Short Biography

Bollea was born in Atlanta, Georgia and was raised in Tampa, Florida. As a boy, he was a pitcher in Little League baseball. He began watching professional events at 16 years old. While in high school, he revered Dusty Rhodes, and he regularly attended cards at the Tampa Sportatorium.

Bollea was also a skilled musician, spending ten years playing bass guitar in several Florida-based rock bands.[1] Many of the wrestlers who competed in the Florida territory at that time visited the bars where Bollea was performing. He then attended the University of South Florida, of which he later dropped out, though he spent most of his time at a local gym, where he met pro wrestler Mike Graham, who is the son of legendary wrestler and National Wrestling Alliance president Eddie Graham. Hogan`s physical stature also caught the attention of Jack Brisco and his brother Gerald. Together, they convinced Hogan to try wrestling. Having been a wrestling fan since childhood, Bollea agreed, and in 1976, Mike Graham introduced Bollea to Hiro Matsuda, who was among the sport’s top trainers. According to Bollea, during their first training session, Matsuda sarcastically asked him, "So you want to be a wrestler?" and purposely broke Hogan`s leg.[3]

Who's Dated Who content is contributed and edited by our readers. Please report errors or omissions on this page.