Hulk Hogan Alleges He Was Offered a Chance to Become Metallica’s Bass Player

In a twist that has perplexed enthusiasts of both wrestling and rock music, the legendary wrestler Hulk Hogan has claimed he was invited to join the ranks of Metallica.

Back in his early days in Tampa Bay, Florida, Hogan, then in his twenties, wasn’t just immersed in wrestling and bodybuilding. He also nurtured a keen interest in music, particularly the bass guitar, and was an active member of several local bands. One of these bands, RUCKUS, even managed to make a name for itself within the local music scene.

After RUCKUS disbanded, Hogan’s rock ambitions lay dormant until a surprising claim surfaced in a 2009 interview with The Chicago Tribune. The wrestling icon mentioned that he had reached out to Metallica, aiming to fill the bassist spot left vacant by Jason Newsted in 2001.

Hogan shared during the promotion of his 2009 memoir, My Life Outside the Ring, “I tried to get in touch with Metallica to join them as their bassist, but never got a callback. I would’ve dropped wrestling in a heartbeat to play bass for Metallica.”

This statement initially flew under the radar, but Hogan stirred the pot again in 2013 with a different story, suggesting an almost-collaboration with Metallica in the 1980s, allegedly at drummer Lars Ulrich’s behest.

Hogan recounted, “Before my wrestling days, I was a session musician and played the bass guitar. Lars Ulrich, a good friend, once offered me a chance to play bass for Metallica in their early days, but it never panned out.”

The intrigue escalated, prompting Lars Ulrich to address the claim on The Howard Stern Show. Ulrich expressed confusion, stating, “I remember almost everything, but this one had me baffled. Unless Hogan had used a different name, I don’t recall any involvement with him.”

Later, in a 2014 interview with Vice, Hogan seemed to revert to his original story, claiming persistent attempts to join Metallica: “I heard Metallica needed a bassist, so I sent them tapes and letters, trying to get in touch for weeks, but never heard back.”

Despite the conflicting accounts, the idea of Hulk Hogan as Metallica’s bassist remains a fascinating “what-if” scenario in the annals of rock history, though it appears to have been more of a fleeting thought than a serious possibility.