WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan Was Once Sued $5 Million For Choking & Leaving Richard Belzer Unconscious – Here’s How The TV Host Used The Money! ( Photo Credit – Wikimedia; IMDb )
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WWE wrestler Terry Gene Bollea, who is better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is one of the most recognized WWE stars globally who gained popularity during the 1980s. The now-retired 70-year-old wrestler has often made it to the headlines owing to his in-ring and off-ring fights, and he still manages to stay relevant even today, thanks to his candid, unfiltered interaction with all.
Today, we decided to take you back in time – to the 80s, when Hogan was part of a huge controversy. As punishment, he even had to shell out $4 million after being slapped with a $5 million suit. Read on.
As reported by grantland, on March 20, 1985 – 11 days before the inaugural WrestleMania, TV host Richard Belzer has wrestlers Hulk Hogan (Terry Gene Bollea) and Mr. T (Laurence Tureaud) on his talk show ‘Hot Properties.’ In the interview, both wrestlers were dressed in complementary skintight sweatsuits and weightlifting belts to hype the mega-event that Vince McMahon was launching.
The site notes that after some verbal jabbing from Richard Belzer, the talk show host asked both Hulk Hogan and Mr. T to perform some moves as he wanted to see them. However, Laurence Tureaud declined showing him his moves, saying, “We ain’t showin’ you nothing. You want to see some moves, you get a closed-circuit ticket.” However, Hogan has other ideas.
He reportedly leans over to his partner and whispers (loudly enough for Belzer to hear), “I wanna make him squeal.” This resulted in Hogan and Belzer both meeting on the centre stage, where the host asked for a camel clutch and then for Hogan’s signature move, whatever it is, but the champ demurs. Saying, “I’m gonna stick to the basics because the floor’s a little hard there and I don’t wanna get you hurt,” Hogan then proceeded to put Belzer into a front headlock (known as a guillotine choke in MMA), but what he prefers calls a sleeper hold — and cinches it in.
Hulk Hogan then explained to the crowd the technical aspects of the assumedly nonlethal hold that resulted in Richard Belzer’s arms going limp. When released from Hulk’s hold a few seconds later, Belzer flopped onto the floor, his body totally lifeless. His head hit the floor with an audible smack, resulting in him getting stitches later, while the WWE wrestler said, “He’s all right. He’s just sleeping.”
According to Sports Manor, this resulted in Hulk Hogan getting sued for $5 million for choking Richard Belzer, rendering him unconscious and resulting in him receiving eight stitches to close the head wound that was caused when he fell. Reportedly, the comedian not only sued Hogan but also mentioned Vince McMahon and Mr. T in the lawsuit. The case was heard at the New York Supreme Court, but the parties settled for an out-of-court settlement, with the WWE’s icon paying $4 million. Later, it was also revealed that Richard Belzer bought a farmhouse in France with that money and named it Chez Hogan.
