Thirty years in the past, Hulk Hogan’s agent got here to him with an necessary alternative. After a collection of failed ventures, for instance, a Florida restaurant referred to as “Pastamania,” Hulk’s agent thought it could be a good suggestion to easily put his identify on a bodily product that he might endorse. Hulk was intrigued.
The agent introduced Hulk with two merchandise to select from. The primary product was an progressive new folding grill. The second product was a meatball maker.
Hulk selected the meatball maker. That will finally show to be one of many worst enterprise choices ever…
The Rise of Hulkamania
Hulk Hogan’s rise to wrestling stardom started within the late Seventies when he began competing in varied regional promotions. His massive break got here in 1979 when he caught the attention of Vincent McMahon Sr. and joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE).
Hogan’s recognition exploded within the early Eighties, fueled by his charismatic character, spectacular physique, and signature strikes just like the leg drop. His catchphrases, together with “Whatcha gonna do, brother?” and “Say your prayers and eat your nutritional vitamins,” turned cultural touchstones.
The height of “Hulkamania” occurred within the mid-Eighties. Hogan’s victory over The Iron Sheik for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in 1984 launched him into superstardom. His look in Rocky III and cartoon collection additional boosted his mainstream enchantment.
The zenith of Hulkamania was arguably WrestleMania III in 1987, the place Hogan defeated Andre the Big earlier than a report crowd of 93,173 followers. This occasion solidified Hogan’s standing as wrestling’s greatest star and a popular culture icon.
At his peak, Hogan transcended wrestling, showing in motion pictures, TV reveals, and commercials. He turned a family identify, inspiring hundreds of thousands of “Hulkamaniacs” worldwide and serving to remodel skilled wrestling into a world leisure phenomenon.
Diversifying His Empire
Within the Nineties, Hogan started to diversify his empire. Whereas persevering with to wrestle on and off for New Japan, WCW, New World Order, WWF/E, and Complete Nonstop Motion, he additionally launched a number of enterprise ventures. Sadly, not every part he labored on was profitable. For instance, his restaurant, Pastamania, failed after a yr. It was round this time that Hulk’s agent approached him with the thought of endorsing a kitchen product.
Hulk met along with his agent and was given three choices for merchandise to endorse:
A grill A meatball maker A blender
In response to an interview Hulk gave in 2011, that is precisely how the dialog along with his agent went down:
Agent: “It’s best to get into these items, kitchen home equipment, put your identify on one thing.”
Hulk: “Properly, what have you ever bought?”
Agent: “Properly, I’ve bought this meatball maker. It kilos the meatballs if you clench your arm muscle groups and press fists collectively.”
Hulk: “That is improbable, I need the Hulkamania Meatball Maker!”
Agent: “What concerning the different factor? The Grill?”
Hulk: “Ah, give that to your different shopper.”
(EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP by way of Getty Pictures)
George Foreman was the agent’s different shopper.
George Foreman was technically retired from 1977 to 1987. He was compelled out of retirement after blowing by way of his boxing fortune. By the point these product endorsement conversations had been occurring, George was within the midst of an unimaginable profession resurrection. In November 1994, he regained the world heavyweight title AT THE AGE OF 45. He’s the oldest individual ever to win that title. His opponent, Michael Moorer, was 26-years-old. Foreman’s knockout punch was so arduous it broke Moorer’s mouthguard in half.
George was well-known for consuming two hamburgers previous to all of his matches. The boxing champion attributed his comeback to wholesome consuming habits, one in every of which included pouring off the entire fats created by any meat merchandise he cooked.
For the makers of this newly proposed grill, Spectrum Manufacturers (previously generally known as Salton, Inc.), George Foreman turned out to be the proper spokesperson. He agreed to let the corporate use his identify and face to promote their fat-reducing grill. George additionally had some concepts concerning the design, which the corporate shortly carried out. The grill turned generally known as the “George Foreman Lean Imply Fats–Lowering Grilling Machine,” however you most likely realize it extra merely because the…
George Foreman Grill
In 1995, the Spectrum Manufacturers advertising and marketing workforce rolled out a pleasant, folksy, gently comedic advert marketing campaign starring the boxer. Gross sales had been truly gradual at first. Solely $5 million price of grills had been offered in 1996. By 1998, the grill was producing $200 million per yr in income. The George Foreman Grill would go on to promote over 100 million items worldwide.
In response to the phrases of his preliminary deal, George Foreman was paid 60% of the earnings generated by his grills. At his peak, he was making $8 million monthly in royalties! In 1999, the makers of the grill realized that it could most likely be good to maneuver away from a 60% royalty deal and as an alternative pay George a giant one-time lump sum. Ultimately, George was paid $137.8 million in money and inventory for the appropriate to make use of his identify and likeness in perpetuity worldwide.
Between his preliminary revenue share and the $138 million buy-out, George Foreman personally pocketed greater than $200 million from the grill.
(Picture by Rune Hellestad/Corbis by way of Getty Pictures)
What About The Meatball Maker?
For causes which were misplaced to historical past, maybe resulting from embarrassment, the Hulk Hogan meatball maker by no means even got here to fruition. However Hulk did not cease making an attempt to attain Foreman-level product endorsement success.
Hulk invested in and endorsed a line of microwaveable burgers and sandwiches that had been offered at Walmart referred to as “Hulkster Burgers.” He labored with the makers of the George Foreman Grill to create a blender referred to as “Hulk Hogan Thunder Mixer.” He tried his hand at vitality drink manufacturing with “Hogan Power.” He even tried his personal grill, the “Hulk Hogan Final Grill.” Seemingly cursed, every of the merchandise he invested in and endorsed disappeared with out a lot fanfare. Nonetheless, you possibly can nonetheless discover his Thunder Mixer blenders on eBay for round $12:
Worst of all, by 2009, private troubles, a expensive divorce, the monetary disaster, monetary mismanagement, and the failure of yet one more product put Hulk being steps from chapter. His funds ultimately recovered, particularly after he acquired a $31 million authorized settlement from his profitable defamation lawsuit towards the web site Gawker.
George Foreman, in the meantime, died in March 2025 with a web price of $300 million. Hulk, by comparability, goes to must make do with a $25 million web price.