In Alabama, Bollea and Leslie wrestled as Terry and Ed Boulder also known as The Boulder Brothers. Since the two men looked similar enough, and since only family, friends, and promoters knew their real names, it started a rumor that they were actually brothers.
The two started making waves in the wrestling world, moving into bigger territories such as the Continental Wrestling Association in Memphis, which offered a much higher rate of pay and a much larger audience than in Alabama. Thanks to his relocation to Memphis, he met the man who would give him his most famous name.
A Brief Hiatus to get Into Business
After a little while, Bollea decided he didn't want to work with Matsuda anymore since he found his trainer to be overbearing. Bollea also left CWF, becoming a free agent. He declined an offer to wrestle for the Kansas City circuit and instead became a manager of The Anchor club, a private club in Cocoa Beach, Florida.
A man named Whitey Bridges owned the club and the two quickly became close friends. They even ended up opening a gym together which became known as Whitey and Terry's Olympic Gym. While working there, Bollea spent plenty of time building up his bulk.
Back Into the Ring
During this time, Bollea's friend Ed Leslie (who would later be known as Brutus Beefcake) came to help Bollea manage the two properties. The two men spent a lot of time working out, and eventually, Bollea asked Leslie to wrestle with him as tag team partners.
Bollea had become depressed and wanted to get back into wrestling, so in 1978 he called Superstar Billy Graham with hopes that there were wrestling jobs outside of Florida. There were, and both Bollea and Leslie soon joined Tillet's Alabama territory, with Bollea promising to teach Leslie everything he knew about the sport.
The Big Name Change
While he was wrestling in Memphis, he appeared on a local talk show sitting next to none other than Lou Ferrigno, star of the television series “The Incredible Hulk.” The host commented that Bollea, at 6 ft 7 in and almost three hundred pounds (and with twenty-four-inch biceps) was actually bigger than the man who played the Hulk.
A woman named Mary Jarrett, who was watching the show backstage, also pointed this fact out and Bollea knew he had a great idea on his hands. He began performing as Terry “The Hulk” Boulder as well as Sterling Golden occasionally.
His First Championship
On December first, 1979, Bollea won his first professional wrestling championship, the NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (Northern Division) when he defeated Bob Roop in Knoxville, Tennessee. Sure, that might not mean a whole lot in the grand scheme but it was just Bollea's first step.
He would end up losing this championship to Bob Armstrong in January of 1980. Well, there's always someone better, right? Of course, this is incredibly common when it comes to wrestling since it's less a real sport and more a performance for the benefit of fans. Championships are going to change hands – it's just more exciting.