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CNN Larry King Live
Interview With the Hogan Family
Aired July 28, 2005 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LARRY KING, CNN HOST: Tonight, wrestling legend Hulk Hogan with the real deal on reality TV's newest stars. His family, Hulk Hogan, his wife Linda, and their children Brooke and Nick all together taking your calls.
But first, another setback in the search for Natalee Holloway. Dna from hair stuck to duct tape found in Aruba, does not match Natalee's. And now her family waits for investigators to finish draining the pond near the site where she was last seen.
With us tonight is Natalee's step-mom, Robin Holloway, on the scene in Aruba and CNN's Susan Candiotti with the latest developments, all next on LARRY KING LIVE.
I said Aruba. Robin Holloway is in Miami, Susan Candiotti is in Aruba. And the latest is, the duct tape shows what, Susan?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It shows hair, but it's not Natalee's hair. The FBI tells us tonight, there is no match. So let's remind your viewers, that this was a piece of duct tape that was found by a park ranger, a little over a week ago, as he was scouring a beach. And he turned it over to the police. Naturally, they wanted to check this hair on the duct tape to see whether it was a match to Natalee's DNA. They conducted two separate tests, says the FBI, but the tests came back negative, no connection to Natalee.
KING: And in its own way, Robin Holloway, isn't that good news?
ROBIN HOLLOWAY, NATALEE'S STEP-MOTHER: Oh, I'm relieved that it's not Natalee's. I'm impressed the way they did handle the evidence in case it was hers. But if -- yes. It's not hers so there's still that remote chance she's still out there somewhere alive and -- we're still clinging to that. But, I mean, yes, that's good news that it was not her hair.
KING: Robin, what about the -- I mean Susan what about the special interrogators from Holland that are now in Aruba, questioning the other suspect, they're calling him, Joran Van Der Sloot.
CANDIOTTI: Well we're still trying to confirm that the interrogation has begun. We don't have that confirmation yet. But, in fact, it's a team of specialists who are used to interviewing young people in particular. And they're -- That is their specialty. So they're in town, and they are here to interview him. His attorney will be allowed to be present. That was an agreement made before the court. That any future interrogations, the lawyer of Joran Van der Sloot would be allowed to be there. That would not be unusual. Of course the same thing happens in the United States. You have the right to have an attorney present before and during police questioning.
KING: What's the latest, Susan, on the draining of the basin?
CANDIOTTI: Still going on, Larry. They thought they might have wrapped it up by now, but in fact, it's still happening even at this hour. The latest word is that they might be able to complete it by tomorrow. Remember, they're pumping out thousands and thousand and thousands of gallons of water. And it's taking, clearly, longer than they expected. When they get through with it, they'll be able to get a better look on the top of that dry pond, and also be able to do some digging if they want to to look for any possible evidence that Natalee might be there or evidence that the suspects named in this case, but not charged, might have been there or might have left something there.
KING: And in that regard, Robin, no news is good news too.
HOLLOWAY: Oh, definitely. And I do hope they can find some type of physical evidence, like the Joran losing a shoe. I hope they do find something like that. As far as I know, there's been no physical evidence to link him there, but that would be what we needed. But no news is good news too in a respect.
KING: There's a lot of defense motions that are going to be heard or ruled on tomorrow right, Susan?
CANDIOTTI: That's right. We're expecting at the very least a ruling from the judge about one in particular. And that is a motion filed by the defense attorney for Joran Van der Sloot. He is trying to suppress a DNA evidence that was collected from his client sometime back. Of course, it's already been taken, but his challenge is based on his argument that it was taken illegally, that the judges never should have allowed that sample to be taken, and since it already has been, he doesn't want it to be possibly used against his client. And the judge's ruling will come out on that tomorrow.
KING: And if he disallows the DNA samples, what then?
CANDIOTTI: Well, then, the authorities wouldn't be able to use the sample that they collected in court, if he is ever charged in this case. And if, in fact, he is ever brought to trial.
KING: So many ifs. Robin what keeps you -- I don't want to put words in your mouth. Are you hopeful?
HOLLOWAY: What do you mean, as far as the DNA, or --
KING: The whole thing. Do you expect a resolution?
HOLLOWAY: Yes, we do. It's just frustrating it's taking so long. But, you know, there's witnesses coming forward, and -- There's so much being done right now. And just -- yes, but Dave headed back to Aruba today and the Texas Equusearch guys are back and it's just -- we're so glad that they're back. But yes, we do expect resolution and answers. It's just, when, I don't know. I mean, it's gone on too long. What, 60 days today. I don't know. But yes, we do expect it to conclude, I just don't know when.
KING: Susan, is the prosecution or authorities hopeful?
CANDIOTTI: Well naturally, any investigator will tell you that they never give up hope. They still have things that they want to look at, places they want to examine, interviews they want to conduct. And naturally, there's always hope that they'll be able to crack the case and solve it, certainly one way or the other. But naturally, there are no guarantees.
KING: Curiouser and curiouser. Thanks you very much. Good luck, Robin.
HOLLOWAY: Thank you, Larry.
KING: Robin Holloway's Natalee's step-mother in Miami and in Aruba on the scene for CNN, Susan Candiotti. It has been 60 days since the 18 year-old Alabama honor student Natalee Holloway went missing.
When we come back, Hulk Hogan and family. They've got a runaway hit on their hands in a reality series. And Hulk keeps on wrestling. We'll tell you about that too, and we'll be taking your phone calls. The Hulkster and group, next. Don't go away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINDA HOGAN, HULK'S WIFE: What are you doing.
HULK HOGAN, PRO WRESTLING LEGEND: How'd those get on there.
L. HOGAN: You're not really like thinking about wearing that stuff again, like to the ring or anything, are you?
H. HOGAN: Well we did talk about doing a little appearances.
L. HOGAN: What do you mean little appearance, like little appearance.
H. HOGAN: Maybe at Wrestlemania. Me just doing a run in or getting involved in a match, a very, very, very controlled situation. But an exciting one where the people, oh my gosh there's Hulk Hogan.
L. HOGAN: Try your boa on. I like it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: There's a new hit reality show on VH-1. The title is "Hogan Knows Best." The subject is the Hogan family, and they have assembled here tonight. The famous Hulk Hogan, the pro wrestling legend. His lovely wife, Hinda -- Linda, rather. She has been his wife for more than 20 years and has received many Purple Hearts. Brooke Hogan is Hulk Hogan's daughter and aspiring music star. Her debut single, by the way, "Everything to Me," hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles sales chart last year. And the youngster in the family, just turned 15, Nick Hogan.
Hulk, how did the idea for this show come about?
H. HOGAN: Well, Larry, it actually came about four, five years ago, when "The Osbournes" got real hot. They wanted to do a thing with Hulk Hogan and Hulk Hogan making his comeback to wrestling. And we weren't up for that at the time, losing our privacy and having the whole crew in the house 14 or 15 hours a day.
And then when we started with Brooke's career, you know, shortly after that, which has been going on for four, five years, beating the music business up, we were trying to find an even playing ground with Lindsay Lohan, Hillary Duff and the Jessica Simpson and Ashlee Simpson girls. They all had to have a vehicle to get a jump-start...
KING: So this is for her?
H. HOGAN: Well, that's the way it started. You know, we thought, this would be a great way to give Brooke an awareness, to make people know who she was. It started as that, and it's shoe- stringed through the whole episodes, her music career, but it's basically about the whole family now.
KING: Are you surprised how well it's done?
H. HOGAN: I was hoping for this, but I had no idea how much America just wanted a normal family with normal dysfunctional problems. I mean, we've got the same problems you do.
KING: That's a contradictory, normal dysfunctional.
H. HOGAN: OK. You have a normal family. I'm sure you've never argued with your wife. OK? We've got the same problems. Sometimes we have a hard time getting the kids to do homework. That's what I call dysfunctional, is when they don't follow the Hulk -- the Hogan rules, you know.
KING: Why did you agree, Linda?
L. HOGAN: I think I was really just kind of, you know, supporting the whole thing, you know. He was trying to make a comeback with his wrestling career. And obviously, we were trying to get Brooke's music career off the ground. And it just seems like everybody nowadays needs a vehicle of -- the vehicle of TV.
KING: Linda, how about having cameras in your house?
L. HOGAN: I wasn't really thrilled about that at first. But, you know, our house is just one of those kind of houses where it's like there's, you know, seven dogs running through it, there's every neighbor kid, and he's got wrestlers training. And because it's large, there's just always somebody in it somewhere.
KING: Where is home?
L. HOGAN: We live in Clearwater, Florida.
KING: The Osbournes, though, said that after a while, they told me, you forget the cameras are there. Have you hit that point yet?
L. HOGAN: Yes, we've definitely hit the point, because you're walking around a manager, and you've become friends with these people that are in your home. And it seems very comfortable, because you're not at work, you're not at a studio, you're not at a television station. You're in your home. And so sometimes, you have to pinch yourself and go, oh, my gosh. Hold on, everybody in the world is going to be seeing this. We have to be careful.
KING: From a career standpoint, Brooke, it's got to be great for you, right?
BROOKE HOGAN, HULK HOGAN'S DAUGHTER: Oh, my gosh. It's just like my dad said, it puts you on that even playing field, you know, with Lindsay Lohan and Hillary Duff, and all of that vehicle of TV. So you know, at least we're there now, and I'm so happy, I'm so thankful, I'm thanking God every day that it's doing so well. And it's really opened a lot of doors for me, so.
KING: Are you still in high school?
B. HOGAN: Actually, I graduated last year when I was 16.
KING: Oh, so you graduated early?
B. HOGAN: Yeah. I tried to get into college, but I think I'm going to wait a little bit for that, because I'm just so busy. I'm like -- I can't even...
KING: But with the record, are you going to do concerts, are you going to tour?
B. HOGAN: Oh, of course. Everything. Album, concerts, you name it.
KING: Do you like this, Hulk?
H. HOGAN: Well, I didn't want this for my family, because you and I know how brutal the entertainment business can be, but it's in her spirit, and you know, I knew I was going to have this problem with Brooke, because it wasn't a phase like, you know, ice skating or...
KING: And she's also beyond her years in looks and...
H. HOGAN: Right.
KING: Right?
H. HOGAN: But I had no idea that I was going to get into the same situation with Nick, because Nick has these aspirations of being the next, you know, Brad Pitt, and now he finished his first movie. He's getting ready to start a second one, and he's really a good little actor, so I've got two kids now that are following the whole entertainment genre.
KING: Why, Nick?
NICK HOGAN, HULK HOGAN'S SON: I've always liked being on camera. I shot a movie called "Remainder," with a friend of mine, Ray Underwood, last year. It's an independent film. And it was my first kind of like little taste of it where I was actually playing a role in the movie. And I loved doing it. And now I just picked up a part in this movie called "This Might Hurt." And I just...
L. HOGAN: And tomorrow? Where are we going tomorrow?
H. HOGAN: "Fast and Furious."
N. HOGAN: Oh, I'm going to read for a part in "Fast and Furious 3" tomorrow.
KING: Really?
L. HOGAN: He's a great little actor.
KING: Is he?
H. HOGAN: He's the only one in the family who can act.
L. HOGAN: He's not.
KING: You've been acting -- come on, you're a wrestler. What are you, out of your mind?
H. HOGAN: Well, I'm a mugger. He reacts. He's the natural.
L. HOGAN: You're a wrestler.
KING: What's it like -- I'll ask each of you again until we show scenes -- we'll take a lot of calls -- what's it like being Hulk's son?
N. HOGAN: At times, it's rough. And at other times, it's fun. I mean, fun, you know, going to different venues and following him around and seeing the respect that people give him, and, you know, him being able to get away with the things he's able to get away with. It's fun to see that. But also, it's rough when people are, you know, trying to -- expecting so much of you, and they expect me, I mean, out of 10 people, 99 of them expect me to be a pro wrestler and do everything that he did.
KING: Which you don't want to do at all?
N. HOGAN: Well, I mean, we're just shooting a little bit for the show on me actually, you know, stirring the pot for wrestling a little bit, you know, me kind of getting interested in it. I think it's a very cool deal, and I enjoy doing it, but right now, I'd like to try my hand at acting. KING: Is he a tough dad, Brooke?
B. HOGAN: Actually, it's my mom that's a little bit tough.
H. HOGAN: Yeah, all right!
L. HOGAN: Excuse me?
B. HOGAN: I mean, you know, they're good parents. We respect them, and their motto, you know, that they always live by is you have to be a parent first, before you're a friend to your kid. And, you know, they do that. And we respect them for it. And they've raised us really well. And my dad is a little bit of a softy. I mean, he, like, cries at "The Lion King," and I'm kind of like his little girl.
H. HOGAN: Stop it. Oh, my God.
B. HOGAN: And my mom, you know, is kind of like the one that whips everybody into shape.
KING: Hulk Hogan cried at "The Lion King?"
B. HOGAN: Well, not like cried...
(CROSSTALK)
N. HOGAN: Scar and those hyenas were jerks.
B. HOGAN: Well, he was like this. He got this little face.
H. HOGAN: Oh, you're killing me!
(CROSSTALK)
KING: We'll take a break and be back with the Hogans -- obviously run by Linda. And we'll be including your calls too. The Hogans airs on VH-1. It's called "Hogan Knows Best." And the Hulk is -- has got some upcoming wrestling. We'll be telling you about where he's appearing as well. We say appearing, and not even the -- I don't mean that's not a -- I'm not putting down the sport.
H. HOGAN: No, that's OK. We're going to...
KING: You appear.
We'll be right back with the Hogans. Don't go away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
H. HOGAN: She's talking about loving me and the boyfriend. Is that the deal?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right.
B. HOGAN: Their idea, not mine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you want to read the lyrics to your dad now so he can see what this is about?
B. HOGAN: No!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So he can see what this is about?
B. HOGAN: I'm going to feel so weird singing this to him. You guys have to do this to me. OK.
(SINGING)
H. HOGAN: Wow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
H. HOGAN: He talked about going and hanging out together and having a boys day and shooting guns. And next thing I know, Ashley gets in (INAUDIBLE) at school. Ashley gets in (INAUDIBLE) at school. Wonder if I should have invited Ashley or something. Nah!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Is Ashley Nick's girlfriend?
H. HOGAN: She was. She was the former Nick's girlfriend. And he's kind of moved on. He's playing the field now.
KING: Aren't you a little young to have girlfriends? 15 is young.
N. HOGAN: I was just having fun.
KING: What about Brooke?
B. HOGAN: I -- you know, to my parents, I'm definitely too young to be with any boys.
KING: Is it true that you dated a 17-year-old guy and that you put a track on the car?
L. HOGAN: Oh, no, no, no. It was 22.
H. HOGAN: No, no.
KING: He was 22?
H. HOGAN: Stop the music. It was a supervised field trip during the day. This kid comes over -- Nick works on import cars, like the fast and furious cars. He's an expert with the motors and dimensions and -- and so this guy was posing as Nick's friend and he was scoping Brooke out.
KING: Scoping? H. HOGAN: Looking. And then Linda crossed the boundary. And we had a deal that Brooke would not date for a while. And Linda goes, oh, just let her go out with this guy. I said no.
Finally, they broke me down. I let them go out during the day for I would call a supervised field trip to an amusement park. Well, I had a GPS tracking system in the car, I had two of my wrestler buddies in disguise as tourists hiding behind the newspapers in the park.
KING: You really did that?
H. HOGAN: Yes, I did.
L. HOGAN: It was horrible.
H. HOGAN: No, it wasn't horrible.
L. HOGAN: It was over the top.
KING: Wait a minute. You've got two wrestlers hiding in the park. It's a daytime date.
H. HOGAN: Right
KING: What could possibly happen?
H. HOGAN: Anything. Anything.
KING: Do you feel untrusted?
H. HOGAN: I don't trust the guy. I don't trust the guy. See, the thing is...
KING: How do you feel about that?
B. HOGAN: You know, all parents are going to say it's not that I don't trust you, honey. It's that I don't trust the boy. But, you know, you have to also trust me that I'm making the right decision that I have a good head on my shoulders. Back when I just turned 16, I didn't because I watched back the episode and saw how cocky this guy was. And I was like, OK. You're right.
KING: We have a clip of Hulk talking to the guy. Let's watch. Hulk talk to the guy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
H. HOGAN: Brooke's not sexually active.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn't lose my virginity till I was 19- years-old.
H. HOGAN: So basically, you are sexually active.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, I don't see how any of this pertains to Brooke either.
H. HOGAN: Well, I didn't say it pertained to Brook. I was just talking to you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, you were curious about my sex life?
H. HOGAN: Yes, kind of, you know.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. OK.
H. HOGAN: Have you had, like, an AIDS test?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have I an AIDS test?
H. HOGAN: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Uh, yes. Negative.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Whoa!
H. HOGAN: You know what?
KING: That was over the top.
H. HOGAN: The supervised field trip was too traumatic for that young man, so we're not going to see him anymore.
KING: Is he gone?
H. HOGAN: He's gone.
But, it's just -- see, that's why Hogan knows best, because Nick is 15 and can dabble with a girlfriend, but Brooke is 17 and she can't date. That's the way it is.
KING: You're OK with that?
L. HOGAN: No. I'm not. They are.
KING: You know, 17-year-olds do date, Linda. Don't you allow her to -- why not allow her to date?
L. HOGAN: I mean, you know, I think right now, every guy, after seeing that on TV, is terrified to come to our door and ask her out. So, poor Brooke.
KING: Actually, he's a hindrance to you. He's got two guys, wrestlers, hiding in parks, he's got a tracking system in the car. When do you see her being formally out. When do you -- when -- have you got an age in your mind?
H. HOGAN: Right now, her music career, she did great with school. She graduated high school. She could have started college. So she's ahead of the curve. The music thing, we've got another year or so. We're still trying to make the right deal for her with the right record label.
KING: Are you managing it?
H. HOGAN: No, not yet. We have some people helping us, Larry Rudolph handled...
KING: The question is, when do you think you'll let her date?
H. HOGAN: Well, it's probably going to be another year. Yeah, I think she's got a year's worth of work to do with her music and stuff. And she's got a boyfriend right now that -- it's not a boyfriend, it's a boy friend that they have a common interest and it's perfect. She lives in Florida, he lives in Detroit. It's a perfect, perfect situation.
KING: How do you feel about it, Linda?
L. HOGAN: You know, I know Brooke probably is like, you know, itching to have a boyfriend and do the dating thing. And because she finished high school early, she's kind of missed out on some of the social stuff that most kids her age would do. So she's been very patient. And I'm a little bit more flexible with when she wants to go because I really, really trust her.
KING: Nick what do you make of all this? Should she be allowed to go out?
N. HOGAN: I think that right now, I stand with my dad on this.
B. HOGAN: Nick!
N. HOGAN: I agree with...
B. HOGAN: Dude, you're supposed to be my friend.
N. HOGAN: Hogan knows best.
H. HOGAN: That's right.
B. HOGAN: Brooke Hogan knows best.
KING: You would worry about her?
N. HOGAN: Right. Yes, I'm worried. I mean, I tried to give Brooke a baseball bat one time, when a guy came to the door. So.
KING: Just coming to the door?
N. HOGAN: Yes. I mean...
B. HOGAN: Hey, ready to go?
N. HOGAN: I mean, she's got to protect herself.
KING: It's always going to be intimidating for any guy in your life to date Hulk Hogan's father. B. HOGAN: First of all, because he's hulk hogan. Second of all, I'm 5'11. And if Nick puts a baseball bat in my hand, then we're really in trouble.
L. HOGAN: You'll never date.
H. HOGAN: The timing is not right. You know instinct-wise when something's right. She's got a lot of work to do with her music. And I don't want her focus to be diverted from what she really loves and really wants to do. So, I think the guys are going have to take the back seat just till she...
KING: By the way, Hulk Hogan will square off against Shawn Michaels in WWE's "SummerSlam." That's on Pay Per View, August 21. He's tough, Shawn Michaels?
H. HOGAN: Yes. It's kind of like the dream match that nobody thought I would have. I'll be 52-years-old by the time I climb in the ring with him. And I'm kind of like on bonus time. So it's kind of like a treat for the dedicated.
KING: Are you a villain or good guy?
H. HOGAN: I'm a good guy.
KING: Good guy. You've been a villain.
H. HOGAN: Well, I tried. They still cheered me when I was a bad guy.
KING: I remember that. You were on the show about five years ago. They were trying to make you bad guy. Hulk will also be wrestling on "Monday Night Raw" on August 8 on Spike TV.
H. HOGAN: There you go.
KING: You still like wrestling, huh?
H. HOGAN: I love it. It's in my blood. And I mean, it's just something I can't shake. It's...
KING: As we go to break, Hulkster takes on his son by searching his drawers. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
L. HOGAN: I do not think Nick is using rubbers. I really do not. I mean, I don't think he's needing to use anything is what I'm saying. I don't think he's sexually active. I'm a little bit like stumped right now for words. I don't quite know what to say.
Oh!
H. HOGAN: Mm-hmm.
L. HOGAN: You handle this. You handle it. Oh, my god ew! (END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: What a life. Hulk Hogan, Linda hogan, Brooke hogan, and Nick hogan, all part of "Hogan Knows Best" on VH-1. Before we take calls, Hulk, you found a prophylactic in his drawer.
H. HOGAN: Linda found it.
KING: How did you react, Linda? We saw a bit of your reaction.
H. HOGAN: Threw that right to her, didn't I?
L. HOGAN: Yes. No, I was shocked, because actually we just went up there, kind of looking for phone numbers. And it actually led to a little bit more than a phone number, you know. He had like several wallets, like one to match every outfit and as we started looking through --
KING: Do you think you invaded his privacy?
L. HOGAN: I really have never been a nosy mom. But we got a voice mail on one on his -- a text message on one of his phones that kind of concerned us, girl joking around about her being pregnant and we're like, hmm. This needs some research, so Brooke and I decided to go into his room and --
B. HOGAN: You forced me.
L. HOGAN: -- and flip through the drawers and the wallets and sure enough we found a condom. And then the next wallet had one that was open and it was like oh.
KING: What do you make of that, Nick?
N. HOGAN: Well, here's the deal. What happened was we're in New York at a Tom Pullman AIDS prevention benefit and they gave out gift bags with condoms and that night we opened one and stuck it on our toe and then the condom had gone on the door handle and the wrapper --
KING: On whose toe?
B. HOGAN: Mom's toe.
N. HOGAN: And the wrapper had made its way back into the gift bag and came back home with us.
KING: A logical explanation, Hulk.
H. HOGAN: And ended up in your wallet?
N. HOGAN: Yes.
H. HOGAN: I stand by my son on this one. I believe him.
L. HOGAN: Me too.
B. HOGAN: My reaction was like, ew, oh, my god
KING: Now you would not believe her, right?
H. HOGAN: If she had condoms?
KING: Right.
H. HOGAN: Yes. I'd have a hard time believing that.
B. HOGAN: I can't believe that
KING: See. So that's sexist.
H. HOGAN: No, it's just that, you know. You're right. You're right.
N. HOGAN: That's not fair. Nick can have an open condom in his wallet.
H. HOGAN: Are you trying to start a fight on this show?
KING: No I'm trying -- this is reality television. We're reality television. This is reality --
L. HOGAN: I better never find another one.
KING: Halifax, Nova Scotia, hello.
CALLER: Hi. I was just wondering what does it take to become a wrestler?
H. HOGAN: Wow. What does it take to become a wrestler?
KING: How did you become a wrestler?
H. HOGAN: Well I basically quit doing everything in my life except training. And you have to --
KING: Is this is before you met Linda?
H. HOGAN: Yes, it was. Many years before I met her. And I was a huge wrestling fan. And basically, sacrificed everything that I had in the bank and every other thing I had going, such as my education -- I had that behind me, and just dedicated myself to training. Back when I started 25, 26 year ago, maybe 30 years ago, it was a little more barbaric. You didn't get a pair of boots from Santa and go to wrestling school. They beat me up pretty bad. They broke my leg the first day. And now it's different. Now you can go to a wrestling school and find out if you really want to abuse yourself like this.
KING: When you met him, wasn't that a hindrance to the relationship, watching him and the work he does?
L. HOGAN: Well, it was just interesting for me, because I had gone to the movies with my mom and I saw Rocky 3 just because the line for E.T. was too long at the drive in. And I worked all the time, I really just didn't go to the movies very much. And so after seeing the movie and seeing his part as Thunderlips, I just assumed that he was an actor. Well the very next night in Los Angeles, I saw him walk into my local bar, and, you know, wrestling wasn't on the West Coast then, back in the '80s. It was, maybe you could tune in on channel 58 from Mexico or something. And I don't know if I would have tuned in. So I was very intrigued with the whole thing. And meeting him and body building was just a very new phenomenon and I kind of thought he was just fat.
KING: Didn't you worry about him getting hurt?
L. HOGAN: Yes. After I got -- well, one of the very first matches that I ever went to, he fell down behind the ring post and came up just completely gushing blood, and I stood up and I looked around at the audience and everybody was like yay, you know. And I'm thinking, is someone going to call the paramedics eventually or what?
KING: What's it like to see your father in the ring? You grew up with it.
B. HOGAN: Oh my goodness, but when I was little, I was terrified. We'd watch TV and I'd see my dad like my mom said, gushing blood, and I'd cry and I'd run out of the room and I'd throw a tantrum and I'd want him to come home. But my mom just sat me down one day and said Brooke, your dad's OK. He does this for a living. He's going to come back home fine. So --
KING: How do you feel, Nick, when you started watching him as a kid?
N. HOGAN: Well I don't know. Being the boy of the family --
KING: You liked it?
N. HOGAN: I loved it. I was always, you know, kill.
KING: How about when you went to his matches?
N. HOGAN: I loved watching him.
KING: That's Nick?
H. HOGAN: Yes. That's Nick.
B. HOGAN: Oh, Nicky.
N. HOGAN: I loved watching him. I mean --
KING: How about when he got hurt.
N. HOGAN: When he'd get hurt, I mean, he made it clear to me that he would be, like OK, and that it was, you know, something that he did as a living. So whenever he got hurt, I wouldn't be really that worried about it, you know, unless it was like something -- L. HOGAN: You were more cool about it than Brooke was. Brooke freaked out about it.
N. HOGAN: Like, I wouldn't freak out if he came up out of the ring bloody or something. All right. Go --
H. HOGAN: I think later in the years when I started having the knee replacements and the hip replacements and they started to worry that, why are you still doing this? You know, it's kind of like --
KING: Even though it's in entertainment, we know it's an entertainment, it's still physical. You can get hurt.
H. HOGAN: Yes. We have to separate the two, like you just did. We're entertainment because it's a preconceived ending. You know, it's not a sport, but --
KING: The bad guy will lose.
H. HOGAN: Or sometimes he'll win, but you know. But the one thing that is real is the physicalities and the injuries are real. There's nothing fake about that. And, you know, and even if I try to hit you and take care of you somehow or another, we get overzealous.
KING: So when I see a punch in the face, it's a punch in the face?
H. HOGAN: Yes. You get hit. It's just your timing, you move with it. You know, you try not to think it's set up. But it happens. I mean, every night I go in there, the perfect situation is to come out of the ring feeling just as good as you did when you went in. And that's never happened.
KING: What if you get real mad at the guy. In other words, you just really get -- forget how it's going to end.
H. HOGAN: You get the teeth marks on your thumbs. People try to bite your fingers off. You know, I mean, it has happened. And in my position, being like the top guy for so long, some guy that may not want to work 20 years to earn he's stripes will say, well, Hogan's coming after me, if I break his arm tonight, you know, I'll zip up the ladder. So my situation was a little different at times and different countries.
KING: You were the hero?
H. HOGAN: Yes. I had a bullseye on my back.
KING: We'll be right back with more and more of your phone calls. Don't go away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
N. HOGAN: Even though he is Hulk Hogan, the greatest wrestler of all time, I still think it's way cooler that I can call him my dad. L. HOGAN: He's this like crazy warrior out in the ring and then afterwards he's just this calm guy. It brought back old memories of old times.
H. HOGAN: No matter what happens with wrestling, my family comes first. Wrestling's in my blood, but my family's in my heart.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
H. HOGAN: It's awesome, who wrote that song?
B. HOGAN: Me. I wrote the lyrics and Rich helped me out.
H. HOGAN: How old is rich?
B. HOGAN: How old are you? Twenty-eight.
H. HOGAN: You know Brooke's 15, right? He knows that, right?
B. HOGAN: If he didn't have a girlfriend, I'd have a major crush on him.
H. HOGAN: I'll show you what a crush on Rich Cronin (ph) is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: We're back. Westchester, Pennsylvania, hello.
CALLER: Yes, hi, Larry. How are you?
KING: Hi. Fine.
CALLER: I just had two quick questions. I wanted to ask if Hulk would take off his bandana so that we could see his hair, and I wanted to ask Brooke if her album comes out soon, what kind of music is it going to be? Is it going to be pop or soul or...
KING: All right, we'll ask Brooke first. What kind of music?
B. HOGAN: Well, my music is very different from what you've been hearing. It's a mix between pop and rock and soul. Because I have a very low voice, and it's very soulful. But I love pop, and I love to dance, and the rock edge is just totally what's in right now.
KING: You write some of your own music?
B. HOGAN: Oh, I write all of it.
KING: All of it's your own?
B. HOGAN: Yes. I'm way into writing, as much as I can.
KING: Where do you record? Nashville?
B. HOGAN: L.A. And we're going to start recording in Vegas, and a little bit in Florida.
KING: Are you going to take the bandana off?
H. HOGAN: See, she needs to watch wrestling, because for tactical reasons, I'm friends with all these camera guys. If I take this bandana all the way off, I'll so bald-headed, they'll have a total wipeout here.
KING: Leave it on.
H. HOGAN: But no, she needs to watch my wrestling, because the bozo ring is going farther down. The older I get, the more hair I'm losing. So I wish I had my hair back.
N. HOGAN: Male pattern baldness.
H. HOGAN: Oh, yeah. OK, you're next. You're next.
KING: By the way, Hulk often is critical and judges Brooke's apparel. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
L. HOGAN: What's your shirt say?
B. HOGAN: "They're real." They look good in this t-shirt too, don't they?
L. HOGAN: Terry, look at her shirt.
H. HOGAN: What's real, the bra with the padding?
B. HOGAN: No, my boobs.
H. HOGAN: They are not!
B. HOGAN: Yes, they are. My boobs are real!
L. HOGAN: Brooke, I don't want you wearing that t-shirt in public, OK? You're too young and it's too suggestive, OK?
B. HOGAN: Suggestive to what?
L. HOGAN: The next thing that somebody would do is, like, oh, really, let me feel them and see if you're right.
B. HOGAN: No!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: You criticize what she wears?
H. HOGAN: Well, I'll tell you the truth, after watching the clip, I think you were wrong. I think it was Linda that was criticizing...
KING: Yeah, it was Linda.
H. HOGAN: Yeah, thank you.
KING: But would you have criticized it?
H. HOGAN: Yes. Because, by the way, why would you wear a shirt that says "they're real?" It's just inviting problems.
KING: Your name is Terry, right?
H. HOGAN: Yes.
KING: Because I heard her call you Terry. What do you make of him or her criticizing what you wear?
B. HOGAN: Sometimes I can see their point. I've actually learned, you know, from experience, because my mom will say that skirt is too short and you're showing too much of your arms and stuff, and I'll see myself in pictures and I'm like, oh, my goodness, I do look really bad.
KING: It is a problem, having good-looking children, isn't it?
L. HOGAN: It is. Well, Nick doesn't want us to go around topless or anything, or with too much leg showing. I don't really have to worry too much about him. It's just where he goes.
KING: Boys, you don't have to worry, yeah.
L. HOGAN: And with Brooke, you know, she wants to be like all the other teenagers, except that she's 5-foot-11, and it's just too much woman. And I just have to kind of like tone her down a little bit. She's just an eyeful.
B. HOGAN: Right.
KING: And do you feel beyond your years?
H. HOGAN: What's wrong with too much woman?
L. HOGAN: I'm married. I'm an old married lady now.
KING: Do you feel 17 or you feel older?
B. HOGAN: I feel older. I feel like this business has kind of made me grow up a little bit. But I still have like a kid in me too, and I like to wear, you know, Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister and all those, you know, little teeny-tiny denim mini skirts, but that mini skirt on a girl that's 5 feet tall is a lot longer, you know, covering -- covers more. But on me, my legs are so long, that it just looks like it's about that big.
KING: She's a worry. H. HOGAN: Yeah. And you know, she has a presence. It's like the weirdest thing happened when I wrestled Wrestlemania 19 in the C- tech Dome (ph), 70,000 people. I was sitting backstage with Vince McMahon and the lead singer from Limp Bizkit, Fred Durst, and all of a sudden we heard this, waah, this crazy roar. And I looked up at the monitor, the matches hadn't started. Brooke was walking through the crowd down to her seat in front of 70,000 people, and they were screaming and cat-calling. Oh, my God, I have a problem.
KING: Boy, do you.
We'll be back with more. By the way, "Hogan Knows Best" is a major new hit reality TV series on VH-1.
Are they going to continue it? I know you've completed the shoot. Are they going to do more?
H. HOGAN: Yes, yes, they are. They definitely are.
KING: It's been held over?
H. HOGAN: It's been held over.
KING: We'll be right back with more of your phone calls. Don't go away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
H. HOGAN: (INAUDIBLE) of making sure I don't miss a beat with Brooke's career.
The greatest accomplishment of all could be to vicariously live through the success of your children, which is much more important than anything I've ever done.
I know my Brooke. So as I pass the torch, I'm there for her, man. You know, my thoughts and my prayers are with her in the positive direction.
B. HOGAN: I love my dad so much. I don't know what I'd do without him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The crowd on their feet. Oh! What the -- what happened? Michaels just super kicked the hell out of Hogan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: That's Hulk's big rival, Shawn Michaels. They battle again in "SummerSlam" on Pay-per-View on August 21st. Did he beat you that night? H. HOGAN: Well, we were partners that night. And kind of like we were doing the ear thing and posing to the crowd, he just decided to do the little cheap shot there. So...
KING: You were partners in a tag-team...
H. HOGAN: In a tag match, yeah, and when the match was over...
KING: Why did he hit you?
H. HOGAN: I guess he wants that upper tier that he never quite achieved.
KING: Boy, this is a grudge match then.
H. HOGAN: This is it, man.
KING: This one has no -- the ending we don't know, right?
H. HOGAN: We don't know.
KING: We don't know the ending to this.
Chicago, hello.
CALLER: Hi, Hogans, how are you doing.
H. HOGAN: Great.
CALLER: We, me and my wife, we watch your show every week. It's awesome.
B. HOGAN: Thank you.
H. HOGAN: Thank you.
CALLER: Two quick questions. One, Hogan, Hulk, who would you choose for a referee in your matchup with Shawn Michaels? And two, what do you think of the possibility that Brock Lesnar is coming back to the WWE?
H. HOGAN: Well, first off, I'd love to see Brock Lesnar come back, because he definitely made the wrong decision in trying to play for the Minnesota Vikings. I think wrestling is his calling. That's all he did his whole life.
And as far as the referee goes, I don't know, I'm going to leave that to the WWE.
KING: Referees important in your game?
H. HOGAN: Yes.
KING: West Liberty, Kentucky. Hello.
CALLER: Yes. I have two questions for Hogan. One is, what do you think of the perception of the media as you being an older wrestler coming back to the WWE? And the time that you wrestled at Wrestle-mania against the Rock, what was your reaction when the crowd was going nuts for you when the Rock was the good guy in the match?
KING: Rock's a nice guy, by the way.
H. HOGAN: Yeah, he's awesome. He's my boy. The media perception has been great. Everybody's been very kind to me. The fans are really loyal. I had no idea it was going to be this big, me coming back to wrestling again.
And at Wrestle-mania 18, when I was postured as the bad guy in front of 70,000 people in the Toronto Skydome, Rock had the new movie coming out, he had "The Big Push." I had no idea the fans were going to cheer for me like that and boo for the Rock. It was quite a surprise.
KING: How old are you?
H. HOGAN: I'll be 52 August 11.
KING: That's old for wrestling.
H. HOGAN: Very old. It's very old.
KING: Battle Creek, Michigan, hello.
CALLER: Hello. My question for you, Hulk, is how do you think Owen Hart's death has affected wrestling? Because I don't watch anymore because of that.
KING: That was a sad night. We had you on after that.
H. HOGAN: Yeah. Yeah. I think that that was one of the biggest tragedies to ever happen at a live event.
KING: It was when he fell?
H. HOGAN: Right. I think that it's changed the wrestling's perception as far as entertainment, as far as, you know, rigging different buildings and going to these different venues and not being really familiar with the physicalities (ph). I think you won't see anymore people ascending or descending from the roof.
KING: What's the toughest part about being married to him?
L. HOGAN: Well, it used to be, you know traveling and just trying to figure out where home base was, because my family is from Los Angeles and we had a house in Tampa. And after we had kids, it was difficult because I wanted to be home with the kids, yet our house was in Florida. And just really kind of being plugged in. The wrestling business takes you -- you know, your just on the road.
KING: Toughest part of growing up, Brooke?
B. HOGAN: Oh, my goodness. Toughest part was probably my dad being gone. We just, you know, he was working so much. And a few years ago, he actually came home, you know, right after I think NWO. It really got kicking when he did NWO. He then he came back home. And it's been great having him home since.
KING: Were you tall early?
B. HOGAN: I was very tall. How tall was I in, like, eighth grade?
H. HOGAN: She was a bill old spoon.
L. HOGAN: She was ten and a half pounds when she was born. So, there you go.
KING: Was it tough, Nick, for you?
N. HOGAN: Him being gone, I was so young a lot of times I wouldn't even be able to comprehend what was going on until -- I mean, when I was about 4 or 5 is when he was doing the TV series, "Thunder in Paradise." And that had just slowed down. And then he'd kind of just come home for a while.
And then after that, he'd start going back out to wrestle. And I'd kind of go with him. So it was kind of easy for me.
KING: You like having family watch you?
H. HOGAN: I love having them there. That's what's so great about the show "Hogan Knows Best." Because it's usually me on the hot seat. And I don't want to, you know, put them on the hot seat. But it's fun being with them everywhere. I mean, to do the show right here and have my family, this is great. I mean, now I'm not worried about getting home or when I get back because I got them with me. So, this is awesome.
KING: Life deluxe. We'll be back with more of the Hogans. Don't go away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey!
H. HOGAN: Out of the way, worms!
SYLVESTER STALLONE, ACTOR: Come on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, gentlemen. Break it up. Break it up! Stop chocking. Stop chocking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STALLONE: OK with great pleasure, I bring out a man who seriously set the bar very, very high. And I'm sure that it keeps getting higher. Ladies and gentlemen, the one, the only, the incredible Hulk Hogan!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Hulk Hogan inducted into the wrestling hall of fame. Is Rocca in there?
H. HOGAN: Yes, he is.
KING: When I was a kid, he was who we watched from Argentina.
Montreal, hello.
CALLER: Hey, Hulk Hogan. I love you. I've always loved you. You have a great family. Larry King, I love you too, by the way.
KING: Thank you.
CALLER: And this is a message for the kids, also. I'm a peer so take care of your parents, they're great parents. Your father is very emotional. He makes me -- I just want to hug the guy.
KING: Do you have a question sir?
CALLER: I hope you make more movies. Will you be making more movies?
H. HOGAN: Yes. I'm probably going to do something very, very soon where I play Zeus. A young boy, Little Hercules, who is a well built kid. He sneaks out of heaven and jumps down and hooks up with Little Bow Wow down here on Earth. And then I'm going to have to come down and bring him back home. But, thank you very much. And I'll be in Montreal in a couple weeks. So, I'll see you at the Molson Center...
KING: And you want to be an actor, right? Would you do movies, Brooke?
B. HOGAN: Would I do movies? Yes. I've actually got a few scripts in my room.
KING: Were you ever interested in the career?
L. HOGAN: I was never really interested in being in the -- I had enough sharing it with him. Just being the wind beneath his wings.
KING: One more call, East Hampton -- I like that. That could be a tune. East Hampton, Massachusetts, hello.
CALLER: Hello. Hi. I'd like to thank the Hulk for being so kind to my son, Mikey, who lost his battle with cancer in 2002. I was wondering if he did other charity work and worked with sick children? Because he was the bright spot in my little son's life.
H. HOGAN: Oh, wow. Thank you very much. And yes, I do a lot of stuff with Make-a-Wish. And I stay pretty busy with those special kids. And also with the Starlight and Dalmation Foundation. So I'm in there full-time for the long haul.
KING: Kids who are -- who want as a last wish...
H. HOGAN: Yes. Yes. And it's just unbelievable that they want to see Hulk Hogan instead of going to Disney World or something. And I'm always available, 24 hours a day.
KING: Best of luck to all of you. It's been great seeing you again, Hulk.
H. HOGAN: Hey. And what are you going to do when Hogan knows best runs wild on you.
KING: You're back. No more five years in between. Great meeting all of you. Good luck on your career. Good luck on you -- like the hair cut. You're beautiful. Hulk Hogan, Linda Hogan, Brooke Hogan and Nick Hogan, their all part of "Hogan Knows Best" on VH1.
Tomorrow night, Art Linkletter, one of the true legends in our business, he's 94 now and as alert as ever. Art Linkletter tomorrow night.
Speaking of legends, Aaron Brown is off tonight, so we have a true legend in the world of broadcasting. She has cut her own swathe, look at that, look at that, look at that face. Look at that...
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: I was afraid you were going to say I was 94-years-old.
KING: No. She's -- her name is Paula, but I like saying Paula. It should be pronounced that. Paula Zahn hosts "NEWSNIGHT" tonight. Take it away, dear.
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