Former AWA star and the son of the legendary Verne Gagne, Greg Gagne, has discussed the impact of Hulk Hogan leaving his father's promotion for WWE, and how that changed the wrestling landscape.
After wrestling under Vince McMahon senior, Hogan featured in Verne Gagne's AWA, where he became a household name, prompting Vince McMahon junior to sign him. Hogan left AWA after sending a notice to Gagne, and no-showed AWA shows he was booked for. Greg Gagne, on a recent appearance on "Busted Open," didn't begrudge Hogan for leaving AWA, but felt that he could have done it in a better manner.
"Once he got so established in the AWA and we were really on the roll, he got the call from Vince, and Vince called him and away he went. And it was unfortunate because he left not a very good taste in the AWA. Vince had him walk out when we had all our major cities, him and the main event, and he didn't show. So it really hurt the AWA," said Gagne. "And then after that, he just started picking off everybody else. But I have no regrets about, you know, being mad about Hulk on that. He took an opportunity. He should have just, you know, finished out his deal, is all I ever told him."
Gagne believes that McMahon wouldn't have turned WWE into the behemoth that it eventually became without the arrival of Hogan from the AWA. He further praised Hogan, calling him a good-hearted person and stating that his passing would have a lasting impact on the pro wrestling community.
"He was genuinely a really good guy and a nice guy, and he listened and he worked hard," he said. "But all in all, he's just a terrific guy. And it's a huge, huge loss for not only the wrestling community, but for everybody because he was an icon, without a doubt."
Hogan had quit AWA just a few days before the special Christmas showsand then joined WWE.
