Pro Wrestling Taught Me What a Real Hero Looks Like

PrologueAs a kid of the late 80's, Hulk Hogan was my hero. Not Terry Bollea, the performer who portrayed The Hulkster. Hulk Hogan the character. 💡Hulk's theme songWhen it comes crashing down and it hurts insideYa' gotta take a stand, it don't help to hideWell, you hurt my friends and you hurt my prideI gotta be a man, I can't let it slideI am a real AmericanFight for the rights of every manI am a real AmericanFight for what's right, fight for your lifeHe was the ideal, mythological, gladiatorial American. His theme song's refrain – a highly calculated, propaganda-adjacent power ballad to "real Americans" – imbued my little self with pride every time it hit. It sent chills down my five year old spine. He was a hero. The character was everything I wanted to be. Someone to believe in.In Professional Wrestling, a good guy is known as a babyface (sometimes just a face) and a bad guy is a heel.In 1994, Hulk Hogan abandoned his patriotic face character in a legendary heel turn that sent…