If Hulk Hogan was in his prime now?

Obviously this is a purely hypothetical question and sort of goes down the counterfactual route, but I want to know if Hogan was in his prime in 2011 would he be as big, as popular and as successful as he was in the 1980s? My feeling is that he wouldn't! My reasons: wrestling is less popular today than it was 20 years ago - many things have led to this namely the meteoric rise of the UFC. I do not think Hogan would be the household name he was in the '80s. Take Cena for example - he is a very similar case: not the most talented in the ring but has that elusive 'X' factor that the WWE look for, making him a cash cow for the company. Hogan and Cena are cut from the same cloth as the expression goes, yet Cena is not on the same level Hogan was in his prime. Secondly WWE is currently PG and its demographic has shifted to families and children. This is very similar to the type of product the WWE put out in the '80s before the hardcore revolution of the attitude era and influence of the ECW. The difference to today, however, is that now people have a choice and an alternative in the UFC. In the '80s people didn't have that choice and so with the lack of competition enjoyed more success. Then there is the issue of product saturation or overkill - people are much quicker to become jaded to the industry now that you have two shows per week plus a PPV every 4 weeks or so. I think people would be much quicker to criticise Hogan today and would probably complain that his 'character' was stale like Orton or Cena.

However I'm sure some people would disagree with me! Thoughts?

I voted 'no' for all the reasons you listed above. Wrestling's changed so much that Hogan wouldn't be half the star he was in his heyday.

I voted yes for the simple fact that you can't doubt the mans charisma & ability to self promote... Hogan, McMahon & cable tv are the 3 biggest reasons that wrestling took off & became a global entertianment brand....

The guys who've voted no I think you have very short memories... The guy played 2 completely different characters in two complete different eras yet he was the biggest draw in the 80's & until Austin he was the biggest draw in the 90's....

I don't think its short term memories - I think circumstances today are very different to the 80s and 90s. I'm not denying his popularity or his drawing power but they were different eras both in wrestling and in sport in general.

Of course circumstances are different.... If Hulk Hogan hadn't of been around then maybe wrestling would be still in the territorial system & stuck in dingy smoke infested Bingo Halls.... Great performers & entertianers can make it in any era. Love him hate him or loath what he has become I think it's very hard to dismiss he's influence on the business & to effectively say he was in the 'right place at right time' is doing the guy a complete diservice