Over the course of the 1980s, Hulk Hogan became arguably the most recognizable star in the history of pro wrestling, breaking through to the mainstream in a way no one had before. However, it's fair to say that Hogan didn't make it there alone. One figure who was particularly important to Hogan's success was "Superstar" Billy Graham, as Hogan based much of his persona on his WWE forebearer.
Graham entered the industry in 1970, about seven years before Hogan. He had the physique of a body builder, bleach-blonde hair, wore bright gear, and cut promos with fiery enthusiasm. At one point, it seemed as though he was going to become a breakout star. However, after a major title loss against Bob Backlund, Graham's career never fully bounced back, and Hogan stepped in to fill the gap.
Debuting in the late 1970s, at the height of Graham's popularity, Hogan immediately displayed some common traits with the bigger star. He was muscular, with long blonde hair, and he would later start adopting even more characteristics from Graham, including referring to his arms as "pythons" and frequent use of the word "brother."
Hogan arguably took more than anyone else, but he wasn't the only one to take inspiration from Graham for his own wrestling persona. Graham changed the entire industry in a matter of years, shifting the way people thought of a typical pro wrestler and paving the way for the glamorous heights of the 1980s.
When Vince McMahon bought the WWF from his father in the early part of that decade, he had a vision for where the industry was headed, and he brought back Graham to lead the charge. However, this wasn't the same Graham that had been signed with the company five years before, with an entirely different look, and he failed to take off in the way McMahon hoped.
Around the time Graham's return run was fizzling out, McMahon brought Hogan in from the AWA, which is an entire story in its own right. It was already evident that Hogan had taken plenty of inspiration from Graham, but those similarities would skyrocket in the coming months and years. It's possible that some of that was due to direction from McMahon.
At any rate, Hogan's time had come, with his arrival and subsequent world title win leading to a boom period for the company. Hogan soon became the breakout star that Graham once showed potential for. Though he was a controversial figure in his later years, there's no denying that Hogan was one of the most successful performers in the history of the business.
For a long time, Hogan didn't publicly comment on Graham or his level of influence, but that changed in 2023. Hogan admitted that Graham was the person who inspired him to join the industry, but rather than fully acknowledging Graham's influence on his early success, he instead stated that he modeled his "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan character in WCW on Graham.
