McMahon had kept tabs on Hogan and planned to promote him as the WWF’s star. But Hogan was comfortably finding success in the AWA, where he was close to capturing the AWA championship and beating international stars like Antonio Inoki in Japan.
April 7, 1986 Top Guy-Reigning WWF Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan (left) sends King Kong Bundy flying during Wrestlemania 2 in Los Angeles Monday night. Hogan won the match that was part of a three city wrestling spectacle. Nick Ut, AP Laserphoto (Nick Ut)
Hogan was advertised to wrestle his longtime nemesis, “Dr. D” David Schultz, at a Christmas show at the Civic Center. Shortly before bell time that day, Gagne received a telegraph from Hogan, saying he was jumping to the WWF.
“When (Gagne) asked why, Hogan said, ‘Vince McMahon has paid me to stay away, and I’m not going to come back to work in the AWA,’” Schire said. “That’s the true story.”
Hogan would also take Schultz and Okerlund, the announcer, with him to the WWF. A few weeks later, on Jan. 7, 1984, he defeated the Iron Sheik to capture the WWF championship, beginning his ascent to superstardom.
Hogan would return to Minnesota over the years as the biggest star in the WWF, but he made one more major wrestling impact in Minnesota in the 1990s.
McMahon and the ongoing pressures of TV deals had driven the AWA out of business by the end of 1991, but a new challenger rose to take on the WWF in World Championship Wrestling.
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