The Wrestling home of Moondog Manson

**Be advised the timing of this column is somewhat dated since Hulk Hogan is not activly competiting. Now all I ask is that you attempt to recall. Thank you.**

This week's edition of the memoirs goes out to anyone that can appreciate that was ever is old can be new again. This column spawned from the lovely and talented Audrey Hepburn a.k.a Eliza Doolittle. Alright, maybe not if I was to call her hot it would seem sick and relatively twisted but not when you compare her to a movie that made her recognized in the industry. My Fair Lady. The book titled Pygmalion was for those of you that are not as familiar is the story of a bag lady that is found and made into a sophisticated women.

Alright so where exactly is the title coming from? In my ever son narrow-minded view she appears to be just like Hulk Hogan. Through Hogan's career reemergence through the birth of the "Hollywood" character becomes apparent. As Hogan's career and character just was not of the speed of what today's fans are comfortable with he was cast off. He was left to toil in the bitter depths of what was once more than a catch phrase or cliché for most wrestling fans; it was a way of life. His eating of vitamins, saying of prayers and training was what people of all walks of life in the 80's lived by. Then something changed. As he addressed the fans on his first appearance on Raw, way back when since returning to the company, there was some truth to it. "You people turned on me!". He was right, well sort of.

Fans did not appreciate him for what he was anymore. That was the past they said. And when we come to think of it, really in today's world we are of the "what have you done for me lately?" frame of mind. Hogan was living on more than just being a legend, from all indications from a fans perspective he was not taking a bow and gently saying goodbye. The idea of giving the next generation their time to shine never crossed his mind. So as fans began to take this into consideration they all realized this cat calls and boos began. The fans that made him a legend, in fact "Immortal" in some respects was now the man that could never respected by the fans again.....or could he?

Cue the Rebirth of Terry Bollea

Terry Bollea, to some he is a father, to some a showman, to some he is simply Thunder lips from Rocky III needed to find a new look, style to appeal to the new generation of fans. The hybrid cutting edge wrestling fans that wanted to see topless women wrestle in whipping crème and cherries also wanted to see wrestling appeal to the much greater mass of audience. So as this was to take place what is the first thing he does to change his look, he changes his colors. The customary red and yellow which he was synonymous for was now replaced with the ever popular shade of black.

As Hulk mania reigned supreme in the 80's it died a bitter death in the 90's. Bollea lived by the sword that he now very well died by. He believed he was so untouchable in the eyes of the fans that he could not come to grips with the fact that he was no longer a major draw. In comparison Ric Flair can captivate a viewer’s attention for how long it is that he is in the ring, where Hogan could not.

As we look at the new character which has risen from the depths of the man known as the Hulkster we find, what he was always marketed to be. The Hollywood character as we all know is not a stretch of the imagination really. He offers all the charisma of Gorgeous George, Superstar Billy Graham and Jesse Ventura all rolled into one. Now after I say this I ask has he really been re-born or has he finally found himself and what he was always meant to be.

He will always be etched in our minds as the man in red and yellow. Although the colors may change he will forever be the man, whose character was intended to transcend the business like no one else ever had. As the Rock has been elevated to such mainstream popularity and success that has him walking side by side with the immortal one, he has reached a height no one could ever imagine. Bollea, 53 I believe may simply be finding a second wind. Or has he? What has remained essentially from what we loved the most about this man was what he contributed to the fans the most, was what he couldn't do. That being his ability to entertain and yet he can not do this.

He is not a wrestler, and I am sure he would even admit to that. He is an entertainer, and in this business where the cycle takes place and characters change he will have stood the test of time. As a face he did what he needed to do to captivate that audience's attention like no one else could. As his role changed and the demographic of fans changed he simply stayed true to himself and be the man that has created the best wrestling formula of anyone before him.

He took all his charisma, his ability to play with the crowds emotions as a heel in the 70's and has now come full circle. He has simply taken the heel Hulk Hogan of the past and brought him up to date. What we are left with is essentially "Thunder Lip's" meets Audrey Hepburn. This may appear as a bit of a stretch but when we look closer at how he has rode his current wave of success by reaching back to what made him what he is, really may not be as reinvented as even I may have thought when I initially formulated this column. What has begun from this is all the attitude of "Hall-e--wood" with the genital Hulkster that still rules today.

As for the comparisons, to Pygmalion they were not as clear as when I initially began to formulate this column. The Audrey Hepburn character was reinvented by???. In Hogan's case he reinvented himself. Despite what others may have believed. McMahon and Bischoff provided him the opportunity; he essentially did all the work. He breathed life into these characters and only he made them work. He took brought Hulkamania to the height of its popularity and not Vince. Eric Bishcoff's work also was nothing more than capitalizing on what Hogan did for himself and not actually creating something that shined on its own.

Shall we call him Cinder-fella now?

He has now emerged with Adam "Edge" Copeland as co-holders of the WWE tag team championships. Does this mean he is moving in the wrong direction now? No offense to Edge and his emerging light but Hogan was all about the main event. Hogan was the fans came to see but now it appears as though reality has set in. Finally, does this make him human? Has Hogan come down to earth the rest of the city dwellers? It apparently is so. He had held the tag team title for the first time in his career and where did that leave him? No where. Bollea has come 90 degrees from where he first began and Eliza Doolittle would be proud to see. If he has learned anything he has learned one thing that is for sure. "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain" Thank you Bollea you made Ms. Hepburn proud.