My bro Eric and I were big time fans of professional wrestling back in the 1980s, specifically the local American Wresting Association. In fact, the weekly airing of All-Star Wrestling on channel 9 every Sunday morning was appointment TV for us.
It was the early part of the decade when Hulk Hogan joined the AWA. He was already a big name in the sport, so for the AWA to reel him in was quite a coup! Over the next few years we often attended AWA matches at the old St Paul Civic Center and Hulk’s match was the headliner every time.
In early 1983, AWA star Jumpin’ Jim Brunzell opened a gymnasium in his hometown of White Bear Lake. Little did Eric and I know, some family friends planned to surprise us with a visit to the facility’s grand opening. We had absolutely no clue where they were taking us on a Wednesday evening in mid-January, but it provided a nice break in the routine. Within minutes of us entering the gym, in walks the man himself: Hulk Hogan. Sure, he had risen to national stardom for his epic cameo appearance in Rocky III, but we Minnesota wrestling fans claimed him as our own. Despite the fact I was barely 5-feet tall and weighing less than 100 lbs., I bull rushed my way through several kids older than me just to be near Hulkster. I doubt I said anything upon being in his presence, rather I just looked up at him in awe.
About a week or so later, these same family friends called to inform us that I was in a photograph posted in the latest edition of their weekly newspaper the White Bear Press. They promised to bring it along next time we met up. Unfortunately, one member of the family inadvertently discarded the newspaper, thus depriving me an opportunity to see myself pictured next to Hulk. I would often think of that photo-op over the next several decades, particularly as Hulk’s popularity endured. However, I had ceased being a fan of pro wrestling around the late ‘80s, so it’s not like I’ve been obsessed with seeing that photo. But I did think of it whenever Hulk was in the news.
On Thursday, I received a text from my bro telling me that Hulk Hogan had passed away. If anyone knows how much I’ve thought of the time I met Hulk, it’s Eric. Upon expressing my disbelief that yet another key figure from our childhood had passed away, my thoughts immediately turned to that photo-op from 40+ years earlier. I don’t know what came over me but within a couple of hours I reached out to the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society to share with them all the background I could remember about that evening. Soon thereafter, I scheduled a Friday appointment to meet with the Creative Director of that organization to determine if that old newspaper can be retrieved from the archives.
Long story short, I was *finally* able to track down that photograph with the invaluable assistance of Dan and Allison at the WBLAHS! And while it appeared our family friends oversold my appearance in the photo since all that can be seen is the top of my head, it felt gratifying to solve a decades-long mystery. My only regret is it took the passing of one of my boyhood icons to motivate me.
RIP, Hulk.
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