Hulk Hogan Pins Down Faith

[Music] we're good so I appreciate it we are good he's Master of the grand entrance whose presence still holds attention oh man I'm all pumped up Maniacs Hulk Hogan here Terry blea made the name present with unmatched success and Global recognition in sports entertainment a larger than life icon that transcends wrestling saving his biggest splash not far from his Clearwater Beach Store and restaurant public baptism mhm you have said the greatest moment of your life yes without a doubt Terry what did that mean for you it broke down that fourth or fifth wall to tell

people the truth about my Lord and Savior how you know you should look at things or or how you should care for people and not judge people and it Set Me Free wasn't that perfect vessel that I should be or should have been once I was baptized I felt I was all I knew it really was a major pivot in my life it was so fun to be a parer's baptism and to see the ripple effect that that has made all over the world he had people in Japan calling him just a couple of minutes

later this is the way that Christians go public in their faith and he felt it important to do what Christians do Hulk Hogan what does the person of Jesus Christ Terry bring to you that God presence in us you know that still Small Voice so what Terry brings at the table is a meat suit you know a meat suit filled with the spirit of Christ and it's a testing ground for me I accepted Christ as my savior when I was 14 but I derailed it wasn't my life he has given me the opportunity to prove

that I'm faithful and I'll never make those same mistakes again my faith the momentum was overwhelming there was nothing stopping me what became the most draining to sustain the Hulk Hogan recognition well 35 years of wrestling still had that bug in me where I likeed to see if I was getting a approved after I slammed one guy and looked at the crowd I guess I made a crazy face but the look that I gave gave a better reaction than the wrestling move okay they want to see me be a little goofy and have fun in

here that character launched me into this crazy genre where it all intertwined together you know the character and the wrestling but why the demand for your brand I like that why the demand for my brand I think it's a generational trust because the parents and the grandparents all know who I am and the kids know who I am but like in mosan Beek and zambali and Malaysia they might not know Tom Brady but they know Hulk Hogan you know so it's it's kind of amazing how many homes I've been into around the world on a

consistent basis every weekend for 4 40 plus years so Hulk Hogan has that clearw beach store restaurant how do you manage the brand and Terry all the while tending to the expectations of people well the moment I come home the headband comes off the bald head and you know it's just Terry dad father husband friend I have no wrestling pictures in my house I have no wrestling belts just Terry the problem is the moment I leave the house the moment I walk out the front door the world doesn't want Terry and the Mel man goes

hey Hulk so instead of saying good morning sir I go hey brother how you doing give them just a little cuz they expect it you know there a lot of tributaries parlays off this hul Hogan character which I really appreciate and value very much so it's not just a job but I've learned to separate myself the single most memorable moment for you as a wrestler if you had to narrow it down what would it be it didn't have anything to do with being in the ring um it had to do with after the match at

Madison Square Garden January 23rd 1984 where I wrestled the iron Chic for the WWF title Iran had 444 American hostages and they were keeping our Americans and the iron Chic he was the actual bodyguard for the shaw of Iran he was the real deal and the fans knew it and I was the All-American character Hulk Hogan that night I flew my parents up and and you know my dad and I didn't see eye to eye because I was going to University of South Florida here in Tampa and I was majoring in finance and management but

when I left college and didn't become an accountant or whatever that degree would lead me to there was a huge divide as far as communication with my dad and I you know so it kind of was a void and so that night after Madison Square Garden you know my dad goes man you know Terry I'm very proud of you made the right decision I love you so much I'm so sorry that I tried to make you do something you didn't want to do so that was the greatest night for me for my dad to say

that to me because I really didn't know if I was right or right or not it just I was doing what I love doing yeah and to me that felt right but then to have my dad confirm it but I had to be the main event of Madison Square Garden to get him to break but but that that was probably the greatest part of my wrestling career to have that moment with him because I I really valued what he he thought about me I think he needs to put my blue headband on it matches shirt

perfectly just kidding just kidding no I'm all for it I'm just kidding I'm all for it are those Andre yeah those are his tights Brother people don't realize how big he left you those tights we snatched them he was your guy right yeah he was yeah and a lot of people don't realize his fingers were like bananas you know they were just he was huge what do you miss most about him um his honesty I miss Andre's honesty because he he didn't pull any punches with people and he had a very very rough life you

know you know I would walk with him through the airport I could hear people saying horrible comments and things cuz you know he's 7 fo4 and 650 lbs and and then I traveled with him a lot and there was never he could never sit in that chair there was never a comfortable chair never could hold a fork or a knife that was he could work with whenever he'd get a hotel room like in the mar his room and I'd help him push the beds together you know and he still wouldn't fit on two two double

beds so I miss his guidance and his friendship you know and basically him being so honest just really point A to B no no spice on it man he hits you with the real deal so that's what I miss about him well can I tell you a crazy wrestling story yeah of course a buddy mine Rody Piper passed away r r Piper and he was really trying hard to you know surrender and try to get his life straight so I mean we would text every single day now in the wrestling business for 25 years we

couldn't stand each other we were at each other's throats I know it's predetermined all that but he did not like me and I did not like him and that's just how it was well once we got older and you know we basically had some conversations and so we we started talking a lot and he started asking me about my spirituality he really didn't connect but he was very curious you know he wouldn't surr under and all of a sudden he passes away and it was an Andy special about Rody Piper and the very thing when

they get ready to go to credits it wasn't a text message but it was a text message that was a voice message on the text you know so he he must have but this text message came in two days after he died and the text message goes I'm just loving you my brother I'm just walking with Jesus walking with Jesus and loving you my brother I was like he would have never said that when he was here and Terry he wanted you to hear it right yeah yeah cuz he he would have never said that

when he was here so it's just it's amazing how things work you know so the difference between being outside the ring and watching as a spectator or getting into the ring as if defining this is what I am right yeah you can relay that on so many levels because it's it's almost like people you know that say they're a Christian and and they know of our Lord and savior but they really don't know him you know everybody I meets a wrestler talking about wrestling but there's a huge difference when you actually get in that ring

just like you said and that's exactly the perfect way to describe it once you knew things were scripted predetermined outcome mhm difficult for you to maintain the competitive side while entertaining as a businessman I look at it completely different because a lot of wrestlers look at it and go it's predetermined it's a work I'll take it easy on you out there if I was to grab your arm like this and put you in a top wrist lock here that's will work that's no no that's will work but if I go to the outside that's a

shoot that means you're actually trying to hurt somebody break bones submission holds oh it doesn't matter if you win or lose it's it's predetermined well it does because if I'm the good guy and my merchandise is selling five times more than you that's a shoot to me started man don't make no don't make me come over there it's okay I'm way past my Prime you have an easy day with me real easy don't forget it's predetermined no that right but isn't that a lot like the lives we live we attempt to write the script to

control the outcome right Terry very funny this whole thing is a shoe box brother and we're in the shoe box and he's in control and it's going to happen exactly the way he wants it to happen and exactly the way it's supposed to be and there are no coincidences none first time God talked to Moses at the burning bush he told him I am that and I am this believe it or not I'm this energy here God says I'm this I'm this I had to have this because it was so important to me all of

us are in our own ring using stage names characters how did you you take off that mask I get sick and tired of myself you the two people in my head the ego and the real I am I mean I just I just surrendered I just said I can't do it anymore you know and I had went back to to the Bible you know and I started reading again and I'm either all the way in or all the way out with whatever I do so if you're with me there's no guesswork if I'm with my

Lord and Savior I'm all the way in what message do you now convey at this stage of your life life it's a spiritual war in this Fallen World to turn to the truth seek him and you shall find to step outside their comfort zone and you know accept Christ knowing that he would heal the land and heal this nation and heal the people it just seems like such an easy choice for everyone if you'll just surrender accept him as your savior