Mr. America was the masked persona of Hulk Hogan in WWE. The alter-ego was around for a brief period in late spring until mid summer of 2003.
It was a very brief but memorable detour for the Hulkster mainly because it was a gimmick that Hogan could’ve easily used at any point in his career and it seemed like something that would’ve gotten over in WWE.
As hokey and generic as it was, this was the perfect American heavyweight babyface gimmick. It wasn’t complicated, it dropped at the right time during the War on Terror, and roughly any muscle-bound heavyweight could run the gimmick.
The Brief WWE Run
Let’s be honest, Mr. America was basically the tail end of Hulk Hogan’s time in WWE. After the Hulkster lumped up Vince McMahon at WrestleMania XIX, he was forced to sit out his WWE contract.
To work around this, he took on the mask of Mr. America and was hired by SmackDown GM Stephanie McMahon. Mind you, she basically added him to the brand’s roster without getting a good look at him.
If she had, she might have thought twice about scooping him up. This is something that just wouldn’t fly as a GM today. Adam Pearce couldn’t sign Captain Bulgaria only for Rusev in a mask to show up. This is 2022 and Mr. America would need several references to vouch for him.
What worked with Mr. America was that we were all aware that it was Hulk Hogan, he sounded like the man and did everything else that Hogan did.
This was like being in witness protection but going to the old neighborhood and hanging out with the mob while wearing the old nose and glasses disguise.
Hogan and oddly enough Mr. America we’re booted from WWE after disagreements with creative and about his payment for returning.
Salvaging Mr. America
This is easy because WWE should’ve kept the gimmick. The company definitely has the name trademarked but ehh, it never found someone to the mask on. The easiest option for the gimmick as is would be to use it when they need their Midnight Rider angle.
The option I’d prefer is for Mr. America to become a regular gimmick in the promotion. I felt that this gimmick is a good replacement for The Patriot, a wrestler that WWE should’ve just kept around.
Sure, Hulk Hogan was no Patriot in the ring but he was really working the red, white, and blue gear.
In short, guys like Chris Masters, Kanyon, and so on could add a little extra to the gimmick in their own way. Mr. America would be perfect for spanking opponents while powerhouses would present a more power-based in their offense.
Different Mr. Americas keep the gimmick fresh over the years.
What do you think of Mr. America? Was it best left alone or can you also see a long-term or reoccurring use for the gimmick? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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