In honor of the passing of wrestling legend Hulk Hogan on Thursday, we continue our two-part series honoring his storied career in the Gulf South. In Part 1, we focused on the young Terry Boulder and his early rise through the Gulf Coast territory. Today, in Part 2, we revisit the latter half of Hogan’s run, when he returned to the region not as a rookie—but as the biggest draw in professional wrestling. From New Orleans to Tupelo, Biloxi to Pensacola, Hogan’s legacy in the Deep South is one of unforgettable moments, marquee matches, and the echoes of fans and kids calling each other “Brother”, and “Whachu gonna do ?”
🌟 New Orleans: The Superdome Era
(Andre the Giant slams Hulk Hogan in the Superdome in 1980 for Mid-South Wrestling)
Following his early years with Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling, Hulk Hogan’s first major return to the region came on August 9, 1980, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. Promoted by Mid-South Wrestling, the event featured Hogan squaring off with Andre the Giant in one of their very first one-on-one encounters. Though this clash predates their WrestleMania III showdown by nearly seven years, the seeds of their legendary rivalry were planted that night in the Crescent City.
Throughout the 1980s, Hogan would become a familiar presence in the Superdome, helping transform it from a football colossus to a bona fide wrestling mecca. In 1986, as WWF Champion, he defended his title against longtime rival The Iron Sheik in the main event of a WWF supercard that drew thousands of fans. Just months later, he teamed with Junkyard Dog—a local hero from the Mid-South days—to face King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd in a high-profile tag match against members of the infamous Heenan Family.
While the Superdome was his grand stage, Hogan didn’t limit himself to the spotlight. In 1989, he appeared at the UNO Lakefront Arena in a rare, untelevised house show bout against Big Bossman. These more intimate venues allowed fans to see the Hulkster in action up close, reinforcing his appeal as both a superstar and a people’s champion.
The WCW Years: Hollywood in the Dome
(10 years after being the most loved superstar in the world. Hogan had turned heel and was easily the most hated superstar in wrestling as the leader of the nWo, Hollywood Hogan ran wild through WCW in the late 90’s
When Hogan joined WCW and launched the nWo in the mid-90s, he found himself once again headlining New Orleans cards—this time as Hollywood Hogan, his black-and-white clad villainous alter ego. In January 1997, WCW Monday Nitro emanated from the Superdome, with Hogan taking on The Giant (a young Paul Wight, later known as Big Show). He would face The Giant again in the same venue in January 1998, marking one of the few wrestlers to headline major cards in the Dome in both the WWF and WCW eras.
(A young Big Show (then known as The Giant), gets set to chokeslam Hollywood Hogan inside the Superdome on 1/13/97)
And then, there was WrestleMania XXX, held on April 6, 2014, back in the Superdome. Hogan opened the show with a speech alongside Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock—three of the biggest icons in wrestling history. But it was Hogan’s infamous gaffe—calling it the “Silverdome” instead of the Superdome—that turned into a viral, hilarious moment. The crowd laughed, The Rock and Austin gave him playful jabs, and Hogan laughed at himself. It was vintage Hogan: confident, larger-than-life, and always entertaining.
(Three of the biggest stars in the business The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Hulkster having a beer in the ring at WrestleMania XXX inside the Superdome)
Mississippi Memories: From Small Towns to Sold-Out Arenas
Long before Hulkamania, Hogan made regular appearances across North Mississippi while working in the Memphis territory in the late 1970s. Wrestling under the name Terry Boulder, he performed in towns like Tupelo, Ripley, Booneville, and Senatobia. It was gritty, blue-collar wrestling—far from the pageantry of WrestleMania—but it helped build his toughness and charisma.
(A young Hulk Hogan as Terry Boulder in the Memphis territory in 1978-79. He made many appearances in North Mississippi and the Delta during this time. It’s hard to find cards on exact dates from this time period)
Years later, Hogan returned to Mississippi as the face of the WWF. On March 9, 1986, he headlined a Jackson house show, defending his WWF Championship against Hercules Hernandez at the Mississippi Coliseum. The show sold out, and fans in the capital city roared as Hogan dropped the leg and posed for the crowd.
His Biloxi debut came in 1991 at the height of his feud with Sgt. Slaughter, a storyline that blurred fiction and reality. Set against the backdrop of the Gulf War, Slaughter had turned heel and aligned with General Adnan, a character based on real-world ties to Saddam Hussein. On a hot night at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Hogan defeated Slaughter in a hard-hitting main event that stirred patriotic fever.
(In a feud that rivaled the U.S. tensions with the Middle East at the time. In 1991 Sgt. Slaughter, the military bootcamp drill sergeant had turned heel and enlisted the help of General Adnan, who in real life was a childhood friend of Saddam Hussein. The two feuded with Hulk Hogan, the Real American fan favorite, throughout the country. Including a stop in Biloxi on 3/12/91, several weeks before WrestleMania VII)
Just a few years later, he’d make pay-per-view history in the Magnolia State. At WCW Uncensored 1995, held in Tupelo, Hogan defeated Vader in a Leather Strap Match. A year later, back in Tupelo at Uncensored 1996, Hogan and “Macho Man” Randy Savage—the Mega Powers—defeated a chaotic team of Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Lex Luger, Meng, Kevin Sullivan, and Tiny Lister (best known as Deebo from Friday) in a wild, anything-goes brawl.
(Hogan clotheslines Vader and Ric Flair. In what was considered one of the worst matches of all-time Hulk Hogan fought Vader in a Leather Strap Match at WCW Uncensored 1995 in Tupelo.)
(One of wrestling’s most memorable tag teams The Mega Powers reunited at WCW Uncensored 1996 inside the Cadence Bank Arena in Tupelo)
Hogan’s final Mississippi appearance came during WCW’s dying days. On May 15, 2000, WCW Nitro ran live from the Coast Coliseum in Biloxi. In a bizarre twist, Horace Hogan (his real-life cousin) won a triple-threat match over Hulk Hogan and Billy Kidman. It was a surreal sendoff in a company nearing its end—but it still drew a crowd eager to see the legend one last time before WCW was bought out by WWF 10 months later.
Back Where It All Began: Mobile & Pensacola
The Gulf Coast territory had been Hogan’s training ground in the late ’70s—and by the ’90s, he returned as a conquering hero. On March 9, 1992, Hogan and Roddy Piper headlined a WWF house show at the Mobile Civic Center, defeating Ric Flair and Sid Justice. The building sold out, and fans flooded the arena to witness a reunion of two of wrestling’s most iconic figures.
On March 15, 1998 WCW’s Uncensored was held at the Mobile Civic Center. This was at the time when wrestling factions were at an all-time high. The nWo had completely taken over and Hollywood Hogan was a villainous, heel character, a much different change than his Real American babyface. At this time Hollywood Hogan faced his longtime rival Randy Savage in a steel cage match. Though it ended in a no-contest, the night was electric—a reminder of the intensity the nWo era brought to arenas at the time. This would be the final time The Hulkster would appear on a wrestling card in South Alabama.
(WCW/nWo Uncensored 1998 took place inside the Mobile Civic Center, and was filled with a nostalgia of 90’s wrestlers.)
In September 1999, Hogan returned to Pensacola, now back in his red-and-yellow Real American persona after ditching the Hollywood gimmick. He defended the WCW World Title against Bret “Hitman” Hart in a rare house show clash between two of the greatest champions of their eras.
But perhaps the most absurd—and wonderful—Pensacola moment came in 2003. Hogan had just returned as a regular character and had been “suspended” by Vince McMahon on WWE television. So he returned in disguise as Mr. America, a masked superhero with Hogan’s voice, mannerisms, music, and moves… yet “definitely not Hulk Hogan.” On an episode of SmackDown taped at the Pensacola Bay Center, Mr. America took a lie detector test, and in classic wrestling absurdity, passed with flying colors—claiming under oath that he was not Hulk Hogan. Vince McMahon screamed in frustration while the crowd howled in laughter. It was goofy, over-the-top, and totally perfect.
(In one of the most absurd and over the top moments in wrestling history happened in Pensacola on an episode of Smackdown on May 29, 2003 when Mr. McMahon gave Mr. American (Obviously Hulk Hogan), a lie detector test to determine if he was Hulk Hogan or not. Mr. America passed.)
(Hulk Hogan as Mr. America in one of final full-time runs in wrestling in 2003.)
Final Thoughts: A Southern Superstar
Hulk Hogan’s legacy in the Gulf South isn’t just a footnote—it’s a chapter unto itself. He helped fill domes, build territories, and create unforgettable moments in Mississippi, Louisiana, and the Florida Panhandle. Whether it was getting slammed by Andre the Giant in the Superdome, fighting leather strap match in Tupelo, fighting his cousin in Biloxi, or passing a lie detector test in Pensacola, or getting the Superdome confused with the Silverdome. Hogan brought spectacle and passion everywhere he went.
In a region known for its love of wrestling, Hulk Hogan wasn’t just another name on the card—he was the draw. And though he’s gone, the memories he left behind will live forever in the hearts of Gulf South wrestling fans.
Rest in peace, Hulkster. Hulkamania will live forever in the Magnolia State.
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