WWE superstar Hulk Hogan has been active in the wrestling industry since the 1970s and the physical toll appears to be catching up to the iconic performer.
Kurt Angle, a fellow former WWE champion and close friend of Hulk Hogan, shared details of Hogan's recent back surgery and the subsequent physical consequences.
On an episode of the Kurt Angle Podcast, Angle shed light on the dire condition Hogan is now in.
[He] had the nerves cut from his lower body," Angle said on his podcast. "He can’t feel his lower body. He used his cane to walk around. I thought he was using the cane because he had pain in his back. He doesn’t have any pain. He has nothing at all. He can’t feel anything.
So now he can’t feel his legs. So, he has to walk with a cane which is, you know, that’s pretty serious, man. I really feel for Hogan. He put his heart and soul into the business, and it ate him up."
Hogan made his WWF debut on November 17, 1979. That next spring, he made his first televised appearance in a match against the "Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase at Madison Square Garden.
Since then, Hogan has become one of the most accomplished performers in the sport.
Nicknamed "Hollwood Hogan" for his infectious personality and larger-than-life persona, the Hulkster won six WWE championships, headlined the inaugural WrestleMania, and was a core member of one of wrestling's biggest factions, the New World Order.
At WrestleMania 3, Hogan helped solidify the WWE (formerly known as the WWF) as a household name with a juggernaut matchup against Andre the Giant.
A few years ago, Hogan recounted the main event in an interview with baseball star Alex Rodriguez and how it helped shape wrestling history.
When Andre the Giant was slammed, WrestleMania was etched in stone," Hogan said.
According to Hogan, they had no idea how popular wrestling would become at the time. But when they outsold the Pope and the Rolling Stones, the then-WWF understood it was a major issue. At the time, it was the biggest sports event crowd ever.
Hogan also carried rivalries with “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, King Kong Bundy, Ultimate Warrior, Randy Savage, and The Rock, all of which helped push the industry forward.
Now, after 30+ years of taking bumps, it appears that Hogan will have to slow down considerably.
His reps have since confirmed that the Hulkster is "doing well and is not paralyzed" but his in-ring days are likely finished.
The rep adds that the former WWE champion is now able to walk without a cane.
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