Brew Ha Ha: A nostalgic sports fan in mourning

Published 4:15 am Wednesday, July 30, 2025

By Robert Brewer

The legendary Hulk Hogan. (Monica Herndon/Tampa Bay Times/TNS)

I am getting to an age where bits and pieces of my childhood are dying off.

That is how I felt with last week’s news that Terry Gene Bollea, better known as Hulk Hogan, died at the age of 71. The news was pretty shocking to me because the Hulkster had looked perfectly healthy for his age not too long ago.  

Around this time last year, Hogan executed his iconic shirt ripping schtick on stage in Milwaukee at the 2024 Republican National Convention. I had not kept track of any Hogan public appearances since then, and just like that, he was gone.

My memories of Hogan were primarily from his days as a performer with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). The pro wrestling organization had a Saturday morning television program in the 1980s and 1990s. It featured stars from the sport competing against opponents known as “jobbers.” These unheralded pros were essentially paid to lose and make the bigger name wrestlers look good.

Robert Brewer

The script usually called for a close call or two where the jobber almost beat one of the star wrestlers. This set the stage for a miraculous comeback from the star. Being that I was too young to know these matches were scripted, I was captivated to watch just in case one of these jobbers could defeat the mighty Hogan.  

My first memory watching Hogan against another star was in Wrestlemania 6. That match took place in 1990 and pitted Hogan against the Ultimate Warrior. The bout lasted for over 20 minutes and Warrior outlasted Hogan to win the pro wrestling’s ultimate title. 

  • Polls

    When is the most recent time you went to the theater to watch a movie?

    View Results

    Loading ... Loading ...

    • In addition to watching wrestling on television, part of the allure of being a fan back then was trying famous moves on friends. The choke slams, the stomping punches and the arm twists provided hours of entertainment for me and kids from the neighborhood. 

    A childhood friend of mine named Mike, who weighed about 250 pounds and stood six-foot-two, encouraged me to body slam him on the front lawn. I was hesitant to try it because he is significantly bigger than me. 

    “Oh c’mon, it’s not as hard as it looks,” Mike assured me. “I can help you.” 

    Mike rehearsed the move with me in slow motion a few times, then took a running start toward me. He then used his momentum to push off of me and flip in the air.

    If anything, it was more of an assisted summersault than a body slam. I was just happy that I executed the move without paralyzing either one of us. I didn’t want to tempt fate, so Mike and I never tried that move again.

    This week, another sports star from my youth succumbed to illness. Baseball great Ryne Sandberg died at the age of 65. Being a kid of the 80s, I still have Sandberg’s baseball cards in my possession. Sandberg’s Hall of Fame résumé includes nine gold gloves, 10 all-star selections, and National League Most Valuable Player in 1984. I opened countless packs of baseball cards and would always set aside cards of elite players like Sandberg for my personal collection. 

    It’s not easy being a 1980s sports fan these days.

    Robert Brewer is a sports reporter for the Victoria Advocate. You can reach him at robert.brewer@vicad.com.

    You Might Like