Hulk Hogan, whose real name is Terry Gene Bollea, is arguably one of the best known professional wrestlers in the world. He became one of the most recognized and popular wrestling stars in the 80’s and 90’s, enjoying mainstream popularity and headlining many pay-per-view and premiere events. Hogan has participated in many different wrestling organizations, including the WWE, American Wrestling Association (AWA), New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNAW), and World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
In addition to the fame achieved from wrestling, Hogan gained even more mainstream recognition when he starred in a reality show with his family, called Hogan Knows Best and later made appearances in its spinoff, Brooke Knows Best, which focused on his daughter Brooke. He has appeared in several television shows and films, which include Rocky III, Mr. Nanny, and Santa with Muscles. He also hosted TV shows such as American Gladiators and Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling.
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin rose to prominence during the Attitude Era and was considered to be the “poster boy” of the time. He is known for coming up with the “What?” chant that is common in professional wrestling. His “Stone Cold” persona was defined by being an antihero figure, who was disrespectful, defied the establishment, and frequently chugged beers. Stone Cold Steve Austin has won 19 championships throughout the course of his wrestling career and spent the majority of his time with the WWE.
Austin’s career was at its peak when he headlined several pay-per-view events in the WWF. These included WrestleManias XIV, XV, and X-Seven. Due to serious knee and neck injuries, unfortunately his career was cut short and he was forced to retire relatively early. In 2009, Austin was included in the WWE Hall of Fame, being inducted by Vince McMahon himself. He is currently the host of reality show Redneck Island and his own reality show called Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge.
Mark Calaway, who is known by the stage name The Undertaker, began his wrestling career in 1984 in the World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) company. He later moved to World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he was known as “Mean Mark” Callous until 1990. He then moved to the World Wrestling Foundation (WWF), now the WWE, and he remained with he company for the rest of his career. His gimmick was horror-themed and incorporated scare tactics into his performances frequently.
