Years ago, I had a bizarre medical condition that landed me in the hospital for a week. It was a painful experience I never want to go through again. However, as a huge wrestling fan, my sister, through her job, reached out to the WWE (then called WWF/Titan Sports) to ask about having a professional wrestling superstar visit me in the hospital. She wanted it to be a surprise, and it was such a kind gesture. A representative from the company replied via FedEx with a letter explaining that the superstars were very busy and couldn’t fulfill her request. But, as a consolation, there was an envelope folder attached that included personalized autographed studio photos of the WWF Superstars, Hulk Hogan, Randy “Macho Man” Savage, The Junkyard Dog, and Jesse “The Body” Ventura. I was over the moon. I was so excited that my heroes, whom I watched on TV every week, took the time to do something so amazing. It made me feel like they were my friends, and I could hang out with them anytime I wanted.
What made this kind gesture even more special is the extra nice thing they did. They sent me two sets of personalized autographed photographs. One for me and one for my twin brother. According to the rep, it was Hogan and JYD who realized “hey, you can’t give one without giving to the other”. This made it all the more special and a fantastic shared experience for both of us. I will never forget this.
The sudden passing of wrestling icon Hulk Hogan is why I'm sharing these thoughts. He wasn't just a superstar; he spearheaded the transformation of professional wrestling from obscure and seedy midnight weekend episodes on local television to the massive entertainment juggernaut it is now. His life, a complex blend of achievements, reinventions, and controversies, was truly a journey of highs and lows. The takeaway for me? Even if our heroes turn out to be far less than perfect or in some cases, quite fallen, it's still worth remembering and celebrating the impact they had on us. In a world where many of my generation's icons are passing in greater numbers (which is unbelievable because I am only 27), it feels like that is the right thing to do.
“Whether you like it or not, learn to love it cause it’s the best thing going. Wooo” - Ric Flair