Fans of Hulk Hogan gathered at Hy-Vee and Old Chicago on Thursday to meet the wrestler and get an autographed case of his new beer.
Hogan, widely renowned as one of the most recognizable professional wrestlers in the world, visited Nebraska to promote his Real American Beer, which he co-founded. The beer debuted in September and the beer cans feature a shirtless Hogan gripping an American flag.
Bob Mounce was among the first in the long line that stretched around the corner at Hy-Vee on O Street. He arrived at about noon with his son for the 3 p.m. event.
“Gotta meet him. He's a legend,†Mounce said.
Mounce said the two-time World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Hall of Famer was his entire childhood, as he recalled watching Hogan with his dad. Although Hogan retired in 2012, Mounce passed down his love for wrestling to his son, Jacob, who waited in line with his dad, wearing a WWE championship belt.
Hogan started wrestling in 1977 and gained global recognition. He headlined eight of the first nine Wrestlemanias, the sport's flagship event. He was inducted into the Class of 2005 and 2020 WWE Hall of Fame.
Hogan also had an extensive acting career during and after his wrestling career, starting in 1982 with “Rocky III.â€
Hogan held three events in Omaha on Wednesday and Thursday before coming to Lincoln.
Hogan told the Omaha World-Herald on Wednesday that the beer started out as just an idea when he had a chance meeting with a beer executive.
"He asked me if I had ever entertained the idea of any sort of alcohol promotion," the wrestler said. "It didn't fit me at the time but since I'm not wrestling anymore, I had an idea for a beer for all of America."