Eric Bischoff Says Turning Heel Was Initially Hard For Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan is one of the most recognizable names in professional wrestling history and for a long time the Hulkster played the ultimate good guy. Hogan had a long run as the biggest babyface in the industry, but all good things must come to an end.

During Hulk Hogan’s WCW run he shocked the world when he turned heel and aligned himself with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall to form the NWO. The heel turn was one of the most iconic heel turns in history because fans never dreamed they’d see Hulk Hogan as a bad guy. Hogan definitely pulled off the Hollywood Hulk Hogan character, but Eric Bischoff recently told Sports Illustrated that turning heel was hard for him.

“Hulk got very comfortable in that heel role, but initially, it was very hard for him,” explained Bischoff. “He was so unsure how the fans would react after being so familiar seeing him as a babyface for so long. There was a big part of Hulk Hogan that loved being a heel, and once he connected to that character, and once the audience connected to that character, he thoroughly enjoyed it.”

Over the course of his long run on top, Hulk Hogan worked with some of the best bad guys in the business, and according to Eric Bischoff, Hogan had taken some mental notes that he incorporated into his heel character.

“Hulk, as a top babyface for nearly 15 years, had the opportunity to work with some of the greatest heels in the business,” said Bischoff. “He saw a lot of things that he filed into his ‘heel folder’, and that included drawing from ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham, Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura, and Roddy Piper. He’d had the opportunity to work with some of the best heels in the business, and he filed a lot of that away. There was also a part of Terry Bollea’s real personality that he brought to the table that allowed him to let loose.”

Which character did you like better, Hulk Hogan or Hollywood Hulk Hogan? Sound off in the comments below.