Remembering the playful swagger of a ‘Real American’

The legendary wrestler Hulk Hogan has taken his final rest. But the traces of that “Real American” era remain indelible.

Song Ji-hoon

The author is a sports reporter at the JoongAng Ilbo.

A nation’s identity can sometimes be seen more vividly on stage or in an arena than in politics or economics. The recent passing of Hulk Hogan, the U.S. professional wrestling icon, at the age of 71, serves as a reminder of that truth. With his hulking frame, gleaming blond hair, and signature handlebar mustache, Hogan dominated the ring with flamboyant moves, embodying the swagger of 1980s and 1990s America — an era when the United States saw itself as the center of the world.

No story about Hogan is complete without his entrance theme, “Real American.” As the lyrics declared, “I am a real American, fight for the rights of every man,” Hogan would stride toward the ring waving a massive Stars and Stripes. In those moments, he was the living embodiment of Pax Americana, the U.S.-led global order radiating confidence and dominance.

Hulk Hogan rips his shirt before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. [AP/YONHAP]

Hogan’s persona was built on exaggeration. His facial expressions, gestures, and words were always theatrical, but they carried an undeniable force rather than ridicule. It was a perfect reflection of American self-assurance at the time. During the early 1990s Gulf War, when Hogan defeated the anti-American character Sgt. Slaughter — portrayed as sympathetic to Iraq — wrestling fans around the world embraced the familiar narrative: The “Real American” always prevails.

In that era of unshaken Pax Americana, the United States exuded a confidence that could border on braggadocio. Its domestic baseball championship was casually dubbed the “World Series,” with no hint of irony. That same mindset found its pop-culture symbol in Hogan, the wrestler who inevitably triumphed over any international giant that entered the ring.

Time, however, has passed. Both Pax Americana and the generation that once roared for Hogan have aged. The phrase “Real American” no longer carries the unalloyed pride it once did. It can now evoke satire or nostalgia for Americans reluctant to accept a changed world. Yet Hogan’s enduring popularity after retirement owed much to his role as a persona of peak American confidence, a larger-than-life figure who encapsulated a nation at its boldest.

The legendary wrestler has now taken his final rest. But the traces of that “Real American” era remain indelible — from his superhuman comebacks in the ring to his lighthearted advice to children to “say your prayers and take your vitamins.” One hopes that, wherever he is, he continues as the undisputed champion of the next universe.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.