Mr. McMahon: The Richard Belzer and Hulk Hogan Controversey Explained

The Netflix docuseries Mr. McMahon is full of frightening incidents from the life of Vince McMahon, the inventor of World Wrestling Entertainment, as well as the history of the WWE itself, but one of the most memorable included actor Richard Belzer and wrestler Hulk Hogan.

The six-part documentary featured former WWE wrestlers and business associates sharing their thoughts on various events in the company’s history. Hulk Hogan detailed an incident in front of a live audience in 1985 when he was at the height of his career.

The Mr. McMahon documentary examined the long history of lawsuits against McMahon and others involved with the WWE. While many contained charges of abuse, one of the lawsuits featured in the docuseries was significantly less terrible.

It happened early in WWE’s history and ended up setting some legal precedence in the aftermath of the litigation.

1. Who was Richard Belzer?

Mr. McMahon’s complaint included an encounter between Hulk Hogan and TV actor Richard Belzer. Belzer was one of the most famous on network television, having played Detective John Munch on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for 17 years and the same position on Homicide: Life on the Street for six years prior.

The role is so popular that he continued to play John Munch in minor appearances on other TV shows throughout the 2000s and 2010s.

Before his passing at 78 in 2023, Belzer also had a lengthy movie career. While he was never the prototypical leading man, Belzer was a distinguished character actor who appeared in high-profile movies, including Scarface, Fletch Lives, and Fame.

Belzer also had non-traditional roles throughout his career, and one of those roles is how his lawsuit against Hulk Hogan came to be.

2. What Happened Between Richard Belzer & Hulk Hogan? Why Did He Sue the WWE star?

Belzer hosted a show called Hot Properties in 1985, which featured interviews with some of the most well-known figures in sports and film, such as BB King, Leonard Cohen, and Little Richard.

Two of his visitors were Hulk Hogan and Mr. T, whom Belzer was interviewing ahead of their match at Wrestlemania I. During the interview, Belzer asked Hogan to apply a wrestling hold on him, intended as a fun display of wrestling for the audience. Unfortunately, the hold caused Belzer to pass out and hit his head on the ground, drawing blood.

Despite Hogan’s apology for the incident and urging the audience not to emulate whatever they see wrestlers do on TV, Belzer launched a $5 million lawsuit against Hogan for bodily harm.

The lawsuit was supposed to be considered by the New York State Supreme Court, but that never happened. Hogan and Belzer reached an out-of-court settlement, and the amount was not disclosed throughout the case.

It was not ultimately consequential, but it was another extremely public unpleasant episode for the (then-named) WWF at the time.

3. How Much Money Belzer Won From The Lawsuit? What was the Aftermath of the Case?

While Belzer first sued for an amazing $5 million, it was later revealed that he and Hogan reached an out-of-court settlement of approximately $400,000. Belzer famously used the money to buy a property for himself and his wife on the French Riviera, which he called “Chez Hogan” after the lawsuit.

While it was far from the original amount requested by Belzer in the case, $400,000 was nevertheless a substantial payoff for his suffering in 1985.

According to the New York Times, the action also resulted in a change in legal precedence. Following the settlement, Belzer’s lawyers claimed they deserved 50% of the payment rather than the typical 33%.

Belzer first signed a letter supporting their request but then claimed that he did so under duress, fearing that he would lose his chances of winning if he didn’t.

A judge would then determine that the time the lawyers spent on the case, which served as the foundation for their claim, was part of the risk they took. That case would set a legal precedent for lawyers’ contingent fees.

About Mr. McMahon

Mr. McMahon is a documentary television miniseries that explores the influential yet controversial career of Vince McMahon. It is directed by Chris Smith, renowned for his work on Tiger King, with executive producer Bill Simmons and Zara Duffy, recognized for her contributions to Mission Blue. The documentary series featured numerous prominent figures from the world of professional wrestling, including Hulk Hogan, Triple H, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Paul Heyman, Bret Hart, Eric Bischoff, Shane McMahon, and Stephanie McMahon. It also included media personalities such as Kay Koplovitz, alongside other key individuals, providing a wide range of perspectives on McMahon’s career and legacy. This is the first six-part documentary series on Vince McMahon.

All six episodes of the series were released on September 25, 2024 on Netflix.