Michael Cole Claims Hulk Hogan Was the Reason WWE Became a Global Juggernaut

Michael Cole paid tribute to Hulk Hogan on SportsCenter, reflecting on the late icon’s cultural legacy and his impact on wrestling’s global rise.

Speaking to anchor Elle Duncan, Cole didn’t hold back when describing just how much Hogan shaped what we now know as sports entertainment. Before diving in, Cole noted the emotional toll of the week, referencing the deaths of Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Ozzy Osbourne, and now Hogan, who he said defined an entire generation.

“Well, Elle, you and I were talking before we came on the air. This has been a rough week for those of us who came of age in the 80s. Malcolm-Jamal Warner, of course, Ozzy Osbourne, and today Hulk Hogan.”

He then credited Hogan and Vince McMahon for changing the entire trajectory of professional wrestling, transforming a regional business into a global powerhouse.

“Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon created sports entertainment. There’s a reason that Netflix and Peacock and USA Network are bringing our shows on a weekly basis — because of what they created back in the 1980s. Taking this small regional promotion and turning it into this global juggernaut.”

Cole mentioned that Hogan wasn’t just a wrestler—he was a symbol, a personality larger than life who reached millions through his charisma and character.

“There are millions and millions of people my age and your age as well who would not be professional wrestling fans today if it wasn’t for the immortal Hulk Hogan. He epitomized what it was to be a superstar — the bandana, the blonde hair, the 24-inch pythons, the great shape, preaching to the children to say their prayers and take their vitamins. He was larger than life. He was Terry Bollea turned up to number 10.”

He also reminded viewers just how massive Hogan was in the mainstream throughout the 1980s.

“And in the 1980s, he was probably the most famous person on the planet. Anywhere you went, you would hear the name Hulk Hogan. He hosted Saturday Night Live, he main-evented WrestleMania as you mentioned before, Grammy Awards, television shows, feature films — Hulk Hogan created the entire rock and wrestling era in WWE and really put sports entertainment on the map.”

Michael Cole’s tribute didn’t just look back on Hulk Hogan as a legend in the ring—it positioned him as a cultural cornerstone whose legacy helped build the billion-dollar machine WWE has become today.

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