Source: saint Petersburg Times
By KRIS HUNDLEY, Times Staff Writer
Published July 17, 2006
Hulk Hogan is taking on George Foreman. But the battle will be for space on America’s kitchen counters.
Hogan, the wrestler whose real name is Terry Bollea, recently put his name on an appliance that claims to be a grill, skillet, waffle iron, panini press and pizza baker rolled into one.
Touted in infomercials and e-mail ads, Hulk Hogan’s Ultimate Grill sells for “three easy payments of $49.99,” plus $29.95 shipping and handling.
But Hogan, who recently put his Belleair mansion on the market and moved to Miami Beach, is definitely the underdog in the match. Foreman has sold more than 55-million of his popular grills since their introduction in 1995, earning more money from appliances than he did in his professional boxing career.
Foreman’s lead over Hogan in the kitchen was a simple twist of fate. As the Hulk revealed on a recent episode of his reality TV show, Hogan Knows Best, more than a decade ago he was picking up his kids from school when his agent left a message that he had two products up for grabs.
George Foreman called back first and got the grill. By the time the Hulk returned the call, he was left to shill a power mixer. Called the “Thunder Mixer,” it never quite took off.
With the Ultimate Grill, Hulk hopes to climb back in the ring. Cha-ching.
– KRIS HUNDLEY, Times staff writer
