Look up Bash or bash in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Bash may refer to:

• To hit something

It may also mean:

In computing[link]

• Bash (Unix shell), a Unix command shell written for the GNU project
• Bug bash, a software testing technique

In music[link]

• Bash & Pop, the band that Tommy Stinson formed after the dissolution of The Replacements
• Bash!, the third full length and the first Christmas album from the a cappella group Rockapella
• Pokémon Christmas Bash (see List of Pokémon theme songs), Christmas songs performed by characters of the Pokémon television series
• The Bash (band), popular cover band from Calgary and Long Island, New York
• Bash (band)

In sport[link]

• WWE The Great American Bash, a pay-per-view professional wrestling event
  • WWE The Bash, the final event in WWE The Great American Bash chronology
• The Great American Bash, a former professional wrestling event
• Bash at the Beach, a former pay-per-view professional wrestling event
• KFC Twenty20 Big Bash, the domestic Twenty20 cricket competition in Australia
• Plot 'n' bash, a term used to describe a style of navigational information used on road rallies
• Bike hash, an event organized by Hash House Bikers

In film, television, and theatre[link]

• Bash: Latter-Day Plays are three one-act plays by Neil LaBute (1999)
• The Bash Street Kids and the Bash Street School, which appear in a UK comic, The Beano, and in an annual book, The Bash Street Kids Annual
• Behind the Bash, a show hosted by Giada De Laurentiis currently on Food Network
• Joe Bash, an American television series that ran on the ABC network from March 28 to May 9, 1986
• Killer Bash, a homoerotic horror movie released in 2005, directed by David DeCoteau

Electronic games[link]

• Bust-A-Move Bash!, a 2007 video game released by Majesco for Nintendo's Wii console
• Crash Bash, a 2000 game for the PlayStation
• Franco Bash, a Fatal Fury character
• Monster Bash, a 1993 video game created by Apogee Software

A party or gala event[link]

• A party, a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, or recreation
• Block Party Bash, a hybrid stage show and parade that played at Disney's California Adventure park from 2005 to 2008
• Bulldog Bash, a popular annual European motorcycle festival
• Hash Bash, an annual event in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in favor of marijuana

People[link]

• Baby Bash (born 1975), also known as Baby Beesh ( as Ronnie Ray Bryant), a Latin American hip-hop artist
• Dana Bash (born 1971), CNN reporter and anchorwoman
• Jeremy Bash (born 1971), Chief of Staff to the United States Secretary of Defense
• Todd Bash (born 1965), avant-garde playwright from Los Angeles, California
• Bash, nickname of E. J. H. Nash (1898–1982), an influential evangelical clergyman

Places[link]

• Ala-Bash, a village in the Issyk Kul Province of Kyrgyzstan
• Bash Bish Falls, a waterfall in southwestern Massachusetts in the Bash Bish Falls State Park
• Bash-Bulak, a village in the Osh Province of Kyrgyzstan
• Bash-Kaindy, a village in the Naryn Province of Kyrgyzstan
• Bash-Karakain, a village in the Naryn Province of Kyrgyzstan
• Bash-Khynysly, a village in the Shamakhi Rayon of Azerbaijan
• Chub Bash, a village in Balkh Province in northern Afghanistan

Other[link]

• Battle of Bash Abaran, Caucasus, 1918
• Broken Arrow Senior High, the highest level of secondary education in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
• Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH), bird strike in aviation
• Bash Back!, a network of radical, anarchist and anti-authoritarian queer projects within the United States
• Bash Chelik ("Man of Steel"), a famous Serbian folk tale
• British Association for the Study of Headache (BASH), UK charity and member of the Headache UK alliance
• Qizilbash, a Muslim religious brotherhood
• Kitbashing, a scale modeler's term for modifying a commercial model kit into a unique or unavailable model

See also[link]

• Bashing (disambiguation)
• Bashful (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Baby Bash
Baby Bash attending the AVN Awards Show at the Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada on January 9, 2010
Background information
Birth name	Ronnie Ray Bryant[1]
Born	(1975-10-18) October 18, 1975 (age 36) Vallejo, California
Origin	Houston, Texas, United States
Genres	Latin hip hop, pop rap, R&B
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, actor, performer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1996-present (singing) 2002-present (acting)
Labels	Dope House, Universal, RCA, J, Arista, Bashtown Music Group
Associated acts	Frankie J, South Park Mexican, Akon, Lucky Luciano, T-Pain
Website	www.myspace.com/babybash

Ronnie Ray Bryant (born October 18, 1975), better known by his stage name Baby Bash (formerly Baby Beesh), is a Mexican-American rapper. From 1995 to 1998, he performed under the stage name Baby Beesh, as part of the Vallejo, California group Potna Duece, after which he changed the last part of the name to Bash.^[2] His first album was On Tha Cool, with one of his greatest hits, "Vamanos"... His next album The Smokin' Nephew which included the singles "Suga Suga" and "Shorty Doowop". In 2005, Super Saucy was released, its lead single being "Baby I'm Back", a collaboration with singer Akon. Cyclone followed in 2007, with its title single featuring T-Pain and its follow-up, "What Is It" featuring Sean Kingston, landing on the Billboard charts as well.^[3]

He has frequently contributed to other performers' works, including a spot in the song "Obsession (No Es Amor)" by 3rd Wish released in Europe and later a U.S release with a copy / re- recording of the European version, performed by Frankie J in 2005 and "Doing Too Much" by Paula DeAnda in 2006.

He has collaborated with numerous other artists during his career, such as West Coast rappers B-Legit, C-Bo, Coolio- Da'unda'dogg, E-40^[4] and Mac Dre, R&B singers like Akon, Avant, Natalie, Mario, and Nate Dogg,^[5] and other Latino rappers such as Fat Joe, Nino Brown, Doll-E Girl, Frost,^[4] and Pitbull.^[6] He continues to write lyrics for singers such as Paula DeAnda, Jennifer Hudson and Frankie J.^[7]

Biography[link]

Early life and career beginnings[link]

Ronnie Rey Bryant was born to a Mexican American mother and English-American father. Bryant was raised by his grandmother, and Bryant's father and uncles exposed him to many different types of musical genres. Initially, Bryant wanted to be a professional basketball player.^[2] He planned to play basketball for the junior college he attended in California during the mid-'90s. After tearing his ankle several times and not having it repaired with surgery, he permanently ended the possibility of ever playing basketball at even a semi-professional level.

[edit] 2001:2002: Savage Dreams and On the Cool

Baby Bash's career began as part of the group Potna Duece in Vallejo, California. He went to Houston in 2000, where he met fellow rapper South Park Mexican.^[8] Prior to his success as a solo artist he, under the name "Baby Beesh", was part of rap groups Potna Deuce and Latino Velvet.^[9] Bash's debut album entitled Savage Dreams was released on the independent label Dope House Records in 2001.^[2] The album features guest performances by SPM, Frost, Jay Tee, Mr. Kee, Don Cisco and Merciless. On tha Cool is the second studio album by American rapper Baby Beesh, released June 11, 2002 on Dope House Records. It was produced by Happy P and Johnny Z. The album features guest performances by SPM, Jay Tee, Russell Lee, Don Cisco, Mr. Shadow and DJ Kane.

[edit] 2003-2005: The Smokin' Nephew, Menage a Trois and Super Saucy

The acclaim he received soon caught the attention of Universal Records, who signed him later that year. In 2003, Baby Bash released his first album on a major label, Tha Smokin' Nephew. It debuted at number 48 on the Billboard 200. Five months after its release, the album was certified Gold by the RIAA. As of March 2005, the album has sold 531,000 copies in the United States. Menage a Trois is an independent label album (fifth album overall) by Baby Bash.

In 2005 Bash released Super Saucy. Super Saucy is the first official studio album (sixth album overall) by Baby Bash released in March 2005. It spawned the hit single, "Baby I'm Back" (featuring Akon) which reached #19 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is also his last release on Universal Records before signing with Arista Records. The album debuted at #11 on the Billboard 200 with 48,000 copies sold in the first week released, becoming Baby Bash's highest charting album to date. He was

[edit] 2006-2011: Cyclone and Bashtown

He recently was featured in Paula DeAnda's first single "Doin' Too Much" from her debut album Paula DeAnda. His third studio album, Cyclone (initially titled Ronnie Rey All Day),^[10] was released in late October 2007. So far, Baby Bash has released three singles off the album: "Mamacita" featuring Marcos Hernandez, "Na Na (The Yummy Song)", and "Cyclone" featuring Mickaël & T-Pain. The month of the album release, Baby Bash became Myspace's #1 Latin artist,^[7] and the single "Cyclone" had over 750,000 digital and ringtone sales prior to the album's release.^[7] Baby Bash completed a film entitled Primos starring Chingo Bling and Danny Trejo. The comedy involves three cousins working in a bakery with dreams of making money, and is slated for a 2010 release.^[7] His major-label debut Tha Smokin' Nephew was well-received by Allmusic,^[11] but his 2007 album Cyclone was given mixed reviews, for example being panned by Rolling Stone magazine.^[12]

Bashtown is the fourth studio album by American hip hop artist Baby Bash. Released on March 22, 2011, it is the first of his albums to be released on Upstairs Records. Bashtown features production from Jim Jonsin, Printz Board, Happy P, Mickaël, J. Lacy, & C-Ballin and features vocal guests E-40, Paul Wall, Slim Thug, & Lloyd among others. According to Baby Bash, the album was entirely recorded in 2010, although many singles and the album were released in 2011. In December 2010, Baby Bash was offered a job as on-air personality for Wild 94.9, a Rhythmic Contemporary commercial radio station in San Francisco, California.^[1] In the same month, it was announced that Bash was endorsing a new energy drink for women named after his 2011 album's single, "Go Girl."^[1] Part of the sales proceeds from the energy drink will be donated to various charities for breast cancer and ovarian cancer research for women.^[1] His latest album Bashtown was released on March 22, 2011, and features guest appearances by Lloyd and E-40.^[1]

[edit] 2011-present: Weedsmoke and arrest

Baby Bash was arrested with Paul Wall the night of September 10, 2011 in El Paso, Texas for possession of marijuana. Both rappers were released the same night on $300 bail.

Baby Bash is also currently working on his upcoming eighth studio album called Weedsmoke, which is scheduled to be released in 2012.^[13]

Discography[link]

• Savage Dreams (2001)
• On tha Cool (2002)
• Tha Smokin' Nephew (2003)
• Menage a Trois (2004)
• Super Saucy (2005)
• Cyclone (2007)
• Bashtown (2011)
• Weedsmoke (2012)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Baby Bash on Myspace

Frankie J
Background information
Birth name	Francisco Javier Bautista, Jr.
Born	(1975-12-07) December 7, 1975 (age 36) Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Origin	San Diego, California, United States
Genres	R&B, Pop, Latin
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, Record producer
Instruments	Vocals, Piano
Years active	1997–Present
Labels	EMI (1999-2003) Columbia (2003-2008) Soul Sick/Upstairs (2008-Present)
Associated acts	Baby Bash, Kumbia Kings
Website	http://www.frankiejonline.com

Francisco Javier Bautista, Jr. (born December 7, 1975),^[1] better known by his stage name Frankie J, is a Mexican singer and former member of the musical group Kumbia Kings.

Born in Tijuana, he grew up in San Diego and became a freestyle artist under the stage name Frankie Boy in the late 1990s. After his debut freestyle album was shelved, he joined Kumbia Kings. Frankie J's solo debut album, What's a Man to Do, was released in 2003, followed by some more English and Spanish language albums.

Biography[link]

Early career[link]

Bautista was born in Tijuana, Mexico and raised in San Diego, California from the age of 2, after his uncle brought him and his siblings to the United States.^[2] He grew up listening to both traditional Latin music as well as American urban music.^[3] He attended Southwest Senior High School in San Diego.^[2] He later began to develop more interest in singing, with the encouragement of his family. At high school age, he began participating in talent shows and performing at school functions.^[4]

In 1997, Bautista signed with the now defunct Hola Recordings, the brainchild of dance music legend and producer Jellybean Benitez. At the time he was a freestyle artist known as Frankie Boy and his music was released on 3 Maximum Freestyle compilations but his solo CD was shelved before release.^[3]

Kumbia Kings (1999-2003)[link]

In 1999 he became a member of the Kumbia Kings created by A.B. Quintanilla III, brother of Selena. He performed under the name Cisco. Members included A.B. Quintanilla (bass, background vocals), DJ Kane (born Jason Cano; lead vocals), Frankie J/Cisko (born Francisco Javier Bautista, Jr; vocals), Baby Drew (born Andrew Maes; vocals), Cruz Martínez (keyboards), Alex Ramírez (keyboards), Roy "Slim" Ramírez (percussion, background vocals), Frankie Aranda (percussion), Jorge Peña (percussion), Jesse "O'Jay" Martínez (drums), and Robert Del Moral (drums). They released their debut album Amor, Familia Y Respeto in 1999. The album included hit singles like "Azúcar", "Fuiste Mala", "Reggae Kumbia", "Te Quiero A Ti" and "Se Fue Mi Amor". In 2001 they released their second album Shhh! which included the singles "Shhh!", "Boom Boom" and "Desde Que No Estás Aquí". In 2002 the group released their third album called All Mixed Up: Los Remixes which included the single "La Cucaracha". Cisko then started perform under the name Frankie J. In 2003 they released their fourth album called 4 which included the hit singles "No Tengo Dinero", "Insomnio" and "Mi Gente". They also released the albums Presents Kumbia Kings repackaged English-language highlights from the group's back catalog and La Historia repackaged Spanish-language ones. Later in 2003, Frankie J was one of the original Kumbia Kings members to leave the band along with lead singer DJ Kane and other members of the band. Andrew "Baby Drew" Maes, Alex Ramírez, Roy "Slim" Ramírez, and Frankie Aranda formed their own band called K1 while DJ Kane and Frankie J went on to become solo singers.

Solo Career (2003-Present)[link]

Music[link]

As Frankie J, Bautista signed as a solo artist with Columbia Records and released his first album What's A Man To Do on May 23, 2003. His self-titled first Spanish-language album Frankie J was also released later in the same year.^[5] The album's lead single "Don't Wanna Try" peaked at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart, while "Ya No Es Igual" went Top 10 on the World Latin charts.^[6] Later that year, he was featured in the Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit "Suga Suga" by rapper Baby Bash.^[7]

His second album The One was released on March 22, 2005.^[8] It was led by the #3 Billboard Hot 100 hit "Obsession (No Es Amor)" featuring rapper Baby Bash, and followed by the Top40 singles "How To Deal" and "More Than Words". To coincide with the release of "More Than Words", the album was re-released on the DualDisc format in October.^[9] By January 2006, The One was certified platinum by the RIAA for shipping over a million copies.^[10] His second Spanish-language album Un Nuevo Dia was released on June 13, 2006 and featured the single "Pensado En Ti."^[6]

Frankie's third English-language CD, Priceless, was released on October 17, 2006. It debuted at #30 on the Billboard 200.^[11] The lead single "That Girl" featured Chamillionaire and Mannie Fresh and peaked at #43 on the Billboard Hot 100. A second single "Daddy's Little Girl" charted at #23 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.

Following his departure from Columbia Records, Frankie J released a few singles ("Pictures" "If You Were My Girlfriend" "Crush" "That's Wussup" w/Baby Bash) between 2008 and 2011, as well as started his own label Soulsick Records.^[12]

He released his fourth English-language studio album Courage on December 7, 2011. The lead single "How Beautiful You Are" was released to digital retailers on October 24, 2011.^[13] The music video was directed by Mike Ho and premiered on YouTube on September 11, 2011.^[14] The video for the album's second single "And I Had You There" premiered on Frankie's YouTube channel on November 26, 2011. Frankie J and Baby Bash shot a video for the album's third single "That's Wussup" in December 2011 in San Diego, California. The video premiered on January 8, 2012.^[15]

Acting[link]

Frankie appeared as a celebrity guest at the 16th birthday party of Marissa Mishelle on MTV's My Super Sweet 16.^[16]

In 2011, he joined the mun2 television series RPM Miami as mechanic Ramon.^[17] The series was quickly renewed for a second season.^[18]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• ^a Performed in Spanish

Singles[link]

Guest appearances[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Website
• Official Twitter
• Official Facebook Page
• Official MySpace
• Official Youtube Channel
• Frankie J at the Internet Movie Database

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2012)

Mohamad Bash (Arabic: محمد باش) is a Syrian Singer from Damascus, Syria.

Early life[link]

Mohamad Bash was born in Damascus, Syria on November 6, 1982. “Bash”, as his fans like to call him was raised in Damascus to a Syrian father and a Jordanian mother. His family consists of him, his parents and three sisters. Bash Family owns and manages a boutique hotel and restaurant called "Baik Bash" in Old Damascus.

Bash’s interest for music started at the age of 14 when he started piano lessons and music theory. He then abandoned music due to his studies but went back to it this time while teaching himself to play the keyboard. His love for guitar, the musical instrument he is now known for never being without, started at the age of 20 when he started his first official guitar lessons where he then formed a band with his instructor.

Career[link]

Bash’s rise to fame was in 2009 when he got accepted to reality TV talent show Star Academy Arab World, the sixth season. Star Academy is a reality singing show consisting of 20 students from all over the Middle East competing for one dream, the dream of becoming a star. Bash was the only Syrian contestant that season and managed to stay as far as right before the semi-finals. During his stay in the academy, he performed different genres of songs which helped show his diversity and ability to adapt to different kinds of songs and performances including dance.

All through 16 weekly primes, Mohamad Bash had the chance to share the stage and perform with the world’s most famous singers and DJ’s such as the legendary Julio Iglesias, Keith Thompson, David Vendetta, Laurent Wolf, R.I.O, Mario Reyes, Massari, Karl Wolf, Yves Larock and Jaba. Bash was the only non-finalist who performed on the stage from the first till the last prime.

After his popularity in Star Academy 6, in October 2009, Mohamad Bash has been selected to sing a special song dedicated to his country Syria in the opening ceremony of the 17th Damascus International Film Festival.^[1] "Ard El 7ob" or "Love Land" is written by Samir Tahhan and composed by Samir Kwifati. The song has been received with a wave of applause by the audience of the venue.

In December 2009, Mohamad Bash held two concerts in two different cities in his country Syria; Damascus and Aleppo.^[2] Both concerts were successful and tickets were sold out within few days. Bash took the stage for 100 minutes in each concert during which he performed his own famous songs written and composed by himself along with other English and Arabic songs for other pop stars.

In January 2010, The Syrian private radio station Al Madina FM ^[3] announced the results of its 5th annual survey “The Best of 2009”. Mohamad Bash won the first rank as the Best Promising Male Singer.^[4] He got the highest percentage (91.3 %) and the biggest number of votes all through the five years history of this survey.

Bash is now a recording artist currently working and experimenting on projects. He is currently working on his debut album. He released his first official long awaited single "Ra7 Ensaki" in November 2010 and it was broadcasted for the first time on Al Madina FM on his 28th birthday on November 6, 2010.

Discography[link]

• Ard El 7ob: October 2009 ^[5]
• Ra7 ensaki: November 2010 ^[6]
• Debut Album: Soon

References[link]

External links[link]

• www.mohammadbash.com
• www.baikbash.com

Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. (August 21, 2005)
Ring name(s)	The Super Destroyer[1] Hulk Hogan[1] Hollywood Hulk Hogan[1] Hollywood Hogan[2] Terry Boulder[1] Mr. America Sterling Golden
Billed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)[3]
Billed weight	302 lb (137 kg)[1]
Born	(1953-08-11) August 11, 1953 (age 58)[1] Augusta, GA[1]
Resides	Tampa, Florida[1]
Billed from	Venice Beach, California[3] Washington, D.C. (as Mr. America)[4] Hollywood, California (as Hollywood Hogan)
Trained by	Hiro Matsuda[1]
Debut	August 10, 1977[1]
Website	hulkhogan.com

Terry Gene Bollea^[5] (born August 11, 1953),^[1] better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).^[6]

Hogan enjoyed mainstream popularity in the mid 1980s through the early 1990s as the all-American character Hulk Hogan in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF—now WWE), and was notable in the mid-to-late 1990s as Hollywood Hogan, the villainous nWo leader, in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Following the closure of WCW, he made a brief return to WWE in the early 2000s before revising his heroic character by combining elements of his two most famous personas.

Hogan was later inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. He is a 12-time world champion being a six-time WWF/WWE Champion, six-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, as well as a former WWE World Tag Team Champion with Edge. He won the Royal Rumble in 1990 and 1991, making him the first to win two consecutive Royal Rumbles. He was also the first WWE wrestler to win the WWE Championship three times. In his first reign as WCW World Heavyweight Champion, Hogan held the title for 469 days from July 17, 1994 to October 29, 1995—the longest ever reign for this championship.

Early life[link]

Hogan, born Terry Gene Bollea, was born in Augusta, Georgia, the son of Peter Bollea, a construction foreman, and Ruth, a homemaker and dance teacher. He is of Italian, French, and Panamanian heritage.^[7]

When he was one and a half years old, his family moved to Port Tampa, Florida.^[8]

As a boy, he was a pitcher in Little League Baseball. He began watching professional wrestling at 16 years old. While in high school, he revered Dusty Rhodes,^[9] and he regularly attended cards at the Tampa Sportatorium. It was at one of those wrestling cards where he first turned his attention towards "Superstar" Billy Graham and looked to him for inspiration;^[9] since he first saw Graham on TV,^[9] Hogan wanted to match his "inhuman" look.^[9] Hogan was also a skilled musician, spending ten years playing bass guitar in several Florida-based rock bands.^[2]

He went on to study at Hillsborough Community College and the University of South Florida. After music gigs began to get in the way of his time in college, Hogan decided to drop out of the University of South Florida before receiving any degree.^[10] Eventually, Hogan and two local musicians formed a band called Ruckus in 1976.^[11] The band soon became a local sensation in the Tampa Bay region.^[11]

During his spare time, Hogan would work out at Hector's Gym in the Tampa Bay area and eventually became strong enough to do big lifting.^[12] Many of the wrestlers who were competing in the Florida region visited the bars where Ruckus was performing.^[9] Among those attending his performances were Jack and Gerald Brisco,^[9] two brothers who wrestled together as a tag team in the Florida region. Impressed by Hogan's physical stature, the Brisco brothers asked Hiro Matsuda—the man who trained wrestlers working for Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF)—to make him a potential trainee.^[13] In 1976, the two brothers asked Hogan to try wrestling. Having been a wrestling fan since childhood,^[9] Hogan eventually agreed.^[14] At first, however, Mike Graham, the son of CWF promoter Eddie Graham, refused to put Hogan in the ring;^[15] according to Hogan, he met Graham while in high school and the two didn't get along.^[15] However, after Hogan quit Ruckus and started telling people in town that he was going to be a wrestler,^[15] Mike Graham finally agreed to accept the Brisco Brothers' request.

Professional wrestling career[link]

Early years (1977–1979)[link]

In the summer of 1977, after over a year of training with Matsuda,^[16] the Brisco brothers dropped by Matsuda's gym to see Hogan.^[16] During this visit, Jack Brisco handed Hogan a pair of wrestling boots and informed him that he was scheduled to wrestle his first match the following week.^[16] In his professional wrestling debut, Eddie Graham booked him against Brian Blair in Fort Myers, Florida on August 10, 1977 in Championship Wrestling from Florida.^[17][18] A short time later, Bollea donned a mask and assumed the persona of "The Super Destroyer," a hooded character first played by Don Jardine and subsequently used by other wrestlers. Hogan, however, eventually could no longer work with Hiro Matsuda,^[19] whom he felt was an overbearing trainer,^[19] and left Championship Wrestling From Florida.^[20] After declining an offer to wrestle for the Kansas City circuit,^[20] Hogan took a hiatus from wrestling and managed a private club in Cocoa Beach, Florida-known as the Anchor Club-.^[20] for a man named Whitey Bridges.^[20] Eventually, Whitey and Hogan became close friends, and decided to open a gym together;^[20] the gym would be known as Whitey and Terry's Olympic gym.^[20] Soon after, Hogan's friend Ed Leslie (later known as Brutus Beefcake) came down to Cocoa Beach to help Hogan and Bridges manage both the Anchor Club and the Whitey and Terry's Olympic Gym.^[20] On his spare time, he and Beefcake would work out in the gym together,^[20] and eventually, Beefcake developed a muscular physique;^[21] Hogan was impressed by Beefcake's physical stature and became convinced that the two of them should wrestle together as tag team partners.^[21] Depressed and yearning to return to wrestling,^[21] Hogan called Superstar Billy Graham in 1978 with hopes that Graham could find him a job wrestling outside of Florida;^[21] Graham agreed and Hogan soon joined Louie Tillet's Alabama territory.^[21] Hogan also convinced Beefcake, who had yet to become a wrestler,^[21] to come with him and promised to teach him everything he knew about the sport.^[21]

In Alabama, he and Beefcake wrestled as Terry and Ed Boulder, known as the Boulder Brothers.^[22] These early matches as a tag team with the surname Boulder being used by both men prompted a rumor among wrestling fans unaware of the inner workings of the sport that Hogan and Beefcake were brothers,^[22] as few people actually knew their real names outside of immediate friends, family, and of course the various promoters the two worked for. After wrestling a show for Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) in Memphis,^[23] Jerry Jarrett, the promoter for the (CWA), approached Hogan and Beefcake and offered them a job in his promotion for $800.00 a week;^[23] this was far more than the $175.00 a week they would make working for Tillet.^[23] Hogan and Beefcake accepted this offer and left Tillet's territory.^[23]

During his time in Memphis, Hogan appeared on a local talk show, where he sat beside Lou Ferrigno, star of the television series The Incredible Hulk.^[24] The host commented on how Terry, who stood 6 ft 7 in (201 cm) and weighed 295 pounds with 24 inch biceps, actually dwarfed "The Hulk." Watching the show backstage, Jerry Jarrett noticed that Hogan was actually bigger than Ferrigno, who was well known at the time for having large muscles.^[25] As a result, Bollea began performing as Terry "The Hulk" Boulder^[25] and sometimes wrestled as Sterling Golden.^[2]

In May 1979, Bollea had an early shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, which at the time was generally recognized as the highest honor in wrestling. In June 1979, Bollea won his first wrestling championship, the NWA Southeast Heavyweight Championship, recognized in Alabama and Tennessee when he defeated Ox Baker.

World Wrestling Federation (1979–1980)[link]

Later that year, former NWA World Champion Terry Funk introduced Bollea to the company head Vincent J. McMahon, who was impressed with his charisma and physical stature. McMahon, who wanted to use an Irish name, gave Bollea the last name Hogan, and also wanted him to dye his hair red. Hogan who said his hair was already beginning to fall out, refused to dye it and simply said "I'll be a blond irish.^[26] At this time, Hogan wrestled Bob Backlund for the World Championship,^[27] and he started his first big feud with André the Giant, which culminated in a match with André at Shea Stadium in August 1980.^[28] Hulk Hogan claims in his autobiography that he and André the Giant were the reason for the Shea gate. However, Sammartino/Zbyszko sold out everywhere they wrestled leading up the show. Hogan and Andre wrestled in White Plains, New York, drawing 1,200 in a building that held 3,500 as the main event before they wrestled at Shea. During his initial heel run in the WWF, Hogan was paired with "Classy" Freddie Blassie, a wrestler-turned-manager.

New Japan Pro Wrestling (1980–1985)[link]

A great deal of Hogan's early success was achieved in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Japanese wrestling fans were in awe of the gargantuan blond American and nicknamed him "Ichiban" (which translates to "Number One"). Hogan first appeared in Japan on May 13, 1980, while he was still with the WWF. He occasionally toured the country over the next few years, facing a wide variety of opponents ranging from Tatsumi Fujinami to Abdullah the Butcher. When competing in Japan, Hogan used a vastly different repertoire of wrestling moves, relying on more technical, traditional wrestling holds and maneuvers as opposed to the power-based, brawling style American fans became accustomed to seeing from him. Another difference is that Hogan used a running forearm lariat (called the "Axe Bomber") as his finisher in Japan instead of the running leg drop that has been his traditional finisher in America. On June 2, 1983, Hogan became the first International Wrestling Grand Prix (IWGP) tournament winner (although he held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship belt, this was not the beginning of the actual championship), defeating Japanese wrestling icon Antonio Inoki by knockout in the finals of a 10-man tournament featuring top talent from throughout the world.^[29] Hogan and Inoki also worked as partners in Japan, winning the prestigious MSG Tag League tournament two years in a row: in 1982 and 1983. Hogan's popularity in Japan was so great, he even recorded an album there—a forerunner to the World Wrestling Federation's "Rock 'n' Wrestling" of the mid 1980s.

In 1984, Hogan returned to New Japan, to wrestle Antonio Inoki in the finals of the IWGP League, in which he lost the belt by countout, thanks to interference from Riki Choshu. Hogan would also defend his WWF World title against various stars in New Japan including Inoki, Seiji Sakaguchi, and Tatsumi Fujinami among others, until the WWF ended their relationship with New Japan in October 1985.

American Wrestling Association (1981–1983)[link]

After filming his scene for Rocky III against the elder McMahon's wishes, Hogan made his debut in the American Wrestling Association, owned by Verne Gagne. Hogan started his AWA run as a heel, taking on "Luscious" Johnny Valiant as his manager, before handing the AWA title over to him. Hogan, unwilling to give up his life as a bachelor for the world title of the AWA, continued to turn down the belt. Shortly after these attempts to woo Hogan into giving Gagne more of a share of his profits and booking in Japan and attempts to bring him into the Gagne family, Hogan was lured back to the Northeast by Vincent K. McMahon, who had just recently purchased the WWF from his ailing father.

Over twenty years later, just prior to Hulk Hogan's WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2005, the revived American Wrestling Association, under the authority of owner Dale Gagner, retroactively acknowledged Hogan's two previously-overturned title wins over Nick Bockwinkel making Hogan a two-time AWA World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion.^[30] This resolution, however, has been regarded as apocryphal to most as the resurrected AWA is generally regarded as a different body than the Verne Gagne–owned AWA of old. As recently as the release of the DVD The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA, interviews between Hogan and the Gagnes show that there is still animosity between both parties indicating the unlikelihood that Hogan's AWA title reign would have been retroactively instated under the original ownership. The WWE won a lawsuit against Dale Gagner, due to trademark infringement, which declared Gagner's claims to ownership of the AWA false and as such rendered the resolution moot as WWE only recognizes twelve American world championships being attributed to Hulk Hogan, and, the AWA World Championship is not among that number.^{[citation needed]}

Return to World Wrestling Federation (1983-1993)[link]

The Birth of Hulkamania (1983–1984)[link]

Hogan as the Heavyweight Champion with Brutus Beefcake.

After purchasing the company from his father in 1982, Vincent K. McMahon had plans to expand the territory into a nationwide promotion, and he handpicked Hulk Hogan to be the company's showpiece attraction due to his charisma and name recognition. Hogan made his return at a television taping in St. Louis, Missouri on December 27, 1983 defeating Bill Dixon.^[31]

On the January 7, 1984 edition of Championship Wrestling, Hogan confirmed his face status for the WWF fans by saving Bob Backlund from a three-way assault.^[32] Hogan's turn was explained simply by Backlund: "He's changed his ways. He's a great man. He's told me he's not gonna have Blassie around." The storyline shortcut was necessary because less than three weeks later on January 23, Hogan won his first WWF Championship, pinning The Iron Sheik (who had Blassie in his corner) in Madison Square Garden.^[2][33] The storyline accompanying the victory was that Hogan was a "last minute" replacement for the Sheik's original opponent Bob Backlund,^[3] and became the champion by way of being the first man to escape the camel clutch (the Iron Sheik's finishing move).^[34] The backstage story was that the WWF Champion Bob Backlund had refused to let Hogan win the title from him, demanding that any wrestler to whom he lost the belt have a legitimate wrestling background. As a consequence, The Iron Sheik won the title from Backlund first and then dropped it to Hogan.