If there's one defining characteristic about the late Hulk Hogan, other than the fact that he is among the most famous wrestlers to ever walk this mortal coil, it's that he was well known for telling, to put it kindly, a tall tale. Over the years, the Hulkster made many statements regarding his career that were later being denied or outright disproven, from his claims that Andre the Giant didn't want to put him over at WrestleMania III to the idea that he was once in line for the role of Randy "The Ram" Robinson in Darren Aronofsky's film "The Wrestler." So often has Hogan made claims in public that turned out to be untrue that many fans now assume that any claim Hogan has made is a work of fiction.
But there's at least one story Hogan has told over the years that has been corroborated, and it involves the moment that Hulkamania was truly born. Hogan's WWE Championship victory over The Iron Sheik on January 23, 1984 may not be among the greatest matches ever, but it is among the most important, the match that turned Hogan from a popular budding star into the man who'd become the face of pro wrestling for the next decade and a half. But it's a match that could've been known for far different reasons, as Hogan would later claim that Sheik was offered over $100,000 to break his leg by Verne Gagne, the promoter of the American Wrestling Association, something Hogan only learned after the match.
Fans of both Sheik and Hogan will know that the two wrestlers had history with Gagne and the AWA. Following a successful amateur wrestling career, Sheik broke into pro wrestling via the AWA, training with Gagne and becoming one of the top heels in the promotion during the 1970s. Meanwhile, Hogan arrived in the AWA in the early 1980s, fresh off a heel run during his first WWE stint and an appearance in the blockbuster film "Rocky III." It was under Gagne's stewardship that Hogan began to show signs of becoming the force he'd be in wrestling, quickly rising up the ranks as AWA's most popular babyface, even though political reasons kept him from becoming Heavyweight Champion. It was that popularity that eventually led to WWE bringing Hogan back, and it's understandable to see how Hogan spurning AWA for WWE would upset Gagne, and perhaps lead to something drastic.
Still, given Hogan's penchant for fibs, Gagne turning to his old protege to break Hogan's leg in the crowning moment of his career seems like something that shouldn't hold up. But for once, Hogan has a corroborating witness in none other than the Iron Sheik himself. In a 2015 "Talk is Jericho" appearance, Sheik confirmed that he was contacted by Gagne the night before the Hogan match, and was offered $100,000 to break Hogan's leg and not drop the title to him. Sheik further says that Gagne offered him a job back in AWA, saying he would "take care" of Sheik, and that fellow NWA promoter, Jim Crockett, would do the same. As history shows, Sheik ultimately refused the offer, and instead told Vince McMahon Sr. and Jr. about the conversation the next day. Given Sheik's hostility towards Hogan in later years, some may be surprised that Sheik refused to make a different kind of history by humiliating the Hulkster. But as Sheik told it, his decision to not go rogue had less to do with Hogan, and more to do with his respect towards the McMahons. And thus, Hulkamania was born.
