Michael Bollea is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional wrestlerProfessional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
. In wrestling, he is best known by his
ring nameA ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
,
Horace Hogan. He is the nephew of professional wrestler
Hulk HoganTerrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
and cousin of the late
Mike AwesomeMichael Lee Alfonso , better known by his ring name Mike Awesome, was an American professional wrestler best known in America for his work in Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, and in World Wrestling Federation and also in Japan for his work with Frontier Martial-Arts...
.
Professional wrestling career
Bollea debuted in 1990 under the ring name "Horace Boulder". Throughout the early 1990s, he wrestled for the
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling
promotionA professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
. On May 7, 1992 in
Tokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, he and Sabu defeated Atushi Onita and Tarzan Goto for the FMW / WWA Tag Team Championship. They held the title until May 24, 1992, when they were defeated by Goto and Gregory Veritchev in Tokyo.
For much of 1993 Bollea wrestled in the
World Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
as "The Predator", competing in preliminary bouts.
In 1995, Bollea joined the stable "Lethal Weapon" with
Hisakatsu OyaKenichi Oya is a semi-retired Japanese professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Hisakatsu Oya. Although he started out for New Japan Pro Wrestling, he is well-known for his stint in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling....
,
Mike AwesomeMichael Lee Alfonso , better known by his ring name Mike Awesome, was an American professional wrestler best known in America for his work in Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, and in World Wrestling Federation and also in Japan for his work with Frontier Martial-Arts...
, Mr. Pogo, and
Ricky Fujiis a Japanese professional wrestler, better known under his ring name .-Professional wrestling career:Morimura started training in the New Japan Pro Wrestling Dojo in 1984. He then left Japan in January 1987 for a training expedition in Canada, where he was trained in the Dungeon by Stu Hart and...
. He and Oya began teaming together, and won the FMW Brass Knuckles Tag Team Championship from
Daisuke IkedaDaisuke Ikeda is a Japanese professional wrestler who is currently wrestling in the Independent circuit in Japan.-Professional wrestling career:...
and
Yoshiaki Fujiwarais a Japanese actor, and professional wrestler who has worked for New Japan Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE, and UWF.-New Japan Pro Wrestling and Universal Wrestling Federation :...
on December 21, 1995 in
Yokohamais the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
. Their reign lasted until January 5, 1996, when Jason the Terrible and Super Leather defeated them in Tokyo.
Returning to America, Bollea debuted in
World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
at Spring Stampede 1998 on April 19, 1998, helping
RavenScott Anthony Levy , better known by his ring name Raven, is an American professional wrestler, wrestling producer, wrestling writer, and occasional author and actor currently working for Juggalo Championship Wrestling , where he is co-holder of the JCW Tag Team Championship, as well as other...
defeat
Diamond Dallas PageDallas Page , better known by his ring name "Diamond" Dallas Page , is an American retired professional wrestler, fitness instructor and actor...
for the
WCW United States Heavyweight ChampionshipThe WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
and joining Raven's Flock in the process, under the name "Horace Boulder". He remained in the Flock until the stable disbanded on September 13, 1998.
The fall of 1998 would hold one of the most crucial moments in Horace's wrestling career. Hulk Hogan, backed by fellow
New World Order (nWo)The New World Order was a professional wrestling stable that originally wrestled for World Championship Wrestling . The group later appeared in the World Wrestling Federation after the purchase of WCW by the WWF...
members, revealed on the October 19, 1998 episode of
WCW Monday Nitro that Horace was the son of his dead brother. Showing a sincerity not seen in previous years, he continued by proclaiming his love to his family and offering Horace a membership in the nWo. The mood quickly took a turn for the worse, however, when Hulk Hogan bashed his nephew with a steel chair, causing a wound that would require several stitches. He continued by throwing his nephew off a stretcher and mercilessly beating him. During this time, Hogan was involved in a heated rivalry with
The Ultimate WarriorAlso see Warrior .Warrior is an American retired professional wrestler who notably performed under the ring names The Ultimate Warrior and Warrior...
, and this scene worked as a testament to Hulk's fragile state of mind. With fellow nWo members standing in bewilderment, Hogan took the mic and said, "If I could do this to someone I love, imagine what I'm gonna do to you, Warrior!"
Despite their unsettling confrontation, Horace joined the nWo at Halloween Havoc 1998 on October 25, 1998, by interfering on his uncle's behalf during the final match between Hulk Hogan and the Warrior. Thereafter, he began using the ring name "Horace Hogan" to signify his blood ties with Hulk Hogan. He would wrestle for the nWo both in singles competition and tag teaming with the likes of
Scott NortonScott Michael Norton is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in World Championship Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling.-Before wrestling:...
,
Stevie RayLane Steven Huffman is a retired American professional wrestler who is better known as Stevie Ray. He is best known as being part of the tag team Harlem Heat with his younger brother Booker T...
, and
VincentMike Jones is an American professional wrestler, who most recently performed for World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Virgil, where he appeared on its Raw brand as Ted DiBiase, Jr.'s personal assistant...
. Hogan also participated in a
WCW ThunderWCW Thunder was a professional wrestling show produced by World Championship Wrestling which aired on TBS from January 8, 1998 to March 21, 2001...
battle royal for leadership of the nWo Hollywood faction. When the nWo began to dissolve in 1999, Horace began competing for the
WCW Hardcore ChampionshipThe World Championship Wrestling Hardcore Championship was a title in World Championship Wrestling. The title was defended in Hardcore matches, in which there were few rules and restrictions and weapons were allowed. Eventually, the rules were changed so that matches began in the backstage area...
.
Horace and his uncle began
feudingA professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with Billy Kidman and the New Blood in April 2000, with Horace helping Hogan defeat Kidman at Slamboree 2000 on May 7, 2000. Hogan defected to the New Blood, however, after the leader of the New Blood,
Eric BischoffEric Aaron Bischoff is an American entrepreneur, and professional wrestling booker and on-screen personality currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
, offered him Kidman's girlfriend Torrie in exchange for his assistance. Horace feuded with his uncle until the 2000 Great American Bash on June 11, 2000, when he refereed a rematch between Kidman and his uncle fairly, allowing his uncle to cleanly defeat Kidman. After Hulk Hogan left WCW in July 2000, Horace was released from the promotion.
Hogan wrestled on the
FloridianFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
independent circuitIn professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
until being signed to a developmental contract by
World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
. He remained with the WWE until being released on September 27, 2002, at which point he returned to the independent circuit.
In wrestling
- Signature moves
- Big boot
- Big splash
- Diving bulldog
- Elbow drop
- Full nelson slam
- Powerbomb
A powerbomb is a professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted up and then slammed back-first down to the mat. The standard powerbomb sees an opponent first placed in a standing headscissors position...
- Powerslam shoulderbreaker
- Running jumping leg drop – adopted from his uncle Hollywood Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
- Sleeper hold
- Spinebuster
- Managers
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- Raven
Scott Anthony Levy , better known by his ring name Raven, is an American professional wrestler, wrestling producer, wrestling writer, and occasional author and actor currently working for Juggalo Championship Wrestling , where he is co-holder of the JCW Tag Team Championship, as well as other...
- Vincent
Mike Jones is an American professional wrestler, who most recently performed for World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Virgil, where he appeared on its Raw brand as Ted DiBiase, Jr.'s personal assistant...
- Entrance themes
Music in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "Rockhouse" by J.Hart
James "Jimmy" Ray Hart is a professional wrestling manager, executive, composer, and musician currently signed with WWE. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling under his nickname "The Mouth of the South." He has managed many professional...
and H.Helm (WCW; used while a part of the New World OrderThe New World Order was a professional wrestling stable that originally wrestled for World Championship Wrestling . The group later appeared in the World Wrestling Federation after the purchase of WCW by the WWF...
; 1998–1999)
Championships and accomplishments
- Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling
- FMW Brass Knuckles Tag Team Championship
The FMW Brass Knuckles Tag Team Championship was a tag team hardcore wrestling championship contested in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling.-WWA World Martial Arts Tag Team Championship :-FMW Brass Knuckles Tag Team Championship :...
(1 time) – with Hisikatsu Ooya
- FMW / WWA Martial Arts Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Sabu
- PCW
- PCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Pro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him # 257 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500
Pro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
in 1992
- PWI ranked him # 497 of the 500 best wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003.
- SPW
- SPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
External links