Jim Cornette on Hulking Up

From Episode 189 of Jim Cornette's Drive Thru
Artwork by Travis Heckel!
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[@robfinlay8058]

I never understood why Lawler's opponent wouldn't just pull Lawler's strap back up and cut off his source of power.

[@tkshaw12]

🤣🤣🤣

[@chrischar9428]

That did come later

[@danielwilson9724]

Lmfao 😂 😂 😂

[@asicsjohnson]

Better yet, why the hell didn't they ever attempt a titty twister/purple nurple on The King's now-exposed power source?! Seems like the obvious weak point on a final videogame boss, right?

[@mrsl262]

@@asicsjohnson I don't think Lawler would take a booking in PWG though.

[@naheemquattlebaum2267]

Kurt Angle used to undo the straps. Daniel Bryan has a mini-Hulk up

[@richardsmith9615]

I know it's popular to hate on Hogan nowadays, but nothing used to get you going like Hulkster comebacks.

[@Drummer_Jeff83]

I was just watching a match of Hogan vs flair at clash of the champions very shortly after Hogan went NWO. Flair was basically the face in that match but Hogan hulked up anyhow. It just seemed so awkward since the crowd pretty much hated him but I guess that's what he was used to doing. Pretty sure that was the last time Hogan did that until he turned face again years later

[@-Nick-T]

hulking up was the best thing on television.

[@eldogg4life]

Sting's gorilla chest pounding comes to mind... No sell a Flair chop and the gorilla chest pound would always get a pop. Pretty underrated.

[@blkpanther11]

I Agree

[@ericgilbert56]

Flair's stands up... So he can properly pass pit.

[@ericgilbert56]

pit?? *OUT

[@Riese79]

Flairs selling does alot for this Spot too. 😁

[@RichSmithson]

Sting was so over in the surfer gimmick. Whenever his music hit the crowd went nuts (He was getting bigger pops then Hogan before he turned heel)

[@kaijusoshingeki7214]

Undertaker whipping his hair back or sitting up from a big move is my favorite Hulk Up.

[@carrollscudder7178]

And he also drops the strap!

[@nick56677]

Yeah the thing about Taker is he never would argue to put another talent over.

[@Treklosopher]

@@carrollscudder7178 and Taker didn't draw a quarter of what Hogan did in his entire career. So there's that.

@@Treklosopher but no one in the industry has much respect as Taker

[@mckali9999]

@ not after his "soft" comments lol

[@anxofernandez3344]

My favorite comeback pose or taunt or whatever you wanna call it, is by far The Undertaker's sit up. Heel or babyface, when Taker was down and all of a sudden he sat up fans knew shit was about to go down.

[@lime_crisis]

and the best part was you almost never saw it coming

[@elijahnakumura4375]

@@lime_crisis I guess back then you didnt, its kinda obvious when him or kane would clearly position their body like a corpse in the morgue. You could argue that built anticipation to the actual sit up tho

[@Shadownasty]

When he would slap on the neck grab for a choke slam & pause before

[@comeatmebr0o]

The Fiend does it better now. I was hyped a few times from him like how I was from ‘Taker back in the day

[@Chuck_EL]

@@lime_crisis right undertaker is my favorite so when he did that I went nuts

[@dingdong7610]

Hogan was doing it for 7 year old kids when kayfabe still existed. Plus he had Gorilla Monsoon saying, "Here comes the Hulkster!"

[@feebypeels2883]

I hated Hogan when I was 7. His was my favorite wrestling buddy to beat the shit out of lol.

[@jimobrien9104]

I can't remember who he was wrestling, but I'll never forget a Kurt Angle match where he was making a comeback, his straps were already down. So he put them back up and pulled them down again.

[@Lockjaw95]

Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania

[@GHOST91141]

😂 it still makes me laugh

[@tomd9555]

Kurt could be legitimately hilarious at times

[@elijahnakumura4375]

Like The Rock when a elbow pad was already missing. He'd go to the other side and start over

[@Kas58223]

Always liked Kurt Angle taking the straps down knowing his opponent was toast and people lost it same thing one of the best Hulk ups of Hulk Hogan was with the Rock match at Wrestlemania 18 the crowd lost their minds

[@JP-xr3mu]

Yes and yes!

[@angrymobsters1599]

Angle strap was badass. It was unique too cause he would put the straps back up if he wasn't finished. Or the taker comeback when he rises up. One of my favorites was Jake Roberts ddt signal when he pointed the finger and hand up and twirled it around like a lasso.

[@johnepants]

He would also do it as a heel which was pretty bad ass

[@user-gm4kv2my4u]

I also loved the grapevine angle lock that showed he was done screwing around

[@timothylewis2527]

In the words of Popeye, it was when "I hads all I can stands and I can't stands no more!"

[@daveconleyportfolio5192]

Exactly. Popeye invented bowing up, and smart wrestlers learned from him.

[@AmericanWrathchild]

Hogan hulking up at WM against the rock was iconic.

[@markl5998]

Oh trust me you are

[@JungleBunkRootsMusic2022]

It caused one of the loudest pops in wrestlemania history. Hogan may not have been as good of a "wrestler" as hart or hbk, but he was a master at crowd manipulation. It's not about what you do, but how you do it

[@Kingosso]

I don't recall him doing it since he joined the nWo in 96 and I heard it wasn't even planned so of course it's very ironic

[@madddoggnogood1491]

@Peter Stevenson no you're not. Only time I was ever remotely entertained by him was as Hollywood Hogan

[@shawnkavanagh2951]

@Peter Stevenson you must be very proud of yourself

[@KingBudds]

When I was kid, Hogan was like a God and waiting for him to hulk up was the best thing ever.

[@fernandoguajardo2750]

Those were the days when it was great to watch in wrestling. Now it becomes worst seeing everyone in wrestling come back and hulk up with every 10 finisher given during a match.

[@davyjones2032]

Yup. This is usually what I think is the problem today. Wrestling may be worse but we're also not children anymore. I was a kid during the Hollywood Hogan run but you could tell he was a big deal. I'm sure the neckbeard adults at the time hated him and talked about the good old days of the 70s wrestling tho lol.

[@joemarston9140]

I'm from the UK, born in '84 and watching wrestling from 89'... it's weird... I actually always wanted Rick Rude/Dibiase/Earthquake/ etc to beat him... But I was still always very aware even as a young kid that Hogan was "The Man"

[@user-cx9gq2ud6t]

@@davyjones2032 exactly right. While we all hated Roman flipping his hair back and screaming with a come back spear. Every little kids face in the crowd had the biggest smile on their face.

[@johnlynn9388]

I’m from the UK and I still remember coming home from school and my dad telling me hogan lost to the undertaker. I couldn’t believe it I’d never seen him lose before.

[@HisBubbliness]

I always hated shit like this because I couldn't believe not a single opponent of Hogan's ever thought of kicking him in the nuts when it was going on.

[@Mytimekid]

god I would have loved to have seen someone do that.

[@stanhenderson9928]

Lmao, I could totally see Hollywood Rock doing that.

[@Zebojr2kool]

You would have killed the nut shot cause HOGAN MUST POSE!!!!

[@nevermorenovelist]

And risk disqualification?! /s

[@magilla2282]

That would be a good finish for ric flair. While hulk is hulking, flair drops to his knees to beg off, than WHAM right to Hogans heroes.

[@Jackalblade9]

Bruno Sammartino's comeback was visually almost identical to Hogan's hulking up. That thing's as old as the hills....which isn't to say it's not awesome when it's done right. And Hogan was a master at it.

[@herzkine]

Of course the more i see Wrestling history, hogan invented nothing, he adopted from the best and pulled it of masterfully

[@Realest636]

@@herzkine yep… we all stand on the shoulders of Giants. Copy from one it’s plagiarism. Copy from many it’s research.

[@zacharyradford5552]

Not always. Some are completely original.

[@Realest636]

@@zacharyradford5552 there’s nothing new under the sun.

[@matthillegas3099]

Angle vs. Michaels at WrestleMania. Kurt drops the straps to show he's pissed. Then, a few minutes later, after he gets back in control, he puts them back on, just to pull them back down a few seconds after. It is great, if done correctly.

[@iLikeMyOwnPosts]

I saw that match w my long time “tag team partner” (I recently threw his ass threw a plate glass window to show him he was indeed the janetty of our group) and when he put the straps back on only to take them off a second time... we lost it... “WHAT!?!? THE DOUBLE POWER UP???” We would reference that moment from time to time, that’s how memorable it was to is

[@Shadownasty]

Like when Taker would "slap" on the neck grab on people for a choke slam & hold it for a second before. The other end of the spectrum was Flair's face plants, that would make he think he was just devastated.

[@rexsexson5349]

You actually believed kurt was going to fucking kill you when he dropped the straps.

[@aloysiusdevadanderabercrom6401]

@@rexsexson5349 lol, thought i was going to see someone ankle do a 720°

[@mrmusickhimself]

I love how the crowd began to shout "YOU!" whenever Hogan would point at someone.

[@GetBenched2010]

Funny considering it's more of a Randy Savage move than a Hogan one.

[@evirb2]

9boulevard 99909999rue du 89film

[@brandonritchey484]

Hogan has nothing original

[@brandonvandine1695]

@@brandonritchey484 give me a break 🙄

[@kckc6578]

@@brandonritchey484 you’re probably in your 20’s

[@Machina4K]

Hogan was like a god to us when we watch him fight and hulking up as kids. It will always be my fav wrestler of all time

[@round105]

Yeah.....even if i was born in that era i would think that its the cheesiest shit you could ever do. If he was born around this time he would not be a good wrestler.

[@DarkLordofTheSith69]

@@round105 not a chance ..u can't understand unless u lived through it ..

[@darrengordon-hill]

There will NEVER be a bigger star than Hollywood Hulk Hogan!!!

[@darrengordon-hill]

@Jaime Munoz So you're a virtue signaller?

[@trmatt01]

@Jaime Munoz yes.

[@jonathancarlson6127]

Taker dropping the straps I always thought was a “sh*t is getting real” indication.

[@Nick_Naim]

Cornette didn't watch '90s wrestling outside of Smoky. He's stuck in the '70s and '80s.

[@leeswea_dagoat4961]

2007 royal rumble 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@markthompson8246]

Hogan said he wanted to look like Superstar Billy Graham and wrestle and sell like Dusty Rhodes. That's where he got it from and never claimed to have invented it.

[@Pogo113]

Crazy thing is as late as 1993, Hogan actually could work. He had a match with Great Muta in Japan, he looked impressive in that match.

[@bourbon646]

@@Pogo113 a match isnt a good match if a wrestler does 100 moves in it. Hogan made the audience root for him. He had the audience in his palm. They fans would go nuts when Hogan won the belt. Today all were are left with smart fans who only care about the in ring work. The charm wrestling had in the 80s and 90s is lost. Kids no longer buy wrestling and older fans only keep complaining. Wrestling worked on superheros concept. For kids Hogan, Warrior, Lex Luger, Goldberg etc were superheros. Cena was the last super hero. Now nobody cares a damm about the WWE champion. Smart fans attend events to only see a choreographed performance.

[@chadk890]

@@bourbon646 Well said.

[@danielwilson9724]

@@Pogo113 Hogan was always at his best in Japan.. Cause AJPW,NJPW,FMW Etc wont let Hogan get away with that barely bumping 3 holds bullshit.. Everybody is at their best in Japan, in the 90s-early 00's ECW was like tht,the U.S version, as in they brought out the best of a wrestler in their rings, with their audience.

[@danielwilson9724]

@@bourbon646 I can't agree with any of this really man.. Im 42, been a HUGEEEE wrestling fan since I was 6yrs old, have had a handful of close friends get in the business over the years, basically studied the artform tht is professional wrestling in every way, promos, storylines, in ring works, selling, bumping etc so yeah I guess I would definitely consider myself a smart mark but todays( American) wrestling isn't shitty to me for the reasons u said, im not looking for the type of matches u claimed either, I just want good gimmicks again, good storylines, great angles tht build up to a big match ANDDD great in ring work. Todays American wrestling isnt tht great partly on the wrestlers but a huge amount of fault is on the companies themselves (AEW,WWE,TNA) if these pre-scripted promos stopped and the guys had to come up with their own words for tht stuff& the angles were made to be more realistically believeable then it could start getting back to what myself and many others grew up loving, and STILL loving.

[@ThatDoesntWorkForMeBrother]

HBK’s kip-up after the flying forearm was also very effective.

[@dantecarroll2435]

He had the best babyface comeback

[@nabinkhadka788]

Can't wait to see Jim on dark side of the ring season 3

[@Will_kid_cortez]

Just skip the garbage wrestling episode lol. That's my plan

[@metaknightdemon]

GGMU

[@alexpratt99]

Yes trashing the fuck outa Russo lplolol

[@fatdaddyeddiejr]

Jim Cornette's knowledge of wrestling history is impressive.

[@heisensaul5538]

Yeah, regardless of how you feel about Jim personally, you can't deny his knowledge of wrestling.

[@respectedlocalgentleman7108]

Corny comes from a long line of virgins.

[@brianjenkins4309]

Undertaker sitting up, Michael's and the rock kip up, Austin stomping a mud hole. These were match turning points.

[@Shadownasty]

Rock taking off/throwing away the elbow pad...

[@sweetpetergeda]

None of those are hulking up lol

[@danielwilson9724]

@@sweetpetergeda Taker sitting up is..

[@tj2nasty4ya83]

Kurt taking off the straps

[@Will_kid_cortez]

When Hogan hulked up during the signing for wrestlemania 3 with andre. Always makes me laugh

[@Tim85-y2q]

That entire segment makes me laugh. It was the first time I can remember in wrestling where they had multiple camera angles that made no sense as part of the presentation.

[@Will_kid_cortez]

@@Tim85-y2q I still like how cool calm collected andre was while hulk was acting crazy lol

[@stevenstark6104]

Speak English when you're talking to me

[@ladistar]

@@Tim85-y2q dude show some respect for the business

[@positively_broad_st3780]

Hogan has stated that is was Vern Gagne who told him to hulk up on the onset of a comeback...

[@huskerfanman]

I remember Tatanka would start moving his feet dancing like a Native American. None of the opponent moves would effect him then he would war chant.

[@DenkyManner]

Ultimate Warrior did basically the same thing.

[@Stevenmulraney]

I know a guy whose friend almost got beat up by Tatanka in New Jersey, years ago. They were in North Jersey, and the friend banged into his legs without apologizing. He wasn't having it, but somebody in the group was a fan, so he let it go.

[@Leftturnaddict]

isn't tatanka Indian though?

[@nysportsfan2576]

@@Leftturnaddict Native American(they’re mistakenly also called “Indians” because apparently Christopher Columbus thought he landed in India)

[@mike41751]

@@nysportsfan2576 actually Indian and American Indian is acceptable.

[@halfwaydecent6842]

Blackjack Mulligan had a tremendous 'Hulk Up' when he was a babyface in Mid-Atlantic. He'd be on one knee and start clenching his fist and get that crazy look in his eyes.

[@danielwilson9724]

Hogan did the one knee,fist clench,crazy eyes too though.. I wonder if one or the other were influenced by each other??

[@QoQabai658]

The 'juke and jive' from Dusty Rhodes was another classic 'hulk up'. Dusty would even hit'em with the finger wave, and Hogan likely ripped that off from him.

[@SB-jn8cw]

Hulk said Dusty was one his idols growing up

[@l.j.garcia1042]

Lawler is so fucking underrated. And it's not right that I should call him underrated but after all these years with so many wrestlers, he's become underrated cause everyone just knows him as the heel color commentator. His matches with Austin Idol were gold.

[@MCCMCKnyte]

He's underated to the mainstream crowd. They only know him as the hornball commentator from the WWF Attitude Era. They don't realize, that he was up there with the greats like Flair, Rhodes, and the like. He was a megastar in his home territory for decades. His name drew money everywhere. He even helped keep the AWA afloat, just by doing cross promotions with them.

[@lemhanback9595]

So was Dutch Mantel "the Dirty Dutchman" Lawler's #1 rival.

[@danielwilson9724]

@@MCCMCKnyte yeah thts what I was coming to say, Lawler got pops BIG TIME in his home territory!! He was AWA Heavyweight Champ something like 23x, whn u learn tht he owned the promotion that strapped him 20 something times, idk why, but it made it extra hilarious to me!!!

[@Chuck_EL]

@@MCCMCKnyte Lawler was the biggest draw when during his era as heel or face

[@patbrewster479]

Ya called him underrated 3 times in your own comment🤣😂

[@PuroresuFan]

The last person I remember "hulking up" was Kurt Angle back in the early to mid 2000s. He would drop the straps and just go insane. I don't think I've seen anybody do it since Angle did it.

[@jonahfalcon442]

I'm surprised they didn't make Roman Reigns do it before

[@ryandavis4448]

Yep, that's the guy that comes to mind is Angle. His dropping the strap while screaming was intense in his early years.

[@danielwilson9724]

@@ryandavis4448 Angle is one of the best to ever step into the squared circle, hands down!! I just revisited RVD as ECW Heavyweight champ, in WWE's ECW when he wrestled Angle and DAMNNNN I love RVD as well but Angle grounded him to the point of making him look bad.. Was staying in top of him to where RVD couldn't get the leverage to counter roll out of it so Angle starts punk slapping him in his head multiple times at one point. Overall great match, but just had to make the point of how he made RVD look like an amateur when he grounded him. Lol

[@ryandavis4448]

@@danielwilson9724 angel is right there with Brock as a LEGITIMATE wrestling machine. Angel was TRUELY an Olympic gold medalist and Lesnar was NCAA champion. So...those guys were the real deal, man.

[@danielwilson9724]

@@ryandavis4448 Angle would smoke Brock in any legitimate wrestling contest though.. And I say tht as someone who's loved Brock since the moment he debuted. But Angle is just a beast, and one of the best to ever do it, Professional/Amateur/Olympics etc

[@85futureshock]

Say what you want but Hogan Hulking Up, Lawler dropping the strap or Kawada/ Kobashi doing the Japanese Fighting Spirit in All Japan was over and it got the fans excited. It never looked silly or business exposing unlike the AEW goofs who botch spots on a national tv program and make the industry look bad.

[@Spoeism]

Piper had the crazy head shaking, with his hair going everywhere and maniacal prancing around, before he unleashed a flurry of punches.

[@ransom6892]

Pretty sure Hogan discussed the origins of Hulking up on the podcast with Stone Cold

[@Yoshiinite]

The artwork is amazing as usual lol

[@travisburnett5685]

I used to get so pumped when Hogan would Hulk up. I also loved when the ref would check to see if his arm would drop three times and on the third time he would come back to life lol

[@fuzzluvver69]

That is underrated. Hulk was a master at making his arms look completely limp and heavy, like he was actually unconscious for the first two drops. Seriously, he was so good at that, only for his arm halfway down on the third to spark back into life. The little details he put into his work made the difference to the ring psychology. People these days don't appreciate / understand that.

[@travisburnett5685]

@@fuzzluvver69 Absolutely. Thats why he's the Babe Ruth of wrestling brother

[@chrisvincent3439]

I miss the armdrop spot in matches it got overdone years ago now it's never seen

[@Mr92094]

@@chrisvincent3439 Mostly UFC killed that. Once people saw how real submissions worked it kinda killed that spot

[@chrisvincent3439]

@@Mr92094 i can see your point but at the very least can we get the sleeper hold itself back as a false finish spot i just feel if used right it elevates matches

[@assimo9841]

Daniel Bryan does a "hulking up" fairly often, but I don't think it's necessarily a signature of his.

[@alejandrocerezo8399]

The BritAm Brawlers used to do it before switching heel with McAffee as well.

[@arnavbhagwat4232]

Edge did his crazy hairpull thing as a comeback briefly before he retired in 2011

[@Chaz4543]

Too bad most long time WWE fans were done watching the product by the time he did that. Hogan's Hulking up worked because he was larger than life. Some vanilla midget hulking up just doesnt have the same effect.

[@assimo9841]

@@Chaz4543 It's not the same as Hogan's anyway. He's not impervious during it like The Hulkster was. Though it does signify the comeback.

[@lime_crisis]

Daniel Bryan’s routine where he walks around the ring nodding his head is always exciting

[@justinverser2102]

"They would throw babies in the air" is a golden line lmao.

[@jasonispunk]

"Pull the strap !!"- some random old lady screaming at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis on any given Monday night ...

[@westoncharm7467]

I'm sorry. Hulk Hogan's Hulk up was legendary. At wrestlemania against the Rock, the arena went nuts when Hulk Hogan started the comeback. Plus you knew what was coming. Three punches. The Big Foot. Running Legdrop.

[@Kas58223]

And JR shouting when hit the leg drop he beat Andre the Giant with that move for me that was the main event at Wrestlemania 18

[@johnthomas5314]

My two favorites were vs. Rock at WM18 and vs. Slaughter at WM7, when Slaughter lays the flag on top of him during the pin attempt

[@thelivinglegend2611]

@@johnthomas5314 Slaughter knew how to get heat.

[@TheGhostofMrArthurs]

@12:45 - "I didnt like Hogan's because it wasnt Ric Flair" is the real line of dialogue

[@28kingofkings]

It was a great visual cue, when Hogan does it, fans know that business is about to pick up. When Hogan hulked up during his match with The Rock, Hogan sent long time fans back in time. A time when Hogan was the unbreakable hero, that fought off all challenges that come his way. To see Hogan hulk up again at WrestleMania was like a returning to childhood, colorful and innocent

[@Karemaker]

Also known as the Hogasm.

[@graefx]

Id say when I was a kid, but I was nearly out of high school, I remember Kurt Angle dropping the straps in TNA and that'd always get a big reaction from me

[@danielwilson9724]

U don't remember him doing it in WWE though? 🤔

[@graefx]

@@danielwilson9724 would have needed to watch WWE when he was there.

[@MilMaska]

"I think he is Hulking up JR" - Jerry Lawler

[@Bigjizay]

When I was a kid, I hulked up in a fight. The punch I received hurt, but I didn't let him know that. I blocked the next punch, and beat him up 😁

[@TheTruth27536]

Lol we would call it a 'Second Wind' where I'm from.

[@Grogie4dagurlz]

we'd call it "sudden strength"

[@TheTruth27536]

@@Grogie4dagurlz Lol, that's a good one!

[@danielwilson9724]

Me too.. In Indianapolis things like tht were always a second wind

[@mattuk56]

Best Hulk Ups was Hogan, Warrior Shaking ropes, Sting chest beating, Goldberg walking forward at someone who's hitting him

[@derek-64]

As a big Sting fan i enjoyed the chest beating

[@danielwilson9724]

Goldberg was just " no selling" as usual LMFAO 😂

[@MrTeamGuy]

Omega hitting the ring after Bucks used a move that meant so much to his past (and fans knew that, so the pop was perfect)

[@Moonlightgraeme]

My dad watched the wrestling with me in the late 80’s and when hogan started hulking up my dad burst out laughing and he’s say “oh, here she goes”

[@SAM-ru4vx]

I'm thinking that you 👉brother copied jimmy boogie woogie valiant.

[@keithmoran5695]

Cool Cool Jimmy.

[@greato80]

Ultimate Warrior summoning power of the warriors

[@lukeleopard3866]

He shook the ropes lol

[@greato80]

@@lukeleopard3866 ..yeah , hed pump his fist in air and kinda run in place too lol

[@lukeleopard3866]

@@greato80 dextrusity running wild

[@joshbygosh]

Not sure what Jim was talking about with Hogan. He took several direct punches before turning to shake them off and then he'd turn into another direct punch before telling the opponent that he was gonna take no more.

[@fins2334]

I agree. Don’t agree with Cornette there

[@Chuck_EL]

@@fins2334 I saw a few opponents clothesline him while he hulked out and knee lifts and shoulder blocks also especially during the 80s I think Jim is referring to his later years

[@Amzingred]

Sorry Jim but Hogan, when on his knees shaking his head and "puffing" the heel would punch him in the face 3 times and react after each one as Hogan no sold. Then he'd get up and start stomping around shaking his head and arms as the heel would then punch him in the shoulder few times. Then Hogan turns and takes one more to tje face and thats when Hogan would point his finger at him telling him, "you are in trouble now mother brother." Then block the next punch and nail 3 punches of his own. Followed with the Big Boot and leg drop.

[@Junketsuadidas]

I always loved when angle took off the straps, that’s when you knew shit was about to go down

[@Lord_Bibulous]

Yup. Then the grapevine ankle lock sealed the deal.

[@gi79304]

I always remember as a kid getting all excited when Hogan Hulked up and fought back

[@ladistar]

lol so true

[@ryand4533]

I ripped so many shirts in half watching those matches lololol

[@bdot187um]

@@ryand4533 same here 😂

[@natwolf687]

Buncha Marks.

[@andymassingham]

Baron Von Raschke “hulked up” by doing the goose step AS A FACE in the late 70s. Thought it was hysterical!

[@donovanharris7195]

As much as I love Travis’ artwork for these things, I’m pretty disappointed that Hogan wasn’t throwing a baby in the air for this one.

[@Voysh2Voysh69]

Or have Lawler & Hogan doing their hulk ups while a baby Cornette is flying thru the air in the background lol

[@maraviyoso8473]

Duggan had The Stomp, Carlos Colon had The Cartwheel, even Piper did a shuffle sometimes as a babyface

[@johngallagher72]

All good examples 👍

[@QoQabai658]

Hell, even Shawn Michael's had that kip-up.

[@sey4206]

Warrior shook the ropes

[@fatalsniper3413]

@@sey4206 i got something hard that Warrior can shake up and down

[@sey4206]

@@fatalsniper3413 ooh that’s just nasty Ennius....broke back mountain

[@jdzspace33]

I get that Jim doesn't like Hogan and will take every chance he can to put him down, but as a kid who grew up with Hogan (and Warrior), those "hulk ups" were iconic, and I know many came before, but to me it was the standard. Even when I was older and he did it against the Rock it was still just as iconic. The Warriors just played like roid rage though....but it was iconic in it's own way there too....probably more so than Hogan's to some.

[@evolvedcopper2205]

I pop for Angle dropping straps, Taker/Kane sit ups, to a lower degree when Show used to scream like a madman for the chokeslam and when Benoit used to call for the diving headbutt. However if we're talking comebacks specifically it had to have been Angle for me. Only one better than that for me was when he used to drop the straps, put em back on and just drop em again! The first time I saw it I laughed but still got hyper over it

[@easyriderrider4580]

Jimmy Valiant, Bruno Sammartino and Superstar Billy Graham also did early versions of hulking up too, long before Hogan did it.

[@danielwilson9724]

Hogan based at least 75% of his gimmick off of Superstar Billy Graham so Im sure tht comparison is an honor.

[@MIGHTYBOOSCH198]

To be fair to Hogan, though he hasn't aged well, as a kid, watching WCW I absolutley loved the Hulk up and wrestling has never been as over for me.

[@leeswea_dagoat4961]

Undertaker"s sit up always got me hype"d

[@Thundarr100]

For my money, one of the best "Hulk ups" I've ever seen was Bruno Sammartino. He would get beaten down in the corner, then he would start to no sell as he stands up. Then the heel would hit him and he'd no sell and take a step forward. The heel would hit him again, and he'd no sell and take another step forward. This would continue until he got to the middle of the ring. Once he got to the center of the ring, he would go berserk and unleash on the heel.

[@huflungdung8252]

I've seen videos of Bruno Sammartino in the early 70's "hulking up"

[@zztop6460]

Popeye the sailor man hitting the spinach after saying "thats all I can stand and I can't stand no more

[@ikill4klondikebars]

Popeye was the quintessential babyface. Bruno could get over him constantly, and make him look a bumbling, weak fool until Popeye took his spinach. Then Popeye got strong, found his 2nd wind, and couldn't be outsmarted. If anything, taking his spinach made him smarter as Bruno would always get outsmarted, out muscled, and made the fool of in the end.

[@Mechtrekica]

Crockett era is my favorite era. I even love how the fans get into the action when the baby face is rallying. The current audience just sabotages the whole thing. They boo the baby faces, and cheer the heels making fun of them, they break the system.

[@bshaun]

Lots of women cheering in the crowd back in those days, too. They were often louder than the men. Agreed, best era, late 80s!

[@ikill4klondikebars]

Today's crowds are marks for themselves and their desire to be on TV. So they chant these stupid chants instead of just playing along with things, booing who they're supposed to boo, and cheering who they're supposed to cheer.

[@BronzeBullBalls]

The Hulking up would go down well today and seems pretty realistic compared to the dick tosses and grenade throws and hadoukens. In fact, this is probably not crazy enough for today's audience.

[@returnofplex]

Pretty sad isn't it? Who would have thought that wrestling could appear more fake? Today's product has the smallest audience ever and rather than try to get the casuals back, they lean into the worst bullshit ever to appease the hardcore marks.

[@Bimshwel]

"Grenade throws and hadoukens?" are there really wrestlers who throw invisible, pretend explosives that the opponents react to? That makes me think of Eugene getting into the urinating dog pose followed by his opponents acting like there was invisible bladder fluid splashing on to them.

[@chadhartsees]

Corny has a false memory of what Hulk's routine looked like. Punched in the shoulder? WTF is he talking about? He always took a punch to the head, would go in a circle, take another punch in the head. Sometimes guys would axe handle him in the back. But he took punches in the head as a normal part of the Hulking up routine.

[@AlexThorn]

You waited for that moment as a kid. Even my grandmother would be rooting for Hogan and then popping up with a big YES! When Hogan would Hulk up. Hogan was magic.

[@jasond1433]

Jim: hates anything that portrays professional wrestling as anything other than legitimate. Also Jim: Tries to explain why the bowup comeback isn't just as dumb as the flippy shit the hardly boys do. Ever see someone getting their ass kicked in real life suddenly come to life? Only if they've had a lot of pcp.

[@kaijusoshingeki7214]

Montez Ford does Ultimate Warrior’s rope shake comeback in the modern day. Shawn Michaels kipping up and doing his foot stomping before the Sweet Chin Music has been bastardized by the Young Bucks.

[@fartdonkey8290]

Superkick! Superkick! Superkick! Moonsault! TeMpE sUiCiDa!!! Superkick!

[@joehiggs4349]

Cornette is good on most things but just can’t accept that Hulk’s combo of size, look, personality, charisma, psychology, humility of character, connection with fans made him the best ever without a lot of match talent or concern for wrestling convention. Sour grapes all day long snd then some.

[@justinvickclt]

Otis during the Heavy Machinery matches would "hulk up" by rubbing his belly and giving a lil shimmy.

[@Zebojr2kool]

If Cornette cannot go 5 seconds without claiming that Lawler is the greatest ever I think he might die. Lawler was over in 1 territory. Hogan was over everywhere.

[@rajakghosh753]

If Austin vs Hogan match ever happened, don't think Austin would have ever sold Hogan hulking up.

[@plonkersbro]

Austin probably would have just given him two middle fingers and then just stood there telling where he could go with that routine

[@handsolo1209]

@@plonkersbro and then Hogan would have no sold Austin's shitty kicks and stunner.

[@AWX_Wrestling]

I think he would have sold it up to the point Hogan did the point and shouted "YOU!". Then Austin would have flipped Hogan off and hit Stunner on him.

[@AWX_Wrestling]

@Bryan Robinson and then Austin would take his ball and go home..

[@DarkLordofTheSith69]

@@plonkersbro if the rock sold it then Austin would too..he would just move out the way when he dropped the leg ..like warrior did

[@hobbyshopofelyria8923]

Please don't try to convince us that lawler was more over then Hogan ,maybe in his little town but over the world like Hogan

[@YT_HATES_FREE_SPEECH]

Hogans nose-candy fueled promos were the best thing about him

[@feebypeels2883]

The first Mega Powers interview is fucking gold.

[@YT_HATES_FREE_SPEECH]

@@feebypeels2883 is that the one where theyre scared to shake hands bcz the combined power could be too much and might blow up the world 😅

[@feebypeels2883]

@@YT_HATES_FREE_SPEECH Yes, and Savage opens with, "I'm in a state of shock right now, in fact I don't think I'm gonna be coming down for a long period of time, YEAH!" Fucking classic.

[@YT_HATES_FREE_SPEECH]

@@feebypeels2883 lol yea he knew being around hulk theres a good chance you wont be coming back down from the 'white' mountain for a while.

[@acealexandermccloud2024]

Hogan hulking up got some of the biggest pops in the history of wrestling...love it or hate it, it was over!!!

[@moreblack]

"imagine someone doing it in the UFC" Does that guy even understand MMA?

[@jrsmith1998]

Yeah. He is an idiot. A “Hulk up” in UCF is not even possible

[@danielwilson9724]

That's wht I was thinking too!! 😂

[@bigjakepowers6649]

Lawler could drop the strap now, and it’d be like1980 all over again

[@prettz9742]

Didn't otis do something similar? He would do some knee dance and say "oh yeah" like the kool-ade man?

[@dovahduke4566]

The best "hulk up" I can remember was Eddie Guerrero against JBL. Eddie was just bleeding then JBL started hitting and Eddie started dancing then slap his chest and said come on blocked a punch then he started his comeback.

[@dylanpiazza6358]

With you! Latino heat was all fire

[@Spongemonkey26]

Kurt Angle and Undertaker are the last ones I can think of that "Hulked up"

[@britishbulldogsvsthehartfo5677]

i always enjoyed seeing sting getting pumped up after receiving one too many chops from ric flair, he'd stand up straight, tell flair to hit him in the jaw and then do the most muscular pose while yelling at flair, flair would immediately drop to his knees and beg for his life i always thought their best match was at world war 3 in 1995

[@Maxbear1112]

I love Jim and agree with his philosophy a lot but I will always love Hulk stomping around the ring not reacting to shitty punches and then turning to point at the heel. Bad guy then looks at him and the crowd all freaked out like "I'm fucked".

[@tonyevans63]

My favorite was Ultimate Warrior kicking out of someone's finisher and then shaking the ropes and running around the ring, then reaching for the heavens and doing the gorilla press slam and Warrior splash!

[@danielwilson9724]

Yeah.. Too bad he was super trash though. But as a kid, he was as over as could be with me just like to most everyone else. Lmao

[@TONYGILLEY]

Hogan's "Hulk-up" has changed over the years. Jim said it drove him crazy when Hulk would start walking away from the heel in the middle of it before he'd finish with his finger point. As best as I can remember he started using that variation around 1988 (maybe in '87?). He definitely did it against Macho Man at Wrestlemania V. During his first three years as wwf champion the hulk-up he used didn't have him walking away. He would do his arm shakes while the heel would pound him until he'd stand straight up and have this "that's it" look on his face before going into his comeback/finish routine. During that first title reign he would actually change up his routine from time to time. The various times he would fight Big John Studd and almost every encounter he had with Paul Orndorff. The only time he didn't do a hulk-up was when he beat the Iron Sheik for the title.

[@gollumandeowyn]

Daniel Bryan would Hulk Up exactly like Hulk occasionally at the height of his popularity some years back.

[@madddoggnogood1491]

He would do that as a comeback he never no sold moves

[@Thex-W.I.T.C.H.-xMaster]

Hulk hulking up must not of been too bad since it was over with millions of people and one of Hogan's biggest gimmicks that was over with millions for years and years.

[@raymondcrenshaw3147]

Kurt Angle almost had the Lawler strap pull down going.

[@northernking4787]

“Hulking up” was how I figured out wrestling was entertainment and not a sport (when I was 6), I’d seen men get punched and knew that was bullshit.

[@carbonsilkthread]

I always loved Shawn’s kip up and hair flip

[@LoganCharlesII]

3:18 "You'd start to see some erection go back in their spine...."

[@Off-The-Top-Of-My-Head]

LOL 😂 ok good. Someone else caught that.

[@kevinwilliams7717]

@officialjimcornette I remember seeing the Lawler ( dropping the strap) comeback long before hulking up.

[@veegob5287]

Pie Face Buck tries. 😂😂😂

[@savagedragon1047]

I'd consider it like Undertaker sitting up, Bray Wyatt's back bend, and Montez Ford on the ropes.

[@jayhell53]

I Start to Hulk up if I'm constipated sitting on the toilet

[@johngallagher72]

Constipation doesn't work for me brother ...Hulk Hogan

[@andresabucco475]

Wrong jim hulks was the best one. It drew millions of dollars and dusty and lawler drew thousands

[@jimwhitt]

Wrong Dusty and The King also drew millions in their careers

[@andresabucco475]

@@jimwhitt last I checked dusty was midcard in the wwf while Hogan was doing his hulk up in the main event of the same shows. Enough said

[@strongereveryday2302]

@@jimwhitt yeah...but nowhere near the amount hogan brought in. Otherwise memphis would have taken over and the nwa wouldn't be the irrelevant shit pile it now is and has been for the last 30 years.

[@troublesomewestsideoutlaw5754]

@@andresabucco475 You might want to do a little research on Dusty Rhodes pre wwf before making a statement like that!

[@andresabucco475]

@@troublesomewestsideoutlaw5754 I did. Dusty rhodes couldn't even sell out C shows headlining with randy ravage as they did record low houses and Hogan was selling out arenas. Just because some hicks in Florida and the Carolina's cheered him doesn't man he did huge business. He did huge REGIONAL business