Sylvester Stallone Reflects On Working With Hulk Hogan In ‘Rocky III,’ ‘Hulk Was In A Class Of His Own’

Before Hulkamania ran wild in the 80s, Hulk Hogan got a big break as Thunderlips in “Rocky III” alongside Sylvester Stallone.

Speaking on “The Real Hulk Hogan” documentary, Stallone reflected on working with Hogan, who passed away on July 24.

“I can get moody. He never got moody. He was always self-depricating, loud, and welcoming. When I first saw him, I said, ‘There are certain people who have a light and a glow.’ They just have it. He was playing the character of Thunderlips, he hadn’t quite gotten his act together. He hadn’t gotten his voice and presentation. What you’re seeing there is the really young Hulk Hogan at the very inception of his career as an actor and superstar in wrestling. When we started to wrestle, because we had to do a couple of weeks of him basically throwing me around, I don’t think I was ever injured which is amazing because people say, ‘Oh, wrestling is not real.’ Gravity is real. To have a guy who is 300 pounds landing on you, but he’s breaking his fall. So he’s actually hurting himself to protect you. That’s what a lot of people don’t see. He was so incredibly concerned about my welfare and not his own,” said Stallone

Later in the documentary, Stallone commented on Hogan’s ability to juggle acting, wrestling, and other personal and professional ventures.

“It’s really special because at first you wonder, ‘Can I really do this?’ You have to be willing to not care if you fail. To have the guts and the fortitude to go after that, he changed that world forever. There will never be another guy like him. Hulk was in a class of his own,” he said.

The documentary featured interviews with Vince McMahon, Mark Henry, Bill Goldberg, Jimmy Hart, and more.

Fans can read McMahon’s comments on Hogan’s passing here.

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