Posted on by bdamage1
Brian Damage
In 1991, the then World Wresting Federation (WWF) was in the midst of a huge steroid scandal. The Federal government was building a case against Vince McMahon and his wrestlers on allegations of company wide usage of the illegal substance. It was becoming so big, that the mainstream media was starting to cover it.
By the time 1993 came along, Vince McMahon had been indicted by the Feds, accused of selling steroids to his wrestling roster. The heat was on high and the future of the WWF was hanging in the balance. Hulk Hogan was going to be made a star witness in the case against McMahon. It made all the sense in the world for the reigning WWF champion to get out of town, when the getting was good.
So off to Japan and Antonio Inoki’s New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion for the Hulkster. It was May 3rd of 1993….along with his good friend Jimmy Hart by his side, Hulk Hogan met face to face with the Japanese media. It was in that conference room that Hulk dropped a big bombshell. It wasn’t the bombshell anyone was expecting to hear.
In just a few short words, he called his own WWF title…a toy…a trinket…something you hang on a Christmas tree. Now granted, these comments were made overseas in Japan. The age of Youtube, internet, live streaming were still in their infancy. Perhaps, Hogan didn’t expect this go out to anybody but the Japanese press? Perhaps, with Vince McMahon’s career in serious jeopardy…he just didn’t care? Regardless of the reasoning, it was a stinging jab at both the WWF and it’s world title. A title mind you, that he was in possession of.
As unprofessional as that statement was, it did have some validity to it. Comparing the WWF to New Japan was like comparing apples and oranges. While the WWF was more a light hearted take on the sport, Japanese wrestling or Puroresu was more of a technical, hard hitting style.
It was a much different Hulk Hogan competing in Japan. A much more cerebral Hulk, who applied submissions and actual wrestling holds and take downs. While nobody will mistake Hogan for Lou Thesz, you could see his game elevated in New Japan.
The fallout occurred when Hogan returned to the States…
June 13, 1993: Hulk Hogan loses the WWF title to Yokozuna when a “Japanese photographer” flashed a fireball into Hulk’s eyes allowing Yokozuna to pin him for the belt. A belt which was nothing but a toy…a month earlier.