s. During a conversation with Sportskeeda Wrestling host Mac Davis, he had nothing but praise for Hogan’s success in the 1980s.
“The era of the early WrestleMania, let’s just say one through three, a billion times better than the Attitude Era, without a shadow of a doubt, and I freaking wrote the Attitude Era, and I’m telling you, WrestleMania one through three, it will never be topped, ever, ever,” Russo said. [16:14 – 16:36]
Watch the video above to hear Russo reveal how he knew details about Hulk Hogan’s health status before the two-time WWE Hall of Famer passed away.
Vince Russo reflects on Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage
Before becoming a writer for WWE’s official magazine in 1992, Vince Russo grew up as a big wrestling fan. In the mid-1980s, he watched one of his favorite stars, Macho Man Randy Savage, face Hulk Hogan at Madison Square Garden.
The 64-year-old has attended hundreds of wrestling events. However, he has never experienced an atmosphere like the MSG crowd that night.
“You know during the Attitude Era I was in there for a thousand shows,” Russo continued. “I was there when Austin drove in the beer truck. I was there for all that. Mac, I was at The Garden the first time Savage wrestled Hogan at The Garden, Madison Square Garden. Mac, I swear to you, the building was shaking. Madison Square Garden was shaking for professional wrestling. I’ll never forget it. Since that time, I was never in a building for a wrestling show where it shook.” [18:02 – 18:40]
After joining WWE, Russo interviewed Randy Savage for a magazine article. The one-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion visited Macho Man’s home and went jet skiing with him to give readers an insight into his life.
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