A WWE legend, a pop culture icon, a walking blonde tank. Hulk Hogan, real name Terry Bollea, was never one to do things quietly, especially in the early ‘80s. And nothing screamed louder than his over-the-top role as Thunderlips in “Rocky III.”
It wasn’t just a movie cameo; it was a full-body attack that nearly left Sylvester Stallone in a hospital bed.
Remember When Hulk Hogan Bodyslammed Stallone in ‘Rocky III’?
Hogan, who tragically passed away at age 71 following a cardiac arrest at his Florida home, didn’t just step into the ring with the Italian Stallion; he stormed it. And if you think it was all smoke and mirrors, think again.
“That was him,” Hogan once said about Stallone lifting his 300+ pound frame. “Bro, he was like a buck sixty pounds, and I was like 320. He did all of his own stunts.”
The scene in question? A staged charity match between Rocky Balboa and Thunderlips that quickly spiraled into a full-blown wrestling brawl. Chairs flew, bodies were slammed, and yes, Stallone took real hits.
Stallone didn’t just direct “Rocky III,” he threw himself into the action and paid dearly for it. Hogan didn’t pull punches. Literally. “I powerslammed him, threw him in the corner, landed on him,” Hogan recounted. “When I bounced off him the blood came out of his mouth.”
One high knee in the corner? Nearly snapped Stallone’s collarbone. A flying shin to the shoulder? Left him immobilized. “I said, ‘Don’t roll me over, don’t move me,’ because I was sure there was bone protruding through my upper chest,” Stallone later revealed on Instagram. “I have never felt such a mind-numbing pain from a massive hit before or since that day!”
Let that sink in! This is the same guy who later got hospitalized by Dolph Lundgren during “Rocky IV.” And yet it was Hogan, Thunderlips himself, who dealt the most punishing blow.
Talk about a wild fight, huh?
How It Happened & Why It Nearly Cost Hogan Everything
The now-legendary cameo almost didn’t happen. Hogan received Stallone’s offer via Western Union after returning from a Japan tour. Thinking it was a prank at first, he eventually signed on for just $14,000. Mhm, it was pennies compared to his wrestling payday.
“He [Stallone] goes, ‘I’ll give you $10,000 to do the film.’ I said, ‘I want $15,000.’ He gave me $14,000, and I signed whatever he wanted,” Hogan told The Joe Rogan Experience.
The decision had consequences, unfortunatly. WWF chairman Vince McMahon Sr. fired Hogan for taking the role. But the gamble paid off. Thanks to his scene-stealing performance in “Rocky III,” Hogan exploded into mainstream fame. Vince McMahon Jr. later rehired him, of course, because let’s face it, who wouldn’t? He went on to build an entire empire around him, leading to the first WrestleMania in 1985.
Fun fact? That WrestleMania saw Hogan tag team with “Rocky III” co-star Mr. T. Art imitates life, or maybe just wrestles it into submission.
Legacy of a Scene
“Rocky III” grossed over $270 million worldwide and cemented itself as a cornerstone of ‘80s cinema. And Hogan’s brief but brutal role as Thunderlips is still one of the franchise’s most unforgettable moments.
Even Stallone gives the wrestler his due credit.
“Hulk was the best,” Stallone said. “Fantastic athlete and threw the most amazing punches of all. Because he was bare-fisted, I could actually feel his punch touching my skin, yet he knew how to pull back… Amazing!”
Now, with Hogan’s passing, that legendary scene takes on a bittersweet tone. It’s now become a time capsule of two larger-than-life men going toe-to-toe in the name of entertainment.
If “Eye of the Tiger” is the anthem, Thunderlips is the exclamation point.
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Before WrestleMania, Hulk Hogan Went Full Beast Mode in ‘Rocky III’