Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon are undoubtedly two of the most important figures in the history of professional wrestling. For his part McMahon took his father’s promotion and grew it into the the sports entertainment powerhouse that WWE has become today. During this expansion, Hulk Hogan was McMahon’s biggest star, and the WWE Hall of Famer eventually crossed over into the mainstream, becoming a major celebrity in his own right.
However, while the men enjoyed a close bond for a number of years, there were also periods where they found themselves at odds. Hogan’s involvement during the steroid trial in 1994 was a source of great contention for a number of years, while the star also became a key figure for WCW as the company rose to challenge WWF/WWE in the mid-late 1990’s.
Vince McMahon Was The Boss, Hulk Hogan His Favourite Son
On the most recent episode of his Something To Wrestle podcast, Bruce Prichard who is a long-time associate and friend of McMahon discussed Hogan’s 2002 WWE return.
Reflecting on the relationship between the pair, Prichard described it as “father and son.”
“Well, definitely, it was a love-hate relationship. It was a father-son; it was a brother relationship. I do think they were close as a family. So that probably added to the tension between Hulk and Vince. But Vince was always the boss, and Hulk was always the favorite son,” stated Prichard. “So, it was, you know, people argue, would Vince have been as successful without Hulk? Would Hulk have been as successful without Vince?”
At WrestleMania 19 Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan met in the ring in a chaotic and bloody Street Fight. Prichard explained that McMahon initially thought the storyline was too close to his famous rivalry with Stone Cold Steve Austin, however, it was something Hogan really wanted to do.
“I think it was everyone’s idea. I know Hulk really wanted to do that. I know the team really wanted to do it. That was just, that’s one of those, laying on the floor waiting for someone to pick it up. Yes, Vince didn’t think it would be the same with Hogan. To me, I thought it would be even more with Hogan because there was much material to work with. Who made who?”
Vince McMahon retired from his roles with WWE in July 2022. The now former Chairman had been besieged by allegations of serious sexual misconduct in the lead-up to his departure.
H/t to Sportskeeda