Read on and find out more about the Nature Boy, from how he started out up to the latest updates.

Ric Flair’s Early Life

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, on February 25, 1949, Richard Morgan Fliehr was put for adoption by his biological parents Luther and Olive Phillips. During that time the Tennessee Children’s Home Society was involved in illegal operations like kidnapping kids for adoption and as for Flair it was claimed that he was “abandoned” by his parents. Flair was adopted by Richard Fliehr and Kathleen Kinsmiller, and they relocated to Edina, Minnesota.

It was his adoptive father who introduced Flair to wrestling by taking him to matches at the promotion American Wrestling Association (AWA). After ninth grade Flair was sent to a boarding school in Wisconsin due to his troublemaking attitude. It was here where Flair got into wrestling, football, and shot put. He also became champion of the state’s private school wrestling. In 1968 Flair enrolled at the University of Minnesota under a football scholarship and met Mike and Steve Goldberg, the older brothers of wrestler Bill Goldberg.

Flair dropped out of college and worked as an insurance agent and bouncer, and while working as the latter he met Olympic gold medalist weightlifter Ken Patera. Flair learned that Patera was gearing up for a pro wrestling career and the two became friends. They lived together in South Minneapolis and lifted weights.

Ric Flair’s Early Wrestling Career

After the Olympics Patera began his training at the camp of the legendary Verne Gagne, and Flair joined him along with a handful of future wrestling legends. They were subjected to a grueling training routine by Billy Robinson in a frigid environment as winter kicked in. Flair gave up but was brought back to the fold by Verne himself with a couple of harsh words.

Flair’s first match came in 1972 with the AWA. He locked horns with George “Scrap Iron” Gadaski for ten minutes which ended in a draw. He stayed in the promotion for two years and wrestled against notable legends such as Andre the Giant, Dusty Rhodes, and Rene Goulet who gave Flair his first taste of defeat. In 1973 he flew to Japan for a wrestling tour where he had a string of matches in the promotion International Wrestling Enterprise (IWE).

In 1974 Flair moved to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) promotion and formed a teamed up with Rip Hawk. The two heels captured the Tag-Team championship in the same year for a reign that ended in February 1975. Eight months later Flair was among the survivors of the plane crash that ended the careers of several wrestlers who were aboard with him and claimed the life of the pilot Joseph Farkas. He suffered from a broken back and had to undergo physical therapy.

It was thought that Flair’s career was about to end as it was on a rise, but Flair proved to be resilient and returned to the ring in 1976 despite being told by doctors that his wrestling days were over. His return marked the beginnings of his “Nature Boy” persona and he was forced to change his rough wrestling style in favor of submission-based techniques due to his back injury. Flair roared through the late 70s and the first half of the 80s in multiple NWA World Heavyweight Championship reigns. He also became a member of the renowned heel stable The Four Horsemen.

Ric Flair in the WCW

In 1988 Ted Turner purchased certain territories of the NWA and formed the WCW. Flair reformed The Horsemen with Sting as a new member and the faction again dominated the ring. Sting was kicked out of the stable in 1990 after expressing his desire to pursue the championship, and Flair faced the wrestler in a long feud.

A year later Flair feuded not with a wrestler but with the brass. Then-executive vice president Jim Herd wanted Flair to change his character into a Roman gladiator named Spartacus along with a pay cut. The wrestler naturally disagreed and he was fired from the promotion shortly. Flair returned to the WCW in 1993 and first had a talk show segment while his “no-compete clause” was still in effect.

Flair wrestled in the WCW from 1993 to 2001. He had notable feuds with many wrestlers including Ricky Steamboat, Bret Hart, Sting, and Hulk Hogan. In 1998 he even feuded with Eric Bischoff for the “presidency” of WCW which Flair won. He abused his on-screen position in favor of heels and to ensure that his son David did not lose the championship title. Sting dethroned Flair from the presidency and the position was rightfully returned to Bischoff.

As the WCW was on its last legs Flair formed another stable named the Magnificent Seven which broke up with an unresolved storyline after Vince McMahon purchased the promotion in 2001.

Ric Flair in the WWE

Flair’s first run in the WWE was in 1991 after being fired by Herd. As Flair was axed while still a champion he brought the Big Gold Belt with him to the WWE and did not relinquish it as WCW did not return his deposit of $25,000 (a deposit that was required of champions to be returned after the title reign). He emerged victorious at the Royal Rumble in 1992 and won the WWF Championship, although Flair lost the title a few months later. He was forced to leave the promotion in the 1993 Royal Rumble after losing a “Loser Leaves WWE” match against Mr. Perfect.

He returned in November 2001 after taking a break from the squared circle. He served as the WWE’s “co-owner” which saw him feud with McMahon. In 2002 he faced The Undertaker at WrestleMania X8 in a losing effort. Six months later he aided Triple H in a heel turn that served as the nucleus of Evolution, one of WWE’s most dominant heel stables. They were joined by Randy Orton and Batista, and the four men each held titles with Flair sharing a Tag-Team championship with Batista. The stable faltered in 2004 after Orton was betrayed by the men, followed by Batista a year later. Flair was attacked by Triple H in October 2005 thus ending Evolution.

His remaining years in the WWE saw Flair in feuds with wrestlers including Edge, the Spirit Squad, Umaga, and Carlito. In 2008 he was put on a stipulation by McMahon wherein Flair’s next defeat will lead to his retirement. The end came for Flair at WrestleMania XXIV with Shawn Michaels delivering the career-ending final blow. The emotionally-charged match was hailed as a perfect bout by fans and critics alike. He delivered a farewell speech the following night and fans gave him a standing ovation while being surrounded by both face and heel superstars alike. Flair was also inducted to the promotion’s Hall of Fame prior to his final bout.

Flair made sporadic appearances in the WWE on non-wrestling roles until his contract finally expired in June 2009. In January 2010 he signed a contract on Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and wrestled until September 2011 after an injury put him out of the ring indefinitely. He was fired in May 2012 and Flair later revealed that his tenure in TNA was his career’s biggest regret.

What’s Ric Flair Doing Now in 2018 – Recent Updates

Flair made several appearances in the WWE since 2013 and supported his daughter Charlotte on NXT until her championship victory in 2015. In January 2016 the father and daughter duo turned heel which ended in May with Flair being ejected from the ring by Charlotte.

If you’ve been following Flair’s podcast then you’re in ill luck as he has officially retired from podcasting on January 03.

A documentary about Flair’s life and wrestling career is set for release in 2017 titled Nature Boy which will be part of ESPN’s 30 for 30 series of films.

At 67 years of age Flair is still in peak shape as a video of him deadlifting a 400 pound barbell surfaced online on January 04. Guess that should make you think about your fitness resolutions for 2018.

Flair is set to appear at the upcoming Albuquerque Comic Con on January 14 and at The Affiliate Summit on January 16 at Las Vegas. He has a long list of events until July this year so head over to his events page on Facebook so you can get tickets if you want to see the Nature Boy.

Stay updated with Flair by following his Facebook, Instagram (@RicFlairNatureBoy), and Twitter (@RicFlairNatrBoy) accounts.

The post What Happened to Ric Flair- News & Updates appeared first on Gazette Review.

The World of wrestling is a punishing occupation, mentally, spiritually and most of all physically, but for those skilled enough, strong enough and determined enough to make it to the top of the professional game the rewards are magnificent, in terms of both wealth and status. After such a long period as the golden Boy of the WWF (As the WWE was known until 2002), and a huge number of paid appearances, exactly how much money has the Hulk amassed over the years? Step this way to explore the known facts about Hulk Hogan’s wealth.

Hulk Hogan Net Worth – $25 Million

How Did Hulk Hogan Make His Money & Wealth?

The skill set required to become a top professional wrestler is varied and unusual, you have to have the agility of a gymnast, and the natural showmanship of a talk-show host, but even if you’re a master contortionist and able to win a debate against Conan O’Brien and Jay Leno at the same time, you will still probably fail as a wrestler if you’re five foot ten and 170 pounds, you need the full package, agility, personality, and most of all an imposing physical presence.

Hulk Hogan began wrestling in the late 1970’s originally as a masked bad guy known as the Super Destroyer. It was a typical villain role which had in fact been played by several up-and-coming wrestlers in the past. Hogan had the body of a wrestler, and the skill to match, but everyone has to start somewhere and in those early days no-one realized how engaging Hulk Hogan could be with the fans. After a few early bouts for Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF) in a tag-team partnership with his friend Ed Leslie, who would later become professionally known as Brutus Beefcake, Hogan moved over to the more popular Hulk character, largely due to his popularity with the fans.

The top wrestlers today earn several million a year, John Cena makes $3 million annually, plus bonuses from pay per view events and merchandise sales, The Rock makes even more, but in Hogan’s day the rewards were not quite as generous. Terry Bollea joined the WWF in 1979 at the request of Vince McMahon Sr. McMahon wanted to use him as an Irish character, and suggested the Irish name Hogan to go with ‘Hulk’, he also wanted Terry to dye his hair red, but the wrestler refused that request, due to his already rapidly thinning hair. He performed in several high-profile bouts, including his majestic first match against Andre the Giant in 1980, which he lost amid controversy over the referee’s quick count, but he also became a popular favorite of the fans in the process, and a regular face on the show. He also wrestled for the New Japan Pro Wrestling league during the early 1980’s, becoming equally popular there, where he was known as ‘Ichiban’, which means ‘Number one’.

Hogan’s earnings during this time were at least $1.5 million per year from his wrestling performances alone, but his growing popularity with fans contributed to the Hulk’s bank balance by another half a million per year through merchandising, particularly after his role in Rocky III, in which he played the insanely temperamental Thunderlips. Hogan’s income was growing, but the son of a construction worker wasn’t the type to invest every penny, his lifestyle at the time was lavish, and once he had achieved a degree of financial stability, additional millions were not his main priority.

Vince McMahon Sr had asked Hogan not to take the role in Rocky III, and due to his wishes not being followed, Hogan had temporarily found himself out of favor at the WWF, but in 1983 all that changed. The elder McMahon, who was by now ailing and only a year away from death, sold the business to his son, Vince Jr who had big plans to expand the WWF franchise into a nationwide event, and Hogan was at the top of the list of potential attractions he had planned. The next five years became the most successful of Hogan’s career, as the era of Hulkamania was born. Hogan’s was the perfect character during the mid 1980’s to help WWF grow into the globally popular franchise it has become today, helped of course by Vince McMahon’s shrewd development of the WWF first nationally, and then internationally.

The rewards to both McMahon and Hogan grew exponentially for a few years, the cool new pop culture style of professional wrestling brought the sport fully into the mainstream entertainment category, huge television ratings were achieved every week and pay-per-view earnings went through the roof, with subscribers to certain events exceeding 30 million on occasion. Hogan was estimated to have earned at least $20 million from 1985 to 1990 alone, but he has admitted that his spending was so extravagant at the time with ‘hundreds of millions’ being spent on the good life, that his net worth actually decreased annually over several years of the period. Even after the peak years of Hulkamania had passed, a rare insight into Wrestlers earnings whilst working for the WWE came about when in 2016 the franchise released details of earnings between 1996 and 2000, Hogan easily topped the list with a total income during the period of over $13 million, over $5 million more than any other wrestler at the time.

In 2005 Terry Bollea starred in his own reality TV show, ‘Hogan Knows Best’, which focused on him, wife Linda, daughter Brooke and son Nick. The show was quirky and occasionally thought-provoking and as it gradually grew in popularity over a few seasons favorable comparisons with reality TV hit ‘The Osbournes’ were made, but fate intervened suddenly, bringing the show to an end.

By October 2007 cracks had begun to show in the marriage of Hulk and Linda, who had been married since 1983. At the time Hogan’s net worth was no more than $40 million, but it was severely depleted by the divorce settlement, which saw 70% of his assets go to Linda. By 2011 the Hulk was living in a rented home, but still enjoyed a wealthy lifestyle, however he was desperate to sell the former family home which he had reduced from $25 million to just $9 million in order to guarantee a quick sale. By 2013 he was busy rebuilding his wealth, launching a web hosting service called ‘Hostamania’, investing in real estate in Florida and using his royalties from Hulk Hogan merchandise sales to boost his assets.

Hogan rejoined the WWE in 2014 as the new host of the flagship WWE event Wrestlemania, but another legal battle soon curtailed his new role at the franchise. A sex tape featuring Hogan had been leaked by the controversial gossip blog Gawker, and Hogan had begun legal proceedings due to the invasion of his privacy. The case for Gawker was not helped by the flippant remarks made by its editor-in-chief A.J.Daulerio, who had somewhat unwisely remarked that a sex-tape involving anyone over four years of age was newsworthy in his opinion. Hogan won the case, and was awarded $115 million in damages, effectively finishing Gawker, but the case also had severe negative consequences for Hogan too.

He had been overheard making racial comments on the leaked sex tape at the center of the case, and Gawker had made sure that the details were fully publicized at the time, the backlash on Hogan was immediate and overwhelming, he was sacked from the WWE among a storm of media controversy and virtually scrubbed from the franchises history. On November 2^nd 2016 Gawker, long into bankruptcy proceedings by now agreed a $31 million settlement with Hogan, which should see his personal wealth grow to at least $40 million once the settlement is paid, and legal fees and taxes are subtracted.

Hulk Hogan Personal Life & FAQ’s

Is Hulk Hogan Married?

After his first marriage ended in 2007, Terry Bollea met and began a relationship with Jennifer McDaniel. The couple were engaged in November 2009 and married in December 2010. The Hulk’s children from his first marriage, daughter Brooke and son Nick are now aged 28 and 26 respectively.

Hulk Hogan’s Salary & Annual Earnings in 2017

Even though Hulk Hogan’s wealth is lower than many others who have enjoyed long and illustrious careers, he still enjoys, in his own words, ‘A lifestyle of abundance’. The full amount he receives from his $31 million settlement with Gawker depends heavily on the type of arrangement he had with his legal team, it could be that the Hulk’s lawyers take a large slice of the settlement and leave him to pay the vast majority of tax on the sum, thereby leaving him with a small percentage of the total figure. The huge popularity of the hulk in the 1980’s may have diminished, but there are still plenty of ‘Hulkamaniacs’ out there. Merchandise sales bring him at least half a million per year and other revenue streams, such as the ‘Hostamania’ web hosting service and his various real estate interests leave the Hulk with an annual income comfortably over $1 million per year.

Where Does Hulk Hogan Live?

Due to a sluggish real estate market, Hogan was not able to sell his former family residence until April 2014, and then only for the knock down price of $6.2 million, but upon finally doing so he purchased a new beach-front property to share with new wife Jennifer. The attractive 5,000 square foot mansion, complete with a pool and two spas looks out over a secluded stretch of the gulf coast in Clearview, Florida and even comes complete with an elevator.

What is Hulk Hogan’s Car?

Throughout his years of lavish spending the Hulk was known for his enjoyment of a fine pair of wheels, he has admitted that cars, houses and vacations, for him and many other family members were the main drain on his finances during his peak career years, but perhaps the car that he is best known for is his beloved 1994 custom painted Dodge Viper, which comes in those iconic Hulkster colors of red and yellow. The car also sports a Hulkamania logo. The Hulkster also maintains a 2010 Camaro in the same color scheme.

Hulk Hogan’s Charitable Work and Philanthropy

Hulk Hogan has made many appearances at charitable events during his career, in the 1980’s he was the most requested celebrity for the Make-a-Wish Foundation children’s charity, but he has worked for a number of other charities too. The American Diabetes Association, Dreamseekers, 50 Legs and The Special Olympics have all benefited either financially or through securing a charity appearance from the most iconic wrestler of our time, but the Hulkster’s good intentions don’t end there. Throughout his career, from the very early days of his fame he has encouraged kids to work hard, to stay determined in order to achieve their dreams, and of course, to keep on taking those vitamins.

Although currently in exile from the WWE, fans of Hulk Hogan hope that it won’t be too long before the biggest name in the franchise is forgiven for past indiscretions and welcomed back to the franchise that he helped grow into the Worldwide sporting sensation that it is today.

The post Hulk Hogan Net Worth – How Rich is Hulk Hogan appeared first on Gazette Review.

Before we check out the latest regarding Alberto Del Rio, let’s first revisit his beginnings and how he became the one and only El Patron.   

Alberto Del Rio’s Early Life and Wrestling

José Alberto Rodríguez was born on May 25, 1977, in the Mexican city of San Luis Potosi. Wrestling ran in his veins as his father is the renowned luchador “Dos Caras”, touted as one of the greatest Mexican heavyweights, and two of his uncles and cousins are also into the sport. After earning an architecture degree in the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi, Del Rio followed his father into the ring.

Del Rio was trained in the art of Greco-Roman wrestling and his proficiency in the wrestling style earned him a spot in his country’s team for several sporting events. He scored victories at the Central American and Caribbean Games, Pan American Championships, and the World Junior Championships at the age of 20. Del Rio set his sights in joining the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Australia but his team was forced to withdraw due to a lack of support from the government.

With his Olympic dream quashed Del Rio decided to don the mask and join his family in the squared circle.

Alberto Del Rio’s Early Lucha Libre and MMA

During the same year Del Rio made his debut at the Mexican promotion Asistencia Asesoria y Administracion LLC (AAA) and joined forces with his father in the ring as Dos Caras Jr..

A year later Del Rio got into mixed martial arts and fought his first winning match in the Japanese promotion Deep versus Kengo Watanabe which ended with his opponent’s arm broken. Del Rio’s work on two different combat sports in two different countries during the early 2000s helped immensely in sharpening his chops and in making a name for himself.

Del Rio joined another Mexican lucha libre promotion in 2005 named Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). He was engaged in storylines that pitted him in the tournament La Copa Junior for the championship gold, considering that he was just a newcomer to the promotion. Del Rio at first failed to win the cup but he emerged triumphant in the 2006 tournament. Afterwards he was booked on storylines that didn’t have much impact and Del Rio had to endure it until he was finally given the opportunity to pursue the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship.

In 2007 Del Rio had the belt wrapped around his waist after three bouts with the former champ Universo 2000. His reputation outside of CMLL soared thanks to this triumph, but within the promotion Del Rio wasn’t really that big. His championship reign of 533 days only had very few title defenses until he lost the belt in 2008 to Ultimo Guerrero. Del Rio’s loss of the championship fueled the rumors that he was about to jump ship to WWE which he denied by signing another long-term contract with CMLL, although in 2009 he inked a WWE contract.

Alberto Del Rio in WWE

Initially Del Rio spent time WWE’s former developmental promotion Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) under different ring names, despite the contract saying otherwise. Del Rio began making appearances without a mask which attracted negative reaction from his Mexican fans. He made his debut on SmackDown in 2010 as the heel Alberto Del Rio, the cocky Mexican nobleman, and he was always accompanied by his own announcer Ricardo Rodriguez. Del Rio had a long-term feud with Rey Mysterio which spanned for almost seven months and ended with the aristocrat’s victory over the masked luchador.

The highlight of his career in WWE was in 2011 when Del Rio won the Royal Rumble for a title shot at WrestleMania XVII, and the Money in the Bank months later. He feuded with Edge and Christian before being drafted to Raw where he battled Big Show and CM Punk. An injury put Del Rio’s wrestling career on a halt at the end of 2011 and he returned to action in February 2012 with his sights again on the Heavyweight title held by Sheamus. He won the belt in early 2013 as a face (heroic character) after defeating Big Show and held it for 90 days, while his second title reign within the same year lasted for 133 days.

In August 2014 WWE axed Del Rio after an altercation with the company’s then social media manager Cody Barbierri after the latter made a racist remark that targeted Del Rio. The wrestler asked for an apology which Barbierri didn’t do, thus resulting in Del Rio slapping him. Del Rio returned to AAA several days later as El Patron although he had to wait for a month before wrestling again as he had a no-compete clause after leaving WWE.

After spending most of 2014 and 2015 in different promotions Del Rio once again returned to WWE in October 2015 and was managed by Zeb Colter. A month later he joined forces with Sheamus, Rusev, and King Barrett in the heel stable The League of Nations. His second tenure in WWE saw him win the United States Championship for a short reign, and various failed attempts in scoring another title win.

In August 2016 Del Rio was suspended after violating the company’s Wellness Policy due to his prescribed testosterone replacement therapy. Del Rio opted out of his contract and was released a month later. He pointed out his unhappiness towards the company especially the promises made to him (such as a main event push) that did not materialize.

What’s Alberto Del Rio Doing Now in 2018 – Recent Updates

Del Rio decided to continue his wrestling career as a free agent after his second tenure in WWE. He made appearances in WhatCulture Pro Wrestling (WCPW) and World Association of Wrestling (WAW) as Alberto Del Patron, with the latter ran by the family of his girlfriend Saraya-Jade Bevis, better known as Paige. He also started his own restaurant in San Antonio, Texas, named Cantinita San Antonio which opened its doors last November 2016.

Del Rio will be starting the New Year with a bang as he is set to appear at the Euphoria Super Event of World Wrestling Council (WWC). Watch him face Carlito Caribbean Cool on January 07, 2017, at the Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

On February 12, 2017, Del Rio will lock horns with the Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle at WCPW’s True Destiny event in Milton Keynes, England. Six days later he will be appearing at the With Glory Comes Pride event of the promotion House of Glory Wrestling which will be held in New York City.

Watch Del Rio as he makes his debut on Big League Wrestling on February 26, 2017 at Exmouth, East Devon, England. He will be fighting Mr. Anderson for the Big League World Heavyweight Championship.

Del Rio will be joining a handful of wrestlers who will be visiting Peru on March 25, 2017 in the promotion Imperio Lucha Libre.

Last October 2016 Del Rio revealed in an interview that he was looking forward to joining his friends in the promotion Total Nonstop Action (TNA) wrestling, although there’s still no news about it coming to fruition.

Stay updated with Del Rio by following his Instagram (@el_patron_alberto) and Twitter (@VivaDelRio) accounts.

The post What Happened to Alberto Del Rio- News & Updates appeared first on Gazette Review.

The life of Terry Bollea, better known by his iconic wrestling handle of Hulk Hogan has been defined by attention from the media from the very start, firstly during his long and successful wrestling career that saw him achieve Worldwide fame and an iconic status amongst his millions of fans, and after that by ‘Hogan Knows Best’, the reality show that took us into the Hogan home and let us see the real man behind the wrestling persona. It’s perhaps surprising then that one who has always dealt with media attention so well, and carved a place for himself as one of the World’s most enduring and iconic wrestlers has encountered so many turbulent events in recent years. He’s become a champion for those who have suffered their own invasions of personal privacy, encountered personal problems that have turned his private life upside down, and faced controversy for comments made during a private conversation, but where is Hulk Hogan now in 2018, and what has the Hulkster got planned for the future? Read on to find out.

Hulk Hogan – Early Life and Career

Terrence Eugene Bollea was born on August 11^th 1953 in Augusta, Georgia. His father Pietro, known as Peter, was a construction foreman and his mom Ruth was a dance teacher. The Bollea family relocated to Port Tampa, Florida before Terry was two years old and he attended high school there, where he showed early promise as a pitcher in Little League baseball. The athletically gifted youngster attracted attention from the New York Yankees and the Cincinnati Reds, but unfortunately an injury ended his baseball career before he graduated from high school.

With the demise of his sporting hopes Terry Bollea turned his attention to professional wrestling, just as a fan originally, but as time went on he became more influenced and inspired by his wrestling heroes such as Superstar Billy Graham and Dusty Rhodes. He was also an accomplished musician at the time, playing bass guitar for a Florida based rock band called ‘Ruckus’ that began to become popular around the Tampa Bay area in the late seventies, but soon the squared circle would prove to have a greater claim on Terry’s ambitions.

He began working out at a Tampa Bay gym where he met several wrestlers, others he met through performances with ‘Ruckus’, including brothers Jack and Gerald Brisco, who wrestled as a tag-team for Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF). Impressed by the young mans six and a half feet frame, that was quickly filling out with muscle due to his exertions at the gym, the Brisco brothers persuaded Terry to try wrestling for himself and after a year a year of training in preparation, Terry Bollea eventually appeared as the masked ‘Super Destroyer’ in a CWF match in August 1977.

Terry took a break from wrestling in order to run a private club in Florida for a businessman called Whitey Bridges, and the pair went on to open a gym together, ‘Whitey & Terry’s Olympic Gym’. Eventually Terry’s close friend Ed Leslie, who would later find fame as Brutus Beefcake came to Florida to help out at the gym, and Terry, who was beginning to miss the World of wrestling began talking about the potential for the pair to join up as a tag team. Eventually they performed together as ‘The Boulder Brothers’ for a while, until that is Terry appeared on a local talk show sat next to the star of The Incredible Hulk, Lou Ferrigno. Terry’s build was noticeably bigger than even the legendary muscles of Ferrigno, and he soon began wrestling under the name ‘Terry The Hulk Boulder’.

Hulk Hogan’s longevity as a wrestler is virtually unknown in the modern age of the sport, only The Undertaker can really compare in terms of the length of his career, but Hogan was already contesting bouts when the undertaker was barely a teenager. During the decades he has been wrestling Hulk Hogan has become regarded by many fans as the greatest professional wrestler of all time, he is certainly one of the most iconic athletes in the sport. IGN rated him the most recognized wrestler Worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 1980’s when they ranked him third in their list of the greatest Wrestlers of all time in 2012.

Hogan has been World Champion twelve times, and WWF World Heavyweight Champion a further six times. He became the first wrestler to win the annual exhibition event The Royal Rumble back to back by winning it in 1990 and 1991, and he achieved legendary status when he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. During three decades he worked for WWF/WWE several times, the New Japan Professional Wrestling (NJPW) franchise, the American Wrestling Association (AWA) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), and along the way, the big man of wrestling, the one that body-slammed Andre the Giant became bigger than his ring persona, he became a celebrity in his own right.

His first big acting role was as ‘Thunderlips’ in Rocky III, released in 1982, the following year he married girlfriend Linda Claridge. His fame and popularity grew in the 1980’s and many more TV and film roles followed. In 1988 the couple had their first child, a daughter, Brooke, and their son, Nick followed in 1990.

Hulk Hogan and Hogan Knows Best

In 2005 the Hulk embarked on his own reality TV show with ‘Hogan Knows Best’. The show centered on the Hulk and his family, and in particular on his usually comical interactions with potential suitors of his daughter Brooke, except it wasn’t just potential suitors that got a steely eye of suspicion from the Hulk, it was any male that she happened to come in contact with.

The show was played for laughs, it had a tongue-in-cheek style reminiscent of ‘The Osbournes’, but it always came down to Hulk Hogan trying to make sure that his family did things by his rules, and it was always mainly Brooke that he most often came into conflict with. Hogan was criticised in the press for his over-protective attitude and interference in his 18 year old daughters life, but he found plenty of support from other fathers of teenage girls, who understood his attitude completely.

The show was always ‘soft-scripted’, where the cast follow a loosely agreed scenario for each episode, but it was enough to see that Hogan really did care about his family more than anything. After a reasonably successful first season, the show was commissioned for a further three, and viewers grew up with the Hogan family as Brooke embarked on her music career and Nick began following his dream of becoming a professional driver, in fact he earned a licence to race competitively in Formula Drift events in 2006, but it was Nick’s driving that would begin the quick and shocking end of Hogan knows Best, and the end of the Hogan family as we knew it.

In August 2007 Nick, then aged just 17, crashed into a tree at high speed while under the influence, Nick was miraculously uninjured, but his friend and passenger was far more unlucky. John Graziano was a 22 year old US Marine, and a member of Nick’s pit crew, or he had been before the accident, the resulting brain injuries he received in the crash would leave him needing full-time care for the rest of his life. Nick eventually received an eight month sentence, to be served in Pinellas county jail, but in a virtually unprecedented move, the Pinellas County Sheriffs Office decided to release recordings of phone conversations an incarcerated, and obviously distraught Nick had with his parents while he was serving his time. Hogan and his family had reasonably expected the recordings to be used only for review by corrections officers and never to be released to the press, but the media jumped on several remarks by Nick during the conversations and decided to make the Hogan family look as bad as possible.

Unfortunately for both the Hulk and son Nick, things only got worse shortly after Nick was released from jail in October 2007. In November of that year Linda filed for divorce from her husband after a marriage lasting twenty four years. There had been problems between them for a while and there had been allegations of indiscretions on both sides, but by then Linda had decided divorce was the only answer, her court papers stated the marriage was ‘irretrievably broken’ and the split marked a definite end to Hogan Knows Best as a show. Brooke starred in her own follow up show ‘Brooke Knows Best’ from 2008, but it was eventually cancelled after just two seasons due to poor viewing figures.

Hulk Hogan and Legal Action Against Gawker

In April 2012, the US based blog Gawker released a short 20 second segment of a sex-tape featuring Hogan, and Heather Clem, the wife of radio show host Todd Clem, known professionally as Bubba the Love Sponge. The tape, which had been recorded at Bubba and Heather’s home without Hogan’s knowledge, captured him sharing intimate moments with Heather, with the full knowledge and approval of husband Bubba, who was also present in the room. After Gawker released the clip, that had allegedly been leaked to them by an anonymous source, Hogan sued them for $100 million for defamation and loss of privacy, Eventually after a protracted legal battle during which Gawker claimed the clip was newsworthy and protected by freedom of speech, Hogan eventually won the case and was awarded $115 million in damages in March 2016.

It later became clear that previous bad blood between Gawker and Pay-pal Co-founder Peter Thiel had led Thiel, a Silicon Valley billionaire who had been the subject of a Gawker article in 2007 regarding his sexuality, to fund Hogan to the tune of $10 million in his lawsuit against the company. It later transpired that it was not the first such lawsuit that Thiel had funded against Gawker Media, but this time he had finally achieved his aim of shutting the blog down.

The Hulk had perhaps had his expectations of privacy challenged enough for one lifetime, but the biggest blow of all was yet to come. One that would potentially strip him of his wrestling legacy for good.

What’s Hulk Hogan Doing Now in 2018 – Recent Updates

In July 2015 another portion of the sex tape was leaked to the National Enquirer, and this segment contained Hogan making repeated use of racial slurs. The comments referred to a boyfriend of Brooke’s, and given Hogan’s record for over-protectiveness they were perhaps understandable in context, but the Wrestling industry washed its hands of the former champion. His contract with the WWE was terminated and the franchise removed all trace of Hogan’s illustrious career from their website, no longer was his name mentioned on WWE programs, and despite Hogan’s unreserved and sincere apology, and his admission that the conversation, recorded eight years previously, had contained offensive language that it was ‘unacceptable’ for him to have used, Hogan was scrubbed from wrestling history, all except in the eyes of his many fans who could not forget his decades of triumph so easily.

In November 2016 it was announced that Hulk Hogan had agreed to settle the lawsuit with Gawker, which had by now declared bankruptcy, for $31 million. In December 2016 Hogan was named man of the year, along with Peter Thiel by the conservative blog Washington Free Beacon, citing the pairs take-down of Gawker for the award, but on December 18^th 2016 perhaps the most hopeful indication of the Hulk’s future career came from an unlikely source.

During the WWE’s ‘Roadblock : End of The Line’ event that aired that night Hogan’s name was mentioned as a former great, only in passing, but it seems that the WWE are not quite able to forget one of their biggest, most popular and longest lasting stars just yet.

The Hulkster now lives with his second wife, Jennifer, who he married in December 2010, in Clearwater, Florida. He remains a hero to millions of fans, and still encourages everyone to work hard, and most importantly of all, to keep on taking those vitamins.

The post What Happened to Hulk Hogan – News & Updates appeared first on Gazette Review.

Before we check out the latest about Kurt Angle let’s first revisit his career, from his Olympic victory to his dominance in WWE and TNA.   

Kurt Angle’s Early Life and Olympic Win

Kurt Steven Angle was born on December 09, 1968, in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. The wrestling bug bit him early in life and he was already tossing people in the mat at seven years old. The athletic Angle conquered the realm of football and wrestling in high school, and in college he obtained a degree in Education at Clarion University of Pennsylvania while winning NCAA wrestling championships in the ring.

In 1995 Angle bagged gold at the Wrestling World Championships held by FILA. Angle then pushed for Olympic gold which he won in the 1996 Summer Olympics, enduring hardships such as a broken neck and the murder of his trainer Dave Schultz.

After this momentous victory Angle was approached by the WWE for a contract but turned it down as he wasn’t sold into a future in pro wrestling just yet.

Kurt Angle’s Early Wrestling Ventures

Eventually Angle was sold into pro wrestling but he didn’t jump right into the thick of it yet. In October 1996 Angle was invited into an event titled High Incident which was held by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), and served as guest commentary for one match. Unfortunately it was during this event where the infamous crucifixion of the wrestler Sandman took place, and this infuriated Angle. He expressed his anger at several of the promotion’s employees and even threatened Paul Heyman with legal action should the mock execution affect his future in pro wrestling. The perpetrator Raven apologized for his actions but this failed to entice Angle into the ECW.

Two years later Angle changed his mind and signed the WWE contract although he’ll have to start in developmental first. He also participated in the 14-man battle royal during the 50^th Anniversary Show of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) in the same year.

Kurt Angle at the WWE

1999 marked as Angle’s first appearance in the WWE during an episode of Sunday Night Heat. Angle spent a majority of the year wrestling in dark matches and house shows. He made his debut on November 14 during the pay-per-view Survivor Series and had a winning streak for two months. He made good use of his Olympic medal in his gimmick of a patriotic “hero” and encouraged people to exert effort to reach their dreams. However the audience did not like his character which made Angle turn heel (villain) and shoved the fact that he was an Olympic winner to the faces of the public and other wrestlers.

In February Angle was crowned Intercontinental and European Champion and held on both belts at the same time. In October he won his first WWE Championship for a reign of four months. During the historic Invasion storyline Angle played on both warring factions until revealing in the end that he was just a double agent all along for Vince McMahon. Angle continued his villainous persona which led to the inception of the chant “you suck” whenever the wrestler entered the squared circle, courtesy of Edge. This chant would follow him until today in his independent wrestling runs.

Angle roared through the first half of the decade in various feuds, from Brock Lesnar to the late Eddie Guerrero. He feuded with Shawn Michaels and fought each other at WrestleMania 21 in 2005 which was hailed with a “Match of the Year” award by the magazine Pro Wrestling Illustrated. In 2006 Angle was moved to the revived ECW, which was now a branch of the WWE, and adopted the gimmick “The Wrestling Machine”. He only stayed for a few months before WWE released him from his contract due to health reasons, but reportedly he was fired due to his struggles with painkiller addiction.

Kurt Angle at TNA

Shortly after leaving WWE Angle inked a contract offered by TNA. He made his non-match debut on October 19 where he confronted Samoa Joe regarding the stolen championship belt. He fought his first televised match a month later and won his first TNA World Heavyweight Championship on June 17, 2007 during Slammiversary. A week later he defeated Brock Lesnar for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at the Japanese promotion Inoki Genome Federation. Samoa Joe, who held the Tag Team and X Division belts, challenged Angle to a match wherein the winner takes all belts. Angle emerged victorious and became a quadruple champion.

Angle’s run at TNA involved joining factions like the Main Event Mafia and Immortal. In 2013 he was inducted into the promotion’s Hall of Fame. The following year he was appointed as TNA’s Executive Director of Wrestling Operations. His full-time contract with TNA expired in September 2014 and Angled attempted to contact WWE for another run but he was declined.  He signed a part-time contract with TNA and returned in January 2015, winning another TNA World Heavyweight Championship for a short reign. Angle appeared in the MMA promotion Bellator on November 07 as a guest commentator.

On January 31, 2016, Angle joined the Maximum Impact Tour of TNA in the United Kingdom. His last match was on March 08, 2016 against Bobby Lashley which he lost.  Angle then spent the remainder of 2016 wrestling in independent promotions such as What Culture Pro Wrestling (WCPW), URFight, Revolution Pro Wrestling, and Insane Championship Wrestling.

What’s Kurt Angle Doing Now in 2018 – Recent Updates

On February 12, 2017, Angle will be facing Alberto El Patron (or better known as Alberto del Rio) at the True Destiny event of WCPW. The event will be held at the Planet Ice arena in Milton Keynes, England.

WWE greeted Angle happy birthday in their Instagram account on December 10. The post roused speculation regarding the promotion’s interest in Angle, and some even theorized that he might be a surprise entrant in the 2017 Royal Rumble. These speculations on his return were reinforced by the interview Angle had at The Ric Flair Show last August 29, 2016 where he stated that he talked to Triple H and being in good terms with the WWE.

Angle is no stranger to acting in the big screen. He debuted in the 2009 drama flick End Game as a lead character. In 2017 he is set to star in the series Emergency: LA, and has secured a role in the sci-fi movie The Epidemic which is currently in pre-production. Angle is also appearing in the comedy Chasing Molly.

Angle has been using the hashtag #AngleStrong in social media when it comes to posts that encourage people to fight against addiction. In 2017 he will be releasing the #AngleStrong app that is designed to help addicts by sending positive messages on a daily basis and locating nearby AA / NA meetings.

Stay updated with Angle by following his Facebook (@realkurtangle), Instagram (@therealkurtangle), and Twitter (@realkurtangle) accounts. You can also visit his official website at www.kurtanglebrand.com.

The post What Happened to Kurt Angle- News & Updates appeared first on Gazette Review.

Top 10 Highest Paid WWE Wrestlers

#10 – Dean Ambrose ($1.1 Million)

Dean Ambrose is relatively new to WWE as a whole, but he has rapidly become one of the most popular names in wrestling. He began wrestling for the Heartland Wrestling Association in 2004, and he signed with WWE in 2011. In fact, he was voted Most Popular Wrestler of the Year by Pro Wrestling Illustrated in 2014 and 2015. In May of 2016, he was able to defeat Seth Rollins (his greatest rival) to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Ambrose is a wild card wrestler, which means that he’s sort of a polarizing figure in the wrestling community. He has rose to prominence in recent years, however, and he is paid accordingly.

#9 – Kane ($1.3 Million)

Unlike Dean Ambrose, Kane has been wrestling for many, many, many years now. Over the course of his career, he has won 18 individual WWE championships. The character of Kane has been very well-liked among wrestling fans — he written as the demonic younger brother of The Undertake, another wildly popular wrestler. WWE loves family drama, and The Brothers of Destructions are about as good as it gets. Glenn Jacobs, the man behind the mask, just recently turned 49 years old, which is pretty old as far as wrestlers go. However, Jacobs has disclosed that he currently has no intention to retire from his work in the foreseeable future.

#8 – Big Show ($1.5 Million)

Big Show has performed for WWE since 1999, and he has been a world heavyweight championship seven times during that time period. He’s practically a household name among WWE fans, and he has also had a fairly prolific career in the WWC. I mentioned Kane a little bit ago — Kane and Big Show are actually well-known for being huge frenemies in the WWE. The two have had multiple different feuds and multiple teams, and they’re always a popular match-up. Since he has been something of a cultural icon in the past, Big Show has also had a somewhat successful career as an actor over the years, with appearances in films like MacGruber and Vendetta.

#7 – The Undertaker ($2 Million)

In this article, I have talked a little bit about wrestlers who have been in the ring for a really long time. The Undertaker actually holds the honor of being the longest tenured wrestler in the history of the WWE. Many consider him to be one of the greatest performers that the sport has ever seen. The Undertake has been involved in countless storylines over the years, and his influence on WWE can’t even be put into words. His gimmick, his signature moves, and his legacy as a whole is immeasurably valuable, and it continues to grow as he continues to partake in the ring. At 51 years old, he still isn’t showing many signs of stopping anytime soon.

#6 – Roman Reigns ($2.1 Million)

Roman Reigns is, without a doubt, the most controversial figure in the WWE right now. Reigns made his main roster debut in 2012, and since then, he has won world championship three times. WWE has been very vocal in their desires to make Roman Reigns the next big star of the professional wrestling world, which fans weren’t entirely happy with. In general, the wrestling fan base felt as if the character was being pushed on them too hard. It seemed boring to some that this heroic character was competing in massive events just a couple of months after his main roster debut. Regardless of public reception, however, Roman Reigns has been making quite a lot of money off of all of this screentime and media attention.

#5 – Seth Rollins ($2.4 Million)

Professional wrestling is all about storylines and personalities, and a few people on this list make up an interesting one. Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Dean Ambrose all made their main roster debut in 2012, and together they formed The Shield, a relatively popular wrestling stable. However, as conflicts emerged between the different members, the group ultimately disbanded in 2014. Seth Rollins still gets by pretty well on his own, however. He is well-regarded in the wrestling community as being a talented and dedicated all-around performer. Rollins is young and he’s popular, and it’s no question that he still has an extensive career ahead of him.

#4 – Randy Orton ($2.7 Million)

Randy Orton is on hiatus right now due to a legitimate shoulder injury, but with everything that he has built up for himself over the years, he’s able to take this break. At the age of 27, this wrestler became the youngest two-time champion in WWE history. Like Big Show, he has also dabbled a little bit in acting outside of the WWE. Randy Orton isn’t really as much of an instantly recognizable name as some of the other wrestlers ahead of him on this list, but his impact on the WWE is unmistakable. He has performed alongside some huge names over the years, and he’s practically a figurehead of modern professional wrestling.

#3 – Triple H ($2.8 Million)

Like Roman Reigns, Triple H is kind of a controversial man. He made his professional wrestling debut in around 1999, and he made quite the name for himself during that time. Triple H has performed for a significant period of time, and he amassed a cult following during his run. Controversy came in 2013, however, when he was hired as Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events & Creative for WWE. Some fans saw this hiring as a sneaky way of ensuring that Triple H was able to remain relevant and get as much television time as possible. Others contend that, even if that were true, Triple H has deliberately lost multiple games to aid the rise of other young stars. Either way, it can’t be denied that this guy is worth every penny that he makes.

#2 – Brock Lesnar ($6 Million)

It has been argued that participating in the WWE doesn’t require a lot of physical skill or prowess. Brock Lesnar is pretty much living proof that that claim is ludicrous. Lesnar began in the WWE in the early 2000s, and he did pretty well for himself. But he wanted to take his athletic career a step further. He decided to enter the UCF in 2006, getting a taste of some “real” sports. Although his time in mixed martial arts was plagued with different injuries, he was still able to win and become the UFC Heavyweight Champion in 2008. He ended up returning to the WWE in 2012, and the wrestling world rejoiced to get one of their stars back.

#1 – John Cena ($9.5 Million)

John Cena’s fame and popularity pretty much transcends professional wrestling. He is one of the most popular athletes in the United States right now — he has been in movies, he has put out musical albums, and he has been the subject of several different Internet memes. It has been argued that Cena’s complete dominance in the sport is unfair toward newcomers or struggling performers. Whether you love him or hate him, you have to admit that he is a lot of fun to watch. The energy and character that John Cena brings to the ring has cemented him as the face of the WWE for the last several years. And as the face of one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world, he is very well paid.

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