Finally, Hulk Hogan is back in the spotlight for what he does best: Pro wrestling.
Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling debuts at 8 p.m. tomorrow on CMT (Country Music Television). Over the span of eight episodes, 10 B-list entertainers and athletes will compete in elimination-style fashion to crown the inaugural CCW champion.
Supervising the crash course is Hogan, whose introduction to the grappling game was much more painful. Hogan's leg was broken by the late Hiro Matsuda during his first training session in 1976. That was a time when veterans roughly handled outsiders while trying to protect the presentation of pro wrestling as a legitimate athletic endeavor.
Even though the industry's inner workings were exposed a long time ago, CCW participants still suffered bumps and bruises while trying to learn the ropes.
"No matter what you think about pro wrestling, the adjective 'fake' doesn't attach itself very well," Hogan said during a recent telephone interview. "People get hurt all the time. It's an art form. You cover every range of emotion and it's real physical. It takes a special type of person to live that lifestyle."
With charisma that matched his larger-than-life physique, Hogan was among the most special of them all. The Hulkster successfully parlayed his in-ring stardom during the 1980s and 1990s into other entertainment ventures, including a popular VH1 reality show that featured his family.
Taken from: http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/20081017-9999-1s17gallery.html
Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling debuts at 8 p.m. tomorrow on CMT (Country Music Television). Over the span of eight episodes, 10 B-list entertainers and athletes will compete in elimination-style fashion to crown the inaugural CCW champion.
Supervising the crash course is Hogan, whose introduction to the grappling game was much more painful. Hogan's leg was broken by the late Hiro Matsuda during his first training session in 1976. That was a time when veterans roughly handled outsiders while trying to protect the presentation of pro wrestling as a legitimate athletic endeavor.
Even though the industry's inner workings were exposed a long time ago, CCW participants still suffered bumps and bruises while trying to learn the ropes.
"No matter what you think about pro wrestling, the adjective 'fake' doesn't attach itself very well," Hogan said during a recent telephone interview. "People get hurt all the time. It's an art form. You cover every range of emotion and it's real physical. It takes a special type of person to live that lifestyle."
With charisma that matched his larger-than-life physique, Hogan was among the most special of them all. The Hulkster successfully parlayed his in-ring stardom during the 1980s and 1990s into other entertainment ventures, including a popular VH1 reality show that featured his family.
Taken from: http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/20081017-9999-1s17gallery.html