Vince McMahon: Hulk Hogan Wasn’t Racist. He Said Some Racist Things

In July 2015, a tape leaked where Hulk Hogan used the N word and said he was racist “to a point.” The tape was recorded in 2007. Hogan also used racist language in 2008 while speaking to his son Nick Hogan, who was in prison.

“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?'” Vince McMahon said on “The Real Hulk Hogan” documentary when discussing the language used by Hogan.

WWE cut ties with Hogan, removing him from the Hall of Fame.

“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,” said McMahon.

Hogan was reinstated back into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018.

McMahon defended the decision, saying, “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.”

Hogan apologized for his remarks after the tapes leaked, saying, the language was offensive and inconsistent with [his] own beliefs. He would later say that is not who he is.

Hogan passed away on July 24th after a heart attack.

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