I’ll also give credit where it is due:
Hogan wasn’t the worst worker. From a technical standpoint, he had some decent matches very early on in Japan. His later work is often criticized, but consider the timeframe - he gave the fans what they wanted in terms of physique and “cheese.” He also carried a very green Tiny Lister, who had almost ZERO wrestling skills/experience, through a solid PPV program.
Unfortunately, I can’t say as much about Hellwig. He, too, was good at giving the fans what they wanted. I just don’t think he had as much to give. Maybe he’d have gone a bit further had he arrived on the big stage about five years sooner, when the audience was fresher and more primed for that type of gimmick. Not to mention that Hogan is a tough act to follow. Even then, I don’t think Jim would have reached the same heights as Hulkster. Hogan was just an all around better performer and businessman.
One more observation I have about Hellwig concerns his I-C run being better than his stint with the big belt. I agree wholeheartedly. But, I think the reason for that is that, by the time he got the big belt, we’d seen his best stuff, and his act was already becoming tired and transparent.
I’m still a fan of that period in WWF history, and I’ll always be a fan of the Ultimate Warrior character during that run. However, there’s plenty of other stuff that makes me mark out more than that. Regardless, he deserves a big spot in the history books.