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Hulk Hogan's New World Order faction is among the most successful creations in professional wrestling. An act that was desperately needed to revitalize Hulk Hogan's professional wrestling career, the NWO still gets considered by many to be among the most influential factions in professional wrestling history. Furthermore, the NWO also opened the door for Hulk Hogan to drastically change his on-screen character, adopting the "Hollywood Hogan" moniker as the leader of the NWO while moving past his All-American "red and yellow" persona. As part of his "Hollywood Hogan," some fans who grew up watching WCW during the early stages of the NWO angle may remember the time Hulk Hogan sported spiky hair during his match with Randy Savage at Halloween Havoc 1996.
RELATED: 10 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan Jumps Ship To World Championship Wrestling
Hulk Hogan may be a controversial figure in the professional wrestling industry, mostly from his personal life. However, one can't deny he's among the all-time most influential professional wrestlers in the history of the business. Achieving his most known fame when he returned to WWE in 1983, Hogan became a pop-culture figure during the 1980s when he became the face of WWE's Golden Era.
Going on to headline nine of the first ten WrestleMania PPV events, Hulk Hogan's "red and yellow" persona helped launch professional wrestling into mainstream stardom as he and a cast of larger-than-life characters that he worked with in WWE are still fondly remembered by fans who grew up in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Hulk Hogan may have been WWE's franchise player for almost a decade, but it was only a matter of time before his schtick got old as the 1990s progressed. Furthermore, Hogan departed from WWE in 1993, looking to move past professional wrestling until signing with rival World Championship Wrestling in 1994. Hulk Hogan resumed his usual "red and yellow" persona upon joining WCW, even going on to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship the same year he signed with the company.
RELATED: Why Hulk Hogan Wore Red & Yellow Throughout His Wrestling Career, Explained
Hulk Hogan Turns Heel & Forms The New World Order
Hulk Hogan may have quickly become WCW's top attraction, but his All-American persona wasn't clicking with the evolving 1990s professional wrestling fandom. And despite his name value in professional wrestling while still being looked up to by many younger fans, many knew Hogan had to evolve his character, especially for the sake of WCW.
At the infamous Bash at the Beach 1996 PPV, Hogan turned heel by revealing himself as the third man among Scott Hall and Kevin Nash's group, establishing the New World Order as they got set to take over WCW. From that point, Hulk Hogan was off to the races, once again becoming an influential force for professional wrestling as his involvement with the NWO helped start a professional wrestling renaissance of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
NWO Hulk Hogan Had Spiky Hair For One Night
Because of Hogan's heel turn, it allowed him to express himself in different ways that fans have never thought of before. For instance, he started dubbing himself with the "Hollywood Hulk Hogan" ring name as part of his newly-adopted heel persona. After taking a villainous route with his overall character, one of the most noticeable changes in Hulk Hogan was his appearance, especially with his hair.
Regarding his change of appearance, as some fans may remember, there was a time when Hulk Hogan sported spiky hair not long after he became the leader of the NWO. Hulk Hogan appeared in a spiky hair-do similar to Sting's at Halloween Havoc 1996, where he was defending his WCW World Heavyweight Championship against Randy Savage. It was later revealed to be only a goofy wig when Randy Savage ripped it off from Hulk Hogan's head during their match.
Although Hulk Hogan's spiky wig may look ridiculous, it's worth noting that during the feud leading up to his match with Randy Savage, Hulk Hogan mocked Randy Savage's bald spot, as the spiky wig was just a way for Hulk Hogan to continue making fun of him. In fact, Hulk Hogan and the rest of the NWO even got together and spray-painted Randy Savage's bald spot black on an October 1996 episode of Monday Nitro leading up to their PPV match.
RELATED: Hulk Hogan's Disastrous Promo Botch With Vince McMahon, ExplainedThankfully, Hulk Hogan's spiky hair was only a wig, as it's probably the best route for him regarding hairstyle. Hogan would go on to defeat Randy Savage in their championship match at Halloween Havoc 1996.
