Hulk Hogan Explains How He Paid 750,000 Dollars To Marvel So He Could Use His Ring Name

Hulk Hogan reveals how much he paid for his ring name.

Speaking to Theo Von on The Weekend After, Hogan explained how he got the name rights from Marvel, noting that he paid a lot less than originally believed.

“He goes, ‘I want you to be Hulk Hogan.’ ‘What does Hulk Hogan mean?’ ‘Ivan Putski for the Polish Americans, Bruno Sammartino for the Italian Americans, Chief Jay Strongbow for the Native Americans, and Hulk Hogan for the Irish Americans.’ Vince gave me the name. Vince Sr dies, Vince Jr takes over. Right when Hulk Hogan takes off, we get a call Marvel comics. ‘You’re infringing on our mark. Reasonably similar. We’re going to sue you, put you in litigation.’ We let them have the name, didn’t license the name. I only had to pay them one-tenth of 1%. That went from 1985 to 2005. In 2005, it’s over. Now, I can’t use Hulk Hogan anymore, and I’m red hot in 2005. I went to my attorney, ‘I don’t give a damn what deal you make, you’re going to make a deal because I need the name.’ What happened was, I got a one-year extension and I had to pay them 30% of everything I made. Movies, TV wrestling, they got 30% of everything, but if they decided to sell the name, they had to give me first shot at it. They couldn’t sell the name or do anything. Fair market value. All of a sudden, Marvel Comics gets in a bitchfest with WWE about intellectual properties, that they can’t re-air old Hulk Hogan matches. Marvel Comics lost. They owe Vince $35 million. They made a huge mistake. They said, ‘Instead of paying $35 million, how about we give you the Hulk Hogan name.’ I heard about it and went, ‘You screwed up now.’ Now, I don’t have to pay $35 million for the name, you have to sell it for me for fair money value,’ which is only $750 grand. I bought the name back. Vince wanted to buy the name from me. ‘Nah, I got this one.’ I bought the name back and I own everything.”

Hulk Hogan

Hogan continues to use the name to this day, and is one of the most recognizable names in all of professional wrestling history.

Hogan also recently got engaged.

H/T to Fightful

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