Hollywood Hogan was conspicuous by his absence at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. for the Feb. 1 Nitro. The story is that he didn’t want to appear because he felt once fans saw him they would taunt him with chants of “Jesse, Jesse.” Hogan for a while stayed away from Minneapolis events apparently because of the extortion lawsuit he filed against a woman who claimed he sexually harassed her. Rather than open himself to mainstream publicity, the belief was he stayed out of town. Now he had a new reason to stay out of Minneapolis. Hogan is said to be enormously jealous of the mainstream status Ventura has achieved – i.e. becoming the most famous wrestler of all-time, surpassing Hogan. Hogan didn’t want Minnesotans chanting the governor’s name at him. (For years on AWA interviews Ventura often bragged about “partying with Mick and Keith.” This Monday, Feb. 15, he actually did party with the Rolling Stones, appearing on stage with them at their Target Center concert. In one press report, Ventura congratulated Keith Richards for “still being alive.”)
