PhillyInc

It used to be women like Julia Child and Better Crocker. Now that men are doing more kitchen work, it just makes sense to use manly men to sell kitchen appliances. And today the question becomes: Would you buy from Hulk Hogan or George Foreman? Call it the fight of the century - in hawking kitchen ware. Pro-wrestler and reality-TV star Hogan is going up against the inimitable boxing legend Foreman, courtesy of QVC Inc. (Liberty Media Corp., NYSE: LINTA). QVC in West Chester has announced it will launch the “Hulk Hogan Ultimate Grill” tonight Thursday night. Will he give Foreman's popular line of grills a run for their money? Will one of them be accused of faking their burger flips?

What we'd like to learn - but probably never will - is how Hogan's celebrity endorsement deal compares to Foreman's, and how QVC got him on board? The affable Foreman, of course, has been doing product endorsements for a long time, with the grill only being the most recent success out of many attempts. (Listen to his interview wiith Motley Fool on an NPR last year, where he relates the history of his grill business.) In contrast QVC appears to be in the driver's seat with Hogan, and its director of home merchandising, Ken O'Brien, clearly sees value in Hogan as an on-air personality to boost the QVC brand: "Hulk's appearance on QVC will allow our viewers to see the other side of the wrestling legend while introducing them to a great new product. It's a win-win situation for everyone."

- Thomas Ginsberg