I started wrestling as Terry Boulder. Wrestled as the Super Destroyer. Wrestled as Sterling Golden. Wrestled as Terry “The Hulk” Boulder. I was actually bigger than Lou Ferrigno on the TV show. When I went to New York for the very first time, Vince McMahon’s Sr. had all these ethnic characters, like Chief Jay Strongbow for the Native Americans, Ivan Putski for the Polish Americans, Bruno Sammartino for the Italian Americans. Then turns to me and says “I like the name Hogan. I want you to be Hulk Hogan for the Irish-Americans.” So, Vince McMahon Sr. gave me the name. I said, “Wow, Hulk Hogan sounds like a Hulk Hoagie or something,” but the name stuck. It worked, and it’s just incredible the name stood the test of time.

My favorite, personal moment in wrestling was when I won the WWF heavyweight title in Madison Square Garden on January 23rd, 1984 from the Iron Sheik, but there’s a backstory to it. It goes back many, many years, when I was going to the University of South Florida majoring in Finance and Management with a minor in Music. After many years of going to college, and quitting to play music, going back to college, and quitting to play music again, several times. I finally quit for good to be a professional wrestler. It just killed both my parents. It just ruined their hopes and dreams for me. So, we had a very strained relationship for quite a long time. But when I beat the Iron Sheik in Madison Square Garden, both of my parents where in the audience sitting next to Linda McMahon. When I came back with the belt, Andre was pouring champagne on my head. My dad and mom came to the dressing room, and they both said how proud they were of me. They were very, very happy that I made that decision to be a wrestler. So that was the personal greatest moment ever in my career.

You know something, when I got that 7’4″, almost 700 pound, big, stinky giant up over my head and slammed him down in front of 93,000 people, it sent tremors around the world. It was like everybody, not only in North America but in Africa, Asia, China, Tokyo and all points in between, could feel the slam heard around the world. It was the greatest thing I ever did in the wrestling ring. It was a one-time deal, brother. I’m glad that giant went up and came crashing down.

It was the longest two years of my life. I quit wrestling to do Thunder in Paradise. I had no idea the shortest day I was ever going to have was a 14 hour day. It was an action show with a lot of big, big setups. We were running three crews simultaneously, and basically working seven days a week. In TV, we needed nine or ten days to shoot a one-hour action show. I was partners with the Baywatch guys, so we shot the whole episode weekly in six to seven days. But at the end of the day, there will not be another Thunder in Paradise. Chris Lemmon and Carol Alt are doing other stuff, and I can’t spend that much time on a boat, brother.

You know, I quit playing guitar a long time ago, but every once in a while, (because Brooke is really into music) I’ll pick a guitar up and mess around, do some chord progressions, but it’s kind of hard because after 35 years of wrestling and all the broken fingers things are a bit messed up. Plus, it’s hard to hang on to the neck for too long, and you have got it play it all the time to be good. But, every once in a while, I’ll pick it up, hang out with Brooke, and do some music. That’s pretty much it. Now, if I’d a been in the Rolling Stones, or a really good rock n’ roll band, I don’t know about this wrestling deal…

If I could wrestle one WWE Superstar, because I probably got one left in me, it’d be Braun Strowman. Even though he’s getting over, I think if he ran into the power of Hulkamania it’d blow him and his career through the roof. But we have a good time finding out what he’s made of, brother! Braun Strowman would be the guy to tie up with.