Is a Wrestling Legend About To Deliver a Leg Drop to the Smokies Retail Scene?

scene of gatlinburg with image of hulk hogan

A vague social media post suggests a Hulk Hogan retail shop could be coming to Gatlinburg (photos by Jonathan Ross/iStockPhoto.com and Maxim Elramsisy/shutterstock.com)

Is Hulkamania about to run wild in the mountains of East Tennessee? A cryptic social media post seems to point to yes

Gone are the days when Cooter – of Dukes of Hazzard fame – was the second biggest celebrity operating in the Smokies. Celebrities of varying degrees of success have always tried to find a way to use their name to find business success in the Smokies. From Ronnie Milsap to Lee Greenwood or Louise Mandrell, the tradition of trying to cash in on celebrities in the mountains is long. It continues today with bigger-name stars in the game. No disrespect to previous Smoky Mountain “celebs”, but Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean and even Paul Deen are giants in their respective fields.

With this in mind, get ready to add one more giant – in a quite literal sense – to the fold. According to a cryptic Facebook post earlier this week, wrestling legend Hulk Hogan is bringing his Hulk Hogan’s Wrestling Shop to the Smoky Mountains.

Hulk Hogan at the Republican National Convention 2024
Hulk Hogan at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2024 (photo by Maxim Elramsisy/shutterstock.com)

About Hulk Hogan

In 1984, Hulkamania was running wild. That year, a massive blonde Floridian named Terry Bollea had graduated from the smaller circuits and made it to the big time as Hulk Hogan, an ultra-patriotic giant in bright yellow and red outfits. At Wrestlemania, he defeated the Iron Shiek, and Hulkamania was born. Hogan – who first came to national attention for his portrayal of Thunderlips in “Rocky III” – ruled professional wrestling and pushed it to the forefront of American pop culture. Hogan and his WWF friends were everywhere.

I remember one Christmas when I sneaked a peak and saw my gift, a half dozen 12-inch wrestling figures. I was thrilled. What said Christmas spirit more than a bunch of wrestlers? That Christmas it was all about kicking butt and chewing bubble gum, and we were all almost out of bubble gum. 

Forty years later, and now it’s another important year for Hogan. While Hogan enjoyed a historic WWF run, fascination with Hulkamania didn’t last long. By the time he made a heal turn to Hollywood Hogan, I didn’t have enough interest to care. In the ensuing decades Hogan – or more correctly Terry Bollea – has ill-managed his place as a wrestling legend so much that his appearance at a recent event was met with a chorus of boos. And, I want to be clear, I believe this to be about Terry’s private actions, not his politics. These were not the kind of boos where wrestling fans are jeering the heel. It was my impression that they weren’t booing Hulk. They were booing Terry.

hulk hogan walks in key west while filming a reality show
Hulk Hogan shopping in Key West during spring break while filming a reality show (photo by Meredith Lamb/shutterstock.com)

About the attraction and his other ventures

Considering Hogan’s boisterous history, the news of a new attraction came quietly in a single post from Hulk Hogan’s Wrestling Shop account. A pair of eye emojis and the phrase, “Hello, Tennessee”. There’s also a little cartoon horse. Personally, I do not know what that’s about.

“Tennessee Are You Ready / Hulk Hogans Wrestling Shop Coming Soon,” says the post over a stock image of the Smokies. What is Hulk Hogan’s Wrestling Shop? Well, it’s one of his more successful business ventures. He’s also lent his name to an energy drink and more recently a line of craft beers. Located on the beach in Clearwater, Florida, his Wrestling Shop sells Hogan-related gear, toys, merch and memorabilia. There is also Hogan’s Beach Shop located far from the Beach in Orlando, which seems to sell similar gear. The two stores share a website. Why is the beach shop located inland and the wrestling shop on the beach? The man is an enigma.

Gatlinburg Crowds on a July 4th Holiday
The store will likely come to Gatlinburg, judging from the social media post (photo by Morgan Overholt/TheSmokies.com)

When will it open, what do we know so far?

In terms of timing, all we have now is the “coming soon” line. How soon is soon? I’m not sure. But in terms of getting a shop ready for retail in the Smokies, it’s not a big lift. I would say if they wanted to, the shop could be open quickly.

The bigger question is where. The announcement was set over a picture of Gatlinburg. I can think of several locations where a Hogan-themed shop would excel along the Gatlinburg strip. Bolster it with occasional appearances from the Hulkster and some of his wrestling buddies, and I can see it doing quite well. Maybe Hogan will follow other Gatlinburg celebs and open an adjacent bar and eatery. Of course, nothing is confirmed. It does say Tennessee, not Gatlinburg. It’s always possible that the social media intern doesn’t know the difference between Nashville and Gatlinburg. But until we hear otherwise, I will assume that picture was chosen for a reason.

Until then, follow the big man’s advice. “Eat your vegetables and take your vitamins” and get ready for Hulkamania to descend on the mountains.

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