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Hogan Has Hope For Success Of Series And For Family Getting 'Back On Track'

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 24, 2007

Hulk Hogan, aka Terry Bollea, is praying for a better year in 2008.

In a telephone conference call last week, the 54-year-old wrestler said he is hoping that "the final result will be for everybody to be happy and my family back on track."

Things have jumped off track for Hogan, who arguably is the most famous wrestler ever to get into the ring.

His wife, Linda, has filed for divorce after 24 years of marriage, and his 17-year-old son, Nick Bollea, is facing charges of reckless driving stemming from an Aug. 26 crash that critically injured his passenger, John Graziano, 22.

Hogan didn't say much about his woes because his publicist had requested that no personal questions be asked.

Hogan and female boxing champ Laila Ali were on the line to talk about their hosting duties on the new "American Gladiators," which debuts Jan. 6 on NBC.

The entire 12-episode series was taped in less than three weeks.

A reporter who asked if Hogan's personal problems were a distraction during the taping was scolded by an NBC publicist.

Hogan said he has tried to stay focused during these difficult times. He said he could have let everything get him down, but instead he "took a leap into the wind" with the faith that everything would eventually work out.

"I just hope and pray things will work out," he said.

Hogan, who has a home in Clearwater, said he will be keeping a low profile on New Year's Eve.

He said that at age 54, he is done with all the drinking, bell ringing and partying on that night. He will be headed to New Orleans in February as the celebrity king at the annual Bacchus parade held two days before Mardi Gras.

The parade is a fundraiser for a children's hospital. He will be visiting the children there.

Hogan said the opportunity to host "American Gladiator" came along at a time when he was trying to decide where his career was headed now that his reality show, "Hogan Knows Best," has run its course.

"Sometimes you get in situations careerwise where you get to reinvent yourself, and sometimes you run into a dead end," he said. "There are highs and you ride them, and there are lows that you have to survive."

He said "American Gladiators" popped up, and it makes sense that this would be the logical next step for him.

"I really didn't know if I was going to start a business or go into broadcasting, but this is a logical extension of Hulk Hogan. I realized that there is a longer life span left for his career."

He said that his co-host, the daughter of Muhammad Ali and the undefeated super middleweight boxing champion of the world, is the rock-steady, serious host.

"She gives me the freedom to bounce around and be the Hulk," he said. But he won't be the full-blown, grunting, growling wrestler Hulk.

"I tone it down a few notches," he said.

The competition is an updated version of a 1980s hit. There are 12 muscular, well-developed "gladiators," six men and six women with such names as Venom, Crush, Mayhem, Titan, Stealth and Siren. They will square off against a dozen "wanna-be" competitors.

"We're operating at a really raised-bar level here as far as these athletes," Hogan said. "In my own personal opinion, these gladiators are really top-notch athletes. ... I think people are not only going to enjoy it, but once they see some of the events and some of the things that are going to go on, they'll respect not only the gladiators, but the competitors as well."

He predicts that audiences will be immediately attracted to "a real big gladiator" called Helga and a wild man named Wolf.

"She's like the big German character, a brewmaster-type bartender, waitress type. When she comes out, she gets good crowd reaction. And on the male side, there's this guy named Wolf, and he comes out howling and he gets a good reaction. ... We've got some larger-than-life characters coming at you."

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