WWE Planning To Celebrate 40th Anniversary Of Hulkamania

January 23 will mark 40 years to the day since Hulk Hogan defeated The Iron Sheik for the WWF Championship in Madison Square Garden kicking off a period of rapid growth that the wrestling business had never seen.

In honour of this anniversary, WWE are planning on celebrating 40 years of Hulkamania, with a report from WrestleVotes stating that the ‘sports entertainment’ powerhouse are to release new merchandise to mark the occasion, whilst some sort of appearance from ‘The Hulkster’ is reportedly not out of the equation despite not being planned as of writing.

Hogan’s win over Sheik kicked off the vaunted ‘rock & wrestling era’ of WWE, with Hogan becoming wrestling’s first global megastar. Although some purists will argue that Hulkamania began during Hogan’s ill-fated run in the main event scene of Verne Gagne’s AWA, most accept the WWF Title win as the start of the era.

Hogan would stay on top of the pro-wrestling scene for much of the next 20 years, winning a total of six WWE Championships - his last win coming in 2002 - as well as six reigns as WCW World Champion. Prior to joining WWE, Hogan was the first ever IWGP Heavyweight Champion in New Japan Pro Wrestling, defeating Antonio Inoki in a tournament final in 1983.