Vince McMahon Voices Support for Hulk Hogan’s Return to WWE

Vince McMahon recently spoke about his choice to bring Hulk Hogan back to WWE in 2018. This came three years after the organization cut ties with him following revelations about his use of racial slurs.

McMahon, who stepped down from WWE and its parent company TKO in January 2024 amid a sexual misconduct lawsuit by former employees, discussed his feelings about the controversial comments made by Hogan in an interview with TMZ aired on Fox.

After Hogan, who passed away at 71, faced repercussions for his past actions, McMahon reinstated him into the WWE Hall of Fame and brought him back to the programming in 2018.

“I knew he wasn’t racist. I spent years with him. He wasn’t racist. He should have paid for it, and he did,” McMahon stated in “TMZ Presents: The Real Hulk Hogan.” “In the end, I think everyone realized who Hulk Hogan really is. They thought, ‘Wait a minute, this guy doesn’t seem racist. He’s not.’ We were all shocked, but he wasn’t racist.”

On the infamous 2007 sex tape that was leaked in 2015, Hogan was heard using the N-word multiple times, claiming, “I think we’re all a bit racist.” There are also recordings from a conversation in 2008 with his son, Nick, in prison, where he again employed racist language.

Hogan’s close friend, Jimmy Hart, also expressed to TMZ that he doesn’t see Hogan as a racist. McMahon, who helped elevate WWE during the 1980s with Hogan, admitted he was taken aback by the content of the sex tapes.

“That was unacceptable. I was just left wondering, ‘What happened?'” McMahon shared. “When those things surfaced, it didn’t feel like him. I was baffled.” WWE ultimately had no choice but to dissociate from Hogan.

“As soon as that happened, we had to cut ties. We removed him from the Hall of Fame. Those things just aren’t excusable,” McMahon reiterated.

Hogan characterized the situation as a “glitch” and attempted to extend an apology, but even fellow former WWE star Mark Henry felt Hogan’s efforts weren’t enough. Henry maintained he wouldn’t defend Hogan’s words but suggested that Hogan should have engaged with the Black community to make amends.

Henry told TMZ, “I think he should have gone and talked to them and been truthful about his apology. But he said he was advised against discussing it anymore. That seemed like poor advice.”

When asked about his emotions regarding WWE being left out of tributes for Hogan after his passing, McMahon expressed that it affected him deeply.

“That really struck a chord with me,” he revealed. “Losing Hogan was a heart-wrenching experience, and I was upset that he received boos during his final appearance in WWE.”