The opening chords of Rick Derringer’s hard-rock guitar would play over the arena sound system. Instantly, 20,000 Hulkamaniacs — and many more as wrestling’s popularity and stadium size exploded — rose to their feet in a frenzy to catch a glimpse of Hulk Hogan storming toward the ring.

His T-shirt half-ripped, his bandanna gripped in his teeth, Hogan faced ‘em all in the 1980s — the bad guys from Russia and Iran and any other wrestler from a country that seemed to pose a threat to both his WWF championship and, of course, could bring harm to the red, white and blue.

His 24-inch pythons slicked in oil, glistening under the house lights, Hogan would point to his next foe — say “Rowdy” Roddy Piper or Jake “The Snake” Roberts (rule of thumb: In the 80s, the more quote marks in a name, the me

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