Brutus Beefcake & Hulk Hogan’s Relationship, Explained
Quick links
- Hogan and Leslie were Storyline brothers
- The two are now friends… sort of…
Hulk Hogan was the biggest star of the 1980s and the man was responsible for igniting the rock n’ wrestling era that propelled the company to new heights. Hulk Hogan carried the company through its early boom and it was thanks to him that WWE and sports entertainment in general became a part of sports culture. For all his triumphs, Hogan wasn’t exactly everyone’s favorite sidekick backstage.
Jesse Ventura didn’t like him. Roddy Piper didn’t like him. Randy Savage hated him and the Ultimate Warrior was a whole different thing. Even Vince McMahon didn’t particularly like him. He had to put up with Hogan because he was a big star, but on a personal level, McMahon and Hogan weren’t exactly friends.
Hogan and Leslie were Storyline brothers
Ed Leslie, better known as Brutus Beefcake, was a notable exception. Leslie had known Hogan long before his WWE debut. The two became friends in the 1970s, and back then Leslie was known as Dizzy Hogan, the Hulkster’s storyline brother.
The kayfabe brothers traveled from one area to another in the 1970s. Then, in 1982, Vince McMahon selected Hogan to be the company’s franchise player and he made the jump to promotion. Two years later in 1984, Leslie returned to WWE as Brutus Beefcake. With his best friend as his stand-in, Leslie was pushed like a big heel right from the start.
Hogan continued on his main event run, but his friend Leslie struggled to match Hogan’s level of success. An unfortunate parasailing accident shattered his facial bones and Leslie was on the sidelines for two years. He returned around 1991, but it was clear the company had no long-term goals for him. By this time, Hogan’s relationship with Vince McMahon had deteriorated and he wanted out. Of course, his best friend followed in his footsteps.
Hogan landed at WCW and used his influence to convince Eric Bischoff to sign his best friend as well. Leslie was released after two years, but Hogan relaxed his corporate control clause and brought him back. This time he was introduced as the student and eventually kidnapped by Ultimate Warrior in one of the most bizarre storylines in WCW history, and that’s saying something. Yes, that was literally the pinnacle of Leslie’s WCW career.
Leslie and Hogan remained friends even after WCW collapsed, but eventually a rift grew between them and the friendship deteriorated. Leslie and Bollea then began exchanging shots on Twitter, and fans had no idea what went wrong. Hogan threatened his former boyfriend with a lawsuit and Leslie accused Hogan of having an affair with his ex-wife.
Leslie explained the situation during a guest appearance on a podcast. He was vaguely referring to an incident involving Hogan and Leslie’s new partner, Missy. According to him, Hogan pitched the idea of ”getting together” with Missy, but she shot down the idea and that infuriated Hogan. Brutus Beefcake also mentioned that since his divorce with Linda, Bollea had changed, and for the worst.
This personal animosity extended to Leslie’s daughter and the whole situation was online on Twitter. The back-and-forth continued in a series of tweets, with Leslie again citing Hogan’s upset that his ex-wife turned down his advances.
The two are now friends… sort of…
Meanwhile, Hogan continued to threaten a defamation lawsuit and Leslie threatened to expose the truth in his autobiography. It was all gone after that and the two former friends stopped fighting on Twitter.
A year later, in 2018, Hogan posted a photo of the two together enjoying a few drinks at a bar.
In the caption, Hogan expressed his delight at being able to meet his old friend and said everything was fine. Leslie uploaded the same photo and the hatchet was officially buried. The two were friends again and Leslie later said they made up during a phone call.
He mentioned that Hogan told him life was short and then the two got back together and discussed things. In the same interview, he mentioned that despite the fix, their relationship wasn’t exactly the same and he hadn’t spoken to Hogan in over six months.
Separately, Leslie was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2019 by Hogan himself, so at least they’re amicable.