1 month ago
13
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A nonrecreational wrestler and Hulk Hogan superfan successful Fresno says Hogan deserves respect for the sacrifices helium made to entertain and animate fans conscionable similar him.
"He took clip distant from his family," Fresno-based nonrecreational wrestler Nick Ruiz said. "All those nights, each those years to the constituent wherever helium could hardly walk."
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As a wrestler, Ruiz says the bumps and bruises that travel with each in-ring show adhd up implicit time.
"Those injuries bash hurt, and it's tough. It makes you grumpy. It makes you not privation to get up. It makes you not privation to bash regular things successful life," Ruiz said. "That makes you not privation to beryllium bothered, and to get up and bash that for 4 to 6 decades - remarkable."
Ruiz says Hulk Hogan is liable for changing nonrecreational wrestling everlastingly - and Hogan is his biggest relation exemplary successful his ain pursuit to beryllium a nonrecreational wrestler.
"For anybody to accidental that helium is not the origin of pro wrestling being what it is today, a planetary improvement - they're crazy," Ruiz said.
Ruiz remembers watching Hulk Hogan slam Andre the Giant during WrestleMania One, contempt being little than 1 twelvemonth old. Ruiz says that made him a lifelong instrumentality and pupil of wrestling.
"[Hogan] was getting a small blistery successful a way, successful similar 1982 to 1983. He went to the WWF, which is WWE now, and erstwhile helium won the rubric from Iron Sheik, January 23rd of 1984, successful Madison Square Garden. I mean, that catapulted the industry," Ruiz said.
Years aft Hulk Hogan unleashed Hulkamania connected the world, Ruiz decided to dedicate himself to nonrecreational wrestling, pursuing successful Hogan's footsteps.
"I bash a mates of things that helium does, but for the astir part, I wrestle my style, which isn't precise akin to his. But my quality and my look are 100% due to the fact that of him," Ruiz said. "I bid truly hard - six days a week and rainfall oregon shine, sick oregon sore doesn't matter, and I beryllium that to him. He got maine into that."
Ruiz says Hulkamania is not a effect of Hogan's enactment ethic oregon dedication, but alternatively thing unsocial to him.
"His charisma. He had a larger-than-life, charismatic vigor that can't beryllium duplicated," Ruiz said.
Ruiz says helium was shocked and devastated to perceive astir Hulk Hogan's death.
"We mislaid idiosyncratic who has been often imitated but volition ne'er beryllium duplicated. His story, beingness and memories volition unrecorded connected forever, particularly for idiosyncratic similar me," Ruiz said. "Heroes similar this aren't expected to die."
Ruiz says Hogan genuinely was a leader to him. Not lone did Hogan animate and motivate him, Ruiz says Hogan went retired of his mode to amusement him compassion aft Ruiz's location burned down.
"I retrieve penning Hulk Hogan, done email, and I explained the situation," Ruiz said. "Within a week, I got a attraction bundle from Hulk Hogan himself to my son."
Ruiz says the attraction bundle had an autograph, signed enactment figures and a signed Hulkamania t-shirt.
"That is what a existent leader is," Ruiz said. "I don't hide worldly similar that."
While Ruiz volition ne'er person a accidental to transverse "meeting Hulk Hogan" disconnected his bucket list, helium says his connection to different fans and adjacent haters is simply to amusement Hulk Hogan respect.
"Everybody makes mistakes. There's nary specified happening arsenic a cleanable person. So-and-so's governmental views don't marque them a atrocious person," Ruiz said. "It's somebody's beingness - springiness him the respect helium deserves."
