Metal Injection

If you don't follow pro wrestling, you still know the name Hulk Hogan. The dude is arguably the most famous wrestler ever (although lately, The Rock can really take claim to that title). If you do happen to follow the inner workings of pro wrestling, you know that Hulk Hogan is the biggest liar in the history of the profession, constantly exaggerating his feats (here's a nice article on the matter).

For the longest time, Hogan went around telling everybody that he was almost Cliff Burton's replacement in Metallica. Hogan was a bassist and said he auditioned but it didn't work out. He must've told this same story for 10 years… until Lars Ulrich denied even ever being in the same room with Hogan on the Stern show. In this case, we believe Lars.

The problem? Hogan still won't shutup about this.

In a new interview with Kerrang magazine (via Blabbermouth), Hogan backpedals and clarifies the rumor, to somehow try to save face (my comments in bold):

"That rumor has been turned and twisted and thrown in so many different directions [ MOSTLY BY YOU, HOGAN!] — that I auditioned and that I lied and that I never auditioned and they weren't interested. The truth [you mean the lie] is I played music for many years before I ever got into wrestling, and when I heard Metallica was looking for a bass player, I would have quit wrestling like that [snaps fingers] to get into Metallica… [Keep in mind this was in 1986, the year of WrestleMania III, which was the largest attended show in the history of wrestling, and also the biggest money Hogan ever made. He was a much bigger name than the band at the time, and let's be honest, Hulk is all about the money!]

When I heard they were looking for a bass player, I got my tapes together from the old band, got a couple of tapes together that Simon Cowell [Wait, American Idol Simon Cowell!?] produced with me — Green Jelly, and I did an old Gary Glitter song [THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED, VIDEO BELOW!!], 'Leader Of The Gang', with Simon, back in the day, before he got his break with all the wrestling music and became a huge monster. But I got all that stuff together to send it to Metallica and never heard a word.So they never responded to me.  [I wonder why?! Oh, I know why... BECAUSE THIS NEVER HAPPENED] They either thought I was a joke or they thought it was a joke, and it wasn't me, or I was no good, but I never heard back from them … I tried — but I never did audition for Metallica. I wish I would have. But the bass player they got was so good. My God!"

Yea right, buddy. At least his Green Jelly story checks out. Check out this cover: