{alltv} 'Finding Hulk' lacks balance

We never really got the appeal of Hulk Hogan.

To be fair, we definitely are not fans of professional (i.e., fake) wrestling, so maybe that serves as an automatic inoculation against Hulkamania.

But during the years in which Hulk was unavoidable, he didn't exactly strike us as a master of his craft.

From limited snippets of his bouts, It seemed as if they all followed the same script:

Hulk would be getting pounded, but then something would click in his brain, and he'd start shaking and go all googly eyed as the crowd went wild. Then he'd summon some hidden strength and predictably storm back to victory.

Notably, the documentary special Finding Hulk Hogan, which debuts Wednesday, Nov. 17 on A&E, does not present Hulk as one of life's winners.

Rather, the somewhat dour doc focuses mainly on the past few years of Hulk's life, during which he claims to have contemplated suicide.

"I stumbled into something that made history," Hulk says in the documentary, referring to his wrestling career. "I put more emphasis on working the crowd than the actual wrestling, so that's how all this happened."

But in reference to his current situation, Hulk laments, "I'm not a millionaire now, that's for sure."

There is a powerful urge to say sarcastically, "Oh, poor baby."

Hulk hardly is the first person is make a fortune and squander it.

He hardly is the first person to have a longtime marriage end sourly, leaving him allegedly broke and bewildered.

He hardly is the first person to end up apologizing to his kids for years of dysfunction.

He hardly is the first person to have a physical job that wreaked havoc on his body. But most of the people who go through that stuff don't get to be one of the biggest stars in the world for a decade, ya know?

Finding Hulk Hogan endeavours to be a story of redemption, with Hulk putting his life back together and staying positive. There definitely are emotional scenes as Hulk describes his mental and physical torment.

At 57, he looks and acts way older than his age.

At times, though, this goes a bit far in portraying Hulk as a victim, given that there always are two sides to every story, especially when it comes to divorce.

Certainly we aren't siding blindly with Hulk's zany ex-wife Linda, who soon after leaving Hulk started dating a high school student three decades younger than she was.

But just for balance's sake, Finding Hulk Hogan should have acknowledged that Linda claimed she left Hulk because he had been unfaithful, if only to set up Hulk's refuting of those allegations if he wanted to do so.

One final thought regarding Hulk.

In Finding Hulk Hogan, he says he takes issue when people dismiss pro wrestling as fake, because the brutal pain in his back says otherwise.

Hulk, you are smart enough to know this, but just to be clear: Everyone realizes the physical toll of wrestling is real. It's like being a stunt man. What's fake is the competition.

Trust us, we've tried to go all googly eyed and get stronger. Doesn't work.