Hulk Hogan's SLAM Sports Bar To Bring Wrestling History To The Heart Of New York City

Rich Rosen, the owner of SLAM Sports Bar, spoke exclusively with The Blast about his unlikely friendship and business partnership with wrestling legend Hulk Hogan.

Rosen never imagined that a childhood hero would one day help him launch a flagship sports bar steps from Madison Square Garden.

The concept for SLAM began as a rebranding project for a former strip club near the iconic arena.

"I'd been in branding for 25 years, working with national franchises, but this location needed a face," Rosen recalled. Initially considering local sports legends like Mark Messier and Patrick Ewing, his mind kept going back to the man who defined his early wrestling memories. Hulk Hogan.

Rosen's first meeting with Hogan wasn't arranged through agents or managers; it happened in person.

He waited six hours at a fan autograph signing, bringing an 8x10 glossy photo of Madison Square Garden with his store in the frame.

The bar owner shared: "I dropped it in front of him and said, 'Does that arena look familiar?' He said, 'It sure does, brother.' Then I told him, 'That's your house. That's where Hulkamania started.'"

Within moments, Hogan leaned in and said, "What's the deal?"

Initially, the bar was set to open as "Scores Sports Bar," but Hogan changed everything during a site visit.

"He called me the next morning and said, 'If you put my name on this, this will be the biggest tourist attraction in New York,'" Rosen recalled.

While Hogan never asked Rosen to change the name, the bar owner wanted a title worthy of the wrestling icon.

"Scores is its own animal. I didn't want it interfering with his legend," Rosen said. Within days, "SLAM" was born, officially billed as Hulk Hogan Presents SLAM Sports Bar.

When Hogan visited the location with his Netflix crew, his son Nick, and wrestling legend Eric Bischoff, the street outside turned into chaos.

"Hot dog vendors ran over, people were yelling out of cabs," Rosen said, adding, "Hulk Hogan was walking in front of Madison Square Garden decades after WrestleMania. It was unbelievable."

For Hogan, SLAM wasn't just another business. It was a dream.

"This was his last business venture that hasn't been completed," Rosen told The Blast. Plans were in motion to make SLAM more than a bar, a full Hulk Hogan Experience.

The interior design was entrusted to top firm ICRAVE, with Hogan envisioning memorabilia displays, life-size statues, and a global expansion.

Rosen noted: "He said his brand was etched in stone worldwide, and I think that's obvious from the reaction to his passing."

The partnership became deeply personal. Rosen spoke with Hogan shortly before his death.

"The last thing he said to me was, 'I'm back, brother. Give me some time. We're making the big time back.' He sounded good. He believed it," the sports bar owner said.

Now, the project has become a tribute. Fans from all over the world are reaching out to attend the grand opening.

Hogan's son, Nick, quickly made it clear he wanted to help carry out his father's vision.

"Nick knows better than anyone what Hulk wanted displayed there," Rosen told The Blast. The collection will include some of Hogan's most famous ring gear, rare memorabilia, and massive 6'7" statues made overseas.

"The Hard Rock Cafe and Planet Hollywood, this will be on that level and more," Rosen promised.

Opening night is expected to feature only Hulk Hogan videos and matches, before becoming a full sports bar with big games, themed menu items, and cocktails inspired by the legend.

The menu itself will be developed by a Michelin-starred New York chef.

"We'll have special names for some of the dishes and drinks, things Hulk wanted," Rosen revealed.

For Rosen, SLAM will forever be tied to Hogan's love for Madison Square Garden and New York.

"He told me if there was any place he could live in the world, it would be New York City. He loved it his whole life," Rosen claimed.

Hogan's connection to the arena was deep; he called it "the house that he rebuilt" and saw SLAM as its natural extension.

The flagship location will feature Hogan's "footprints" from his walk-through before his passing. "

"Even if we open 10 of these, this one will always be special. It's the true Hulk Hogan last stop in his incredible life and legacy," Rosen said.

The countdown to SLAM's grand opening, which will occur sometime this fall, begins now.