10 Surprising Wrestlers Who Hulk Hogan Actually Became Friends With

Hulk Hogan might be one of the most famous names in wrestling history who helped take the business to levels nobody could ever have expected, but that doesn't necessarily mean he is the most popular man behind the scenes.

The Immortal One has had a lot of controversy following his career, from using his power in backstage politics to his dreadful backstage booking, Hogan has given people plenty of reasons to hate him.

However, the Hulkster has managed to make some friends during his time in wrestling, with some names that might surprise you, and within this list, we will look at 10 people Hogan has become friends with in real life.

10 Eric Bischoff

Hulk Hogan might be one of a very small list of professional wrestlers who have worked with Eric Bischoff in close proximity and have managed to retain a friendship, with the two men sticking close throughout everything they have been through.

Their relationship may have started due to them both hating Vince McMahon, with Hogan and Bischoff working hard to make WCW be a huge success, and although they failed at doing so, it certainly brought them together.

The two men then hoked up again in TNA, proving that they were able to continue working together despite any WCW differences and the pair have managed to remain close ever since.

9 Big Show

The Big Show actually owes quite a lot to Hulk Hogan when it comes to his career, as it was Hogan when met him at a basketball game through a mutual friend with the two men instantly hitting it off.

Big Show was allowed to travel on Hogan's private plane during their early years together, a luxury that only a few people were allowed as Hogan helped Big Show achieve major things at WCW, including becoming World Champion.

The two men did have some fallouts throughout their time together, but the two men always managed to patch things up, with Show being known for his excellent Hulkster impression.

8 Mr. T

Mr. T might seem like a very strange name for Hulk Hogan to be friends with, but the two men did form a tag team during T's run with WWE with the two men being partners at WrestleMania I.

The two men famously hosted Saturday Night Live together and began to create a strong friendship due to the amount of time they were spending together, with each man having huge respect for the other.

Of course, considering Hogan's racist remarks, you could easily understand the two men falling out, but Mr. T has claimed that he hasn't lost any respect towards Hogan following the incident.

7 Virgil

While many people like to mock Virgil for his classic meet and greet moments with the 'Lonely Virgil' being a popular meme amongst fans, one name who has always stuck by him is Hulk Hogan.

It might be surprising that the two men are actually close friends away from the ring as Hogan and Virgil were at totally opposite ends of the card other than when Virgil was working with Ted DiBiase.

However, Virgil was very vocal in defending Hogan following his racist comments, making his feelings public that he doesn't believe Hogan is racist due to their years of friendship.

6 Ric Flair

Both Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair are two of wrestlings greatest ever competitors, they are Hall Of Fame talents are both changed the business for the better, yet each of them has had major problems away from the spotlight.

Considering that both men always wanted to be the top star during their time as wrestlers, it is strange to think that they didn't have any major problems, especially when Hogan was doing the booking in WCW.

Despite them both wanting to be the alpha male of their locker rooms, the two men always managed to get along due to the respect that they had for each other, and they remain friends to this day.

5 The Rock

You might think that the racism situation surrounding Hulk Hogan would be enough to bring an end to his friendship with The Rock, especially due to how much of a public figure the Hollywood star is.

However, Hogan's friendship with Rocky runs deep, with the Immortal One being incredibly close with Dwayne Johnson's entire family, which is one of the main reasons that The Rock doesn't believe he meant any ill-will.

While the two men are not incredibly close, mainly due to Rock's incredibly busy schedule, whenever they are back at WWE they catch up and have remained friends.

4 John Cena

Another major WWE icon and Hollywood star who is all about respect is John Cena, who is someone that many fans might expect could have fallen out with Hulk Hogan due to his personal behavior.

However, Cena and the Hulkster have remained friends despite any negative publicity surrounding the WWE Hall Of Famer, and a lot of that is down to the respect they have for each other as two elite wrestlers.

There are few men that understand the pressures of holding an entire company on your back better than Cena and Hogan, and therefore it isn't a surprise that they have remained connected.

3 Jimmy Hart

Jimmy Hart has worked as Hulk Hogan's manager on-screen for the vast majority of his career, however, what many do not realize is that they also work together off the screen as well in real life.

Because of that, it is surprising that they have managed to stay just as close as they were when they first became friends, as working closely with someone in business can always make tempers flare, especially when sizeable egos are involved.

However, no matter how much Hogan might have tested the 'Mouth of the South,' the two men have remained incredibly close, with Hart being one of Hogan's best friends in the business.

2 Brutus 'The Barber' Beefcake

One of the most surprising friendships that Hulk Hogan has is with Brutus 'The Barber' Beefcake, with the two men playing a major role in each other's careers, with Hogan always helping Brutus gain employment.

They trained together and traveled together, but they had a very famous fallout after Hogan's ex-wife revealed several things about them both, with Beefcake clearly owning a lot to Hogan.

However, the Hulkster was happy with it due to how close he considers him as a friend, with the two men sharing a huge bond, which was shown when Hogan inducted Beefcake into the WWE Hall Of Fame.

1 Vince McMahon

It might seem obvious to some people that Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan would be friends after all they have done for each other, but if you take a look at their history, it is actually a major surprise the two men have been able to remain close at this point.

They have had a love-hate relationship throughout their entire lives, with Hogan infamously testifying against Vince during the 1994 steroid trial, which almost led to the WWE Chairman ending up in prison.

Hogan also jumped ship to WCW and went against Vince during the Monday Night Wars, not to mention the incredibly awkward position he put Vince in after his racist comments, yet somehow the two men are still friends to this day...for now.

NEXT: 10 WWE Superstars Vince McMahon Got Wrong