Are Hulk Hogan And Brutus Beefcake Actually Related?

In the 1980s, wrestling star Hulk Hogan (real name Terry Bollea) exploded in popularity, going from a promising recruit to the face of the entire industry in just a few years. Along for much of the ride was Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake (AKA Ed Leslie), though the relationship between the two men hasn't always been entirely clear.

Both performers got their start in the industry together and were billed as brothers. This led to confusion among some fans, especially in the days before the internet, with many believing that the two were related by blood. However, although they met as children, Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake were not actually brothers, but merely friends.

Growing up around Tampa, Florida, Bollea and Leslie met at an early age and ran in the same social group. In the late 1970s, when Bollea made the decision to become a pro wrestler, he convinced Leslie to join him. Although Hogan would go off on his own to train, the two spent several years working as a tag team. As Hogan continued his ascent through the industry, he opened doors for Leslie along the way. Eventually, both men found themselves in Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation, and it was there that Leslie adopted the Beefcake name and later developed the barber aspect of his character.

By the late 1980s, Hogan was a fully-fledged mainstream star, while Beefcake had earned a comfortable position as a babyface on the WWF roster. Their early tag team days were long behind them, but the partners reunited for a run in McMahon's promotion. In 1989, Hogan and Beefcake teamed up for a feud against "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Hollywood actor Tommy "Tiny" Lister, who was portraying the character Zeus from Hogan's movie "No Holds Barred." Their run together lasted until the end of the year, with Hogan and Beefcake defeating their foes during a joint PPV event to promote the film.

The two would go on to team together a handful of times after that, even after Leslie suffered a severe facial injury during a parasailing accident in 1990. When he returned to the ring in 1993, Beefcake's presence convinced Hogan to return to the WWF for a run as a team together, though they did not capture gold and Hogan returned to the singles division before eventually leaving for WCW. He and Beefcake would once again cross paths there, both as allies and as enemies.

Hogan wouldn't wrestle his last official match until 2012, while Beefcake continued to take in-ring independent bookings until 2015. Their relationship would have its ups and downs over the years, and the two are reportedly no longer on speaking terms.