The world of sports entertainment and professional wrestling was rocked recently after the passing of Hulk Hogan on July 24, 2025.
There is no doubt that Terry Bollea's influence on the industry is undeniable, and without "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan and his popularity in the 1980s, the World Wrestling Federation at the time would not have become as much of a monster hit and professional wrestling as a whole would be in a different state right now, if it would even still be around.
However, the legacy of Hulkamania has been progressively tarnished over the years due to an onslaught of poor actions that left Bollea and the Hogan name giving many people a sour taste in their mouths. Even ignoring all of the politics within pro wrestling that fans aren't privy to, and Hogan's multitude of questionable (and many times indefensible) decisions related to those, the real damage was done when a sex tape leaked in July 2015 wherein Hogan used the N-word multiple times while disparaging his daughter Brooke's relationship with a Black man.
Apparently, Vince McMahon doesn't see that as proof that Hogan was a racist.
While speaking on the documentary The Real Hulk Hogan, McMahon said the following, condemning Hogan's words:
"It was unforgivable and I was agasp, ‘What happened?’ When those things occurred, that’s not like him. ‘What in God’s name is going on?'" as well as "As soon as it happened, obviously, the company didn’t have anything to do with him anymore. We took him out of the Hall of Fame. You just don’t do those things."
However, McMahon also negates this criticism by going on the defense for his former friend and colleague (and at times, enemy), stating: "I knew he wasn’t racist. I’ve been with him for so many years. He wasn’t racist. He said some racist things. He should pay for that, and he did. In the end, I think everyone saw the real Hulk Hogan, Terry Bollea, and they felt, ‘Wait a minute, this guy doesn’t act like a racist. He’s not a racist.’ We all make mistakes. That was a big one, but he wasn’t a racist."
Of course, this disregards the numerous times and the entire decade since this leaked sex tape came out wherein Hogan had opportunities to apologize and try to move on and make amends for this.
Though he did release statements here and there such as "Eight years ago, I used offensive language during a conversation. It was unacceptable for me to have used that offensive language; there is no excuse for it; and I apologize for having done it." telling PEOPLE that he was disappointed with himself and that it is inconsistent with his own beliefs, Hogan was also one to say that he hoped the punishment for his son Nick wrecking a car that left passenger John Graziano with irreparable brain damage would be to be reincarnated as a black man.
Hogan also didn't endear himself to his fellow wrestling brethren when he returned to WWE in 2018 and supposedly had a backstage meeting that emphasized more of the idea of not getting caught saying terrible things, as opposed to actually being repentent toward those actions in the past, giving off the impression that any "apologies" over the years were merely P.R. attempts to avoid more damage to his reputation.
Shelton Benjamin (or as Hogan repeatedly referred to as "Benjamin Shelton") recently dismissed praise from The Hulkster a few months ago with this tweet, calling this out:
WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry also spoke about Hogan on this documentary, offering his perspective as a black man within the world of sports entertainment and a former fan of Bollea, stating:
"He said, in his words, that he was a racist. Why would I sit here and try to defend somebody that tells you who they were? It hurt. It hurt. I grew up watching the dude. I used to love that dude. I wanted to be like him. It hurts. I told him then, and I told Vince McMahon, if y'all want this to go away, I know how to fix it. We should do a black college tour at Morehouse and Prairie View and hit the circuit. Go and talk to them and be honest with your apology. He was like, ‘I’ve been advised not to talk about it no more.’ I said, 'I think that’s bad advice.'"
Take it with a grain of salt, but Billi Bhatti on the Dirty Sheets podcast stated that Becky Lynch, Paul Heyman, The New Day, and Rhea Ripley were among talent who refused to attend the 10-bell salute honoring Hogan on Monday Night Raw due to their personal feelings toward Bollea, which could be for any number of reasons including his use of racist language, his affiliation with the MAGA regime and endorsements of everything associated with those issues, and whatever else.
Hogan's last appearance on WWE television was being booed on Monday Night Raw, which he and other apologists for his behavior paint as him just being in a more liberal-leaning state, as opposed to taking any accountability for the people he has hurt through his own actions.
According to McMahon, that, too, "wasn't set up properly" and despite all of the controversies, Hogan somehow "deserved more."
For more on McMahon's current projects, be sure to stay tuned for updates on his sex trafficking lawsuit.