Vince McMahon Addresses Hulk Hogan's Character, Decision To Bring Him Back To WWE

The legacy of Hulk Hogan will always be a complicated one.

The WWE Hall of Famer passed away last month after suffering a heart attack, connected to an undiagnosed and slow-progressing form of cancer called Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. He was 71-years-old.

While there is no denying Hogan's status as a cultural icon or the profound impact he had on the professional wrestling industry, dark moments from his controversial personal life will always cast a shadow over his remarkable career for many former and current Hulkamaniacs.

Ten years prior to his death, a recording of Hulk Hogan using racial slurs and claiming that he was racist “to a point” was released to the public. The comments were made back in 2007, while Hogan was also caught using racist language during a conversation with his son Nick a year later.

WWE would sever its relationship with Hogan soon after the recording came out and even removed him from the company's Hall of Fame. He was reinstated three years later.

Former WWE Chairman of the Board Vince McMahon was interviewed for TMZ's 'The Real Hulk Hogan' documentary, which aired Tuesday night on FOX, and defended his decision to bring Hogan back to the company in 2018.

Hulk Hogan: an icon whose legacy is both revered and complex. 💔

Hear from Sylvester Stallone, Vince McMahon, Mick Foley and others on his lasting impact in “TMZ Presents: The Real Hulk Hogan,” premiering TONIGHT at 8/7c on @FOXTV 📺 pic.twitter.com/PXCjsxKPtO
— TMZ (@TMZ) August 13, 2025

“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,” McMahon said. “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."

McMahon, who is currently a defendant in a lawsuit filed by former WWE employee Janel Grant, told TMZ that everyone makes mistakes, and that he knew those comments were inconsistent with Hogan's true beliefs.

Mark Henry was hurt by Hulk Hogan's comments

Fellow WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry was also interviewed for TMZ's documentary, and admitted that Hogan's racist comments were extremely difficult to hear.

“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."

Henry remembered suggesting that Hogan go on an apology tour across black college campuses, like Morehouse and Prairie View, but Hulk said that he was advised not to talk about what he did any further. The World's Strongest Man told him that was bad advice.

Despite what he said and the stain it left on his legacy, Henry said there's no question that the professional wrestling business would not be what it is today without Hulk Hogan.

“Hogan was able to show people the template of what it takes to entertain people. Regardless of his shortcomings, it didn’t make him less of a wrestler. It didn’t make him less of an entertainer. It’s never going to take away from his greatness.” h/t Fightful

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