Donald Trump's greatest WWE moments as Hulk Hogan prepares to speak before the former President at RNC
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WWE and pro wrestling legend Hulk Hogan is gearing up to speak at the Republican National Convention on Thursday before Donald Trump accepts the GOP nomination for the presidential elections.
The Hulkster will warm up the podium ahead of Trump's formal acceptance on the final day of the convention, two senior campaign officials told NBC.
Hogan, who walked out to his iconic 'Real American' theme music in his hay day, once quipped about getting into politics himself.
Until then, he will take the stage in Milwaukee to back Trump - who has a well-documented relationship with Vince McMahon's company.
Trump first got involved with WWE at the height of Hulkamania in 1998. After seeing the dollar signs in the budging company, Trump decided he wanted a piece of the action.
Hulk Hogan will speak at the RNC in Milwaukee before Donald Trump accepts his nomination
Trump's relationship with WWE goes back to the height of Hulkamania in 1998
Having hosted Mike Tyson bouts at The Atlantic City Convention Hall (later promoted as Trump Plaza), Trump opened the doors for the company and provided a venue for WrestleMania IV.
The four-hour spectacular featured Hogan and Andre the Giant on the poster. The pair would meet in the quarterfinals of the WrestleMania Tournament, a match that ended in a double disqualification in front of 19,199 fans.
'I just wanted a piece of it,' Trump said on The True Story of WrestleMania. 'Everybody in the country wanted this event, and we were able to get it.'
Following the success of WrestleMania IV, Trump got a kick out of hosting the pro wrestling extravaganza and decided to do it again the following year. Atlantic City welcomed WrestleMania V in 1989 thanks to Trump's efforts. Those two years marked the only time the a city hosted consecutive WrestleMania cards.
Since hosting back to back WrestleManias, Trump maintained a good relationship with WWE
Trump and McMahon starred in the Battle of the Billionaires at WrestleMania 23 in 2007
Trump's pick, Bobby Lashley, defeated Umaga with Stone Cold Steve Austin as the referee
From there, Trump became a looming presence in the promotion. In 1991, Trump attended WrestleMania VII in Los Angeles with Chuck Norris. Announcer Gene Okerlund briefly spoke to the pair during the program after they were shown on screen.
In 2004, Trump was at WrestleMania XX in Madison Square Garden and provided an interview that would foreshadow future events. In an interview, Jesse Ventura told Trump: 'I think that we may need a wrestler in the White House in 2008.'
Little did he know, he was speaking to the future occupant of the Oval Office.
The peak of his involvement perhaps came during the 'Battle of the Billionaires' at WrestleMania 23 in 2007.
As a result, Trump shaved McMahon's head bald in front of the Detroit crowd
Trump was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007 for his decades of involvement
Trump and McMahon agreed to each pick a superstar to pin against the other's at the event. The loser would then get their head shaved bald in front of the Detroit crowd.
Trump picked ECW champion Bobby Lashley, who would pin McMahon's pick Umaga - a tattooed Samoan heavyweight - in the match officiated by Stone Cold Steve Austin. However, in true Rattlesnake fashion, nobody was safe and Trump took a Stone Cold Stunner after shaving McMahon's head.
In 2009, WWE writers ran with a storyline in which Trump bought Monday Night Raw and promised changes to how the show was ran.
While the thread did not last as long, Trump was still inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013, shortly before he ran and won the presidential race.
