Hogan autobiography a fascinating look behind the curtain

Just over three weeks ago, Hulk Hogan rocked the wrestling world by announcing his partnership with TNA Wrestling via a press conference at Madison Square Garden. Almost buried within that furor was the release of his new autobiography, My Life Outside the Ring, co-written by Mark Dagostino. While Hogan’s first autobiography, 2002’s Hollywood Hulk Hogan was a breezy and forgettable look at his wrestling career, this book is really more of an examination of the man behind the red and yellow bandana, hence the book title. 

As someone who already knows and has lived through most of Hogan’s televised wrestling career it was great to see what was going on in Hogan’s life behind the curtain at the same time. He spends a great deal time talking about his parents and his brothers; brothers I never realized he even had. From there he takes the reader through a step-by-step journey of meeting his future wife Linda, their courtship and the birth of both of his children.

Once again these life milestones also help fill in the blanks of his wrestling career, as apparently his wife Linda’s outlandish spending led to him signing with World Championship Wrestling the first time back in 1994 and the birth of his kids caused him to travel back to Florida at every moment possible to be with them, even if it were only for a few hours. The majority of his big run through WCW and his return to WWE in 2002 are glossed through in rapid detail; with only the biggest of events highlighted.

The real meat of the book takes place after Hogan’s full-time wrestling career has finished up, and he moved on to Vh1 reality TV star. While the public watched Hogan and his family star in four seasons in Hogan Knows Best, suffer through Nick Hogan’s horrific car crash in 2007, Brooke Hogan’s abysmal music career, his stint as host of the re-launched American Gladiators and a very public and messy divorce between Hulk and Linda, this book gives Hulk a chance to give his side of every one of those stories. While he often portrays himself as a victim in a lot of situations he does provide a revealing side to things only seen in the mass media.

He spends the most time and detail discussing Nick’s car accident in 2007, which left Nick’s passenger John Graziano with serious medical issues that he will be suffering for the rest of his life and Nick in jail for eight months. Hogan really puts himself over as a saint during this part of the book, constantly at Graziano’s bedside and helping Nick in any way possible with his court case while his life crumbled around him.

However this book definitely is not without its share of typical Hogan exaggerations, especially in regards to his wrestlng career. By only page 12 he made the claim that Andre the Giant was 700 pounds when he bodyslammed him at WrestleMania III when Andre was probably a legit 500 – 550 lbs. at the very most. To his credit he keeps bringing up that his screwed up back is from that bodyslam, so at least he’s committed to it. He also claims that he blew his kneecap out on the night he won his first WWF World Championship from the Iron Sheik back in 1984 and kept wrestling for weeks straight with it completely blown. The one thing that wasn’t hyperbole was his description of his heel turn in 1996 and formation of the new World order. When he talked about it was the biggest thing wrestling had seen at the time, he actually was not exaggerating.

The book does a fantastic job of letting Hogan peel back the curtain on his own life and give his own side of the story. Regardless of whether everything printed here is fact, fiction or a combination of both it is a fascinating look at a public figure I have grown up watching. He talks of being at the highest points of his career, his lowest points of his personal life, the ridiculous amount money he’s made, the ridiculous amount money he’s lost and the rebounds he’s made both professionally and personally.

Hulk Hogan has never been a favorite of yours truly when it came to in-ring wrestling, but there is no denying the man’s impact on pro wrestling. He is the most recognizable figure when it comes to wrestling and its poster child. Therefore with Hogan focusing less on his in-ring action in this book and focusing more on his life around it, I found this to be an enjoyable read.